Long-lasting weight loss depends on more than just a good surgery. It depends on a healthy lifestyle.
Your life will be different after weight loss surgery, and not just because you’ll lose weight. You’ll also need to make big changes to your lifestyle including what you eat, how you eat, and how much.
You’ll need to make a serious, lifelong commitment to your health if you want to succeed with weight loss. That’s why the Oliak Center for Weight Loss strongly emphasizes patient education, follow-up, and motivational support. We provide frequent follow-up early after surgery (during the first year) and then ongoing long-term follow-up (after 1 year).
Remember, it will be different this time! A quality weight loss operation will lower your body weight set point so it’s easier to make these lifestyle changes. And with Dr. Oliak by your side, you will succeed if you stick to the Oliak Center for Weight Loss’s support program.*
*Individual patient results vary.
Weight loss surgery is only the beginning of successful weight loss
The immediate effects of surgery are drastic. Every single day, you’ll see the number on your scale go down. If you’re like most of our patients, you’ll be thrilled! Because you’re losing weight so effortlessly, you might think you can wait to establish good eating habits.
This is a mistake. Why?
Weight loss surgery works in part by physically preventing you from eating too much food. But over time, that will change. Your body will adjust to the surgery and you’ll be able to eat more. The gastric sleeve will expand. The bypass pouch gets better at moving food through it. And the more you can eat, the easier it becomes to consume too many calories. Over time this leads to weight regain.
That’s why it’s so important to establish healthy eating and exercise habits immediately after surgery. (This is the perfect time to do it because you won’t be able to eat a lot during this time.) Even from the very beginning, being off track will put you on the wrong weight-loss trajectory and ultimately you’ll jeopardize your ability to reach your long-term goal weight.
An important part of our aftercare program is frequent early follow-up. This helps patients establish the right habits for the long term and stay on track to reach their weight loss goals.