Whether you’re 6 months or 6 years post-op, weight regain can sneak up on you fast—and it’s not because you’re lazy or undisciplined.

We work with bariatric patients every day—especially those coming through systems like Kaiser Permanente—who were never given the full roadmap to long-term success. Instead, they were left to figure it out on their own once the scale stopped moving.

If you’ve regained some (or a lot) of weight after surgery, here are the 3 biggest traps we see again and again.

1. The “I Can Eat Anything” Lie

In the first 12 to 18 months post-op, you might feel invincible.

You lose weight even if you're eating sliders, sweets, or skipping meals. You think, “I’m still dropping pounds, so it must be working!” That’s what we call the halo effect—your body is still adjusting, and the restriction is doing the heavy lifting.

But that invisibility shield fades.

Eventually, your metabolism slows, your restriction loosens, and your old habits catch up—fast. And if you never learned why you gained weight in the first place, the regain feels confusing and defeating.

This is why we teach our clients at The Rewrite Lifestyle to shift their focus from just weight loss to food quality, habit-building, and long-term resilience.

2. Grazing All Day Without Tracking

Grazing is one of the fastest ways to undo your hard-earned progress.

You’re snacking on your kids’ Goldfish crackers, grabbing bites in the break room, and sipping sugary drinks between meals—and none of it is being logged.

We’ve seen patients unknowingly eat 1,200 to 3,000 extra calories a day just from untracked grazing.

Research backs this up: post-op grazing is a major driver of weight regain. And for many patients, this behavior never got addressed before or after surgery.

The solution? Intentional eating and simple tracking tools. Our coaching programs help you recognize these patterns and replace them with habits that support—not sabotage—your goals.

3. You’re Still an Emotional Eater

Surgery changes your stomach—not your story.

If you used food to cope with stress, trauma, anxiety, or loneliness before surgery, it doesn’t magically disappear afterward. It just looks different. Now it’s grazing, mindless snacking, or chasing that “full” feeling all day.

We see this often in our clients:
They start strong, then slip into small, frequent meals—often soft, sweet, or slider foods that go down easy and keep the dopamine flowing. But these foods don’t keep you full, and they reinforce the same emotional eating loops that led to weight gain before.

Learn how we help emotional eaters reset their relationship with food.

💥 If Any of This Sounds Like You, You’re Not Alone

You’re not broken—and you don’t need another diet. What you need is a real post-op strategy and a community that knows exactly what you’re going through.

That’s what we do at The Rewrite. We coach people who’ve regained their weight to finally build the lifestyle they never had—one that supports the weight loss they fought so hard for.

Join our free Bariatric Rewrite Private Group or Bariatric Rewrite UK on Facebook to connect with others who get it. And for professional guidance, join us this Sunday, June 29th for a free bariatric regain workshop. Register here.

And for additional resources on bariatric surgery and recovery, visit asmbs.org/bariatric-rewrite.

Are You Struggling with Food Addiction? Take the First Step Today!

If cravings, binge eating, or emotional eating are holding you back, you’re not alone. Food addiction can impact long-term weight loss, especially after bariatric surgery (gastric sleeve, bypass surgery).

At The Rewrite Lifestyle Center, we help you break free from stress eating and build a sustainable, healthy relationship with food.

✅ Discover if you're facing food addiction and get expert guidance on bariatric nutrition, meal plans, and support from Shenelle Coplien and the Bariatric Rewrite team. Your journey to lasting weight loss starts here!
👉 Take the Food Addiction Quiz Now!
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