Regained Weight?

I apologize for not having a post for yesterday.  My hosting provider was having difficulties.

Here’s for today!
It is a reality – it is common for weight loss surgery patients to regain weight at some point after surgery.  For some, it is only a few pounds.  For other post-ops, it can be a great deal of weight.  Minor fluctuations in weight are common as it is with anyone.  Due to hormonal changes, water retention and other issues, all of us, weight bariatric patients or not, experience a few pounds variation up or down.  Persistent weight gain is a problem worth your attention and pursuing.

Post-ops that experience a substantial weight gain can fall into two categories:  mechanical issues (problems with their actual surgery) and those that have lost focus of the successful components to allow their surgery to work with them.  The majority of weight gain fall into the second category that we’ve lost focus on how to work with your surgery rather than against it.

If you’ve gained weight and question if you have any mechanical issues with your surgery, talk to your surgeon.  To make sure your surgery is intact, you can obtain an endoscopy, x-rays, and other testing.  Once you confirm the integrity of your surgery, you need to focus on the behavioral aspects that have caused a weight regain.

The surgery is a tool.  It is not a magic bullet or the “be all, end all” to your weight and food issues.  You’re ultimately in charge and it is up to you to work WITH your surgery and not against it.  There are certain things that we must do as post-ops.  To maximize your success from surgery, we need to adopt and maintain healthy habits.  You know the guidelines:  Protein first followed by vegetables, fruit and complex carbohydrates, regular activity, no grazing, drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water daily, and adhere to a high quality vitamin program.  The biggest contributor that I find in weight regain, both in my clients and when I did as well, was emotional eating.  Even though I’d maintained my 147 weight loss easily for over three years, an emotional upheaval in my life drove me back to my old habits of eating for comfort and to sooth emotions.

The surgery is a wonderful tool but ultimately it is a tool that YOU choose to use.  Refocus on the basics that helped you to lose your weight initially.  Consider weight loss surgery as an opportunity to control something (your overeating and poor food choices) that previously controlled you.  To be successful, we must follow the guidelines of changing the way we eat, include exercise as a priority in our life, drink adequate water, take our vitamins daily, and develop strategies to assist you to cope with emotional management to help you live your life without the crutch of food.

As post-ops, we are interested in healthy yet tasty recipes.  Want the best recipe you’ll ever find?  The recipe for success is to change your habits into healthy ones that promote and support your weight loss.  If you alter the recipe ingredients even a bit, you’ll obtain different results.  If you don’t drink your water or indulge in emotional overeating, your success will be impaired.

If you’ve gained a little or a lot of weight, assess your situation honestly and realize why it happened.  Rather than beat yourself up, learn from it.  What did you do wrong?  Where did you go off track?  What do you need to do to get back on track?  If you take a wrong turn on a road, you get get back on the road to achieve your destination….success!

If you need support or help in developing strategies to combat emotional overeating, hire a professional such as a coach that specializes in weight loss surgery, psychologist or counselor.  In partnership with your behavioral health specialist, you’ll be able to address the cause of your weight regain and get back on track.  Remember, you’re on the same team so don’t be afraid or embarrassed to reach out.

Weight loss surgery extends way beyond the first period of time when weight loss is easy.  It is a commitment for the rest of your life.  It requires dedication and persistence to your success.  Anything worth having will cost you something.  The cost of sticking to the guidelines is very small compared to the ultimate success of having your health, sense of accomplishment and feeling awesome about yourself.  Remember always, you are worth it.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator