“Life is good. I have energy I never knew I had. I never realized how good I could feel. I don’t see any losses in my life since surgery – only gains.”
Brea has been much happier ever since she had her gastric sleeve procedure with SmartShape Weight Loss Centre. She has so much more energy than she had previously, and she can now play with her three children the way she’s never been able to.
So is happiness related to weight loss at all?
The American Psychological Association (APA) says yes. In one of their studies, they state, “positive psychological wellbeing (PPWB) is positively associated with restorative health behaviours and biological function”.[1] What this means is that when you’re happy, you tend to make healthier decisions for yourself, which in turn helps you lead a healthier, happier life.
However if you feel depressed or unhappy, you will make poorer decisions for yourself, such as watching TV instead of going to the gym and developing bad eating habits. This includes eating junk food instead of fruits and vegetables, which can lead to weight gain.
How the APA defines positive psychological well-being
The APA defines PPWB with multiple constructs, which include personal growth, self-acceptance, autonomy, happiness, satisfaction with life, positive affect, optimism (and hope) and vitality.
This means that in order to lead a happier (and therefore healthier) life, the APA states that you need:
- To feel like you have purpose and meaning in your life
- To seek to realize your full potential
- To accept yourself for who you are
- To be able to act independently regardless of external pressures
- To feel satisfied with your quality of life
- To feel optimistic about your future
- To display an enthusiasm for life[2]
What this has to do with weight loss
Brea tried every method of weight loss she could throughout her life, and still she found her weight creeping back up again despite her efforts.
“I was able to lose a bit on my own but never got to a point where I felt healthy and truly great about myself,” she says.
At that point, she didn’t fit any of the PPWB constructs that the APA defined in their article. She didn’t consider herself a happy person, she wasn’t optimistic about her future due to previous failed weight loss attempts and she wasn’t satisfied with her quality of life. She was just struggling with her increasing weight and perceived inability to do anything about it.
After her bariatric surgery, however, she couldn’t be happier. She has finally been given a tool that has helped her lose that excess weight, and she can do things she had never imagined doing previously. She can walk up the stairs without losing her breath at the top, she can fit comfortably into booths at restaurants and she can go back to the active life she once had as a child.
“I listened to my body and when I felt full I didn’t eat a bite more. I was eating to live and not living to eat. I felt amazing.”
Is weight loss one of your New Year’s Resolutions?
SmartShape Weight Loss Centre is a Canadian clinic that offers safe, effective weight loss procedures with wait times of just 4-6 weeks after an initial consultation with one of our surgeons.
Our weight loss experts and fully-qualified surgeons can help you achieve successful weight loss in the New Year through our three life-changing procedures:
Our surgeons can also perform any necessary adjustments for our SmartShape LAP-BAND® patients.
Getting Started
SmartShape has helped over 6,000 patients improve their quality of life and achieve sustained weight loss since the clinic opened in 2005, and continues to be the leading provider of proven weight loss programs in Canada.
Learn more about what we can offer you by contacting us at (888) 278-7952 or by using our online form to request a consultation.
Sources
[1] The Heart’s Content: The Association Between Positive Psychological
Well-Being and Cardiovascular Health by the American Psychological Association
[2] Same as above.
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