How to Maintain Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery

Maintaining weight loss after bariatric surgery requires a commitment to several substantial lifestyle changes.^[1] Your doctor's advice will include specific attention to dietary adjustments and exercise. Following their guidance, approach your surgery as the starting point of a healthier life, with emphasis on eating right and staying active.

Steps

Method 1 Eating with Health in Mind

1. 1 Change your eating habits. Eating will be an entirely different experience after your surgery. You physically won’t be able to consume as much food, but this restriction will not contribute to weight loss if you still eat high-calorie foods.^[2]
   • Pay close attention to both what and how you eat in order to take full advantage of the potential positive effects of bariatric surgery.
   • For the rest of your life, choose a diet that consists primarily of protein, vegetables, a small amount of grain, and extremely limited amounts of refined sugar.
   • If unfamiliar with the foods you’ll need to be eating moving forward, introduce yourself to new foods one at a time to see how they impact your body.
2. 2 Avoid anything with lots of sugar or fat. Not only will these contribute to weight retention, they will likely cause considerable discomfort after certain types of bariatric surgery.^[3]
   • Avoid pre-packaged and processed foods, especially those with lots of ingredients. If you do purchase a pre-packaged food, read the label.
   • Only eat packaged foods that have a protein-to-calorie ratio of 10-to-one or better.
   • Quit the fried food, ice cream, and candy bars.
   • If you’re unable to kick soft drinks and sweetened dairy products, only consume sugar-free options.
3. 3 Focus on eating a high-protein, low-fat diet. Emphasize fish, dairy, meat, beans, and other legumes. You will likely have to ease into a protein-focused diet after your surgery, starting with softer options first.^[4]
   • Following your doctor’s guidance — likely a few weeks after surgery — start eating meals based on extremely soft protein sources.
   • Options include protein shakes, egg whites, non-fat cottage cheese, and low-fat yogurt.
   • Once you’re able to begin eating more solid foods, shift your long-term diet to protein-focused meals that feature lean chicken, lean turkey, fish, or tofu.
4. 4 Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables too! Following your doctor’s orders in the short-term, look to a long-term diet that includes lots of vegetables. During meals, eat protein portions first.^[5]
   • Fruit and vegetables that are particularly good options include potatoes, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, bananas, and avocados.
5. 5 Eat smaller meals. There are several reasons smaller meals help you lose weight and keep it off. First, you’re literally eating less. Second, your body burns off calories more easily if they are consumed in smaller quantities.^[6]
   • Plan regular meal times and do not eat after eight pm. This will help you avoid snacking.
   • Chew your food more slowly. Chew each bite for at least 15 seconds. There's an app called Baristatic that can help you do so!^[7]
   • Wait a full two minutes in between bites to allow your stomach to send signals to your brain about your level of satiation.
   • Pay attention to how your body feels. You may not feel “full” until your body has the chance to recognize you put food in it. Give yourself and your body time to redefine what satiation feels like!
    
6. 6 Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated is associated with a myriad of health benefits, particularly following bariatric surgery.
   • First and foremost, you need to drink more water than usual to help your body rid itself of the waste and toxins that need to be flushed from your system during rapid weight loss.
   • Shoot for at least 64-ounces of water a day.
   • Drinking water also helps the stomach feel full longer, which will help you eat less frequently and stick to scheduled meals.
   • Make a point of drinking water at least 30 minutes outside of meal times, as the reduced capacity of your stomach may lead to discomfort if you try to drink with your meals.^[8]
7. 7 Supplement your diet with sufficient nutrients. One of the drawbacks of bariatric surgery is the diminished ability to absorb nutrients. Know that you’ll need to consume higher-than-recommended doses of vitamins and other nutrients.^[9]
   • Pay particular attention to how much iron you are getting in order to avoid anemia, which is a common complication following bariatric surgery.
   • If you have either a gastric or intestinal bypass (as opposed to a gastric banding), you will definitely need to heavily supplement your intake of vitamin B12 and calcium. Expect to take vitamins as prescribed by your doctors after bariatric surgery.

