Gastric bypass surgery can promote significant and lasting weight loss in severely obese individuals unable to achieve or maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise. For many individuals, this surgery has a significant impact on their overall health and avoiding the potential for early death.
Gastric Bypass Surgery (GBS)
During gastric bypass surgery, the stomach pouch is surgically reduced to the size of a walnut or small egg, and portions of the small intestine are bypassed. Patients can expect to lose 50 to 80 percent of their excess weight, with significant loss seen during the first year.
A second GBS is not usually performed because of a higher rate of complications such as infection, bleeding or problems in the gastrointestinal tract. If weight is regained, it needs to be lost by reducing caloric intake and increasing physical activity. The success of surgery depends on your commitment to a healthy diet and regular exercise program.
Food Choices
Snacking can lead to weight gain. Many GBS individuals admit to eating high-carbohydrate processed food, including pretzels, chips, trail mix, crackers, cookies, cakes, granola, butter, mayonnaise and smoothies. Even though granola and trail mix are considered to be healthy foods, gastric bypass patients have a low tolerance for nuts, seeds and raisins. These foods also are high in hidden sugars.
Weight Gain
Most GBS patients will experience some weight gain after the bulk of their post-surgery loss. However, the majority of these individuals begin to gain weight because they consume too many high-calorie foods and beverages and don't exercise on a regular basis. Many engage in "grazing," a term used to describe eating food all day long, resulting in a high-caloric intake.
Patients also may begin to gain weight back 3 to 5 years after their GBS surgery, because the size of their stomach pouch has slowly expanded, allowing it to hold more and more food. It is believed, however, that eating the wrong foods is more of a threat than the expanded stomach. To retain weight loss, a patient should eat foods that provide the vitamins, minerals and nutrients the body needs.
Support
Regaining weight after gastric bypass surgery is an emotional and physical setback. To counter the weight gain, a patient needs to analyze and identify what is causing the relapse. To help patients through this difficult period, the GBS center has counselors who provide assistance and guidance for weight gain. Other options include support groups, online forums, one-on-one counseling and talking to peers.
Lifestyle Changes
The success of GBS surgery depends on your willingness to adopt lifelong healthy eating and exercise habits. Individuals who follow the guidelines commit to a healthy lifestyle to avoid weight increase. Unfortunately, many regain the lost weight because the factors that caused them to gain weight in the first place have not been adequately addressed.
