Let me know what you thought of this episode! Transfer addiction is a condition where you transfer or switch the psychological behaviour of coping with stress from one to another. In most cases, people after bariatric surgery (~25-30%) may transfer emotional eating to alcoholism; gambling; drug use; increased cigarette use and other damaging habits. This comes with a cost to your physical, mental and emotional health. Today we are discussing what is transfer addiction, signs that you might be ex...
Apr 23, 2023•11 min•Ep. 27
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Weight loss surgery can be challenging in terms of the massive lifestyle adjustment, but we are all vying for a specific weight or target weight. Your surgery team or you may have set this goal, but what do you do after you’ve achieved the goal? Today we will discuss what to focus on after you have hit your ‘goal weight’ after weight loss surgery. I discuss the three main areas to focus on to reduce the risk of weight regain and give you some guidanc...
Apr 16, 2023•14 min•Ep. 26
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Success after weight loss surgery is classed by some as the number on the scale. But, weight loss surgery provides so many more benefits and non-scale victories beyond the number on the scale. In today’s conversation, we are going to go through some non-scale victories that you might like to focus on instead of the scales after your weight loss surgery. We do know that just focusing on the scales can make you feel like you’re not doing enough or you ...
Apr 09, 2023•11 min•Ep. 25
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Calcium is an important mineral for every single bariatric patient. Calcium builds and maintains the bone matrix and is very important in preventing osteoporosis. The average calcium supplement provides 600 mg per day, however this is most likely not what you’re achieving through your diet. In this episode, I go through: Why calcium is important Where you can find it in food How much bariatric patients need daily How to know if your bones are healthy...
Apr 02, 2023•10 min•Ep. 24
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Hair loss is a common complication after weight loss surgery. It tends to peak at three to six months post-op. Often induced by the actual stress of the surgery coupled with inadequate protein intake and vitamin intake. In this episode, I go through why hair loss occurs, how to manage it nutritionally and ways to encourage the hair to grow back. I’ve put together a handy protein counter to help you reach the recommended minimum 80g protein for female...
Mar 26, 2023•16 min•Ep. 23
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Fasting has several health benefits and has been popularised in recent times. There are many variations of fasting such as the 16:8 fast or the 5:2 diet. In the context of religion, there are several variations of fasting of religious nature. One of the longer fasts is the month of Ramadan in Islam. I’ve put together a handy factsheet to summarise the points and meal suggestions today. Click here to access it . You can connect with me in these places...
Mar 19, 2023•11 min•Ep. 22
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Sleep is absolutely essential to human life. Talk to any night shift worker or sleep deprived new mum. Sleep is critical for the body functioning; better mental health; better clarity and decision making and importantly, improving your food choices. The recommendation for adults is 7-9 hours per night. Are you achieving this? In today’s episode we go through why sleep is important and how it can make a difference in reversing weight regain. I also pr...
Mar 12, 2023•13 min•Ep. 21
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Drinking water after weight loss surgery is a difficult task. There are so many ‘rules’ and things to focus on after bariatric surgery, we often find that water tends to fall by the wayside. In this episode I walk you through why water is key after weight loss surgery and how it can prevent weight regain; why does water feel “heavy” post-op, and strategies to make it easier for you. As always, this is general advice only and you should seek our furth...
Mar 05, 2023•17 min•Ep. 20
Let me know what you thought of this episode! This month I have dedicated two episodes to gut health. It is an under researched area especially in the lens of those who have had weight loss surgery. There are many ways to decrease the detrimental bacteria and increase the diversity and population of the positive bacteria. Today, I will take the best strategies and break them down for you in this episode. You’ll learn easy ways to make sure you have regular bowel movements, improve the health of ...
Feb 26, 2023•12 min•Ep. 19
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Are you travelling or planning to travel in the upcoming holidays? They seem a fair way away, but it is always good to think ahead. This episode was inspired by one of my long-term clients that is travelling with friends and family that have had weight loss surgery. Travelling after weight loss surgery is challenging enough, however throw in some difficult conversations about weight, goal weights and expectations of each other with the surgery, you h...
