Weight Loss Surgery Support Groups provide many people with an excellent opportunity to discuss the personal and professional issues involved with the life-changing Bariatric surgery. Meeting other people that have gone through the same struggles as you can be a very powerful and emotional experience. Patients that get the emotional and physical support from peers are usually more likely to succeed in their weight loss goals while learning from each other.
A local support group is a great tool to have, but many people unfortunately live in areas that nobody has started a support group yet. And sometimes the support groups that are available are merely a few people trying to attract potential customers to sell weight loss products or services to.
Some people have taken it upon themselves to start a Weight Loss Surgery Support Group in their area to help support other Bariatric patients and their families with good intentions. These support groups can vary in size and format. Some groups have just a few members that meet once a month for coffee, and some have over 40 members with formal meeting times and structure.
Getting started
Once you decide to form your own support group, there are some things that you will need to get organized. Make a list of your goals and aspirations for the group, including the following:
· What do you want your group to accomplish?
· How will you recruit new members?
· How large do you want your group to get?
· How many times a month do you want to meet?
· Where will you hold your meetings?
· Will the meetings be structured, or just a casual meet, greet, and talk.
· What topics can be discussed at these meetings?
Securing a meeting location
When your group is just starting out, the meetings could probably just be held at someone’s house, but if the group begins to grow you will need an alternative. Apartment and Condo complexes usually have a rec room or wet bar area that could work. Other good options may include a church, school, library, or a meeting room at a local hospital or YMCA.
Finding members and promoting your group
Larger groups may grow by word of mouth, but when you are just starting out you will need to do a little bit of ‘advertising’. Here’s a list of some ways to recruit new members:
· Talk to any local physicians that work with bariatric patients, or post notices or flyers in local hospitals that perform Bariatric Surgeries if they permit it.
· Register your support group at ObesityAction.Org
· Post a notice on your Facebook page (if you have one) letting your friends know to pass on the information to anyone they know that has had the surgery.
· Pin-up boards at libraries, pharmacies, supermarkets.
· Local Newspapers usually have a community announcement or “good causes” section for free announcements.
· Meet people at other Weight Loss Support Groups. This can give you ideas of how to run your own group, and you can also hand out some flyers for your group.
Topics To Discuss
Some groups like to have a set topic at each meeting. If this is a structure you would like to follow, there are plenty of topics to choose from including:
· Getting Enough Water & Protein
· Emotional Eating, Addictions Taking the Place of Eating.
· Before & After Photo Scrapbook Day
· Protein Shake/Bar Tasting Day
· Recipe Swapping
· Understanding the Vitamins & Nutrients needed for Bariatric patients
· Not all meetings need to be just about Weight Loss Surgery. Just talking to other bariatric patients about day to day things can be beneficial for the group. It shows each other that after surgery you can still live a completely normal life.
Inviting speakers
Once your group begins to grow, you might want to consider occasionally inviting a guest speaker to give a presentation or discuss his/her specialty topics. Most medical professionals are very busy people, but many would welcome the chance to speak with patients in their field. If you get a guest speaker to come, make sure to really make that extra effort to get all your members to show up for that meeting.
Taking field trips
Do some things outside of the standard group meetings:
· Goodwill shopping field trip
· Pool party – At someone’s house, city pool, or YMCA
· 5k walk/races as a group
· Holiday parties
· Protein Ice Cream Social – make homemade ice cream together
What can American Bariatrics do to help support your group?
· Post in the Local Support Group section that is in your State, as you may find new members through that source.
· Check back at the American Bariatrics Forums often for topic and discussion ideas at your support group meetings.
Notes:
· Before meetings, check for some good articles in the American Bariatrics ‘Resources’ section for some good printouts that you can handout at the meeting.
· If you’re in the process of setting up a new Support Group, you can message one of the Admins on American Bariatrics with your questions or concerns and we’ll be sure to do what we can to help you succeed. Or you can discuss your concerns with other bariatric patients on the American Bariatrics Forums.
