You're Not Alone in Your Post-Surgery Journey
If you're struggling to reach your weight-loss goals after bariatric surgery, know that you're in the right place. With over 20 years of experience helping women just like you, I understand the unique challenges you're facing—and I'm here to help you break through them.
Schedule a Consultation
Your Story Matters
The Reality Behind Post-Surgery Struggles
Bariatric surgery was supposed to be the solution—the fresh start you'd been waiting for. You followed your surgeon's instructions, showed up to appointments, and believed this would finally be different. But somewhere along the way, things didn't go as planned.
Maybe the weight loss stalled sooner than expected. Perhaps you're experiencing uncomfortable symptoms like dumping syndrome, constant nausea, or food intolerances that make eating feel like a minefield. Or maybe old eating patterns have crept back in, leaving you feeling defeated and wondering if you've somehow "failed" at surgery.
Here's what I want you to know: You haven't failed. The surgery hasn't failed. You're simply navigating an incredibly complex journey that requires more support than most people realize.
After two decades of working exclusively with post-bariatric patients, I've seen every challenge imaginable—and I've helped hundreds of women overcome them. The struggles you're experiencing aren't character flaws or lack of willpower. They're predictable obstacles that respond beautifully to the right nutritional strategies, emotional support, and practical guidance.
Why Traditional Advice Often Falls Short
You've probably received plenty of generic post-surgery advice: "Eat protein first." "Take your vitamins." "Avoid sugar." While these guidelines have merit, they're just the starting point—not the complete solution.
One-Size-Fits-All Meal Plans
Generic plans don't account for your unique food tolerances, taste changes, lifestyle demands, or cultural food preferences. What works for another patient may make you miserable or sick.
Inadequate Follow-Up Care
Many surgical programs provide excellent initial support but taper off after the first year—right when many patients need help most. Long-term success requires ongoing guidance and adjustment.
Ignoring Emotional Factors
Surgery changes your stomach, not your relationship with food. Without addressing emotional eating, stress management, and the psychological aspects of weight loss, physical changes alone often aren't enough.
Missing the Metabolic Picture
Your metabolism changes significantly after surgery. Standard nutrition advice doesn't account for altered absorption, hormonal shifts, or the metabolic adaptations that occur during rapid weight loss.
Common Challenges I Help Patients Overcome
Through years of specialized practice, I've identified the most common roadblocks that prevent post-bariatric patients from reaching their goals. Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward overcoming them.
Weight Loss Plateaus
Your body has stalled despite following the rules. We'll identify the metabolic factors at play and adjust your nutrition to restart progress.
Persistent Nausea & Food Intolerances
Many foods that once brought comfort now cause distress. I'll help you identify triggers and build a sustainable eating pattern you can actually enjoy.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Even with supplements, many patients develop deficiencies that cause fatigue, hair loss, and other concerns. Proper testing and targeted intervention make all the difference.
Regaining Old Habits
Grazing, emotional eating, or reliance on slider foods can return. We'll address the root causes and develop healthier coping mechanisms together.
Understanding Weight Regain: You're Not Broken
Weight regain after bariatric surgery is one of the most distressing experiences my patients face. The shame, frustration, and fear that accompany seeing the scale climb can be overwhelming. But here's what you need to understand: weight regain is common, predictable, and—most importantly—reversible with the right approach.
Research shows that many bariatric patients regain 15-25% of their lost weight within two to five years after surgery. This isn't because you've done something wrong or lack discipline. Your body is responding to biological factors: metabolic adaptation, hormonal changes, stretched stomach capacity, and alterations in hunger hormones.
The solution isn't stricter willpower or punishment. It's understanding what's happening in your body and implementing strategic nutritional and behavioral interventions that work with your physiology, not against it.
The Protein Puzzle: Getting It Right Post-Surgery
You've heard it a thousand times: "Protein first." But how much protein, what kind, and when makes an enormous difference in your results. Many patients struggle to meet their protein needs, leading to muscle loss, slowed metabolism, constant hunger, and stalled weight loss.
