How to Regain-Proof Your Weight Loss Surgery

by Katie Jay, MSW, CTA-certified Wellness Coach

Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery www.nawls.com

You've lost all or most of the weight you wanted to lose, but are you afraid you will regain it?

Don't you wish there was a magic wand you could wave over yourself and be freed forever from the bondage of obesity? It'd be great to know a sure-fire way to “regain-proof" your weight loss surgery (WLS), wouldn't it?

Many obese people hope WLS will be that “magic wand." They summon all their courage and energy, and take the plunge, hoping they will finally lose weight almost effortlessly, and for good.

But then reality sets in. While many people who have WLS experience a honeymoon period, in which hunger is nearly nonexistent and the pounds fall off rapidly, most also experience a return of hunger, and eventually a return to old behavior patterns that can threaten their WLS success.

Not everyone returns to old behaviors, though. And some people go there briefly and then finally find something better than a magic wand – personal responsibility.

Some people are wildly successful with WLS.

Success usually isn't an accident. Most successful people have found a method that has helped them reshape their body, mind, and spirit, so they can keep their weight off and be healthy.

If you're reading this, you probably are one of them (or you can be!).

Here are 7 tips to help you regain-proof your WLS

1. Follow directions. Okay, this one is obvious, but it always amazes me how many people do not do this one simple thing.

Review your surgeon's guidelines often -- at least once a month.  Each month you can set a new goal to improve in an area that challenges you. When you receive new information, be sure to update your guidelines.

Following directions can be difficult, so take responsibility to work on your resistance. Read or listen to motivational information, get an accountability partner, or seek therapy.

If you are struggling with tip #1, treat it as a serious challenge you have decided to overcome.

2. Move. If you increase quantities or choose higher-calorie foods after you have lost some weight, the best strategy to maintain your loss is to MOVE more. More movement will compensate for the calories you have added back into your diet.

I'm not encouraging you to eat more, but IF you find yourself eating more, get moving!

Moving means regular exercise, parking further away from a building, doing squats while you are waiting for the microwave to heat something up, putting on music after work and dancing while you do your evening chores.

All movement counts!

3. Own your thought life. When you think negative thoughts, you create negative outcomes. If you have an ongoing negative dialog with yourself, work on changing it.

You do not have to sink into negative thinking. Read motivational books, listen to inspiring books on tape, or put on music you like. If you find yourself dwelling on something depressing or discouraging – CHANGE YOUR MIND. Switch subjects. Focus on something else.

You have a choice about what you focus on. Focus on thoughts that will lift you up. And if you are feeling overburdened or depressed, seek help from a professional.

4. Treat your depression. Many people who have had WLS struggle with depression. If you are feeling blue, or hopeless, or tired and discouraged, get evaluated for depression – and treat it. Depression will undermine your WLS success.

5. Know what you weigh. It's easy to slip into denial. Staying conscious about what you weigh can keep you from putting on a lot of weight. Many of us would rather not have to worry about what we weigh, or be reminded of our lack of perfection.

But, the disease of obesity takes away that luxury, if you want to be free of it. Rather than resisting and feeling guilty, surrender. Surrender to staying conscious. It is tiring and overwhelming at first, but that discomfort soon gives way to confidence and self control. It's worth the effort.

6.  Take time to get in touch with how you are feeling. Focusing on your feelings can be a challenge. It's easier to numb out or allow yourself to be distracted so that you don't have to feel anything uncomfortable.

Learning to feel your feelings and respond to them with care is a skill worth developing. So much overeating is related to feelings. Find a way to get comfortable with your feelings and deal with them in a healthy way.

7. Record what you are eating. All the scientific studies about food journals show that writing down what you eat can have a strong positive effect on your food choices and weight management.

While many people resist writing down what they eat, most of the people who successfully keep off weight do it.  Again, if you are feeling resistant, step up to the challenge and work through that sabotaging feeling.