Weight Gain After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Weight gain after gastric sleeve surgery is most common in the following two to six years and there are three common factors that contribute to the weight gain. A gastric sleeve can be a highly effective weight loss solution for people struggling with obesity, and you can lose up to 80 percent of your excess body weight within a year of the procedure.
Although this form of bariatric surgery is popular and many patients experience successful weight loss, some people do gain back some or all of their excess weight following the procedure, and there's nothing more frustrating or disheartening.
Gaining weight after gastric sleeve surgery is most common in the following two to six years, and today we're going to talk about the causes of weight gain following gastric sleeve, what you can do to prevent it, and options you can explore after post-surgery weight gain.
Why You Might Experience Weight Gain After Gastric Sleeve Surgery and How to Combat It
Among patients who have gained all weight back after gastric sleeve, the three most common factors that contributed to the weight gain were:
- Poor dietary habits: Gastric sleeve surgery is only a tool you can use to lose weight, but to keep that weight off, it's essential to adopt healthier eating habits. Otherwise, you might end up gaining back the initial weight you lost following surgery. One of the major culprits that contribute to weight gain after the gastric sleeve is eating the wrong foods, such as high-fat and high-sugar foods that aren't nutritionally sound. To combat weight gain from a bad diet, start by keeping a diary to track your food intake, consult a dietician about creating healthy meal plans, and follow any dietary advice provided by your healthcare practitioners.
- Stomach stretching: Gastric sleeve works by reducing the size of the stomach and decreasing the quantity of hunger-inducing hormones it produces. If you aren't careful, however, you can stretch your stomach after gastric sleeve surgery, and this will result in a stomach that can manage larger portions and the production of more hunger hormones, leading to increased food intake and weight gain. The primary cause of stomach stretching is overeating, but it can also happen if you drink within 30 minutes of a meal. To prevent or combat weight gain from stomach stretching, stick to your healthy diet plan, don’t drink 30 minutes before or after eating, have small portions, and chew your food thoroughly to increase satiety.
- Lack of exercise: Exercise is an integral part of any weight loss plan because it burns calories and fat, and this leads to faster weight loss and an overall healthier body. It’s important to remember that gastric sleeve isn't a magical solution to weight loss, and you also need to exercise if you want to lose weight faster and keep it off long-term. As part of your healthier lifestyle following surgery, you should exercise at least 20 minutes a day, five days a week. If you are gaining weight following the procedure, talk to your doctor or surgeon about how you can incorporate more exercise into your days.
Surgical Interventions to Address Weight Gain After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Although improved dietary habits and increased exercise can prevent and combat weight gain following gastric sleeve, you can also explore surgical options--typically recommended as a last resort.
These surgical interventions include:
- Gastric sleeve revision
- Gastric bypass conversion
- Duodenal switch
People struggling with obesity spend their lives battling with the scale, and bariatric surgery can be a highly successful way to shed weight and keep it off. However, not all patients experience the same results, and some do gain back some or all of the weight they lost following the gastric sleeve procedure.
The most effective ways to prevent weight gain—and to lose weight if you are gaining it back—is to eat a healthy diet, manage your portions carefully to avoid overeating, and to incorporate plenty of exercise and activity into your daily life.
Are you ready to start your weight loss journey?
Jet Medical Tourism® is here to help you. Since 2017, we have helped patients from all around the world achieve their weight loss goals successfully. Apply Now or get in touch with us today by calling (855) 506-6188 or the contact form.
