Over the last decade, bariatric surgeries have become the exit route from obesity when all other natural weight loss methods like exercise and dieting have failed. However, what most people do not know is that bariatric surgeries are just the beginning of a weight loss journey. This is because until you stop weight regain and weight plateaus, the fight is far from over. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeries (ASMBS) reports that about 50% of patients regain 5% of their body weight within the first 2 years after bariatric surgery. This just shows just how much weight you can regain if you do not take the necessary measures to keep the weight off. This article gives tips on how to prevent weight regain after weight loss surgery.
- Exercise Regularly
Coupled with other weight regain preventive measures, physical exercises can help a great deal. It is through workouts that you get a chance to burn the extra calories and keep the extra weight at bay. Physical exercises also help in reducing the stress-causing hormone, serotonin, while replacing it with feel-good hormones, endorphins. These hormones are essential in eliminating the emotional baggage that leads to emotional eating and eventual weight gain in the first place. Exercises also help in building a healthy metabolism, and this prevents the buildup of fats and extra calories.
- Work On Your Emotional Baggage
Most people who struggle or used to struggle with obesity have admitted that the main cause for their weight is or was as a result of emotional eating, caused by a piece of emotional baggage. This, therefore, means that the first thing you should do when you think of losing weight is to deal with the emotions that caused the weight gain in the first place. In this case, a support group or a professional psychological counselor can help to deal with what you are going through.
- Eat Right and Healthy
The food you take in greatly determines your weight loss success after bariatric surgery. If your diet mainly consisted of junks, processed foods, and fats, then you should replace it with healthy and low calorie foods such as vegetables, fruits, and proteins. Processed and fatty foods are rich in carbohydrates that are later converted into calories that lead to weight gain and eventually obesity. Even as you eat healthy foods, eat them in smaller portions since bigger ones will only take you back to the previous weight. Schedule the meals at the right time, especially supper. Ensure to take your supper 2-3 hours before sleep to allow enough time to digest all the food. Lastly, be sure to chew the food completely before swallowing to allow maximum absorption and prevent the chances of the food being converted into fats.
- Join Support Groups
Bariatric surgery, just like any method of weight loss, is usually an emotive process that sometimes attracts ridicule from workmates, friends, and schoolmates. The best thing about a support group is that you will get to listen to similar experiences, learn the challenges they face, and the practices they are applying to keep the weight regain at bay. Most importantly, people in the support groups will also motivate you to continue with a workout and diet plan.
- Watch Your Lifestyle
Even as you change your diet, do not forget to change your lifestyle since most cases of obesity are a result of an unhealthy lifestyle that includes drinking, lack of workouts, and bad dieting. To prevent weight regain after bariatric surgery, consider revising your lifestyle. You should quit or reduce drinking, embrace healthy foods and the right amounts, and make physical exercise part of your daily routine. A nutritionist can help you design a healthy lifestyle and workout plan and provide you with tips to help you stick to your routine and eventually, prevent weight regain.
Recall that slip-ups are inescapable, yet they do not need to become significant mishaps. In case you feel yourself slipping towards old dietary patterns, do not be reluctant to look for help. By building a solid emotionally supportive network, improving your relationship with food, and making new, sound propensities, the bariatric medical procedure can be an important element in advancing long haul weight reduction achievement. Looking for a qualified and licensed bariatric surgeon can help you achieve the desired weight, prevent plateaus, and weight regain. Since you cannot tell a great surgeon by just looking at them, check for their customer reviews and ratings.
