Weight loss after bariatric surgery is different for everyone

Learn more about how weight loss is influenced after bariatric surgery reviewing the audio transcript.

Dawn (00:00):

Hello and welcome to the Gastric Health Show. My name is Dawn Boxell, and this week’s topic is the seven ways Weight loss is influence after bariatric surgery. And we’re gonna dig into these seven areas that play a role in your ability to lose weight, maintain it. And keep it off. So here’s the thing, weight loss after bariatric surgery is different for everyone. And the reality is no two people will experience weight loss the same.

Dawn (01:00):

And that’s really just because there’s only one you, there’s only one of you, and you don’t have the same of anyone else when it comes to you as a human. So we know that bariatric surgery produces great weight loss but do we really know why you experience weight loss? And, and that’s what I want you to see. It’s not just because you’re eating less food. There are things help, you know, there are things occurring at the cellular level and at the DNA level that you are fully unaware of.

Dawn (01:24):

And these are the things that are influencing weight loss after bariatric surgery. So I really wanna dig into these so that you really see that, you know, yes, you have to eat well, and yes, you have to exercise and move your body and drink your water and do all those things. But if you can learn to be intentional.

progression of a bariatric diet not everybody requires the same formula

Dawn (02:00):

If you can learn to maybe understand you as a person and be more personalized to your approach you might be surprised at the effort you have to put in the, or the focus that you have to apply can shift. And it’s not just all about, Oh, I have to work out or I won’t maintain this weight loss. It’s, it’s literally about what can I give myself? What is my body where does it need supported the most so that I can maintain and do the things I love to do?

Dawn (02:30):

So here we’re gonna dig into just deeper considerations for weight loss after bariatric surgery, so that you really do have the ability to personalize a bariatric diet. Although all of you have to go through this progression of a bariatric diet not everybody needs the same formula. And some of you may need more protein and some of you may need more plant-based proteins. It’s who knows? And I think that’s where this is going.

Dawn (03:10):

I think this is where we will evolve to, we can get more personalized. And that’s what I wanna show you because, you know, when bariatric surgery was first done, you know, well 25, 30 years ago well even longer than that, it was done in the eighties. So just not as a program, not as an inclusive program. So the 27 years I’ve been doing this as a program a lot has changed and a lot of things have shifted on our beliefs and our understanding of, you know, why do you lose weight?

The genetic connection to weight loss after bariatric surgery

Dawn (03:44):

After bariatric surgery, initially it was always believed that it was because you’re eating less. It was all about the volume of food, you know, that was our belief that, you know, why people were overweight and obese was because they just ate too much food. In reality, we know now that it’s not, it is not just that. Sure if you eat too much food and sure if you you know, don’t take, take care of yourself and you know, are, you know, make poor food choices, sure you’re going to have difficulties with your weight. But that is not the only thing that’s influencing the number on the scale.

Dawn (04:30):

So the seven ways weight loss is influenced after bariatric surgery is one, genetics, two, inflammation, three, oxidative stress, four methylation, five gut bacteria, six mindset, and seven stress. Some of these are going to be research driven, of course, and some of these are going to just be insights. The first one, the genetic connection to weight loss after bariatric surgery. What you have to understand is that there is considerable variability in your ability to lose weight to gain weight or to maintain a healthy weight as well as myself. We all have the genetics that influence our ability to to lose weight and how quickly we lose.

Dawn (05:36):

In fact, certain gene variations affect how you regulate energy or calories and making you more genetically prone to gain weight and to slow weight loss. So your genes can determine if how quickly you’re going to lose weight after bariatric surgery. So if you are one of those who get super frustrated with, Oh, I am not losing weight as quickly as someone else I was talking to, and I feel super frustrated by that, but again, it could be a genetic thing.

Personalize a bariatric diet for Weight loss after bariatric surgery

Dawn (06:06):

You couldn’t have done anything different. This is just your reality. So we’ll get to the mindset in a little bit, but this is why big picture wise is why following a standard bariatric diet, we may have to personalize it more. And that’s because our genetics are influencing how you’re losing the weight. Now, not only do your genes have the ability to influence how frequent and how much you need to eat to feel satisfied.