Method 2 Staying Mentally and Physically Active

1. 1 Commit to an exercise program. Your doctor will be the most capable of advising you on the specific types of exercise that will be safest and most effective for you. The important thing is that you keep your body active.
   • Exercise will not only help you feel better, it enables your body to burn fat more efficiently.
   • While your body will first look to burn muscle as you lose weight, exercise will preserve your muscle, and force your body to burn excess fat instead.
   • You will likely notice that exercise is both easier and more enjoyable after your procedure, as your rapid weight loss will improve the health and agility of your joints.^[10]
   • Strive for about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. If you miss a day, that’s alright, but make sure to exercise at least four days a week.
2. 2 Walk! The benefits of walking are multifold. At the hospital, you’ll likely be walking a bit as part of your recovery process (as it will help reduce the chances of developing a lower extremity blood clot, or DVT), you can go at your own pace, and you don’t need any special equipment.^[11]
   • Check with your doctor about when you can begin walking on your own. Begin doing so as soon as they allow it.
   • Set realistic goals for yourself. A quarter mile is a good benchmark to start with, or decide to walk for five full minutes.
   • Whatever sort of exercise regime you choose, start slowly and gradually build on your abilities.
   • Once you can comfortably walk for five minutes – even if your heart rate is pumping – see if you can go for fifteen.
   • Going at a quicker pace during a walk will help you get a more productive work out in the same amount of time.
3. 3 Look to add to your fitness regime whenever possible. Set new goals each week. Even if you just stick to walking, actively decide to increase your pace as your stamina increases. Mindset is important too: get yourself in the habit of exercising by making everyday decisions that increase your activity level.^[12]
   • Wear a pedometer, a fitness tracker, or even use your smartphone to track your steps, and give yourself the option to set goals in terms of specific amounts of steps.
   • Park further out at parking lots. It seems silly, but not only will you end up healthier, you’ll have a moment to decompress when entering and leaving the places you go.
   • Pretend elevators don’t exist. Take the stairs whenever you have the option.
   • Further, stairs are a great step-up from regular waking, so you can incorporate them into a work out too!
4. 4 Weigh yourself weekly. Pay close attention to your numerical weight. This will help you maintain weight loss after bariatric surgery, by boosting your motivation and satisfaction with the effort you’re putting in.^[13]
   • By getting in the habit of weekly weigh-ins, you’ll also ensure that any potential increases in weight are quickly noticed.
   • If occasional increases in weight do occur, get back on the metaphorical healthy-living-horse that day by doing an especially engaged work out and eating one of your favorite healthy meals.
5. 5 Occupy your mind. One of the benefits of exercise is that it will also motivate you to eat healthier, and to spend time doing more active extracurricular activities. You can also take your focus off of food by picking up other hobbies too.^[14]
   • Keep yourself active mentally. Explore a creative outlet with music or art, or start attending a weekly game night.
   • Give yourself sources of pleasure other than food. Lots of people are smart about not abusing other vices, but rely on food too heavily for comfort and enjoyment.
   • Stated simply, commit to spending more time on something you enjoy that doesn’t include food.

Method 3 Getting Support

1. 1 Follow your doctor's instructions. To help you lose weight and keep it off, your doctor will give you a substantial amount of advice about how to take care of yourself after your surgery, both immediately following the operation and in the long term.^[15]
   • Immediately after the surgery, you will only be able to consume clear liquids. You will slowly introduce other liquids, pureed foods, soft foods, and then the food described in this article at about eight weeks.^[16]
   • Your personal doctor is the best source of advice on how to adjust your lifestyle after bariatric surgery, since he is aware of other medical conditions you may have, and will give advice specific to your surgery and current level of health.
   • For instance, talk to your doctor before beginning your workout program.
   • Get periodic blood tests by your doctor. This is the most certain way to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need following your surgery.^[17]
2. 2 Get specific professional advice. You doctor will likely recommend that you begin to see a nutritionist. Make a point of following this advice. Additionally, address any emotional or psychological issues that arise with a mental health professional.^[18]
   • See a nutritionist or dietician. (But remember, you’re not going on a diet, you’re making a complete lifestyle change!) These specialists will help you make healthy, nutritious food choices.
   • Talking with a nutritionist may even make you more aware about potential barriers to weight loss in your life. These might include depression, negative relationships, stress, discontentment with your job, or self-esteem issues.
3. 3 See a psychologist. You’re going to be under an immense amount of physical and mental stress during your recovery from surgery and throughout the process of adjusting to your new lifestyle.
   • Recognize that factors seemingly unrelated to eating can strongly effect your desire to eat.^[19]
   • If you find yourself stress-eating, see a psychologist soon.
   • A psychologist will help you learn stress-relieving activities to help you avoid the desire to stress-eat.
4. 4 Explain your new lifestyle to friends and loved ones. The people in your life will be surprised by the difference in your eating habits. They may even become jealous about the improvements in your lifestyle. Be ready to explain why you’re doing what you’re doing.^[20]
   • Be specific about dietary changes, as these will be especially surprising. Say things like, “I can only eat four ounces of food at a time now! I've decided to lose weight and I’m committed to it.”
   • If your social life is built around food, you’ll likely need to articulate your desire to do different things with your friends, or even spend less time with those that eat unhealthily.
   • Prepare yourself for changes in your romantic relationships as well. A loved one should support your decision and effort to live a healthier, more active lifestyle.
   • If things immediately get worse on account of your making healthier decisions, this may be a sign that you’re in a negative relationship and should consider making another tough lifestyle change.^[21]
5. 5 Join and participate in a post-bariatric-surgery support group. People who join such groups and actively maintain participation are in the best position to lose weight and keep it off. Keep in mind the frequency of meetings, the cost, and the type of meeting.^[22]
   • While you can get a lot of important support from your friends and family, it’s also vital to be able to speak with those who are going through the same experiences you’re having. The groups do more than help you lose weight; they will help reinforce positive life changes.^[23]
   • Some support groups meet in-person, while other groups meet online.
   • Some include a healthcare professional to act as a moderator, or be there just to answer questions or ensure that encouragement and decision-making is safe and healthy.
6. 6 Check out BariGroups. BariGroups are online meetups that are anonymous, as you join via audio only. They are facilitated by a bariatric nurse “moderator”, who will post videos and audio clips to help everyone stay on track.^[24]
   • Attend from anywhere you wish, on any internet-capable device.
   • There are multiple meet-ups per week.
   • Joining a BariGroup is free. (You have the option to tip the moderator if you wish to do so.)

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