Your Protein Target
Most post-bariatric patients need 60-80 grams daily, but your specific target depends on your surgery type, current weight, activity level, and goals. Too little slows metabolism; too much in one sitting can cause discomfort.
Timing Matters
Spacing protein throughout the day (20-25 grams per meal) helps with absorption and keeps hunger at bay. Your post-surgery stomach can only handle so much at once.
Source Diversity
Rotating between animal proteins, dairy, and plant-based options prevents monotony and ensures you're getting a complete amino acid profile. Finding sources you tolerate well is crucial.
I help patients develop personalized protein strategies that fit their tolerance, preferences, and lifestyle—not just generic recommendations that leave you struggling to comply.
Dumping Syndrome: Prevention and Management
If you've experienced dumping syndrome, you know how miserable it can be: rapid heartbeat, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, and overwhelming fatigue after eating. This occurs when food—especially sugar or simple carbs—moves too quickly from your stomach into your small intestine.
While dumping syndrome can feel like your body is punishing you, it's actually serving as a powerful feedback mechanism, teaching you which foods your new digestive system can handle. The key is learning to work with this response rather than living in fear of it.

Early vs. Late Dumping
Early dumping occurs 10-30 minutes after eating and relates to rapid gastric emptying. Late dumping happens 1-3 hours later and results from reactive hypoglycemia. Knowing which type you're experiencing helps us target solutions.
01
Identify Your Triggers
Through careful food journaling, we'll pinpoint exactly which foods and portion sizes cause problems for you.
02
Modify Your Eating Pattern
Smaller portions, slower eating pace, and proper food combinations can dramatically reduce episodes.
03
Strategic Meal Composition
Pairing carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats slows digestion and prevents rapid sugar spikes.
04
Build Confidence
Over time, you'll develop an intuitive understanding of what works for your body, reducing anxiety around eating.
Beyond the Scale: Measuring Success That Matters
The number on the scale is just one metric—and often not the most meaningful one. If you're feeling discouraged because the scale isn't moving as quickly as you'd like, it's time to expand your definition of success.
I've worked with countless patients who were "stuck" according to the scale but were simultaneously gaining muscle, losing inches, improving their lab values, reducing medications, sleeping better, and feeling more energetic than they had in years. These non-scale victories are powerful indicators of health improvement that deserve celebration.
78%
Improved Energy
of my patients report significant energy increases within 8 weeks of nutritional optimization
85%
Better Lab Values
see improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol, or other health markers before major scale changes
92%
Reduced Medications
are able to reduce or eliminate at least one medication with proper nutrition support
Together, we'll identify multiple ways to track your progress so you have a complete picture of your health journey. Success is multidimensional, and your efforts deserve to be recognized across all these dimensions.
Key Strategy
The Hydration Challenge: Why Water Intake Matters More Than You Think
Staying adequately hydrated after bariatric surgery presents a unique challenge. You can't drink with meals. Your stomach capacity is limited. You might not feel thirsty. Yet proper hydration is absolutely critical for weight loss, energy, preventing kidney stones, maintaining skin elasticity, and supporting overall metabolic function.
Most post-bariatric patients need 64 ounces of fluid daily at minimum, but many struggle to reach even half that amount. Dehydration can masquerade as hunger, leading to overeating. It can also cause fatigue that you might mistake for other problems.
Morning Routine
Start with 16 oz before breakfast to jumpstart hydration
Set Reminders
Use phone alerts every hour to prompt water intake
Flavor Options
Sugar-free flavoring, herbal tea, and infused water count toward goals
Track Progress
Use a marked water bottle or app to monitor daily intake
Emotional Eating: Addressing the Root Cause
Surgery changes your stomach, but it doesn't automatically change your emotional relationship with food. For many women, food has served as comfort, stress relief, celebration, or distraction for years or even decades. These patterns don't disappear simply because your stomach is smaller.
Emotional eating after bariatric surgery often looks different than it did before. You might graze on small amounts throughout the day. You might turn to "slider foods" that go down easily—crackers, chips, sweets—when you're stressed or bored. You might find yourself eating past comfortable fullness, despite the physical discomfort, because the emotional need feels more urgent than the physical sensation.
