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
You can respond more intentionally when you understand what is actually driving the urge to eat.
Learn to recognize the different experiences that can lead to eating and identify personal patterns involving physical hunger, cravings, emotions, habits, environment, stress, boredom, loneliness, rewards, and social situations.
- Differentiate physical hunger from cravings, habits, and emotional triggers.
- Identify common personal eating triggers.
- Recognize environmental and social influences.
- Understand what emotional eating may be attempting to accomplish.
- Create alternative responses to recurring triggers.
Explore physical hunger, cravings, emotional urges, habits, environmental cues, and social eating.
- Physical hunger
- Cravings
- Habit
- Emotion
- Environment
- Social cues
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Look for patterns involving stress, anxiety, loneliness, boredom, fatigue, conflict, celebration, reward, location, people, and routines.
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Loneliness
- Boredom
- Fatigue
- Conflict
- Reward
- Social triggers
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
Recovery is not simply healing from surgery — it is learning how to live differently.
Adjust to the emotional, behavioral, relational, and practical realities of surgery and recovery while following individualized instructions from your bariatric medical team.
- Prepare emotionally for surgery and recovery.
- Adapt patiently to changing routines and eating experiences.
- Recognize non-scale progress.
- Use support effectively during recovery.
- Maintain appropriate medical and nutritional follow-up.
Anticipate emotional, practical, relationship, and routine changes surrounding surgery and early recovery.
- Expect change
- Ask for help
- Prepare your environment
- Plan communication
- Follow clinical instructions
- Be patient with recovery
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Recognize that appetite, eating, routines, energy, emotions, relationships, and expectations may all require adjustment.
- New routines
- Changing appetite
- Eating experiences
- Emotional adjustment
- Relationships
- Patience
Planned lesson · Coming soon
Expand your definition of progress to include health behaviors, energy, mobility, participation, confidence, relationships, consistency, and quality of life.
- Health behaviors
- Energy
- Mobility
- Participation
- Confidence
- Consistency
- Quality of life
Planned lesson · Coming soon
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