Weight Regain and Guilt
Losing weight feels amazing. Whether you lose weight through diet and exercise, medication, or surgery, seeing those numbers drop on the scale brings real joy. But then something frustrating happens. The weight starts coming back. When this happens, many people blame themselves completely. Others feel like it's totally out of their control. The truth is somewhere in between.
Here's a likely explanation of what is happening when you lose weight. Your body thinks something is wrong.
Your brain, stomach, and hormones start sending urgent messages to stop the weight loss. Your metabolism slows down how fast it burns calories. At the level of the brain and intestines there is a stronger signal the says “I am hungry. Many of my patients tell me the same thing when they lost weight, they feel like "I'm hungry all the time." They remember how good it felt when the hunger went away after starting medication or having surgery. But when they stop the medication or a few years after bariatric surgery, the hunger signals come roaring back and it becomes really hard to keep the weight off.
This is why so many people regain weight after losing it. It's not because you're weak or lazy. Your body is actually fighting against the weight loss. This happens to most people who lose weight, no matter how they lost it. Research shows that people who stick with healthy eating and regular exercise do better at keeping weight off. But even dedicated people who follow their doctor's advice often struggle because their body keeps pushing them to regain weight.
Separate from the medication or surgery, lifestyle matters too. If you've lost weight and suddenly feel hungry all the time, talk to a weight loss specialist. Don't wait until you've regained most of the lost weight. If you haven't made lifestyle or dietary changes yet, consider working with a behavior specialist. They can help you build habits that last.
Remember this, trying to get healthier deserves respect, not blame. Blaming yourself is a natural response but it doesn’t have to define your weight loss journey. Weight regain is complicated. Understanding why it happens is the first step to dealing with it successfully.
Stay Healthy Stay Strong
Dr. Leon Katz
This article is for educational purposes. Please talk to your healthcare provider to see if this information applies to you.
Sources:
What About My Weight? Insufficient Weight Loss or Weight Regain
After Bariatric Metabolic Surgery. Hamidreza Zefreh et al.
https://doi.org/10.5812/ijem-136329
Semaglutide 2.4 mg for the Treatment of Obesity:Key Elements of the STEP Trials 1 to 5. Robert F. Kushner et al. Obesity | VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 6 | JUNE 2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7318657/pdf/OBY-28-1050.pdf
Long-term weight loss maintenance for obesity: a multidisciplinary approach. Luca Montesi1 et al. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy 2016:9 37–46
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4777230/pdf/dmso-9-037.pdf
