Weight Loss Goals, Weight Stalls, Regain & MORE: Member Call May 2022

Video clips answering 11 great questions on the May 2022 member call

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Question One & Two:  Will I keep losing weight? (And my deep dive into weight loss expectations and weight regain) 20 minute clip

I wanted to answer each of these members questions about slowing weight loss and weight loss expectations. Both of these members are around the 5-6 month post-op mark.

While each of their situations are unique, I felt like the bigger question we needed to discuss was around weight loss goals and what to expect after surgery. This video is longer as I take a deeper dive into research related to how much excess body weight is lost on average after surgery.

My hope is for it to be good information and help you feel informed but, of course, my hesitation is to tell anyone what their weight will be or should be. We only control so much of our biology!

Question Three:  Am I doomed to gain weight going through menopause? (3:53 minutes)

It’s true there is a TON of body changes because menopause. The body is going from a reproductive state to a post-menopausal state. All the hormonal changes lead to changes in bones, organs and more.

Change is part of the process so feeling like your body is different is very true. Weight gain doesn’t have to be inevitable and the best things to do will remain true – water, good nutrition, sleep, stress management and self care!

Talk with your provider about how you can handle all the symptoms of menopause including weight control!

Sources:

Understanding weight gain at Menopause. Taylor & Francis. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/13697137.2012.707385

Executive summary – 1998 – obesity research – wiley online library. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2022, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1550-8528.1998.tb00690.x

Question Four:  Serovital after surgery for the aging process? (2:33 minutes)

Serovital is a product on the market with claims to help slow the impact of the aging process. The product increases Human Growth Hormone significantly. I was hesitant about the website and another members shared the Mayo Clinic’s response that affirm my hesitations stating that high levels of HGH is not safe.

Question Five:  No more than 5 grams of fat and 10 grams of sugar per serving? (2:49 minutes)

My guess is this persons clinic was helping them avoid the effects of dumping syndrome with a high fat or high sugar product.

I mention in the video the members resource for a “Nutrition Label Cheat Sheet.” When logged in, you can find this under the Meal Planning tab.

Question Six:  How much is standard for portions after Gastric Bypass? (2:18 minutes)

My approach is to focus on quality instead of the quantity. I’m not concerned with the portion size if it’s lean, solid protein and non-starchy vegetables. Eat two bites of the protein to one bite of the vegetables, take small bites, go slowly, avoid fluids, stop when full and the portion is what is best for you!

Question Seven: What is the effect of cortisol on weight loss? How can we reduce our daily cortisol? *And the start of microbiome conversation (5:04 minutes)

Cortisol is a powerful and important hormone in the body. Stress does elevate blood levels of cortisol which can be hard on health long term.

Cortisol puts us in a fight or flight state and increases appetite for high fat and sugar foods to help us “fuel up for the fight.”

Engaging our parasympathetic nervous system allows our body to know we are not in danger and to return to a calm state called the “rest and digest” state. Things like deep breathing, nature, fresh air, sunshine, calming music all stimulate the vagus nerve which engages the parasympathetic system.

We always have deep breaths available to us :)

Question Eight:  *Continuation from Q7. What effect does surgery have on the gut and microbiome? (1:42 minutes)

The short answer is that obesity is hard on the gut microbiome (the healthy bacteria, fungus, etc in our intestinal tract). Losing weight with a healthy lifestyle change can help. Surgery will have implications but the following weight loss and health changes can help.

There is much to learn when it comes to the microbiome and how bariatric surgery may impact it!

Source:

Bujara, S. (2019, September 9). What role does bariatric surgery play in altering the gut microbiome? Endocrinology Advisor. Retrieved May 18, 2022, from https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/home/topics/obesity/effect-of-bariatric-surgery-on-low-microbial-richness-in-obesity/#:~:text=In%20patients%20with%20severe%20obesity,even%20after%20surgical%20weight%20loss.&text=Research%20shows%20that%20obesity%20is,adipocyte%20size%2C%20and%20insulin%20resistance.

Question Nine:  Are there resources available for post-op patients and weight lifting? (1:41 minutes)

I don’t have any one resource that comes to mind. For a really personal approach I would work with a bariaric dietitian and an exercise physiologist

Question Ten:  Where to start when everything is way off track? (3:20 minutes)

Everyone is a little different with what is their next best step.

Maybe it’s filling up a big water bottle because it’s something you can do right now. I think meal planning is a really practical way to make a plan and get the right food in the house.

Sometimes I need a long walk to think through it all. What are the obstacles? What would make me feel even the slightest bit better? As funny as it sounds, sometimes I need to deep clean and declutter my kitchen then I feel fresh and ready.

Question Eleven:  Intermittent Fasting after Gastric Sleeve? (2:44 minutes)

This topic was recently covered in our Popular Diets after Bariatric Surgery blog series! Click here for the one on fasting. 

Question Twelve:  I love caramel iced coffee, recipe ideas? (1:19 minutes)

You might try a Sugar-Free Caramel syrup! I make stronger coffee and pour over ice and add a splash of half and half. You could do this plus the SF syrup. If you find recipes online, send them my way and I will see what we can tweak!

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