Dawn (06:40):

It can also influence the type of exercise and how long you need to move to experience the benefits. So all of that is a variable that each person is different. So, you know, just applying a generic protocol that you likely get from your bariatric team, which is awesome, cause you have to start somewhere. That is where working with someone to personalize it is super important. So work with a dietitian to personalize your diet, work with a trainer to personalize your exercise. But I will tell you the genetic piece of the exercise, you would need a genetic test to tell you that information.

Dawn (07:34):

 It’s not going to be obvious, so you will probably get a genetic plan from a trainer unless you understood your genetics with that. And that’s why I do the 3X4 genetics. Is because I feel like that if I’m struggling with someone, I have that as an opportunity to dig deeper if we’re stuck if, if we are trialing things and nothing is working with your food and movement and just your ability to maximize weight loss, you know, I will, I will encourage a genetic test. Just to dig in a little bit deeper for us to be more specific about your needs.

Your genes & DNA sequence influence weight loss after bariatric surgery

Dawn (08:12):

But here’s the good news. Your genes only load the gun and it’s your epigenetics that pull the trigger. Your epigenetics is really I guess to explain a little bit further. Epigenetics is just how your behaviors and your environment cause changes that affect your, the way that your genes work. Epigenetics don’t change the DNA sequence but they can change how your body reads the DNA sequence. So they, it has a way to influence how that is played out.

Dawn (09:02):

So if your genes have diabetes in your in your family history, then just because all of your siblings or maybe your parents or your, you know, aunts and uncles, if they all had diabetes. Doesn’t mean you have to get it too. It’s, again, it’s the things your behaviors. So your diet, your lifestyle, your way you move your body, the way you socialize with people. All of those things influence how your, your epigenetics, how your body is reading that DNA sequence.

Dawn (09:30):

So you can change it. You have the ability to shift those genetics, even if they’re really crummy ones. So, your genes can be influenced to improve weight loss. So weight loss after bariatric surgery. And even if you have you know, a really awful genetic background there are things that you can apply to really help you shift that. So some of these include quality sleep, just that, that alone is so powerful and just really getting a good night’s sleep, consistently.

Influencing of genes to lose weight slowly

Dawn (10:12):

Falling asleep and staying asleep. Your body needs that to, to heal, to restore, to you know, repair. All of that is necessary in the whole process of our cellular health. So if, if you’re only taking two and three hour naps throughout the night and waking up that’s going to be a problem. So finding out how to get good sleep is definitely helpful in influencing those genes.

Dawn (10:50):

Setting realistic goals and, and that comes in to play when we talk about maybe you do have those genetic SNPs to lose weight slowly. And no matter how perfect you are you can’t seem to make the scale move any faster, and that’s where you just have to step back and pause and really ask yourself. If I lose 10 pounds right now, what would be so much better in my life? You know, be being real with yourself in this goal setting process. And really maybe taking, taking it the focus off of the scale and off of numbers can really be life changing for people because you can get super frustrated and super emotional about goals but when you aren’t focused on, you know, the behaviors and you’re focused more on the numbers and shifting those you can easily be frustrated.

Dawn (11:56):

So definitely realistic goal setting. And then quality food, food is information. It is influencing your genes to turn on and turn off diseases, and I’ll show you more of that in a little bit. But your food matters. So if you think that you should just go to the store and just don’t even look at the back of the package, don’t even review the the, the ingredients that is mistake number one. The quality of your food is really going to determine how well your genetics are influenced. So if you are, you know, fueling your body off of food that has a bunch of ingredients that you can’t even pronounce or have absolutely no idea what they are, and guess what, likely your dietician probably doesn’t know them either, because I know when I was in college a lot of those food ingredients were not even around.

Quality food is super important for weight loss !

Dawn (13:01):

Some of those had not even been developed. So some of those ingredients I really have to dig in to find out what are they even doing for the food product. Why are they needed? Is it a binder, is it just a filler? Is what is it for? So quality food. So think shop the perimeter. Quality food is super important. And then the last one is mindful, intuitive eating. Just being present at a meal and enjoying it. Having that social aspect if you have a family or conversing with other people, you know at FaceTime or at a restaurant or on the phone are great ways to be connected. So we’re supposed to be connected, we’re supposed to socialize and have community. But that even includes during food. So our, our mindful and intuitive eating can come with people being involved.

