For bariatric patients, the weight loss battle does not end in the operating room. Months or even years after surgery, the weight can slowly creep back on. This setback can be both frustrating and discouraging to people who thought their weight loss issues were a thing of the past.
Truthfully, it happens to most of us. If you are dealing with weight gain, we’ve listed a few steps below which will help you get back on track. But these are only a few ideas ─ please hit the comment button below and share your recommendations and tips!
1. Go back to what the doctor ordered
Post-surgery, you were probably given a lot of instructions from your surgeon as to what, when and how to eat and were reminded of the importance of exercise and follow-up medical care. While in the beginning you might have followed the doctor’s advice to the letter, as time passed and you looked and felt healthier, you may deviated from those dietary and exercise guidelines. Those instructions were not only designed to ensure a safe recovery but were part of a long term strategy to help you reap the benefits of weight loss surgery for the rest of your life.
2. Get thy self to the nearest support group ─ STAT
Weight loss is a personal journey, but it doesn’t have to be a lonely one. Groups such as the Back On Track Together group on obesityhelp.com are great ways to share your weight loss challenges and successes with a network of people who can sympathize with what you are going through. These groups can also improve your self-esteem by helping you to recognize that your feelings and behaviors are not unique and nothing to be ashamed of.
Prime Surgicare offers free monthly support group meetings for bariatric patients (pre-and post-op) at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold on the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Health Awareness Center.
3. Mind your exercise
Are you using the ‘too tired’ reason for missing a trip to the gym or 30 minute fast walk around the neighborhood? If you need energy, you know how to get it—get up, get out and get moving.
“Too busy,” you say? Remember, only you can prioritize your health and wellness. You matter—make time for your health every single day.
4. Hold yourself accountable
This doesn’t mean blaming yourself for weight gain. Rather, be forthright about how and why it happened. Getting back on the scale and firing up your food journal again can help you with that.
Weigh in at least once a week you will be forced to face the hard fact that you are gaining weight and you will be more likely to break the bad habits that are causing it. Keeping a food and activity diary, also gives you accountability for your weight gain by helping you to track your daily food intake, count your calories and keep a log of your daily activity. One of our star patients, Courtney shares her personal tips and tricks here:
There’s no need to beat yourself up. You have already done the hard part by recognizing the weight has crept back on. That in itself shows you are going to battle back!
If you need a pep talk or have some challenges you help with overcoming — just give us a call and make an appointment to come in and see me or one of our bariatric nutritionist specialists.
Our team here at Prime Surgicare is armed with the ammunition to get the scale moving downward again. Working together, we cannot be stopped!
I would like to add a special note of thanks to our nutritionist, who added valuable content and resource information for this article.