Ep 25: What Are Your Non-Negotiables After Your Bariatric Surgery?
This post is a companion to Episode 25 of the Bariatric Nutrition Coach Podcast. Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
The concept of non-negotiables is especially powerful in your maintenance phase — but it is worth thinking about at any stage of your journey. Non-negotiables are the two or three key habits that, when you practise them, keep everything else falling into place. They are your anchors.
Why Non-Negotiables Matter
I love the story of a chef who, when asked how he maintained his weight loss after surgery, reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pair of chopsticks. "I eat with these," he said. That one simple habit — eating more slowly — kept everything else on track. Your non-negotiables work the same way. When life gets hard, you do not need to remember ten things. You come back to two or three anchors.
Examples of Non-Negotiables
Different things work for different people. Some examples: eating regular meals, which regulates appetite and prevents grazing; plating food with the protein bites ratio; doing a three-day protein tracking stint once a month; weighing yourself once a fortnight; committing to movement a set number of times per week. The key is that when you do these things, other things fall into place naturally.
An Activity to Try
Grab a pen and paper. First, reflect on the habits you had before surgery that contributed to weight gain — these are the habits most likely to creep back in, so knowing them keeps you watchful. Then start identifying what your two or three non-negotiables might be for your maintenance phase — the things that, when you focus on them, keep you confident and on track.
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