“Stumbling is not falling.” –Portuguese Proverb
About 80 percent of people who get sleeve gastrectomy surgery or gastric bypass in Dallas are successful at losing weight and seldom gain weight after operation. But what about the other 20 percent? What can you do to ensure that you are part of the success group, and not part of the group left searching for more ways to lose weight?
You know very well that weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. Well, neither does weight gain after operation. Just as weight loss begins with small habits that complement each other until you notice progress towards your goal, weight regain occurs slowly. Unfortunately, many people don’t notice when they’ve begun returning to old habits, and this can allow weight to creep back on slowly—even after you’ve had weight loss surgery.
If you keep up with your diet and exercise goals after getting gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy in Dallas, then you are likely going to continue losing weight for two years. The time between the two year mark and five year mark is considered the “danger zone” for many post-bariatric surgery patients. At this point your body will reach a comfortable weight and you will stop losing weight as rapidly as you once were. You might even feel comfortable at the weight you have reached and stop pursuing weight loss, but many people begin slacking on healthy habits instead of transitioning into maintenance mode. A skipped gym day here, a plate of dessert there—before you know it your weight is on an upward trend that is difficult to turn around.
This doesn’t need to be you. You will need to transition your healthy habits from weight loss mode to weight maintenance mode, but by doing this you can keep weight off and retain your healthy lifestyle for years to come.
Here are a few healthy weight maintenance tips to help you prevent weight regain:
- Don’t make changes right away. The first day you reach your weight loss goal is huge, but that is not the moment to stop your weight loss efforts. Give your body some time to adjust to your new weight and continue with the habits that got you there.
- Keep up the exercise. Reaching your weight loss goal isn’t like some sort of retirement. You need to keep working. Exercise is good for your health outside of your weight loss efforts, so keep it up.
- Throw away the old wardrobe. Big clothes provide a safety net you don’t want to have available. Putting on the same size clothes everyday will help you stay accountable because you’ll know when your pants are starting to get tight. Donate anything that is too big.
If you notice yourself starting to regain weight, visit your weight loss surgeon right away to discuss strategies that can help you get back on track immediately.