Dawn (14:05):

And actually studies show that you do better when you are involved more in the community and more with people. So mindful and intuitive eating is really just being present and you are not just shoveling in the food to get it over with. You are actually smelling and tasting and rolling the food around in your mouth, and you are really just letting all of your senses kind of be present and arrive so that you can really experience the food. So those, those four things, there are great strategies to influence your genes in a very positive way.

Inflammations impact on weight loss after bariatric surgery 

Dawn (14:55):

That you can, these aren’t crazy things, these are pretty simple things that you can apply to your life. Let’s move on to inflammation. Inflammations influence on weight loss after bariatric surgery. We know that inflammation is protected by design and what the problem, where the problem lies, is it becomes destructive when it’s not monitored or realized.

Dawn (15:18):

Maybe you don’t know that you have inflammation until it turns into something bigger, to a bigger conditions. When it, when it’s unmonitored on a regular basis, then that’s when the chronic conditions arrive, like arthritis and eczema and IBS and autoimmune con conditions and diseases like obesity. Inflammation, we know that is a direct correlation that anybody who is obese has at least a low grade inflammation occurring.

Dawn (14:05):

But we do know that there is inflammation when it comes to obesity. There was a study published in 2016, the impact of bariatric surgery on inflammation quenching the fire of obesity and they report inflammation is known, a known complication of obesity that supports type two diabetes development. So if you have inflammation, you are likely going to eventually di develop type two diab diabetes. And inflammation causes the transition from obese and metabolically healthy to obese and metabolically unhealthy.

Metabolism and insulin resistance

Dawn (16:38):

So if you’re obese but your metabolism is still working efficiently and you don’t have insulin resistance or you know, you know, no issues with your blood glucose, your blood sugar once that inflammation arrives, then that’s when you are going to be metabolically unhealthy. What they do know in this study is that the failure of inflammation to, to resolve after bariatric surgery may blunt improvements in glycemia control. If the inflammation is not kind of the flame isn’t put out after bariatric surgery, then you may not have good glucose control.

Dawn (17:35):

So your blood sugars may not be in a balanced state. So think of, think of the patients that go in and they, they have bariatric surgery and they don’t need insulin any longer. And then there are some people who go in have bariatric surgery, but they still need insulin. So those are things that can shift that ability to manage that blood glucose. So if, you know, getting that inflammation under control is definitely important and important piece to managing that blood sugar, not only does inflammation impact your blood sugar, but it also impacts your gut bacteria, Genetic stress, oxidative stress all of those influence your inflammatory response and weight loss after bariatric surgery.

Dawn (18:46):

So, you know, paying attention to one can really help in other areas too for me, I like to focus on, you know, maybe one area at a time, get that in place and then we work on anything else that didn’t get corrected. You know, like if we do, if we really focus on your gut health, then guess what? Likely we are going to restore balance to your blood sugar and we’re going to lower inflammation. We might need to do a little more work. We’re also gonna lower oxidative stress when we work on your blood sugar or on your gut bacteria.

Unsaturated fats and polyphenols

Dawn (19:04):

So, so working on one helps the others as well. So it’s important to to know that just because you had bariatric surgery doesn’t mean there isn’t still work to do. You, you get great benefits, it’s just not permanent. And for some it’s doesn’t give a full rescue, a full remission, a full restoration of complete balance throughout your whole body. It does not do that. This is where your choices moving forward make that difference. So this is where, when it comes to weight loss, if you want to improve those outcomes there are a few things that you can, that you can do and apply in your life. So these are things like include whole foods that influence your inflammatory response. These are things like flavanoids and polyphenols. Think of plants and especially plants with lots of bright, dark, deep colors.

Dawn (20:12):

Those are your friends. You need like, you know, beets and cherries and you need dark leafy greens. Any of those, you know, bright orange peppers and squash. Those are all going to provide you different flavanoids or polyphenols. So plants with lots of colors are your friends. And that will think of those as dampening the flame, those will lower your inflammatory response. The next one is unsaturated fats. So this is where your Mediterranean oils come into play. So salmon, sardines, cold-pressed olive oil and avocado oil, those are your friends.