Feb 19, 2023•25 min•Ep. 18
Let me know what you thought of this episode! February is Gut Health Month. This month I am focusing on your gut health after weight loss surgery. There is some literature around gut health and bariatric surgery, however more research is needed. In this episode, I speak about a subgroup of nutrients called flavonoids. Flavio-what? You ask? Bear with me. These groups of nutrients are so potent in their ability to be anti inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-aging. Sounds good right? Weight loss sur...
Feb 12, 2023•10 min•Ep. 17
Let me know what you thought of this episode! February is Gut Health Month. This month I am focusing on your gut health after weight loss surgery. There is some literature around gut health and bariatric surgery, however more research is needed. In this episode, I explain the basics of your gut. There is over 95 trillion species of bacteria in the gut from the mouth all the way through to the anus. Gut diversity has a strong influence on health and risk of disease. Struggling with obesity may me...
Feb 05, 2023•11 min•Ep. 16
Let me know what you thought of this episode! In this episode of the Reverse the Post-Op Regain Podcast, I discuss the importance of consistency in achieving health and wellness goals after weight loss surgery. I explain that consistency is key to building momentum and making sustainable changes after weight loss surgery to achieve any goal. I go through strategies for developing consistency, such as starting small, focusing on self-discipline rather than motivation, holding oneself accountable,...
Jan 29, 2023•13 min•Ep. 15
Let me know what you thought of this episode! “What do I wish I knew before having my weight loss surgery?” “How do I prepare for my upcoming weight loss surgery?” “How can I make my bariatric surgery successful?” If you have either had weight loss surgery and have been asked this by others, or, are contemplating weight loss surgery, these questions are answered in this episode. I pull together several aspects of bariatric surgery and the entire multidisciplinary team that is recommended to help...
Jan 22, 2023•17 min•Ep. 14
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Are you confused about how to take control of your health after weight loss surgery? Monitoring your weight and diet is only one aspect but bariatric surgery can affect every single body process because what you eat is what you become. Don’t forget to take some time to look after your body and monitor your health before something goes drastically awry. Think of it like taking your car to the mechanic. You don’t want to end up at the mechanic for the ...
Jan 15, 2023•15 min•Ep. 13
Let me know what you thought of this episode! It’s that time of year again where we look at the new year with shiny stars in our eyes. The world is at our doorstep, particularly while we are on holidays and dreaming up how we are going to be, change, do this year. How about, instead of all the wishy washy goals you may have set in the past, let’s take action and set you up for success this 2023? Our conversation today goes through a reflection process through the previous 12 months, and where yo...
Jan 08, 2023•11 min•Ep. 12
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Put Down the Next Fad Diet and What to Do Instead Happy New Year! It’s the New Year. And here comes the onslaught of diet culture advising us on what we should and shouldn’t eat for our “best body ever”. We know, yo-yo dieting decreases your metabolism by decreasing your muscle mass, and increases your weight over the long term. Bariatric surgery or weight loss surgery is the best tool we have to manage obesity. However, you are not immune from being...
Jan 01, 2023•17 min•Ep. 11
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Reinventing the Holiday Food - What to do with the leftovers? So, Christmas and our big family gatherings might be done and dusted for another year. So, what do you do with the leftovers? In this episode we will discuss some ideas on transforming those leftovers into new dishes you’d actually enjoy. This episode is short and sweet, providing you with recipes to reinvent the holiday leftovers. Have a look at some of the recipes I have collated in a co...
Dec 25, 2022•6 min•Ep. 10
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Planning the Christmas Day Menu After Weight Loss Surgery We are on the home stretch into the biggest family gathering of the year. This episode is short and sweet, providing you with ideas on how to make your usual Christmas recipes more “bariatric” friendly. Meaning that they are higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. To help you out, and possibly create some new recipe traditions in your family, I have collated a complimentary recipe book t...
