Preventing Weight Gain
After one or two years following a bariatric procedure such as gastric sleeve and gastric bypass, some patients experience weight regain. As a result, bariatric patients may feel anxious about how to deal with such an effect. Therefore, in this article, our fantastic bariatric nutritionist Linda Cardona and our exceptional follow-up physician Dr. Paola Velazco share with you some keys to avoid weight regain and the reasons why some bariatric patients experience that effect.
In fact, they are bariatric patients, so they understand the weight-loss journey completely, not only from a professional side but also from a deeply personal perspective.
How Much Weight Is It Normal to Regain After Bariatric Surgery?
First of all, you should know that in most cases, some weight regain is expected. The reason? Because of the restrictive or malabsorptive methods used in bariatric surgery, patients lose dramatic amounts of weight safely and consciously during the first year.
However, some of those bariatric patients lose more weight than they were expecting or surpass their goal. Thus, they gain some weight back to enjoy a more contoured figure.
How much weight is it normal to regain? It can vary from patient to patient, but on average, losing 15 to 25% of the total lost weight is considered to be with the normal or healthy range after one or two years.
Any number above 25% is not considered normal. If that happens to you, do not panic. Our bariatric experts can help you avoid weight regain or stop that effect. Yet, to be successful in doing so, you must reach out to Linda Cardona and Dr. Paola Velazco as soon as you see some signs of that happening. They will let you know if everything looks normal or if you need to change something in your diet or lifestyle.
Reasons Why Some Experience Weight Regain
One common reason why some patients who underwent restrictive surgery, such as gastric sleeve, regain weight has to do with the fact that they start overeating in the second year following their procedure. During the first year, they follow the dietary guidelines strictly and eat significantly smaller portions of food simply because their stomach was drastically reduced.
However, after the stomach has adapted to its new size, some bariatric patients might start to eat more than is recommended because they do not feel as full, have cravings, or need comfort food. Thus, such needs might be psychological or emotional. As a result, the stomach’s natural reaction will be to expand once again.
Similarly, when a bariatric patient undergoes a malabsorptive surgery such as gastric bypass, the bariatric surgeon creates a pouch in the stomach connected directly to the intestines. Such connection can also increase in size if bariatric patients begin to over east after some time has passed from their weight loss surgery.
Additionally, another reason why bariatric patients who underwent this type of surgery might regain weight, although rare, is when there’s a fistula, which a small hole in the pouch connected to the other side of the stomach that is no longer used.
On the other hand, another factor to consider why some regain weight is hormones. Women, in particular, have to deal with hormonal imbalances that can trigger weight regain. Some of such hormonal imbalances occur commonly during menopause. Moreover, after bariatric surgery, some women experience the benefit of increased fertility and safe pregnancy.
In turn, with pregnancy comes increased weight as the body adjusts to making room for the baby, for childbirth, and breastfeeding. As a result, it is normal for moms first to regain weight and second not to be able to return to their pre-pregnancy weight.
Keys to Prevent or Avoid Excessive Weight Regain
If you do see the need to contact Linda Cardona and Dr. Paola Velazco, it will be extremely helpful to have a diary or journal or your diet and feelings for several months. That will help them detect right away if there are some behaviors, foods, or ingredients that are causing you to experience weight regain. Additionally, consider the following keys to prevent weight regain successfully:
- Follow your nutritional guidelines. We cannot stress the importance of this key factor as you will continually hear it from your bariatric nutritionist Linda Cardona. Why is it vital for you to follow the nutritional guidelines strictly and religiously? Because these guidelines are given according to your medical requirements and weight loss goals. Besides, they come with some personal instructions according to your needs if the bariatric nutritionist considers it necessary. For example, you will receive specific instructions regarding protein intake, both types of protein and amount. Protein allows bariatric patients to lose even more weight the first year and keep or gain muscle, which is perfect to have a toned and aesthetic figure.
- Keep your hormone levels in check. – As it was brought out earlier, hormones can trigger weight gain, particularly in women. Plus, some bariatric patients gained weight very quickly before their bariatric procedure due to hormonal imbalances such as hypothyroidism, thus requiring a weight loss surgery. Therefore, these patients must keep their hormone levels in check with periodical tests and follow-up checkups with their endocrinologist.
- Stay tuned for your follow-up care instructions. – Every three months or so, you will receive emails from your bariatric nutritionist and follow-up physician with updates, recommendations, and instructions, such as when to get some blood tests. These instructions and recommendations are crucial to ensure permanent weight loss and prevent excessive weight regain.
- Take care of your emotional health. Just as many bariatric patients were obese because they used food to release stress or experience comfort, it is essential to have stable emotional health after bariatric surgery since it will prevent you from overeating or eating poorly nutritious foods and alcohol. In fact, after bariatric surgery, alcohol is a powerful trigger of weight regain if it is not consumed properly.
Successfully Losing Weight Permanently
All weight loss surgery procedures at Tijuana Bariatric Center have improved the quality of life of thousands of patients. Former obese patients have significantly reduced or experienced a cure of chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, and liver disease.
Additionally, bariatric patients regain their independence, improve their breathing, diminish joint pain caused by excess weight, and enjoy increased energy levels and stamina. The benefits do not stop there. They can improve their physical appearance impressively and see continuous improvements in their well-being.
This article on how to prevent weight gain has provided a sample of the support you will receive from weight-loss experts at Tijuana Bariatric Center.
Rest assured that you will never be alone if you reach out to us and stay close to your follow-up bariatric experts and support groups you will find at TBC. Why not schedule a free virtual consultation today to clear any doubts or concerns you might have about the right bariatric procedure for you?
Call us today at 1-800-970-0577 or summit this quick form. You are one call or click away from enjoying permanent weight loss and an exceptional quality of life!
