Patients who have had a weight loss surgery are required to make significant changes to their lifestyle to reduce the chances of health complications that may arise after the procedure. It also involves regular appointments with your doctor or surgeon to monitor your progress and address any issues that may arise after surgery. A weight loss surgery is said to be successful if an individual loses weight that is equal to or exceeds fifty percent of excess body weight. However, the success of the results is often determined by the patient and perceived improvement in their quality of life. This article discusses whether it is guaranteed to lose weight after a weight loss surgery and what to expect after the procedure.
What to Expect After Surgery?
Bariatric surgery can help get rid of excess weight since fats are extracted from your body during the surgical procedure. However, it can only work for the long term if you are willing to make significant lifestyle changes to keep the weight off and stay healthy. After surgery, it is important to understand the milestones you want to achieve in different periods such as three months, six months or a few years later. Pre-surgical patient education is very important as it prepares you adequately for what to expect before and after the surgery. You also need to be committed to eating small food portions since overeating can stretch the created stomach pouch leading to weight gain.
You will be required to follow a strict liquid protein diet during the first two weeks after surgery. It continues with soft and pureed food before trying regular food after one to three months. This helps you to determine what you can tolerate and see what will go down easily. The timing may vary depending on the type of weight loss surgery. A patient may lose about 30 to 40 percent of excess body weight six months after gastric bypass surgery. However, if you do not see any results after this period then it is important to find the cause of the problem.
Reasons For Not Losing Weight After a Weight Loss Surgery
- Medical Conditions Associated with Obesity
Individuals with chronic illnesses such as diabetes can find it difficult to lose weight since they have to take insulin and other medications that may stimulate the production of cholesterol and fats. The protective increase in caloric intake as a treatment for episodes of hypoglycemia are other factors that may lead to weight gain after a weight loss surgery. Since you require these medications to suppress diabetes and other medical conditions associated with obesity, it makes it a challenge to lose weight naturally.
- Bariatric Surgery Complications
It can be difficult to lose weight due to complications that may occur after your surgery. This can aggravate the problems that existed before the procedure, which reduces your chances of losing weight. A larger stomach pouch is often associated with poor weight loss. Other bariatric procedures such as the gastric bands may malfunction and stop restricting the organ from consuming little amounts of food. When this happens, it increases your levels of hunger that can encourage bad eating habits that result in weight gain.
- Lack of Compliance
Having a weight loss surgery is only the first step to your weight loss journey. However, the lifestyle changes that you make and adhere to after the procedure is what guarantees your chances of losing weight. Patients are required to follow a strict diet before and after the surgery to facilitate gradual weight loss and promote healing of the stomach. It requires a high level of compliance and commitment from the patient to decrease the possibility of health complications and help you achieve your weight goals.
How to Prevent Weight Gain After a Bariatric Surgery
It is important to recognize that obesity is a chronic condition that facilitates progressive weight gain. Although having a weight loss surgery can be a great milestone for people with obesity, it is not guaranteed that you will lose weight without making significant changes to your lifestyle. It is important to stick to a healthy diet and regular physical activities recommended by your bariatric team of health professionals. You need to schedule regular visits with your surgeon or healthcare provider to monitor your progress and advise you further on what you need to do.
Keep in mind that weight-loss surgery is not a magic wand, but only the first step to your weight loss journey. It is possible to lose weight after surgery but it is not guaranteed that you will achieve results if you are not committed to your new lifestyle adjustments. The key to losing weight after weight-loss surgery is to follow a strict diet and regular exercises recommended by your healthcare providers.
