Top Tips For Managing Weight After Weight Loss Surgery

One of the most frequent questions we get asked in our assessment process is

‘What if the surgery doesn’t work for me?’

This can mean people don’t lose any weight, or they lose weight and then regain it. If you are thinking about having, or have had weight loss surgery then the chances are you will have dieted many, many times, and after each diet you will have regained weight. It can lead us to feeling like a failure. So, the question about the surgery not working isn’t at all surprising. Also, you will be investing in the surgery both financially and emotionally and so you want to be certain that it will be successful for you.

We often use the analogy of a ‘top-of-the-range’ power tool for weight loss surgery: it is a fantastic tool, but you must learn how to use it. So, making sure you get good support after your surgery is essential for long term success. Scientific research shows us that this is important for all, including those who feel they have good knowledge and understanding about life after surgery.

What does the pattern of weight loss look like after weight loss surgery?

Weight loss can be rapid and consistent – typically when you lose weight like this, the majority of your weight will be lost in the first 6 months.

Weight loss can be stepwise – you can have weight loss plateaus even in the first few weeks after surgery but then start to lose again. This pattern may persist over 12 months or so, until all the weight you can expect to lose with surgery has been lost.

Weight loss can be a mixture of fast and slow – you might lose weight rapidly at times, then it seems to slow or plateau before speeding up again.

Weight loss can be slow and steady - you might experience less of a rapid drop in weight but it goes on longer than the first 6 months.

Often people compare their weight loss to others on social media and this can feel difficult if your weight loss is not as rapid as others. The other point to consider is that starting weights are individual and will affect how much can be expected to lose after weight loss surgery.

Our advice to everyone, is trust the process!

Understanding weight regain after weight loss surgery

Normal Weight Fluctuations: It’s normal to experience some weight fluctuations after the initial rapid weight loss period. Almost everyone regains a small percentage of the weight they lost, but this doesn't mean the surgery has failed or they are doing anything wrong.
Factors Contributing to Weight Regain: Weight regain can occur for a number of different reasons:
Changes in Eating Habits: Over time, you may slip back into old eating habits, such as overeating, snacking on high-calorie foods, drinking sugary beverages, planning less, eating less regularly, or eating less mindfully.
Lack of Physical Activity: Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining weight loss. A sedentary lifestyle can contribute to weight regain.
Emotional Eating: Stress, anxiety, depression, or other emotional factors can lead to using food to manage mood rather than eating from physiological hunger/need.
Physiological Changes: In the early few months after surgery the gut hormone changes affecting hunger and satisfaction after eating will be at their most intense. Our body learns to adapt to these changes and so physical hunger will return and you will be able to eat more than you did immediately after surgery. This can result in increased portion sizes, increased frequency of eating or change in food choices.

What can I do to prevent weight regain after weight loss surgery?

Don’t panic: This surgery is not a pass or fail experience. There will be times that you follow the guidelines and times that you don’t. We are all human and perfection doesn’t exist.
Don’t criticise yourself: You have been stuck in old patterns of eating for a long while before surgery and so it is going to take time for you to learn new habits. If you start to be overly critical of yourself, your brilliant brain is going to miss the opportunities to be curious about what prompted the change.
Learn from your mistakes: When you notice a change back to old or unhelpful eating habits, think about what you will learn from the experience that you will take into the next time you are in that situation.
Follow the dietary guidelines: During the first 4-6 weeks after surgery, you will need to carefully follow a texture progression diet until you have returned to solid food. After that you will move away from a diet plan, into the following dietary guidelines. These are:

Eat smaller portions
Have a regular, structured eating pattern
Choose high nutritional quality food
Prioritise protein and fibre
Limit food high in fat and sugar

Ensure you are having enough fluid that is non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic and low in fat and sugar
Ensure you are taking the recommended vitamin and mineral supplementation
Allow yourself fluctuations: You will be given dietary guidelines rather than a rigid plan because how you feel will fluctuate. There will be times that you find eating certain food hard and other times it will be easier to eat. There will be times that you feel you can eat more, and times when you can only manage a very small amount.
Eat Mindfully: Paying attention when you are eating will help to avoid slipping into autopilot and eating more than planned. It also helps to improve our satisfaction after eating.
Be physically active: Your weight might have prevented you from exercising for a long while. It is important that after surgery you work on gradually building your fitness and strength with whatever activity you enjoy. Exercise doesn’t help you to lose weight, but it is essential for weight maintenance. It also helps with overall health, mood, energy and concentration.
Access dietetic support: A specialist dietitian will give you support, guidance and practical ideas to help you maintain your nutritional and health goals whilst enjoying food.
Access psychological support: Working with a specialist clinical psychologist can help you to address emotional eating and other psychological factors that may contribute to weight gain as well as coping with the adjustment between the weight loss to maintenance phases.
Ensure you have weight loss surgery with a team that provides follow-up care: Research has found that engaging with follow-up care after weight loss surgery improves outcome. So make sure your provider offers aftercare support and from experienced professionals.

Final thoughts…..

It is important to remember that you are not alone if you are worried about weight regain after surgery, almost everyone does at times.

Very few people remain at their lowest weight after surgery, regaining a little is normal.

Learning to manage your weight in the longer term after surgery takes time, you will not always eat perfectly, and this is okay.

Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of ‘starting again tomorrow’, you can make choices about your food and drink at any time.

Learn from the times when you struggle. Make a note of the strategies that help so you can remember these in the future.

Stay connected with your support network and your weight loss surgery team. We are here to help you on your journey to make long term, sustainable change.