Having a positive mindset can totally change your outlook on the world. When you are focused, clear-headed, and approaching the day with an open mind it becomes much easier to triumph over obstacles, whether they are large or small. The same logic applies to your weight loss surgery program.

When you are constantly thinking about the negatives, contemplating what might go wrong at any given moment, it is difficult to remain motivated. Every weight loss program has a honeymoon period. It is true from the most basic diet and exercise commitments all the way up to bariatric surgery.

During the first days of that gym membership you have plans of going every day, but as time goes on the daily goals become weekly goals and before you know it the gym is a distant thought. Diet plans often fall much in the same way—great at first, but slowly ambition falls away and you are left with little more than an abandoned plan.

When you make a commitment like getting weight loss surgery, it has to be different. To be successful after weight loss surgery you have to keep that ambition and can-do attitude at its peak.

Here are a few tips to help you maintain a positive attitude on your weight loss journey:

• Keep reminders nearby. If the only thing you focus on is what you have to do to lose weight, then you can easily lose sight of why you are taking this challenge on. Stay motivated by reminding yourself why you are doing this daily. This might mean posting a picture of loved ones on your fridge to remind you that your health matters, or writing yourself notes to motivate you to work towards where you want to be physically in your life.
• Be your own biggest fan. When someone asks how your weight loss progress is going, tell them the positives. It is going great because you are working hard. It is going great because you are making new goals and reaching new heights. You might be tired, you might feel impatient, but use this as a chance to really promote what is working. You deserve the positive praise.
• Dress the part. So much of staying positive comes down to simply appreciating who you are. If you are a bit heavier than you have been in the past and don’t have many clothes that fit, don’t just wait for old clothes to fit again after you lose weight—dress for success now.

Maintaining a good attitude will require work, just like your ability to lose weight will require work. But keeping up your mental health is just as important as your physical health. So if you, like so many of us, have a history of abandoning high-hopes early into your weight loss program, then now is a good time to find some motivational support.