How To Lose Weight After Surgery

After months of preparing and planning for your gastric sleeve surgery, you did it! The surgery was a success, and you’re recovering…but now what? Will the weight just melt away easily, or will you have to work for it?

Rest assured we will answer your questions here. Think of this article as your guide on how to lose weight after gastric sleeve surgery.

The buzz term here is Excess Weight Loss. That is, the amount of weight you are carrying beyond your ideal body weight. This gives us that window between your ideal body weight and the amount of weight you stand to lose.

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You can learn more about excess weight loss and determine your ideal body weight here. For our purposes, most can expect to lose around 60% of their excess body weight within the first year after gastric sleeve surgery.

For most, the majority of the weight will come off as a product of the surgery itself and by following the guidelines set out by your physician.

Because every clinic and doctor is different, it’s always a good idea to check with your doc for their specific recommendations. However, on average, the guidelines remain very similar.

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Immediately after surgery, you will likely begin a 4-Phase Post Op Diet. The primary intention of this diet is to allow healing of the surgical site, by introducing liquids first, then purees, then soft foods, and lastly, healthy solid foods.

During the 4-phase post-op diet, often dubbed, “The Honeymoon Phase, ” weight loss appears effortless. You are becoming acclimated to a decrease in appetite as well as an earlier feeling of fullness which leads to a significant decrease in calories.

During phase 4, or the Stabilization Diet, you will get lots of practice creating meals with a high protein, lower calorie content.

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After completing the 4-phases of the post-op diet, usually, around 6 months after surgery, the real “work” begins. This is your long-term weight loss diet that you will remain on until you reach your goal weight.

The major predictor of post-surgical weight loss is calorie intake. Because many clinics recommend a calorie intake of 900-1200 calories each day, getting in the recommended amount of protein and nutrients can pose a challenge.

Men should take in a minimum of 75g protein each day, while women should consume a minimum of 60g protein daily. It is most important that these protein requirements are met.

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Lower calorie protein shakes between your meals are often found to be beneficial in helping you to reach protein requirements for the day.

Weight loss is inevitable with gastric sleeve surgery. However, the amount varies from person to person. Research is clear that exercise plays a critical role in maximizing weight loss after surgery.

It is very important that you get clearance from your physician before doing any physical activity post-surgery. Walking is usually the first step to ease yourself back into exercise and is often recommended for the first 6-8 weeks.

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After about 2 months or so, when you’ve been walking regularly, your doctor may give you the go-ahead to add in some new light exercises. Weight lifting is not yet recommended.

You will likely be able to add in some weights around 4 months post-surgery. Even then, it is important to listen to your body and take it easy when necessary.

At about 6 months, it’s usually safe to resume all exercise activities. Whether it’s going to the gym, taking an exercise class, or doing a workout video at home, adding variety to your routine while staying consistent is key.

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So now that you have the diet and exercise guidelines down pat, let’s talk about some common stumbling blocks to avoid that have the potential to derail your weight loss.

When focusing on how to lose weight after gastric sleeve surgery, keep some of these tips in your back pocket to optimize your weight loss.

Try to give yourself the best chances by following some of our tips like chewing food well, focusing on serving sizes, avoiding drinks during mealtime, and give mindful eating a try.

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If you need a kickstart then you can try one of our pouch resets. They are pre-bundled kits to jumpstart your weight loss efforts, build momentum and give you the confidence to transition into your long-term bariatric diet.

Pouch reset bundles come with a full plan that corresponds to the length of the bundle. So the 2 week plan you actually receive a physical plan with your order.

Bryee Shepard, MS, RDBryee is a formally trained Registered Dietitian with a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. Her clinical experience ranges from critical care, oncology, and bariatric nutrition, to pediatric, neonatal nutrition, and more. She is an avid yogi with a soft spot for chocolate.

How To Restart Weight Loss After Gastric Sleeve?

Dr. Stephen Boyce, MDWith over 30 years of experience performing bariatric surgeries, Dr. Boyce has completed over 7, 000 weight-loss surgical procedures. He has special training in advanced laparoscopic surgery and has also completed a Masters Certification in Bariatric Surgery. He is an active educator for Ethicon Endo-Surgery and he was the first physician to be awarded by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), “Outstanding Membership Recruitment by a Physician Award, ” and for 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well.

What is the gastric sleeve? The sleeve gastrectomy or “gastric sleeve” is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of about 80% of the stomach. The remaining portion of the stomach will be shaped into a tube-like structure or a “sleeve” that is about the size of a banana. The gastric sleeve works by: What […]

Gastric sleeve surgery is a popular weight loss surgery that involves removing a portion of the stomach to reduce the amount of food you can eat. While it can be an effective way to lose weight and improve related health conditions, it is also a major surgery that can cause pain and discomfort after the […]No matter where your stubborn skin has stayed, there is likely a procedure or surgery to make it better. Whether it’s your face and neck, your tummy, your breasts, your arms, your thighs, or your buttocks, at Graper Harper Cosmetic Surgery, our plastic surgeons have the answer.

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You’ve already done the really hard part! You exercised when it would have been so much easier to stay on the couch. You changed your diet when it was so hard to turn down those sweets. Some of you had surgery to help you get healthier and take control of your life. Your body responded. The weight dropped off. The muscle packed on. But things still don’t look the way you had hoped. This feeling is quite common with patients who had major weight loss. It becomes frustrating and sometimes depressing. You’ve done so much hard work- everything that was asked of you- why can’t things look the way they should?

Working with patients who dedicated themselves to getting healthier and happier is a privilege. Being able to help them finalize their transformation to their new bodies is one of our passions. No matter where your stubborn skin has stayed, there is likely a procedure or surgery to make it better. Whether it’s your face and neck, your tummy, your breasts, your arms, your thighs, or your buttocks, atGraper Harper Cosmetic Surgery, our plastic surgeons have the answer. By providing safe and natural-looking surgical solutions to your problem areas, we can assist you in completing your body makeover. Don’t let your excess skin hold you prisoner and prevent you from truly embracing your dedication, your efforts, and your accomplishments.

The face and neck are the first things you look at in the mirror and an area you are never able to hide (without a wardrobe full of turtlenecks). Often, weight loss patients struggle with loose skin and loss of volume in the face. While standard neck and facelifts may be your best solution, we also are the only cosmetic surgery office in Charlotte to offer a minimally invasive, state-of-the-art technology called ThermiTight that delivers controlled thermal energy to improve and tighten your skin. Adjuvant dermal fillers like Juvederm and autologous fat grafting to the face can also help improve your face shape and restore a healthier, younger-looking appearance.

How To Lose Weight After Gastric Sleeve Surgery (long Term Weight Loss)

Often this area is one that really troubles weight loss patients. It’s critical to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon that is familiar with weight loss patients and their specific conditions. There are certain strategies that need to be applied to the weight loss patient when it comes to all surgeries, but especially breast augmentation, lift, and reduction surgery. Treating breast and chest surgery in the weight loss population the same as you would the general population is fraught with complications. You must discuss this, in-depth, with your surgeon.

Another major area of concern for the majority of weight loss patients is their abdomen. With major weight loss, there is significant discordance between the amount of skin left to drape over the now smaller musculoskeletal system. This is typically much different than the issues we, as surgeons, address in ourabdominoplastypopulation of post-pregnancy women. Often, the excess skin extends to your love handle areas and even your back. In those cases, we perform an “extended abdominoplasty”