hi my name is Erica Johnson and I'm currently finishing up all my clearances. But I want to know what do we have to do for supports group, I mean do we just talk and support each other and listen in on others discussion. or what else do we need to do and how long should the support group last?
Welcome to our forum.
Start a thread when you have a thought.
Chime in anywhere.
Ask questions in your threads. There are no dumb questions. The only dumb question is the one you didn't ask !!!
Comment on any thread anywhere.
I generally go to new postings each day and comment on most of the new posts.
Also, do join a local bariatric support group in your area if you can.
I go to one monthly. It last two hours. The first hour is for pre-op and post-op. What happens here is the post-ops are usually responding to pre-op questions. We are essentially helping the surgeon's team by presenting our experiences to those folks considering the surgery.
The second hour is post-op only where we deal with our own issues and go over helpful information to keep us on the straight and narrow.
Sometimes, we have to help someone who is having a difficult time and/or is straying a little and help them get back on track.
Remember this is just a tool to get the weight off.
The first year to year and a half is the "honeymoon" phase. I am in the honeymoon phase right now myself. I am loving the changes, the weight loss, the many more things I can do now, getting off meds, etc., etc.
Ultimately, when we reach our maintenance weight, wherever that may be, we then have to make sure that we have now created a lifelong eating discipline that will allow us to stay at our maintenance weight.
This does require a new attitude and we must work together to achieve this goal.
Ralph
