If you have had weight loss surgery and have achieved your ideal weight then Congratulations That’s amazing news!

Now that you have a normal BMI you have reduced the risk of having a stroke, or developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and even some cancers, such as breast and colon. If you suffered from any of these, such as hypertension, sleep apnea or respiratory problems, they may have improved dramatically, or even cured, since you lost weight.

According the American Heart Association, obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, with 70% of sufferers being overweight.  Women who gain 20 lbs of fat are twice as likely to get post-menopausal breast cancer as women with a normal BMI, 90% of type 2 diabetics are obese and high blood pressure is twice as common in overweight people. The great news is, if have reached your target weight, you are no longer one of these statistics.

But if you think that you can go back to your old eating and exercise habits and keep your slimmer healthier physique, you’re wrong. Even after weight loss surgery it is possible to stretch your stomach again, increasing its capacity and enabling you to eat more.

Here at AHI we provide you with 12 months’ free follow up program where trained staff will be happy to offer you advice. But these tips should help you to maintain your ideal weight once you get there:

  • Be aware of your weaknesses. It helps to know where you went wrong before; were you a snacker? A picker? Did you skip meals all day and then eat take out in the evening? If you acknowledge your biggest weakness then you also know the trap you need to stay away from in order to relax and enjoy the new you without gaining weight.
  • Weigh yourself every week. This will help you to monitor your weight without any pounds creeping on unnoticed.
  • Stay active. Hopefully you will have found a form of exercise that you love, or at least tolerate and exercise as often as possible. But it helps just to stay active the rest of the time; walk whenever you can instead of driving or taking the bus. This will keep your body more active which, in turn, makes it burn a higher rate of calories all the time.

By maintaining your new weight you will be able to enjoy a happier, healthier life and continue to enjoy the health benefits of weight loss surgery, such as reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and joint pain.

If you have not had weight loss surgery and need a little help in getting to your ideal weight, here at Angeles Health we offer a range of weight loss surgery procedures, including lap band and gastric sleeve plication surgery. Please contact us if you would like to chat about what we have available for you.