WEIGHT STALLS AFTER BARIATRIC SURGERY
What is weight plateau or stall after bariatric surgery? These are those periods when you are kind of following all healthy lifestyle recommendations and stop losing weight for weeks. This situation can be frustrating and discouraging. However, stalls are a normal part of the weight loss process and nearly everyone experiences it several times on their weight loss journey.
There are several strategies you can take to begin losing weight again to achieve your goal weight:
- Reduce carbs. If you have introduced carbs back to your diet, cut them. Especially simple ones (bread, pasta, white rice, potatoes, sweets, biscuits, cakes etc).
- Eat solid food rather than soft. It makes you satisfied longer.
- Do not snack and graze. Snacking provides you calories and often low nutritional value.
- Count your protein. You should have 80-100g (2.8-3.5 oz) protein daily.
- Eat non-starchy vegetables. They provide you fiber and important minerals and vitamins.
- Keep yourself hydrated – drink ~2 l or 64oz of no calorie liquids daily.
- Exercise – if you are used to same exercising routines, change them. Increase frequency, add strength training, add intensity and change the type of exercise for each muscle group.
- Calories in – calories out. Your body adapts. When you were heavier your body used more energy to move it. The lighter you are the same movements burn fewer calories, so check the “calories in – calories out” balance. Should it still provide you weight loss?
- Evaluate your eating and drinking – do you still follow your healthy nutrition recommendations? Maybe there is some mindless eating, slider foods, fizzy drinks, alcohol – anything that provides unnecessary calories? Check! Use free apps to follow up or make a diary, be honest to yourself!
- Sleep. Weight loss success is connected to healthy sleep. Studies say we need 7-8 hours healthy sleep. Additionally – do not eat 3 hours before your sleep and do not drink caffeinated drinks 8hrs prior to the bedtime.
- Reduce stress. Stress can often slow down the weight loss. Stress can promote ‘emotional eating’ and it also increases production of cortisol, a “stress hormone”, in your body. While it helps the body respond to stress, it can also promote a belly fat storage, especially in women.
- Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a sedative, you may lose control over eating while you are consuming alcohol. It can promote poor food choices as well. Alcohol is ‘empty calories itself, often contains lots of added sugar. Research shows that alcohol suppresses fat burning and leads to belly fat accumulation.
Finally, do not stress, if you are keeping yourself on track, the plateau will break and you will move on towards your goal weight again!
Good luck!