How to Maintain Your Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is a life-changing step in your weight loss journey, but it’s only the beginning. After surgery, it’s essential to commit to long-term lifestyle changes to ensure your results last. At Surgical Arts of the Inland Empire in Rancho Cucamonga, our expert bariatric surgeons want to help you succeed every step of the way, so we’ve put together some key strategies for maintaining your weight loss after bariatric surgery.

1. Follow your post-surgery diet plan

Immediately after surgery, your surgeon will provide you with a specific diet plan for a speedy recovery and to gently adjust to your new stomach size. Once you’ve recovered, it’s important that you continue to make mindful dietary choices to reach and maintain your weight loss goals. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

• Focus on protein: High-protein foods such as chicken, fish, eggs, and tofu should be the foundation of your meals. Protein helps keep you full and supports muscle maintenance, which is important for metabolism.
• Avoid empty calories: Sugary drinks, processed snacks, and refined carbs offer little nutritional value and can lead to weight regain, so it’s best to choose whole, nutrient-dense foods instead. 
• Watch your portion sizes: Bariatric surgery limits the amount of food your stomach can hold, and portion control will remain important for life. Eat slowly so you can pay attention to hunger cues and avoid unintentionally overeating.

2. Stay hydrated

Keeping yourself hydrated is just as essential as good nutrition is for maintaining your weight loss after bariatric surgery. Water supports your metabolism, can help you avoid overeating, and helps your entire body to function optimally. By making small, consistent efforts to drink water throughout the day, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success on your weight loss journey. Apps like MyFitnessPal, WaterMinder, or Plant Nanny can remind you to drink water and track your daily intake. 

3. Exercise regularly

You must exercise to promote and maintain your weight loss after surgery in addition to supporting your overall health—but there’s no need to overexert yourself. Start with low-impact activities like walking or swimming as you recover from surgery, then gradually increase your intensity. Once you have fully recovered and have safely increased your stamina, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Here are a few sustainable exercise options: 

• Strength training: Building muscle can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories throughout the day. Muscle tone also helps contour your body shape. 
• Cardio: Activities like brisk walking, biking, or swimming help burn calories and improve cardiovascular health. These activities can often be enjoyed outdoors when weather permits. 
• Flexibility exercises: Stretching or yoga can enhance your mobility and reduce the risk of injury as you become more active.

Find activities you enjoy so that staying active feels less like a chore and more like a part of your new, healthy lifestyle.

4. Keep up with your vitamin and supplement regimen

After bariatric surgery, it can be harder for your body to absorb essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals, which is why you should prioritize vitamin-rich foods and follow your surgeon’s recommendations for supplements if needed. Common supplements for bariatric patients include:

• Multivitamins
• Vitamin B12
• Calcium
• Iron

These nutrients help maintain your energy levels, support your immune system, and prevent deficiencies that could lead to health problems down the road. Keep in mind that, while supplementation is a great way to get key nutrients you may be lacking, ideally, you should absorb vitamins and minerals naturally through food.

Supplements cannot replace nutrient-dense, whole foods and should not be relied upon to meet your nutritional needs.

5. Join a support group

Staying motivated is easier when you have a support network. Many bariatric patients find that joining a support group helps them stay accountable and connected with others who are going through the same challenges. At Surgical Arts of the Inland Empire, we offer support groups and resources to help you maintain your progress and stay on track.

6. Track your progress

Keeping track of your weight, measurements, and food intake can help you stay motivated and identify any areas where you may need to make adjustments. There are plenty of apps and tools that can help you monitor your habits and set goals for maintaining your weight loss. If you choose Surgical Arts of the Inland Empire for your bariatric surgery, our weight loss surgeons will work with you following your bariatric surgery to ensure you are making progress towards reaching your long-term goals and following a healthy, sustainable lifestyle that will help you maintain them.

7. Don’t be afraid to seek help

Even with the best intentions, maintaining your weight loss can be difficult at times. If you find yourself struggling, don’t worry, you aren’t alone—don’t hesitate to reach out to your bariatric surgeon for guidance. They can help you take the right steps to get back on track before significant weight regain occurs.

Maintain your success with Inland Weight Loss Surgery

Our team at the Surgical Arts of Inland Empire is here to support you at every stage of your weight loss journey. To learn more about how we can help you maintain your weight loss results and live a healthier life, please call 909-579-3111 to schedule your free consultation with one of our weight loss specialists or fill out a contact form online.