Not Just Another Resolution: This Year, It’s About Real Change
January 9, 2025By: Janet Klein, MS, RDN, CDN, CDE
Categories: Bariatric, Blog, Health & Wellness
New Year’s resolutions. For some, it can be the beginning of something exciting and new. A chance to start over or stop what doesn’t bring joy. A time to take a chance and make necessary changes. Often, resolutions begin with the best of intentions—only to be left behind, forgotten or given up on before the calendar has flipped to February.
For many, the key to a successful resolution is to start small. When we decide “this is the year I am going to finally lose weight and get healthy,” that promise can seem overwhelming, even daunting, especially if you are already dealing with health issues due to your added weight, such as prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, chronic pain or high blood pressure.
So, how can you start small on your large journey to wellness? It takes one call to your healthcare provider. Losing weight is not easy, but when a team of healthcare professionals works with you, it can get a whole lot easier. For instance, the bariatric team at Garnet Health will partner with you to craft a personalized weight loss plan that can lead to long-term success. Garnet Health’s experienced, compassionate bariatric surgeons and bariatric medicine providers in Orange and Sullivan counties offer evidence-based solutions that will help you reach your weight loss goals.
Being obese can impact your quality of life and lead to a variety of other health concerns. If left untreated, excess weight can contribute to chronic health conditions, such as:
- Arthritis and other joint issues
- Cancer
- Chronic pain and reduced mobility
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Mental illness or eating disorders
- Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders
- Stroke
Obesity can be caused by unhealthy habits, but genetics can lead to the disease as well. Understanding that there may be multiple causes for your excess weight is a key component to determining the most appropriate treatment for you—and just as important is knowing you are not alone. Having support, proper education and compassion ensures you will be on a successful path forward.
Receiving support from bariatric specialists does not automatically mean you need to have bariatric surgery. The term “bariatric” means “the medical treatment of obesity.” Bariatric specialists will work with you to start at a pace that’s realistic and healthy, depending on your body’s specific needs. Bariatric weight management services at Garnet Health include:
- Bariatric surgeries, specializing in minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures such as gastric banding, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy
- Bariatric surgery seminars and support groups
- A bariatric pre-operative education class
- The Weight Loss and Obesity Medicine Management (OMM) program at Garnet Health Medical Center, called A Healthy Weigh, which offers a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to weight loss that involves nonsurgical techniques (medical, behavioral, nutrition, exercise) to help you achieve a healthy body weight
- Individually designed dietary counseling, body-composition analysis and exercise programs
Let 2025 be the year you reach your health goals. Resolve to be kind to yourself. Be patient and take those small steps now that will lead to increased longevity as well as improvements in your well-being and overall quality of life.
Janet Klein, MS, RDN, CDN, CDCES, MBSCR, is the program director for Garnet Health Medical Center’s Bariatric Surgery and Obesity Medicine Program. For more information about bariatrics at Garnet Health, call 845-333-2123.
