9 crucial habits for long term weight loss after gastric sleeve

If you’re considering a gastric sleeve, I bet you’re wanting it to work and for your weight loss to be long term right? Of course! But how do you stack the odds of long term weight loss in your favour? Let’s take a look.

Whilst obesity is very complicated and every case is different, there are a few key habits studies have shown to be crucial to long term success. One study reviewed all of the evidence and came up with these recommendations crucial for long term weight loss after weight loss surgery. How many do you have down?

1. Proper education before and after.

It’s extremely important you have a really good understanding of the necessary changes that need to happen after surgery. While this should be addressed by your team, if you don’t feel comfortable with the information you’ve been given do more research and ask lots and lots of questions. See if you can talk to a few who have gone through the process before you and organise another appointment with your team if you need to. Also, make sure that your bariatric care includes regular visits after your surgery so you get the information and support you need to be successful.

2. Speaking of follow up appointments after surgery, make sure you attend!!!

Regular and long term follow up with your bariatric team (not just the surgeon, but dietitian, psychologist and GP as well) should be a priority after your sleeve. In fact, one study reviewed found patients who undertook a minimum of 12 consultations within the first 6 months of surgery achieved significantly better weight loss results than those who attended six or less. It’s also all well and good making the appointments, but be sure to go! Don’t be embarrassed if you’re struggling or feeling like things are more difficult than you expected – the whole reason your team is there is to help you adjust.

3. Keep an eye on yourself.

Regular weighing and use of a food and exercise diary was the next recommendation in McGrice’s review. Weighing and keeping track of what you’re doing on a day to day basis helps with awareness of habits and also helps your dietitian to identify any areas for improvement. I realise keeping track of everything all the time can be tiresome though and I actually only recommend doing this periodically (say once a month) as a check in tool to make sure you are eating enough of the right foods (see this post for more about what you should be eating each day and how much).

4. Choose your drinks wisely.

Drinking liquid calories (think smoothies, juices, cordial and soft drink) is one of the most common reasons for weight regain after surgery for two reasons. One: liquid foods don’t fill us up like solid foods do so we don’t usually adjust our next meal to compensate. Two: they are usually low in other nutrients like vitamins and minerals so don’t usually add anything except sugar or calories to your day, easily tipping you over your needs. Instead, once you are past the initial fluid stage, try to stick with water or other low calorie options as drinks, and make your meals chew-able!

5. Avoid grazing throughout the day

Grazing is frequently triggered by reasons other than hunger. These could include eating when stressed, bored, tired (or any other emotion), mistaking thirst for hunger and eating in association with other activities such as watching television, sitting at the computer, or attending social events. People who graze between meals, eat more calories in total and often report lower weight loss after surgery. Instead, make sure you leave at least three hours between meals and snacks (if it’s less than that you’re probably not hungry or you’re thirsty instead). If you’re not sure – read this post where I talk about how to eat, which includes asking yourself the simple question of “Am I hungry?” before you eat.

6. Speaking of how to eat…

The next habit McGrice discusses is developing your new eating habits after surgery. Specifically, making sure you eat when you are paying attention and you take 20-30 minutes to eat your meal. Eat from smaller sized crockery (like a bread and butter plate) to help control portions (see points 3 and 5 above). Finally, keep checking for the “sigh moment” which tells you when you’ve had enough, rather than overeating and eating more than you need.

7. Focus on quality.

The main nutrients to focus on after surgery for the best results are protein and vitamins and minerals. Research says bariatric patients who eat more carbohydrates after surgery see less weight loss than those who eat more protein and vegetables. Ideally, aim to eat 1/2 protein and 1/2 vegies at your meals and make sure if you snack, it contains protein, too. Protein helps to reduce muscle wastage and also works to fill you up so it’s crucial you’re eating enough. Taking your supplements and making sure you’re eating foods high in vitamins and minerals will help to avoid a deficiency and keep your body functioning at it’s best.

8. Get moving

Aside from the health benefits, doing enough movement during the day is crucial for maximising weight loss after surgery and keeping it off. In fact, a low level of physical activity has been identified as a key predictor of weight regain after surgery. Ideally we should all be doing 60 minutes of physical activity a day for the best results. The good news? It doesn’t have to be done in one block – you can split it however it works best for you over the day. And if you currently do none, don’t start with 60 minutes – build up slowly over time (something is always better than nothing!). If you don’t do any exercise currently or have an injury or health condition slowing you down, book in to see an Exercise Physiologist who can tailor a program for you.

9. Work on your mindset

I leave the hardest to last! But this one is really the clincher. Without a change in mindset, it’s almost impossible to maintain your weight loss long term. You need to accept that a sleeve is a life long option and it will therefore require life long work. This means lifelong annual check ups with your team and constantly reminding yourself of the basics above. If you’re struggling to adapt your mindset, then please please book in to see a psychologist who has experience with weight loss surgery – I promise it will be worth it.

I’d love to hear what habits you think are crucial to you or what you’ve found most difficult – feel free to comment below!

You can find the original study by McGrice (2015) here, it’s a really easy read: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4485844/#!po=15.6250