"I used to think I just needed more willpower. Working with a nutritionist who understood the emotional side changed everything. I learned that my evening snacking wasn't about hunger—it was about how I dealt with stress. Once we addressed that, the food part became so much easier."
— Sarah M., 3 years post-gastric bypass
Addressing emotional eating requires compassion, not judgment. Together, we'll explore what drives your eating patterns, develop alternative coping strategies, and create a peaceful relationship with food that supports both your physical and emotional wellbeing. This work is as important as the nutritional guidance—perhaps even more so for long-term success.
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies: The Hidden Saboteurs
Even if you're taking your supplements faithfully, nutritional deficiencies are extremely common after bariatric surgery. Your altered digestive system absorbs nutrients differently, and standard multivitamins often aren't enough to prevent deficiencies.
Iron Deficiency
Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, cold hands and feet, brittle nails
Why it happens: Reduced stomach acid and bypassed duodenum where iron is absorbed
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Symptoms: Fatigue, memory problems, mood changes, tingling in hands/feet, difficulty concentrating
Why it happens: Lack of intrinsic factor needed for B12 absorption from food sources
Vitamin D Deficiency
Symptoms: Bone pain, muscle weakness, increased infections, depression, hair loss
Why it happens: Reduced absorption of fat-soluble vitamins due to bypass or malabsorption
Thiamine (B1) Deficiency
Symptoms: Rapid heartbeat, difficulty concentrating, vomiting, vision changes, confusion
Why it happens: Persistent vomiting, inadequate intake, or rapid weight loss depletes stores
I help patients understand which labs to request, how to interpret results, and how to optimize their supplement regimen for their specific surgery type and individual needs. Preventing and correcting deficiencies can dramatically improve how you feel and your ability to lose weight.
Creating Meals You Can Actually Enjoy
One of the most heartbreaking things I hear from patients is, "I don't enjoy eating anymore." Food has become a source of anxiety rather than pleasure. Every meal feels like a test you might fail.
This doesn't have to be your reality. While your eating pattern has changed, it's absolutely possible to find joy in food again—to discover meals that are both nourishing and satisfying, that work with your new anatomy and fit your lifestyle.
The key is moving beyond the early post-surgery restrictions to find your personal formula: foods you tolerate well, recipes that work with your schedule, and eating patterns that feel sustainable rather than punishing.
Breakfast Solutions
Quick, protein-rich options that work for busy mornings and sensitive stomachs
Portable Lunches
Make-ahead meals that travel well and meet your nutritional needs anywhere

There was an error generating this image

Family-Friendly Dinners
Recipes everyone can enjoy so you're not making separate meals for yourself
Exercise After Surgery: Finding What Works for Your Body
Exercise is an important component of post-bariatric success, but it's also an area where many patients feel stuck. Perhaps you're dealing with excess skin that makes movement uncomfortable. Maybe you're exhausted from nutritional deficiencies. Or perhaps you've had negative experiences with exercise in the past that make it hard to start.
The good news is that successful post-surgery exercise doesn't require gym memberships, intense workouts, or hours of commitment. What matters most is finding movement you can sustain—activities you enjoy enough to do consistently, that work with your body's current capabilities, and that support rather than sabotage your nutrition efforts.
1
Weeks 1-6: Gentle Movement
Short walks, light stretching, focusing on healing and building the habit of daily movement without intensity
2
Months 2-4: Building Endurance
Gradually increasing walk duration, adding water aerobics or swimming, light resistance bands for maintaining muscle
3
Months 5-8: Adding Strength
Incorporating bodyweight exercises, light weights, focusing on preventing muscle loss during rapid weight loss phase
4
Months 9-12: Personalized Routine
Developing a sustainable mix of cardio and strength training based on your preferences, schedule, and goals
5
Year 2+: Maintenance & Joy
Finding activities you genuinely enjoy—dancing, hiking, group classes—that keep you active for life, not just weight loss
I help patients navigate the exercise piece with realistic expectations and personalized recommendations that account for where you are right now—not where you think you "should" be.
