Weigh Regain and Bariatric Honey Moon
Rebound, Recovery and Bariatric Honeymoon
What is weight gain or rebound? Weight gain or rebound is when the patient, after having lost more than 50% of their excess weight, has a rapid and sustained weight gain. Weight gain is considered to exist when: More than 5 kg/m2 of body mass index is increased from the lowest weight achieved. More than 25% of weight is gained from the lowest weight achieved. More than 10 kg of weight is gained from the lowest weight achieved. A person who meets any of these definitions will have had weight gain or rebound. This does not mean that if you undergo bariatric surgery (sleeve or bypass) you will necessarily have weight gain, in fact most patients do not. Who can have weight gain? Anyone with any treatment can have weight gain. The most important factor for a person having weight gain is "Bad eating habits". Even exercise does not have as much weight as bad habits. If you do not exercise, you can maintain your weight as long as you have good eating habits. However, if you do not have good eating habits, even if you exercise a lot, you will have a low chance of maintaining it. Attending your in-person or online appointments with your nutritionist and psychologist is a studied factor that greatly reduces the possibility of weight gain.
Can bariatric surgery have a rebound or rebound effect? Currently there is NO known treatment for weight loss that does not have a rebound or weight regain effect, bariatric surgery is no exception. Bariatric surgery is the treatment with the lowest probability of rebound or weight regain when compared to other treatments. Among the most common procedures is gastric sleeve, which has a 10 to 20% probability of rebound or weight regain 2-3 years after surgery, while bypass (in all its forms) has a 10-15% probability of rebound or weight regain 5-6 years after surgery. Example: Out of 100 people who undergo gastric sleeve, after 2 to 3 years of surgery, 10 to 20 people will have had weight regain. For example, diet and exercise in a person with grade 2 or 3 obesity has a probability of regaining weight of over 90% in less than 5 months. What happens if I regain weight? The good news is that if you have already had bariatric surgery and have regained weight, you can always return to your proper weight. You should contact your multidisciplinary team, especially psychology and nutrition, it is possible to support yourself with authorized appetite suppressant medications and change your habits. In some cases, a revision surgery can be performed, this means another operation (another opportunity) to adjust the previous surgery so that you can lose weight again.
What is a bariatric honeymoon? The bariatric honeymoon is the colloquial name given to the period of greatest effectiveness of weight loss procedures. It is called this way because it resembles the honeymoon that people have after getting married, that is, the "most beautiful" or most effective part of the surgery. The bariatric honeymoon varies depending on each procedure and each person, but in general terms it can be said that in gastric sleeve the bariatric honeymoon is from 6 months to 1 year and a half, while in gastric bypass it can vary between 1 year and 2 years and a half. This means that bariatric surgery will have a maximum period of effectiveness, where most people will reach an adequate weight, or a loss of around 60 to 80% of excess weight. It is important to mention that after this period of time, it does not mean that you will stop losing weight, it simply means that the maximum effectiveness of the surgery is passing and the habits that have been established during this period will be of great importance for weight loss and maintenance.
Explanation of the bariatric "honeymoon" by Dr. Rey Romero.
