Posted - April 16, 2010

A Closer Look at Post-Surgery Regain

Weight loss surgery has been proven to be an effective tool for helping obese people lose weight. However, studies have also shown that patients who lose weight after bariatric surgery are at risk for regaining some of the weight they’ve lost. Learn more about why post bariatric surgery weight regain occurs and how you can prevent it.

Losing Control of Eating

After surgery, bariatric patients are given nutrition guidelines to follow to help them lose weight. However, studies have shown that some patients may go back to old eating habits over time. To help avoid this, patients can practice more structured eating. This means taking the time to properly plan and prepare for meals and snacks and keeping track of daily calorie intake.

Emotional Eating

Many obese people may discover that they gained weight initially because of overeating driven by emotions. After weight loss surgery, it’s important for bariatric patients to focus on finding new ways to cope with the emotions that used to trigger eating. This may involve talking to a mental health professional in order to uncover what the emotional triggers are and to get help developing healthier and more productive coping strategies.

Unrealistic Goals

Many people focus on an ideal weight or desired amount of weight loss. However, if these goals aren’t met, it can cause a feeling of failure that may lead to weight regain. Patients should talk to their physicians about setting healthy, realistic weight loss goals. It may also be helpful to document other positive changes that have come from initial weight loss, including an increase in energy or self-confidence.