Bariatric surgery requires you to make lifestyle changes that include your eating habits and complying with an exercise program. 

Today's bariatric surgery is more effective than ever.  Consider these facts:

• Bariatric surgery succeeds in 75 percent of cases
• Dramatic weight loss begins immediately after the procedure and levels off in 18 to 24 months
• The average patient loses between 50 percent and 75 percent of his/her excess weight and keeps it off

Yes, 75 percent of bariatric surgery patients succeed.  But on the flip side, that means that 25% of them fail. Why?  Because bariatric surgery isn't a "be-all, end-all" solution.  The surgery is only part of the solution.  It simply makes it physically easier to adjust eating habits because a feeling of fullness is achieved with small quantities of food.  Long term success requires that patients make a commitment to lifelong changes in diet and exercise.  Patients who fail either never reach their target weight or they regain weight by continuing a sedentary lifestyle, eating high-calorie foods, eating too frequently and, over time, increasing the quantity they eat and stretching the stomach pouch far beyond its post-surgery size.

One major indicator for long term success with post surgical weight loss is a person's willingness to modify their dietary and exercise habits prior to surgery.  That's why many surgeons require patients who are not at an acutely dangerous stage of morbid obesity to undertake a pre-surgery program of behavior modification.  These programs usually include both medical and emotional counseling. Doctors view a patient's compliance during this period as a strong statement that he or she is really committed to a healthier lifestyle.

The long term regimen after surgery generally includes:

• Five to six small meals a day totaling up to a 1200- to 1500-calorie low-fat, low-sugar diet.
• Avoidance of certain foods.  Some people will not be able to eat red meats, non-toasted bread, fruits with peels on them, or some raw vegetables after bariatric surgery. Many patients won't ever be able to tolerate sweets again because they get Dumping Syndrome.   
• Daily vitamin and mineral supplements. Bypass patients don't just eat less – they absorb less of what they eat. As a result most patients require daily vitamins for the rest of their lives.
• Daily exercise.
• Frequent follow up medical visits.  Patients will need to stay in touch with their family physicians and a dietician in order to check periodically for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, weight regain, and inadequate nutrition.