Easily the most stressful part of the weight loss process is the realization that you’ve begun to re-gain weight that you thought you were able to successfully say goodbye to. Weight loss is a long process, and for some people the threat of re-gaining weight never really goes away. You can lose 100 lbs, and the threat of old habits may still lurk in the background, threatening to return you to your old way of life.
Working closely with your weight loss surgeon can help you develop the life-changing healthy habits necessary to help you lose weight and keep it off. Scheduling regular check-ins with your weight loss surgeon can help too, as this can help you to make sure that even though you’ve met your weight loss goals in the end, you are still able to stay focused and maintain that weight loss for good.
For many people, weight re-gain is something that starts before the weight loss program even ends. Rather than meeting your ultimate weight loss goal, you may find that you start to fall off track with some of your newer healthy habits, and that the scale strops dropping. Weight re-gain starts with one pound, and then five, and then before you know it you could find yourself going back up in pant sizes. You need to do your best to address those issues as they get started. It’s a lot easier to stop weight from coming back when you’re only one pound up, rather than 10 or more.
It is important to recognize the risk of weight re-gain early on in your weight loss program. There are many things that can cause weight to come back, including:
- Physical limitations such as an injury
- Pregnancy
- Social changes such as a loss of job
- Moving to a new city where you don’t have the same routine to follow
There are also a collection of emotional and mental changes that could interfere with your ability to maintain your weight loss long term, including the realization that you are noticed differently now that you’ve lost weight, or the feeling that people perceive you differently than they did before.
When faced with one of these risk factors you need to do what you can to nip the problem in the bud. If you feel a return to old habits, be quick to take notice and contact your weight loss doctor. The sooner you get back on track, the lower the risk of regaining much weight.