Dec 18, 2022•8 min•Ep. 9
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Mindfulness often feels like a “fad” or a “should do” or a “nice to do”. However, amongst our busy lives, we are often living on autopilot and not really taking stock of what we are doing and where we are going. We often just end up getting “there” then wondering where the last decade went. Mindfulness can help you make considered choices and help you on your journey after weight loss surgery. It helps you be more aware of your dietary choices, reduc...
Dec 11, 2022•15 min•Ep. 8
Let me know what you thought of this episode! If you are planning on changing your diet or lifestyle, holiday seasons tend to be the most difficult times to start this. My approach is that all foods are “allowed” and there are no “bad foods”. It sets you up for a more sustainable lifestyle, and allows you to have a life where you are not guilty or concerned about each morsel of food you have. This episode is to help you gear up for the upcoming Holiday Season to banish guilt with these seasonal ...
Dec 04, 2022•12 min•Ep. 7
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Obesity is the most challenging condition to manage as there is no cure. Bariatric or weight loss surgery is not even a cure, however it is the best strategy we have to alter the metabolism to challenge the body to reach a lower body weight. Many of my patients have struggled with weight loss for most of their life. Even starting when they are as young as 10 years old. Starting off the dieting cycle like this, means that you need to get off this hams...
Nov 27, 2022•21 min•Ep. 6
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Our conversation today provides guidance and strategies on how to get started with reversing the post-op weight regain. If you’ve had bariatric or weight loss surgery and have experienced weight gain or a long-term stall, this is for you. We discuss my top four strategies to get started with: Identify what the main issue is by keeping a food diary Work out what you’re eating and if you are not eating enough Discuss the importance of keeping fluids aw...
Nov 20, 2022•14 min•Ep. 5
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Today, we will be breaking down the last of the four pillars of weight regain. To refresh your memory, they are: Structural Physiological Psychological Behavioural In this episode, we will focus on the behavioural or lifestyle aspects that may contribute to weight regain. In this conversation, we discuss the lifestyle or behavioural causes for weight regain after weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery. There is a large group of these lifestyle fact...
Nov 13, 2022•10 min•Ep. 4
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Today, we will be breaking down the third of the four pillars of weight regain. To refresh your memory, they are: Structural Physiological Psychological Behavioural In this episode we will focus on the psychological aspects that may contribute to weight regain. In this conversation, we discuss the psychological reasons for weight regain after weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery. There are many mental health contributing factors that can affect y...
Nov 08, 2022•11 min•Ep. 3
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Today, we will be breaking down the second of the four pillars of weight regain. To refresh your memory, they are: Structural Physiological or Biological Psychological Behavioural In this episode we will focus on the physiological or biological aspects that can contribute to weight regain. In this conversation, we discuss the physiological reasons for weight regain after weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery. There are many physiological reasons a...
Nov 07, 2022•8 min•Ep. 2
Let me know what you thought of this episode! In our first episode, we will be breaking down the four pillars of weight regain. They are: Structural Physiological Psychological Behavioural In this episode we will focus on the structural aspects that can contribute to weight regain. A lot of the time, we place blame on ourselves for “failing the surgery” or “not meeting the expectations set by my surgeon”. I want this four part series to highlight the number of reasons that can contribute to weig...
Nov 07, 2022•10 min•Ep. 1
Let me know what you thought of this episode! Welcome to the Reverse the Post-Op Regain podcast. I’m your host Suraya Nikwan, a bariatric or weight loss surgery specialist dietitian. I help individuals that have experienced weight regain so that they can live without dieting. My team helps, guides, educates and supports people that have regained weight after bariatric surgery to live a nourished life. We do this through our one-to-one consultations, group programs, support groups and online cour...
Nov 06, 2022•3 min