Sources:
www.AmericanBariatrics.Org
http://pamtremble.blogspot.com/p/wls-support-group-topics.html
http://oreilly.com/medical/hydrocephalus/news/starting_group.html
http://www.haruteq.com/howtosupport.htm
A local support group is a great tool to have, but many people unfortunately live in areas that nobody has started a support group yet. And sometimes the support groups that are available are merely a few people trying to attract potential customers to sell weight loss products or services to.
Some people have taken it upon themselves to start a Weight Loss Surgery Support Group in their area to help support other Bariatric patients and their families with good intentions. These support groups can vary in size and format. Some groups have just a few members that meet once a month for coffee, and some have over 40 members with formal meeting times and structure.
Getting started
Once you decide to form your own support group, there are some things that you will need to get organized. Make a list of your goals and aspirations for the group, including the following:
· What do you want your group to accomplish?
· How will you recruit new members?
· How large do you want your group to get?
· How many times a month do you want to meet?
· Where will you hold your meetings?
· Will the meetings be structured, or just a casual meet, greet, and talk.
· What topics can be discussed at these meetings?
Securing a meeting location
When your group is just starting out, the meetings could probably just be held at someone’s house, but if the group begins to grow you will need an alternative. Apartment and Condo complexes usually have a rec room or wet bar area that could work. Other good options may include a church, school, library, or a meeting room at a local hospital or YMCA.
Finding members and promoting your group
Larger groups may grow by word of mouth, but when you are just starting out you will need to do a little bit of ‘advertising’. Here’s a list of some ways to recruit new members:
· Talk to any local physicians that work with bariatric patients, or post notices or flyers in local hospitals that perform Bariatric Surgeries if they permit it.
· Register your support group at ObesityAction.Org
· Post a notice on your Facebook page (if you have one) letting your friends know to pass on the information to anyone they know that has had the surgery.
· Pin-up boards at libraries, pharmacies, supermarkets.
· Local Newspapers usually have a community announcement or “good causes” section for free announcements.
· Meet people at other Weight Loss Support Groups. This can give you ideas of how to run your own group, and you can also hand out some flyers for your group.
Topics To Discuss
Some groups like to have a set topic at each meeting. If this is a structure you would like to follow, there are plenty of topics to choose from including:
· Getting Enough Water & Protein
· Emotional Eating, Addictions Taking the Place of Eating.
· Before & After Photo Scrapbook Day
· Protein Shake/Bar Tasting Day
· Recipe Swapping
· Understanding the Vitamins & Nutrients needed for Bariatric patients
· Not all meetings need to be just about Weight Loss Surgery. Just talking to other bariatric patients about day to day things can be beneficial for the group. It shows each other that after surgery you can still live a completely normal life.
Inviting speakers
Once your group begins to grow, you might want to consider occasionally inviting a guest speaker to give a presentation or discuss his/her specialty topics. Most medical professionals are very busy people, but many would welcome the chance to speak with patients in their field. If you get a guest speaker to come, make sure to really make that extra effort to get all your members to show up for that meeting.
Taking field trips
Do some things outside of the standard group meetings:
· Goodwill shopping field trip
· Pool party – At someone’s house, city pool, or YMCA
· 5k walk/races as a group
· Holiday parties
· Protein Ice Cream Social – make homemade ice cream together
What can American Bariatrics do to help support your group?
· Post in the Local Support Group section that is in your State, as you may find new members through that source.
· Check back at the American Bariatrics Forums often for topic and discussion ideas at your support group meetings.
Notes:
· Before meetings, check for some good articles in the American Bariatrics ‘Resources’ section for some good printouts that you can handout at the meeting.
· If you’re in the process of setting up a new Support Group, you can message one of the Admins on American Bariatrics with your questions or concerns and we’ll be sure to do what we can to help you succeed. Or you can discuss your concerns with other bariatric patients on the American Bariatrics Forums.
Sources:
www.AmericanBariatrics.Org
http://pamtremble.blogspot.com/p/wls-support-group-topics.html
http://oreilly.com/medical/hydrocephalus/news/starting_group.html
http://www.haruteq.com/howtosupport.htm