Weight loss surgery does not guarantee the weight will stay off in the course of years. Even with gastric bypass surgery, the "pouch" of one's new stomach can expand back to its normal size. Therefore, one must retain the lessons learned postsurgery to keep the weight off. If you notice weight creeping back on, it is possible to ward off weight gain before you're back to your old pre-surgery size.
Instructions
1. Go back to basics. Remember when you were instructed to drink broth and eat gelatin followed by fruit right after gastric bypass surgery? During this time, any other food made you physically ill, but it proved very helpful in changing your eating habits.
Go back to your post-surgery diet. Well, maybe not the "just broth" part. Imagine your diet full of fruit, vegetables and lean protein and try to integrate those healthy foods into your diet, and eliminate sugary foods. Reintroduce whole, unprocessed, natural foods into your diet as the staple. The Harvard School of Public Health explains that the benefits of fruits and vegetables are numerous, including lower blood pressure and stabilized blood sugar and appetite.
2. Curb emotional eating. Those who use food as a crutch may not have received enough information about handle food mentally. As a bariatric patient yu were well-prepared regarding how the surgery would affect you physically, but until you overcome the reasons why you eat, overcoming emotional eating is tremendously difficult.
Find other ways to process your emotions. The Mayo Clinic recommends taking walks, listening to music and talking about the problem with someone close to you.
Other useful strategies are keeping a journal to record your feelings and keeping unhealthy food out of the house. Go outside for some fresh air to mull over a problem; if it persists, consider getting professional help to process serious emotional issues.
3. Appreciate exercise. Your surgery caused weight loss through a radical change in diet. Aside from diet, exercise is a great way to lose weight and also improve mood and disposition. In fact, the National Institutes of Health states that keeping off the weight lost during surgery usually requires exercise as well as a healthy diet.
If you notice your exercise habits have waned, find ways to exercise by doing things you enjoy. Though the gym might cause you to recoil as it did pre-surgery, it is not the only place to exercise. If you prefer to exercise in privacy and seclusion with minimal cardio, consider a yoga video. If you are a competitive extrovert, sign up for softball or soccer. If the great outdoors is preferable, go for short hikes in a park.
