Weight Regain after Bariatric Surgery

Written by Julia A. Jurgensen, APRN, C.N.P., D.N.P., a nurse practitioner who specializes in bariatric surgery. 

Life after bariatric surgery has its ups and downs.  Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity, but it also comes with many challenges including the possibility of experiencing weight regain.  If you have or are currently experienced weight regain after bariatric surgery, consider the following to help you get back on track.

Consider your current dietary habits – write down your food intake for a few days. Then compare this to what was recommended for diet after your surgery.  Are you currently separating your solid foods from liquids by at least 30 minutes?  Look for patterns in your eating habits that you could try making small changes with.  Don’t try to do everything at once but make 1-2 changes to move towards the recommendations for post bariatric surgery diet.  These changes could include reducing your portions to no more than 1.5 cups of food three times per day with at least 60 grams of protein throughout the day.

Consider your activity habits – how many minutes of activity are you getting currently during the week? Is it at least 150 minutes of activity (walking, biking, swimming, etc)?  If you are not getting this recommended amount of activity, work on building in activity bursts into your day.  And more importantly find activities that you enjoy doing rather than doing something that will be hard to maintain.

After you start making these lifestyle changes you should also arrange a follow up with your bariatric surgery team or primary care provider for additional support. This additional support may include working with a dietitian or behavioral psychologist, weight loss medications or a revision of your bariatric surgery through laparoscopic or endoscopic approach.  Follow up care is individualized to each patient’s specific medical history and current needs.

Most importantly remember that weight loss is a journey. There will be ups and downs in the process but sticking with habits and developing new healthy habits throughout the journey will help you with both weight loss and weight maintenance.

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