People who have undergone bariatric surgery know the weight loss battle does not end in the operating room. Months and even years after surgery, some weight can slowly creep back on. But this isn't a time to panic because now you have the tools to overcome a little setback and regain control of your weight.

This time, you are in charge.

One of the lessons you learn after weight loss surgery is that you are in charge of your health, diet and exercise program. The food no longer rules the roost--you do.

The truth of the matter is no matter what the scale says, 110 or 310, everyone puts on a few pounds now and then. As a bariatric surgeon in New Jersey for more than 10 years, one of the biggest anxiety triggers for patients is weight gain.

"That's it--it's over--I'm going to gain all the weight back."

Of course that's not true. To get back on pace, I’ve listed a few essential steps to help get you back on track to dropping the pounds once again:

• Go back to the beginning

Post-surgery, you probably followed your healthcare team’s advice to the letter. But as time passed, and you looked and felt healthier, you may have started to deviate from those dietary and exercise guidelines. Pull out your notes and review the program guidelines that brought you this far. Get back on the scale once a week and fire up your food journal again.

• Get thyself to the nearest support group ─ STAT

Weight loss is a personal journey, but it doesn’t have to be a lonely one. Online support groups on BariatricPal.com are great secondary resources to live weekly or monthly groups with your bariatric doctor or hospital. There is support all-around you, reach out and take it.

• Work it out

Are you using the ‘too tired’ reason for missing a trip to the gym or 30 minute fast walk around the neighborhood? If you need energy, you know how to get it—get up, get out and get moving. “Too busy,” you say? Remember, only you can prioritize your health and wellness. You matter—make time for your health every single day.

• Come to terms with the weight gain

This doesn’t mean blaming yourself. Rather, be forthright about how and why it happened and pat yourself on the back that you’ve recognized it now—not later.

There’s no need to beat yourself up. You have already done the hard part by recognizing some weight has crept back on. That in itself shows you are going to battle back. We encourage our patients at Sterling Surgicare to call us if they feel frustrated or defeated--everyone needs a pep talk now and then.

Remember there are many people supporting you 24/7 in this effort.

Life is filled with occasional side-steps and set-backs. It is part of making us who we are. Make a plan, regroup, recommit.

You can do this.

Great! and I def needed to read it!

Thank you for the brief, smart reminder.

Great article thanks dr for posting it it does build your confidence.

@@Dr. Adeyeri, truly appreciate this post and I will continue to follow. I am only pre-surgery right now surgery next Friday, June 4th. However, this is a very big worry for me thinking a year from now or so.

I will apply these simple ways to stay on track!

Thanks for that - a timely post for me as I've just put on weight for the first time since surgery. Will get back in control now. Losing a pound and a half will be easy.... Having to re-lose ten would be more daunting.

Dr. Adeyeri,

Thanks for this article for those of us (myself included) who can find the scale creeping up. It’s a good reminder to take responsibility and face reality instead of denying the weight gain or acting like we’re not sure why the scale is going up.

Thanks for the great advice. Going back to the beginning always works. Reaching out for help at support groups and anywhere else is good, too, because it helps us hold ourselves accountable. I’d also suggest troubleshooting – sitting down to try to figure out where we might be going wrong. Small changes can creep in without us noticing beforehand, and make us gain weight. Thanks for the article!

I love this site. Reading different articles that have shown up on my facebook feed. Timely. So perfectly timely. Thanks.

Thanks so very much for this article!! I think this pretty much solidifies the train of thought I'm on right now. If I gain a pound or two, I would hit the panic button, with the ghosts of the past haunting me again...another failed weight loss attempt!! But now I definitely do feel much more in control...I just go 'back to basics', and I'm back on track!!!

Thank you for the article.

It's so easy to listen to the siren call of food. Ignoring those sweet and dulcet tones saying: "I was ALWAYS there for you." "Come back to me". "You miss me don't you". "Just one bite". The hard work for me is in my head!

So many days I leave work and want to go home and skip working out. I keep going to the gym because #1--I'm paying that monthly membership and not going is throwing money away. Secondly, I know I'll feel so much better after I work out. It amazes me how improved I feel and how much better I sleep at night. The better I sleep the easier it is to deal with my brain thinking I can eat whatever I want.

Blessings,

Kathleen

Thanks so much to all of you for your comments. I'm honored you took the time to respond and admire everyone's determination and courage to defeat obesity.

And we're not even warmed up yet! Extra pounds...you're going DOWN!

Wishing you all a great day.

Dr. Adeyeri

Holmdel, NJ

Thank you for the article.

It's so easy to listen to the siren call of food. Ignoring those sweet and dulcet tones saying: "I was ALWAYS there for you." "Come back to me". "You miss me don't you". "Just one bite". The hard work for me is in my head!

So many days I leave work and want to go home and skip working out. I keep going to the gym because #1--I'm paying that monthly membership and not going is throwing money away. Secondly, I know I'll feel so much better after I work out. It amazes me how improved I feel and how much better I sleep at night. The better I sleep the easier it is to deal with my brain thinking I can eat whatever I want.

Blessings,

Kathleen

Kathleen, great comments! Thank you so much for sharing and best of luck in your continued effort. From what you said, you are destined to be very successful. Dr. Adeyeri.

Thanks for that - a timely post for me as I've just put on weight for the first time since surgery. Will get back in control now. Losing a pound and a half will be easy.... Having to re-lose ten would be more daunting.

You GO Maggie! Let me know how it goes! Dr. Adeyeri. Holmdel, NJ, USA

@Dr. Adeyeri, truly appreciate this post and I will continue to follow. I am only pre-surgery right now surgery next Friday, June 4th. However, this is a very big worry for me thinking a year from now or so.

I will apply these simple ways to stay on track!

Thank you Lisa! How are you doing in week one? It will get easier, I promise! All the best on your journey back to good health! Dr. Adeyeri.

@Dr. Adeyeri, truly appreciate this post and I will continue to follow. I am only pre-surgery right now surgery next Friday, June 4th. However, this is a very big worry for me thinking a year from now or so.

I will apply these simple ways to stay on track!

Thank you Lisa! How are you doing in week one? It will get easier, I promise! All the best on your journey back to good health! Dr. Adeyeri.

Hello Dr. Adeyeri, I am doing well. I had my post op on Monday, 6/16 and my Surgeon & team said that I am doing well. Working to do everything that I can to follow my plan. I have invested so much into this and am so grateful to be on this journey. Thanks so much for the reassurance that it will get easier. I appreciate you responding to all of our posts. I will keep updates coming. Again I was so inspired by your article... We all need to go back to re-use those tools when things get rough.

Thanks for that - a timely post for me as I've just put on weight for the first time since surgery. Will get back in control now. Losing a pound and a half will be easy.... Having to re-lose ten would be more daunting.

You GO Maggie! Let me know how it goes! Dr. Adeyeri. Holmdel, NJ, USA

Thanks for the encouragement. I have lost the pound and a half but other than that seem to have stalled for a while. However, I'm carrying on with my exercise and am not getting too upset.