Dawn (21:02):

Those are the things that are going to help lower your inflammatory response. So making sure you include those regularly into your day. All throughout the day, not just at a meal once a week. You need, you know, if you are gonna have salmon once a week, awesome, but what are you gonna do the other six days of the week?

Prebiotic fibers and its benefits for weight loss after bariatric surgery

Dawn (21:24):

How are you gonna get in some unsaturated fats that can help lower your inflammatory response? And then next is prebiotic fibers. And these are things like garlic, onions, asparagus, artichokes, honey, wheat, rye, tomatoes, milk, all of those have prebiotic fibers that can help benefit and influence the your gut bacteria, also the short-chain fatty acids. All those things that can really help lower that inflammatory response. The more short-chain fatty acids, the lower the inflammation, and then beta-glucans, and this comes from whole grains and shiitake mushrooms.

Dawn (21:52):

So those, all of, you know, all of these listed here are ways that you can lower that inflammatory response that will influence weight loss after bariatric surgery. So in my eyes, I always like to think about how can I add, how can I, how can I lessen the impact by adding things, not by taking away.

Dawn (22:31):

So don’t, don’t think of food as, Oh, I can’t have this. No, I get to eat. Look at all of these things I do get to have. So those are the things that, you know, you have to look at throughout the day. Okay, how am I, how am I going to keep my inflammation low today? And those are the things where you just kind of say, Okay, I could have some you know, make a salad dressing with a cold pressed olive oil .

Dawn (23:00):

I could pour it over some quinoa that maybe have some chunks of chicken in it and then add some, you know, blueberries or something that ha has a bright red color like cherries or beets or something that would do it. And then with a side of some sauteed spinach or kale. So those things make a huge difference when it comes to your genetics and to inflammation. So make sure you are thinking about what can you add to your day, what can you add to your diet?

Oxidative stress and energy levels on weight loss after bariatric surgery

Dawn (23:34):

Okay, next is oxidative stress and weight loss after bariatric surgery. So oxidative stress is kind of the human equivalent of rusting. And that’s as simple as it can be. So it’s kind of like, you know, what’s happening on the inside is we’re creating rust. When we don’t, maybe we don’t recognize or we don’t realize what’s occurring. And it’s kind of the impact of all exposures over time results in damage to our cells.

Dawn (24:22):

So when we have unmanaged oxidation, it can impact energy levels, your memory, premature aging, and sometimes even your cancer risk. In a healthy functioning cell, enzymes that counteract oxidative damage, it acts kind of like a rust block. This helps protect.  it’s kind of like you’re protecting your body from rusting. you’re making sure that you’re, you’re maintaining all of those areas that could be impacted by rust.

Dawn (24:52):

The ability to make those enzymes is determined by certain genes. So your genetics play a role in your ability to manage oxidative stress that can influence your weight loss after bariatric surgery. So a study published in 2020 influence a bariatric surgery induced weight loss on oxidative DNA damage. Overall bariatric surgery induced significant reduction in excess body weight and improved patient’s health status, including reduced DNA strand breaks and slightly improved antioxidant status. But DNA oxidation damage stayed unaltered.

Dawn (25:42):

So really what it’s saying is it doesn’t fully repair the previous damage. Again, it’s going back to there’s still work to do.  Bariatric surgery does an awesome job with helping you lose weight. It really improves your weight loss efforts and allows you to be at a healthier weight. Awesome, right? That’s what that is what you were seeking. You want a better way to manage your weight.

Dawn (26:10):

So it’s, it’s providing this. Now it’s, it’s telling you that hey, there’s still work that needs to be done and it’s going to require lots of antioxidants to accomplish this. The best thing you can do to kind lower that oxidative burden. If you wanna maintain the health of your cells so you don’t rust on the inside. Is make sure your foods are full of antioxidants. And this is, again, think of how can I add to my food?

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant enzymes

Dawn (26:42):

How can I add these things to my daily food choices so that I’m automatically building in anti-inflammatory properties, I’m lowering that infl inflammation, I’m influencing those genetics that could turn on diabetes or turn it off. So if I don’t want diabetes anymore, guess what? These are the things you do. You lower that oxidative stress, you lower that inflammation, that is how you will turn off the diabetes.

