Bariatric Support
Course Overview
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A path from assessment to coaching — follow the tabs in order for the full ProgressTracks journey.
A changed body works best with a mind prepared for change.
Prepare psychologically and behaviorally for a major life transition by examining expectations, beliefs, fear, motivation, perfectionism, shame, and the mental patterns that influence long-term change.
- Develop realistic expectations about bariatric surgery and life afterward.
- Recognize unhelpful all-or-nothing thinking, perfectionism, and shame.
- Strengthen commitment beyond temporary motivation.
- Practice constructive self-talk and mental rehearsal.
- Build a support and preparation plan.
Explore hopes and assumptions about surgery, weight change, health, confidence, relationships, eating, and life after surgery.
- Realistic expectations
- Unrealistic expectations
- Health versus appearance
- Relationships
- Emotional adjustment
- Long-term work
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Recognize perfectionism, shame, harsh self-judgment, and the belief that one difficult choice means the entire plan has failed.
- Perfectionism
- All-or-nothing thinking
- Shame
- Self-talk
- Progress over perfection
- Returning quickly after a difficult choice
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Learn how values, planning, routines, support, and small actions can sustain progress when motivation is low.
- Motivation
- Commitment
- Values
- Planning
- Small actions
- Support
Planned lesson · Coming soon
The goal is not to fear food — it is to relate to it with greater awareness and intention.
Develop more intentional eating behavior through mindfulness, awareness, planning, flexible thinking, and collaboration with your bariatric nutrition team.
- Practice mindful and intentional eating.
- Reduce shame-based thinking about food and eating.
- Follow individualized nutrition recommendations from qualified providers.
- Prepare for social situations, eating out, holidays, and travel.
- Recover constructively after difficult eating experiences.
Slow down and increase awareness of thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, choices, satisfaction, and your bariatric care plan during eating experiences.
- Slow down
- Pay attention
- Reduce distractions
- Notice internal experience
- Follow your care plan
- Reflect without judgment
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Challenge the idea that eating choices determine your worth and replace shame with responsibility, curiosity, and constructive adjustment.
- Food is not a moral score
- Self-worth
- Responsibility without shame
- Curiosity
- Learning
- Recommitment
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Your body may change faster than your inner picture of yourself.
Explore how significant physical change can affect body image, identity, confidence, relationships, intimacy, clothing, attention from others, and the way you see yourself.
- Understand why body image may lag behind physical change.
- Separate personal worth from body weight and appearance.
- Navigate compliments, attention, loose skin, clothing, and other appearance-related experiences.
- Recognize changing relationship and identity dynamics.
- Develop a values-based sense of who you are becoming.
Explore why significant physical change may not immediately change how you see or experience yourself.
- Internal body image
- Old identity
- Adjustment takes time
- Mirror and clothing experiences
- Self-awareness
- Patience
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Develop a more stable sense of worth based on character, relationships, values, contribution, growth, and how you live rather than body size.
- Self-worth
- Identity
- Values
- Character
- Relationships
- Contribution
Planned lesson · Coming soon
If food helped you cope, lasting change requires additional ways to care for yourself.
Expand your coping toolbox so difficult emotions and life experiences do not automatically lead back to old eating patterns or other harmful behaviors.
- Recognize emotional states that commonly trigger old coping patterns.
- Develop multiple healthy coping options.
- Practice emotional regulation and stress-management skills.
- Strengthen relationships and willingness to seek support.
- Recognize when professional behavioral-health care is needed.
Explore whether eating has helped soothe, distract, reward, numb, celebrate, connect, avoid, or manage difficult experiences.
- Soothing
- Distraction
- Reward
- Numbing
- Celebration
- Connection
- Avoidance
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Develop multiple ways to respond to stress, anxiety, loneliness, anger, boredom, grief, fatigue, and difficult emotions.
- Emotional regulation
- Connection
- Mindfulness
- Movement
- Rest
- Journaling
- Meaningful activity
- Professional support
Planned lesson · Coming soon
A setback is information — not your identity and not the end of your journey.
Respond to plateaus, setbacks, returning habits, avoidance, or weight recurrence with curiosity, appropriate clinical follow-up, renewed support, and practical recommitment rather than shame.
- Recognize common forms of habit drift.
- Reduce shame and avoidance after setbacks.
- Identify changes that may have contributed to current difficulty.
- Reconnect with appropriate professional and social support.
- Rebuild progress through small, realistic recommitment steps.
Identify subtle changes in routines, eating patterns, coping, follow-up, planning, movement, sleep, or support that may signal a need for attention.
- Routine drift
- Eating-pattern changes
- Reduced follow-up
- Stress
- Avoidance
- Isolation
- Early awareness
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Approach weight recurrence or other difficult outcomes as reasons for compassionate assessment, medical follow-up, behavioral review, and renewed support rather than secrecy or self-condemnation.
- Avoid shame
- Return to follow-up
- Review contributing factors
- Medical evaluation when appropriate
- Behavioral support
- Recommitment
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Choose the smallest high-value action that helps restore direction instead of trying to fix everything in a single burst of effort.
- Choose one priority
- Small actions
- Consistency
- Track progress
- Use support
- Add complexity gradually
Planned lesson · Coming soon
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