Iowa Specialty Hospital
Proud to Partner with:
Request Surgical Weight Loss Consultation Request Medical Weight Loss Consultation Contact Us

Preparing Your Mind for Extreme Weight Loss

Posted on October 19, 2016 at 9:38 AM by Iowa Weight Loss Specialists

 

Your mental health is vital to your weight loss success. Having weight-loss surgery in and of itself can be mentally challenging, but not as challenging as overcoming the emotions and behavioral connections you may have with food and with your body image.

 

Unlike dieting and exercising alone, with weight loss surgery, your body significantly changes quickly post-surgery. It’s important to be prepared for this by seeking professional counsel before and after surgery. Research has shown high rates of depression and anxiety in individuals who are obese, but as you lose weight post-surgery, it continues to be important to be paying attention to how you are feeling.

 

Many insurance companies actually require a mental health evaluation prior to approval of surgery. IWLS has professionals on staff to conduct those evaluations for our patients. Topics discussed during our evaluations range from eating disorders and substance abuse to psychiatric diseases, sleep, stress management and much more. This evaluation and ongoing counseling helps us create the best plan for your success and helps you to be prepared for undesirable emotions.

 

Here are a few additional tips about weight loss and mental health:

 

  1. Improving Self Body Image: We all perceive ourselves differently. While you will lose a large amount of weight, it may take time to “see” it in your mind. You may find yourself still seeing or feeling like the heavier version of yourself. Remember that the person you are will inside will not change, just your body size.
  2. Support. The people you surround yourself with will be important. There may be people in your life that do not support you or may even become jealous of your healthier lifestyle and weight loss. Seek help and counseling to learn ways to work on these relationships.
  3. Emotional Eating. Emotional eating may have played a large role in your past weight gain and may define your relationship with food. A counselor can help determine why you may turn to food for comfort and can provide better ways to cope with these emotions.

 

If you’ve already scheduled your surgery or are considering it, make sure to take advantage of the mental health services we provide to better prepare and equip yourself for the new you and your success!

 

“I feel that Iowa Weight Loss prepares you very well for surgery. I wish I hadn’t been so scared to seek out mental health services. The IWLS office has someone available and it’s so much easier to be able to go to one place for all of my appointments.”

Molly Rowe, IWLS Surgical Patient

© Copyright 2025 Iowa Weight Loss Specialists. All Rights Reserved