Dawn (27:19):

So how do you do this? Increase antioxidant rich foods, dark leafy greens, olives, beets, berries. Think of colorful plants. And you’ll probably see a theme with all of these in how it influences and the choices. It’s always those colors. We need lots of colors. That’s why if you follow me on social media I will say eat the rainbow. And this is why, because it lowers your oxidative stress. It helps prevent you resting on the inside.

Dawn (28:09):

So if you want to help improve your odds with weight loss, these are the things that you do regularly. Not just occasionally. This isn’t like I do. I had, I had a salad once this week. That’s not going to cut it. How you are going to need cups and cups of vegetables every day. This is going to be a daily thing. So if you want to improve your chances of weight maintenance, th these are the things that you, that you add into your life.

Dawn (28:30):

The next thing is foods that supply cofactors for antioxidant enzymes. So think of things that ha that are rich and zinc, copper, selenium, and manganese. So those foods are the ones and those are like meats. And so like chicken and beef and then nuts and seeds and stuff have copper and selenium and zinc and manganese. All of those are going to be rich in those minerals. The next one is foods that dampen inflammation caused by oxidative stress damage. So this is where the polyphenols, omega three fatty acids. So again, you go back to those deep rich colors and green tea, and then also those fatty fish.

Omega-3 dampen inflammation

Dawn (29:29):

Those, those omega omega-3 oils are really helpful with dampening the inflammation. And then the last one is over exercising or training increases the potential for oxidative stress. So rest and recovery is important. So you can’t just go, go, go and never have rest days. I love it when patients really adopt and get into an exercise routine because that is fabulous. But don’t forget to take rest days because overexercise over exercising or over training can increase that oxidative stress. And that’s where, you know, people have side effects with health conditions.

Dawn (30:12):

Okay, the next one is methylation and weight loss after bariatric surgery. And methylation is just a biochemical process of making sure every cell is functioning optimally. And it’s not just responsible for how we repair genetic material, but it also in how we make energy, how we respond to stress, how we handle inflammation, how well our cells detoxify, and how our brain chemistries work.

Dawn (30:55):

So methylation is the process involved in actually turning genes on or off. You can see this is a pretty important process by all chemical process that occurs in every single human that is influencing your genes. To me, it seems crazy to ignore this since it’s so important and you have to look at it in through kind of like the lens of it’s more of an indirect influence. If you aren’t methylating properly, then guess what?

Hormone balance and DNA synthesis

Dawn (31:29):

You might be turning genes on or off unintentionally. And here’s the thing. So many people, more than 50% of the population have a genetic SNP called MTHFR. And the, I’m gonna use this as an example. There is an MTHFR 6 77 C – T, and this SNP alone impairs folate metabolism, that downstream impacts methylation detoxification, neurochemical balance, cardiovascular health, hormone balance and DNA synthesis. Then there’s another genetic SNP MTHFR 1298 also impairs folate metabolism, increasing the risk further. And guess what? Some of us carry both of these. Your homozygous is what it means when you carry both of these and you have the 6 77 and the 1298 of the MTHFR genetic SNPs. And guess what? When you have both of these SNPs, you’re

Dawn (32:38):

At an increased risk for depression. And how are you, how well are you going to manage your exercise cooking healthy and just managing all the necessary behaviors for long-term maintenance of weight loss after bariatric surgery if methylation is ignored? So, and that’s just one example of how methylation influences it. I mean, if you’re talking about the gene piece where it’s turning on or turning off genes,

Dawn (33:19):

if you have one of these SNPs and you can’t do it correctly, you’ve gotta support it and you can sort support that with your food, you can support the MTHFR with your food choices. And it comes down to, again, you’re going to, you’re going to see that it does come down to a lot of very similar things that influence our genes. So what are some things you can do to optimize methylation? Because there are things you can do with your diet and your lifestyle that can make a difference.

Foods and vitamins

Dawn (33:40):

One of them is supply adequate co-factors for the methylation enzymes by consuming the foods that are high in B-vitamins, choline, and magnesium. So what are those? Leafy greens, Cruciferous vegetables. So think of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale those are all crucifers. And then avocado is another that would be rich in the B’s, choline and magnesium. And then beans, eggs, nuts and seeds. All of those are going to provide B-vitamins, choline, and magnesium. A great way to support your methylation when you’re making food choices. So every meal you should be having some type of plant source with lots of colors. That’s the only way you’re going to accomplish it if you’re doing it every time you eat. And then the next one is provide food that acts as methyl donors. So the ones that provide methyl donors are wild caught fish, poultry, grassed meats, wild game.

