The decision to get weight loss surgery is highly personal. This is a choice that can impact you for the rest of your life. You make the choice today to get weight loss surgery, and this guides the choices that you make for years to come. It is no wonder, especially with all of the emotions that often complicate decisions regarding weight loss and obesity, that many people opt to keep the decision to undergo weight loss surgery to themselves, often only letting those who are closest to them in on the secret.

It is entirely reasonable to want to keep your personal health choices to yourself, but making the decision not to let others in on what you are going through will inherently limit the ability of those around you to support you during this time. If someone doesn’t know, then there is no way that they can help.

Becoming a more open communicator can enhance your weight loss experience by helping you to build your support system. Making the choice to get started with a new weight loss program will bring a lot of change into your life. But sometimes, the most stressful aspects of your weight loss program come from the things in your life that don’t seem to change, as much as you may need them to. If you don’t give your friends and family members a chance at supporting you, then their behavior isn’t going to change, it’s that simple.

For a lot of people, food is a central component of their social lives. Time spent with family is centered on the dinner table, and time spent with friends often includes lunch dates or dessert-filled evenings. When you make an attempt to shift away from poor eating habits sometimes that means cutting in on time with family and friends. Learning how to communicate your needs with those closest to you can help reaffirm your weight loss goals and help you develop a healthier relationship with food.

Before snapping at friends or family members who want you to participate in old, unhealthy eating habits, think carefully about what they could do to be helpful. Explain to them that going out to lunch is too tempting, and that it isn’t easy to just order a salad. Tell them ways that they can be positive and supportive, and suggest new ideas for spending time with one another, like exercising. More often than not, when you take the time to communicate your needs and make it clear to loved ones how they can be helpful, they will be. Building your personal support network in this way will make a huge difference in your ability to lose weight and keep it off after weight loss surgery.