So, you’ve lost over 100 pounds and you are 5 years post-op weight loss surgery. Things seem to be going well. You feel wonderful and you look incredible. You tell yourself it’s ok to add in unhealthy foods because you can only eat so much at a time. Months go by and you can tell you are slowly gaining weight, but you tell yourself it’s ok since it’s only a few pounds. You stop weighing yourself and just completely ignore the weight regain. Your clothes start to feel tight and you eventually have to go up in size. Before you know it, you’ve gained over 50 pounds back. Does this sound familiar? It does for me. This was my story and I am tired of it. It’s time to get back on track.
So, how do you get back on track after regain? Here are a few tips to help get you started.
Start weighing yourself again. Although the scale isn’t everything on this journey, it is important to see where you are at. When you ignore the scale for too long, you start to get comfortable and just ignore any weight gain that is happening. Decide how often you want to step on the scale, whether it’s every day or every week. Don’t ignore it!
Set goals for yourself. This is critical on any weight loss journey. I chose to set small goals because it helps me not look too far in the future. When I think about how I need to lose 50 pounds, it can overwhelm me and make it feel so far away. I’m starting with a smaller goal of 10 pounds. Set your goal of how much weight you want to lose and give yourself a deadline of when you’d like to achieve it.
Keep track of what you are eating. This has been an issue for me over the last year. I haven’t been counting calories and so I didn’t pay any attention to how much I was consuming a day. Keep track of what you are eating through journaling or an app. This will help you stay accountable. It will also help you if you are experiencing a stall. If you keep track of what you are eating, you can sit back and evaluate the foods you are choosing and see if that’s what is keeping you from losing.
Get up and move. Start being active! This can be hard if you aren’t used to working out, but I promise you that you will feel a difference. It not only helps with losing weight, but it also helps with your mental health as well. The endorphins that you get from working out can keep your mood up and help you stay on track.
Find support. As a bariatric patient, it can be difficult for other people to understand what we go through. Sure, there are many people that are on a weight loss journey, but our journey is much different. There are certain foods we have to avoid, different side effects we can experience, and just the overall process of weight loss surgery can be challenging. Finding a support group or friends that are on the same journey will help you get back on track and stay focused.
It can be extremely difficult to reset after weight loss surgery, especially if you are many years post-op. You will have to make some huge changes and it will physically and mentally be hard at first. You can do it through. Stay disciplined. Stay focused. Keep working hard. Remember why you did this. You got this!