Dawn (34:54):

So even like venison is a great option. Garbanzo beans and edamame. All of those provide methyl donors. So you could easily, you know, just have some wild caught, salmon or wild caught cod or do like a grass fed beef, ground beef, or even just adding edamame to a salad or to some quinoa will add extra protein as well as methyl donors. If you know, or you find out you know, some people, some physicians or some even psychiatrists will check the MTHFR genetic SNP. That will be just an easy test that they do. And to, to kind of validate if someone’s really suffering from depression why they might be, and this could be why. And that just tells them that, hey, you need pure forms of folate. You need pure forms of methyl B12 and b6 because those are all in that methylation pathway.

Dawn (36:04):

So doing these food choices will help provide that as well and put the odds in your favor. And then to prevent damage and address factors that may burden the methylation cycle. So things that can help protect you think of that, that it’s gonna protect you and not burden your detoxification system. So think of cruciferous veggies. Again, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, green and black tea, adequate fiber limit alcohol, fermented food to maximize the B vitamin absorption. All of those things can help you. You know, just having like a cup of green tea throughout the day or if you like black tea, just having that without adding a bunch of sugar and without adding a bunch of artificial sweeteners just genuinely enjoy the flavor of the tea. Okay, the next one is how gut bacteria impact weight loss after bariatric surgery.

Dawn (37:12):

Now, although many studies show your gut bacteria are connected to weight loss success after bariatric surgery, no one fully understands the how and the why. We think we have a good idea, but we, we, we know some things, but we don’t know all of it yet. But one study published in 2019 in the Journal of Obesity Surgery, the role of the gut microbiota in sustained weight loss following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

Gut bacteria diversity on weight loss after bariatric surgery

Dawn (37:49):

What they found was the results indicate that the gut microbiota are at least functionally if not compositionally different between the poor weight loss and the successful weight loss patients. We know that the gut bacteria play a role in how successful you are. Maintaining a healthy gut is super important. Another study published in the American Journal of Translational Research in 2019 titled Gut Microbiota Specific Signatures are related to the successful rate of bariatric surgery.

Dawn (38:19):

And what they found was successful patients have presented a, a more diverse core microbiome, what could represent a dysbiosis status of the other groups that were not as successful? So for some gut bacteria can seem like they have a mind of their own when it comes to weight loss after bariatric surgery too much is bad, too little is bad but in reality it’s just all about balance. So here’s the thing, no one of us have the same gut bacteria.

Dawn (38:49):

We, we’ve all had things that have influenced our gut bacteria diversity, just how many good bacteria, how many bad bacteria. We have too much in the wrong location. We’re all different. There are many things that can influence it. And these are things like antibiotics. How many rounds of antibiotics did you have as a child? Were you born vaginally or through a c-section that plays a role in your gut microbiome?

Healthiness of your gut bacteria for weight loss after bariatric surgery

Dawn (39:30):

What other medications have you taken like PPIs that really alter that? And then additional surgeries, stressful events, trauma, food choices, exercise, sleep. All of these factors determine the, the “healthiness” of your gut bacteria. So again, going into surgery, who knows where your gut bacteria is, If it’s not tested. If you haven’t done a stool test and understand where it is, you won’t know. So you might have to work harder than someone else to get that into balance because yours was way outta whack because of, you know, all the antibiotics you had to have as a kid. Who knows? But just know that none of us are alike in our gut bacteria, and that’s where you have to do your part to influence it positively and optimize that gut bacteria so that you can influence your weight in a great way.

Dawn (40:34):

So how can you do that? One, you could eat a diet high in fiber from multiple different plants and whole grains every single week. Some people recommend somewhere between 30 to 40 different plants every week. So that is a big challenge for bariatric patients. You guys really have to be intentional about your fiber. Another one is consume resistant starch foods. So like heated and chilled potatoes is a great resistant starch.

