So I also had issues with gaining weight after surgery and finally turned it around. It is much much harder to lose weight after surgery but can be done. This is partly because healthy fats actually help manage weight and you can not process them as well.
Many people are posting on calorie counting as a way to lose weight and this does not work. It works short term only. Your base metabolic rate is flexible so slight variations in calories just cause your metabolism to slow - which is why calorie restriction cause yo-yo effect. There multiple multiple studies on this now (Calorie restriction diet being ineffective). It hasn't fully made it into the mainstream but the research is there if you start looking.
Prior to the gallbladder surgery, I went for years gaining weight out of control until I was over 360 pounds - no amount of calorie restriction or exercise worked. I would lose weight short term and then always gain back more. This effect is well documented in many studies and a good book on this Dr. Jason Fung's book "The Obesity Code." There is never a reuinion episode of the Biggest Loser TV because everyone on it using calorie restriction and exercise only gained everything back. Just Google this.
Finding hormone changing diets and fasting changed my life. These are Ketogenic (Keto) Diets, Whole 30 (which was a lifesaver) and fasting (both intermittent and full fasting). I lost 90 lbs in a little over a year and it stayed off until my surgery. The rapid weight loss is likely what induced the gallbladder problems as it well-known complication of rapid weight loss, especially in bariatric surgery patients.
After losing weight I needed surgery during which time I had multiple hospital stays where the doctors put me on high sugar and high carb diets which basically ruined all the work I did in resetting my metabolism. After the surgery, I started gaining weight on the same mostly paleo diet I was losing weight on previously.
Going back to basics of a Whole 30 diet, alternating with Keto and fasting finally halted the weight gain and I started losing. But it is far far more difficult and harder than before. I have to be more strict but I have slowly seen results. I lost the weight I gained after the surgery, and I am still losing but it is difficult.
Basically eliminate all processed sugar and sugar substitutes.
Cook as much as you can for yourself and eat whole foods with as little processing as possible.
Time restrict your eating to a 12 hr window or less.
A high fat - low carb diet is good. Fats cause you to lose weight if they are not mixed with processed sugar and carbs (like say in a donut).
Read up on full fasting for weight loss - this seems extreme if you never tried but often easier than calorie-restricted diets (which never work) once you get over the psychological barrier. And weight loss is amazing and stays off.
Exercise does help but not as much as diet - however, exercise also makes you feel good.
Best of Luck in getting back on track
Fitbit Product Experts Alumni are retired members of the Fitbit Product Expert Program. Learn more
Best Answer
