Katie Jay's™
Weight Loss Surgery Stages of Transformation:
What to Expect and How to Manage Change after Bariatric Surgery
By Katie Jay, MSW, CTA-certified Wellness Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
The WLS Stages of Transformation™ is more than a description of the process of change patients move through after weight loss surgery (WLS). It is also an explanation about how to move through the common post-surgical stages, with an emphasis on the mental and emotional transformations that take place. The WLS Stages of Transformation™ describes, normalizes, and demonstrates the process to improve a patient's long-term WLS outcome potential.
A Brief Overview of the WLS Stages of Transformation™
Decision Point – The patient decides to have weight loss surgery.
Shock and Awe – The patient begins to feel "buyer's remorse" or are in awe of how little they can eat.
Grief and Loss – The patient feels sad about the loss of some foods, rituals, or even friends.
The Miracle – The patient feels invincible, like they will never overeat again.
Testing Limits – The patient goes back to foods that used to trigger them to overeat, like sweets.
Behavioral limits are tested, too, in this stage. Relationships can change, interpersonal boundaries can shift, and transfer addictions can begin to take hold.
End of Invincible – The "honeymoon" ends and the patient's eating can more easily affect your weight loss or weight maintenance.
Give Up or Change – The patient realizes if they don't make changes, they will gain weight or stop losing.
Learning – The patient opens up and learns to pinpoint what their real problems are (not what they assume they are).
Experimenting – The patient goes through a trial and error process to discover what really will work for them.
Self Trust – The patient develops a sense of self trust and self care that was previously nonexistent.
Mastery – The patient regains some control and begins to experience some peace of mind with food, their body, and the scale.
Freedom – The patient sees that what they really want to do, and what they must do to stay healthy, are one and the same.
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