Dawn (41:14):

For an example. The next one is include polyphenols. And these are things like berries, green tea cocoa, dark chocolate, cherries, beets all of those with the, you know, the deep dark colors all provide some type of polyphenol. And then try to limit your antibiotic use and get off of proton pump inhibitors. Work, you know, with your surgeon and get approval whoever prescribed the ppi and work to get off of them because they are impacting your gut microbiome very… At a high level.

Dawn (41:49):

So something important to consider. The next one is, is your mindset influencing your weight loss after bariatric surgery? And this one is more of just an insight that I will share because, you know, our brains are super powerful and for some of us, it’s, it’s not just our brain, it’s just stubbornness. But in reality it’s, it’s easy to get stuck in old patterns of thinking. And weight loss surgery does not alter your brain.

Dawn (42:34):

And just because you’ve had bariatric surgery for weight loss doesn’t mean that your mindset is altered or fixed or in the best place it should be. That comes with work and sometimes it’s a lot of hard work. And you’re overcoming things that were in your past that influence your choices today. And it’s hard work, don’t get me wrong, but it’s meaningful work and important work. So when it comes to your mindset, how does this influence your long term success?

Dawn (43:07):

I’m going to use the example like before with the genetics. What if you were genetically designed to experience weight loss slowly after bariatric surgery? Will you be grateful for the weight loss? Or will you be frustrated at the pace? So don’t let your mindset spoil the process. Because I don’t know, as a dietitian, your surgeon doesn’t know your therapist. None of us know how quickly you’re going to lose.

Calories and proteins count

Dawn (43:34):

But if that ends up being you, if you end up really just being a slow loser, then you just have to think about, I have to set realistic goals for myself. Yes, I heard someone lost 30 pounds in the first month, but I lost 15. That’s where you have to pause and you have to, It’s you get to choose which way am I taking this thought? How is this mi.. Because this mindset is going to take you in a place where you either don’t wanna be or to a place where it’s positive.

Dawn (44:15):

So make sure that you only focus on the things that you can control. And while you’re doing all this hard work, while you’re shifting your mindset and learning to be resilient through all the tough, you know, decisions in situations that kind of unravel after bariatric surgery you’re learning how to live life in a different way. And to manage those events in experiences may be completely different than you’ve ever known to. So, and I will say I’ve counseled tens and thousands of bariatric patients over, you know, the 27 years. And I will say the, the people who were more resilient focused less on the numbers and more on the behaviors. Some of them really didn’t even weigh, they just did not get on the scale. They didn’t even necessarily long term, they didn’t count calories, they didn’t count protein.

Dawn (45:27):

Now they might do it for a phase. They might say, Okay I need to make sure I’m hitting my, you know, 75 grams of protein a day, or what, you know, maybe it’s 90 grams. Whatever your dietitian has determine. You know, they fi they figure out what that looks like on their plate every day and then they don’t need to count anymore. So it, it becomes less about the numbers and more about the experience and the behaviors and just how, how do I weave all this stuff in that my body needs after bariatric surgery. So a resilient mindset is really the best strategy and it will prepare you for wherever your journey takes you. And that is something that you personally will have to figure out. A resilient mindset is really the best strategy you want to prepare for wherever your journey takes you.

Dawn (46:27):

So how can you shift your mindset? Let’s discuss, hang around people who stretch you. So get uncomfortable, Get around other bariatric patients and stretch yourself. That’s where you’re going to get the right mindset and the right thoughts to be able to keep the weight, to have weight loss after bariatric surgery and maintain it. The next one is consider what you’re grateful for. No matter how difficult it is for your journey and.. Cause you will go through stuff some people it will seem like it just melts off, but they really work hard. They have their own things that they’re working on. So you really just have to be intentional about.. Notice, noticing the things you are grateful for, noticing the things that have changed and that are positive. And then the next one is challenge yourself to do something new.

Stress and weight loss after bariatric surgery

Dawn (47:38):

Have an experimental attitude. Just really being willing to try different foods, to try different workouts, to go to a gym to go out with new friends. To try a new outfit on. It’s just that shifting that mindset can really help protect and set you up for success, for maintenance of that weight loss after bariatric surgery. And then don’t be afraid to fail. In fact, fail faster. The, the more mistakes you make, the better. And just get good at apologizing and saying you know, thanks for believing in me. I’m working hard at making changes and I’ll try to do better next time. So don’t be afraid to, to mess up because it’s just part of the journey and it, it will impact your ability to successfully lose weight and keep it off. The last one is stress. So stress and weight loss after bariatric surgery.

