Vidhi Jain
Bariatric Dietician & Content Writer
Weight Regain After bariatric Surgery (13 Steps to Ways to Prevent It)
Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, refers to surgical procedures that assist in weight loss by making changes to the digestive system.
Bariatric surgery is considered when the patient has severe obesity or individuals who are unable to lose weight by medications, changes in diet intake, and modifications in lifestyle are most likely to undergo bariatric surgery.
During the initial few months after bariatric surgery patients are more diligent of sticking to good diet and exercise habits. But as they begin to tolerate a wider variety of foods, many begin to eat more and exercise less. Hence weight loss slows down.
One of the fears that patients have following bariatric surgery is gaining weight again. Weight regain after bariatric surgery is rare but in few cases, weight regain after bariatric surgery may be caused by following factors:
- Anatomical – Example – Which leads to enlargement of the stomach pouch.
- Physiological – Example – Altered fat metabolism, resulting in easy fat storage and limited fat burning, menopause.
- Psychological – Example – Depression, lack of self efficacy, difficulty in asserting new behaviours.
- Behavioural – Example – Inactivity, eating behaviours.
Eating behaviours that may contribute to weight regain after bariatric surgery include:
Chaotic eating – no proper eating pattern.
Skipping meals – Going long periods without food, which can result in overeating later.
Poor food choices – Highly processed, fried and fast foods.
Excessive portion size – Eating beyond satisfaction resulting in fullness.
Alcohol intake – Alcohol consumption further depletes glycogen, which causes your blood sugar levels to drop, putting those who have had bariatric surgery at higher risk for developing low blood sugar.
Inadequate protein intake – protein is important for satiety but also for maintaining muscle mass which contributes to resting metabolic rate.
How to prevent weight gain after bariatric surgery?
Here are several tips to maintain the weight loss after bariatric surgery:
Eat more proteins – Filling your diet with healthy proteins is vital for overall health. Proteins help to build up your blood, bones, muscles and skin. Proteins helps you feel full faster and longer and help in weight loss.
Avoid sugary foods – Avoiding foods high in sugar is important to prevent weight regain. Examples of sugary foods include – Cakes, pastries, soft drinks, candy, icecreams, etc.
Select low fat foods – Eating low fat foods will help in preventing heartburn, elevated cholesterol, and weight regain. Example – Beans, garlic, mushroom, chicken breast, egg whites, etc.
Eat smaller meals very often – Instead of eating heavy meals , stick to mini meals. Eat tinier portions of food more often , which will help you remain full all day long. Small frequent meals boosts your metabolism helping you lose weight and you’ll be less likely to overeat.
Eat slowly – Gulping your meals down is a sure way to consume more calories than you should. Practise mindful eating. Mindless eating is in front of the television , where you almost become hypnotised, or gulping down food very fast. Chew the food properly and take about 30 mins to finish each meal. This will make sure that you only eat what you need and will help to keep weight regain at bay.
Drink from glass and not straw – it is advisable to not use straws when drinking. Doing so makes you consume your liquids more quickly, which can then give a stomachache. Using straw for drinking might also increase the amount of air in your stomach, which can cause even more discomfort.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine – Alcohol contains empty calories with little or no nutritional value. Alcohol can also contribute to stomach ulcers. It is best to avoid alcohol. Caffeine is the most used drug in the world. Caffeine boosts your mood, it is a diuretic and increases your heart rate. Consuming caffeine also causes dehydration.
Practice portion control when eating out – You may have your eating habits in control while at home, but when eating out things easily become derailed. It is important to know your portion size and eat accordingly.
Don’t skip meals – when we skip a meal , it is easy to get hungry and eat more in the next meal. This will expand your stomach which was made small during the surgery. Skipping a meal also results in acidity.
Don’t drink fluid /water between meals – weight loss surgery makes the size of the stomach smaller. This means it requires less food to make you feel full. Drinking while eating can fill unnecessary amounts of stomach space. And you may not get the nutrients you need. You might feel hungry faster after meals.
Prioritise Exercise – Exercising regularly following bariatric surgery is important which will maximise weight loss. Exercise burns calories, which helps prevent weight regain.
Schedule regular visits with your bariatric team to keep your weight loss on track. Reach out to your dietitian or doctor to help you determine why this is happening.
Follow your recommended diet and nutrition plan diligently. This will help to ensure that you get adequate nutrients and maintain your muscle mass. The goal is to eat meals at regular intervals in small amounts.
Practising good eating and exercise habits are the key to maintaining a healthy weight. It is very important after surgery to eat healthy foods, follow the bariatric protocol and stay active or its comorbidities might return.
If you regain weight your health risk also increases. Bariatric procedures result in substantial weight loss. Conditions such as Diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and other medical conditions may disappear by lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, premature death and many forms of cancer.
The health risks associated with weight regain are proportional to the amount of weight regained.
Rarely do patients gain all their weight back.
And bariatric surgery is considered the only route to permanent weight loss.
Aastha Bariatrics is a centre of excellence for bariatric and metabolic surgery. We at Aastha Bariatrics take immense care of the patients and also guide them throughout the bariatric surgery procedure. Here at Aastha Bariatrics every patient’s life is precious ,so we do not compromise in terms of quality and Dr. Manish Motwani is one of the best bariatric surgeons in India with 26 Years Experience Overall. No post surgery complications have been experienced by patients from the last 15 years. We have one of the best teams, who are highly specialised in weight loss and obesity.
