Tips & Tricks to Trusting the Process

Our names are Kellie and Mel and after 20 years of friendship and us both having bariatric surgery 4 years apart and realizing how little support in out there we created Our Sleeved Life Podcast! We have lost over 250 lbs, and our mission is to end the stigma of weight loss and weight loss surgery by educating the world about what bariatric surgery is really all about and also showing others that having weight loss surgery is nothing to be ashamed of. During our successful journeys we have followed these steps when trusting the process and want to share them with you in hopes that they help when it gets rough!

Trusting the process after you have had weight loss surgery……easier said than done right?!? We both heard this all the time during our journey and we still have to remind ourselves that this is not a journey that ends when you hit your goal weight. This is a journey that is ongoing for your whole life….let us say that one more time LIFETIME. So many believe this is the “easy way out” or we “cheated” by having this procedure, BUT what most don’t understand is that there is so much that goes into the process after weight loss surgery especially when you are going through a stall or you think “that’s it that’s all the weight I’m going to lose”, so in hopes that when you are going through a time like we just described, follow these steps:

1.  The number one thing to remember with trusting the process is to follow your plan and what your surgeon and nutritionist recommend. There are some base numbers that most every weight loss surgery clinic go by and those are get at least 80g of protein and 64oz of water a day - in the beginning it will be difficult but just keep trying. Here is a daily liquid diet schedule that Kellie used when she was newly post op. We have tried so many protein powders and by far our favorite is Devotion nutrition. Its very versatile and not only is it great for protein shakes in the beginning of your journey but you can bake with it and also put it in your coffee so you get a boost of protein with your morning dose of caffeine when you are further out post op.

2. Try not to weigh yourself until a month after surgery and if you can wait 2 months post op because weight fluctuates a lot and so much plays into it, you could have water weight, or if your are female it could be your period. Also right after surgery your body is going through a ton of changes and trying to figure out what just happened so remember to give yourself grace.

3. Take measurements of your body, sometimes when the scale doesn’t move the inches do! So keep track of the measurements for those days that you get frustrated by a stall.

4. NSV - Non scale victories like measurements are a great way to readjust your mindset when trying to trust the process. When you are in a stall or the numbers on the scale aren’t budging you can also count on the little things like the towel closing or you fitting in an outfit. They don’t matter how major the NSV is, because its still a victory!

5. Not every journey is the same! Try not to compare your journey with someone else’s, even if you are the same starting weight and surgery date they might progress faster or slower than you. We also say that at the end of the day this surgery is about you and only you. So focus on yourself instead of anyone else’s progress.

6. Create side by side photos! When we are feeling like we haven’t made progress because its hard to see it in yourself we create those face2face Friday or transformation Tuesday photos and they really help us to SEE the changes and focus on how far we’ve come instead of the negative self talk that we tend to have when we don’t think we are progressing as fast as we would want.

We are experts in this field because with Mel being 6 years post op and Kellie being 2 years and although we have had struggles we have used these tips throughout our journeys to stay focused and have become very successful with our weight loss and overall health.

Our Sleeved Life Podcast has hit their 1-year anniversary and you can find their weekly episodes that expand on this subject and more on any podcast platform or by going to their website oursleevedlifepodcast.com. They are also very active on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitch and TikTok! 

We are the voice of this community, and we will fight for them and you!

Kellie & Mel