Dawn (48:50):

Now this one is, you know, although most would associate the correlation of stress and weight loss after bariatric surgery to poor food choices or just a, an out of balance life stress does go way deeper. In fact I would say out of all seven listed I would say stressful events probably have one of the most powerful impacts. It’s kind of like stress can place a timestamp on your nervous system. And, and if you drew a timeline of your health history and you just started documenting all the things that has happened in your health over the course of your life, you would likely find stressful events that occur previous to the health condition. So stress shifts so many things in your biology. For example, one stressful event can shift gut bacteria, blood sugar balance inflammation, sleep hormones, almost instantaneously it seems.

Dawn (50:06):

So weight loss gets woven into kind of this whole cascade of events that unravel with stress. And to go a little bit further, when you’re stressed, your body kind of prepares itself by ensuring that you have enough sugar or energy readily available. So your insulin levels fall, your glucagon and epinephrine, which is kinda like your adrenaline levels, they rise and more glucose is released from the liver. So it’s getting ready for battle. It feels like it’s in it that fight or flight mode when that cortisol level rises because you are either being chased by a bear or a tiger and you need fuel. So that just puts more sugar into your bloodstream. And so now you have your body has to manage it when you’re not going to be taking off running from a bear. So that’s kind of the difference.

Gut bacteria and hormones impact on weight loss after bariatric surgery

Dawn (51:12):

You know, our brain doesn’t know it that there isn’t a bear. Our brain doesn’t know that we’re just stressed about getting to work on time. And we’re stressed at the coworkers that we work with and that we don’t enjoy our job. Those, our brain does not know that. It thinks it’s being chased by a bear. So it continuously releases that glucose so that you can maintain the fuel to get away. And so that stressful of one stressful event can just really shift that blood sugar.

Dawn (51:52):

A study published in 2020 found that stress can reshape the gut bacteria’s composition through stress hormones, inflammation and autonomic alterations. And in turn, the gut bacteria release metabolites, toxins and neurohormones that can alter eating behavior and mood. In fact, some of the bacterial species may even encourage dysregulated eating. So again, we can’t control the stress that we are given, but we can control how we react to it.

Dawn (52:29):

Yes, we can recognize our nervous system is out of balance. We can recognize I’m stressed. I’m in fight or flight, so I need to do something about this. So what are some of the things that would help with fight or flight? These are things like meditations, going and sitting in nature. Just even sitting on a park bench or sitting outside in your backyard among the tr amongst the trees or just petting your animal, putting your animal on your lap and petting them is another way to lower your stress response. Going for a slow nature walk. Not like a a fast hike or a brisk walk. You, you’re like intentionally walking through nature and looking at the trees. You’re stopping, you’re you know, enjoying, you’re smelling all the things in the air. You’re listening to the birds that can lower your stress response.

Conclusion

Dawn (53:31):

You can also sing your favorite song. So you know, if you feel like I’m in fight or flight on the way home, crank up the music and belt out your favorite tune. That is an easy way to lower that stress before you get home. If you were unable or if it came back before you ended your workday. That is a great way to get your mindset right before you get home so that you’re prepared to care for yourself and care, you know, be prepared to do the additional things that are necessary for self-care.

Dawn (54:22):

Which is exercise and making good food choices and cooking those meals at home and inviting that neighbor over or taking your neighbor some food. All those things translate into your long-term success with weight loss after bariatric surgery. So I know I’ve covered a lot of things and rambled at times, but I hope you can see that these seven ways really can influence weight loss after bariatric surgery.

Dawn (54:44):

And who cares if your ancestors and your parents and everyone before you gave you awful genetics for weight. And making and that alone is making it difficult for you to.. For weight loss after bariatric surgery. Again, shift that mindset, shift those goals, focus on the things that matter by lowering that inflammatory response, lowering that oxidative stress, optimizing that methylation and optimizing your gut bacteria. All those things can really influence how well your, you will succeed with weight loss after bariatric surgery. So I really hope this has helped and I hope you ha can take away at least one thing that you can apply to your daily life. So have a great week. We’ll see you next time. Bye-Bye.
Your future health awaits…