Social Situations: Navigating Food Events with Confidence
Birthday parties. Holiday dinners. Work lunches. Restaurant outings with friends. These occasions that once brought joy can become sources of stress after bariatric surgery. You're managing questions about your eating, dealing with well-meaning but unhelpful comments, and trying to navigate food choices without drawing attention to yourself.
Many patients tell me they've started avoiding social gatherings altogether because the food component feels too challenging or awkward. This isolation isn't good for your mental health or your long-term success—humans are social creatures, and connection matters.
The solution isn't to hide your surgery or force yourself into uncomfortable situations, but to develop strategies that let you participate fully in life while honoring your nutritional needs. You deserve to enjoy celebrations, connect with loved ones, and feel confident in social settings.
1
Preview the Menu
Check restaurant menus online beforehand to identify suitable options and reduce decision stress in the moment
2
Eat Before Events
Have a protein-rich mini-meal before gatherings so you're not ravenous and can make intentional choices
3
Prepare Your Response
Develop a comfortable script for handling questions: "I'm focusing on my health" works for most situations
4
Shift the Focus
Suggest activities that aren't centered on food—walks, museums, shopping—to enjoy connection beyond meals
The Role of Professional Support in Your Success
You might be wondering: "Can't I figure this out on my own?" The honest answer is maybe—but it will likely take much longer, involve more frustration, and may not get you to your ultimate goals. Just as you wouldn't try to do your own surgery, navigating the complex nutritional landscape post-bariatric surgery benefits enormously from expert guidance.
Here's what specialized nutritional support provides that you can't easily get on your own:
Personalized Strategy
Every body responds differently. I help identify your unique patterns and create solutions tailored to your specific challenges.
Expert Troubleshooting
When problems arise, I can quickly identify root causes you might not recognize and implement targeted solutions.
Accountability & Adjustment
Regular check-ins keep you on track and allow for real-time modifications as your body and life circumstances change.
Emotional Support
Someone who understands the emotional challenges and provides judgment-free space to process difficulties.
Evidence-Based Guidance
Access to current research and best practices specific to bariatric patients, not generic diet advice.
Think of nutritional support not as an admission of failure, but as an investment in your success—just like working with a personal trainer accelerates fitness results or therapy accelerates emotional healing.
What Working Together Looks Like
If you're considering nutritional support, you're probably wondering what the actual process involves. Here's how we'll work together to help you overcome your current challenges and achieve your health goals:
Comprehensive Assessment
We'll start with a detailed evaluation of your surgery history, current eating patterns, symptoms, lab results, medications, lifestyle factors, and goals. This gives us a complete picture of where you are.
Identify Priority Areas
Together, we'll determine which issues to address first for maximum impact—whether that's stabilizing blood sugar, correcting deficiencies, managing symptoms, or restarting weight loss.
Create Your Action Plan
I'll develop a personalized nutrition strategy with specific, achievable steps. This isn't a generic meal plan, but a customized approach based on your unique needs and preferences.
Regular Follow-Up
We'll meet regularly (frequency depends on your needs) to monitor progress, troubleshoot challenges, adjust strategies, and keep you moving forward with confidence and support.
What to Expect
  • Sessions are typically 45-60 minutes
  • Available via video call or in-person
  • Email support between sessions
  • Educational resources tailored to your needs
  • Lab review and supplement recommendations
  • Meal planning guidance and recipes
What Makes This Different
  • 20+ years specializing in bariatric patients
  • Understanding of all surgery types
  • Focus on both nutrition and behavior
  • Compassionate, judgment-free approach
  • Evidence-based strategies that actually work
  • Sustainable solutions, not quick fixes
Real Stories from Women Just Like You
The most powerful testament to what's possible comes from women who have walked this path before you. Here are stories from patients who overcame similar struggles:
"Two years after my sleeve gastrectomy, I had regained 30 pounds and felt completely defeated. I thought I had ruined my one chance. Working with a specialized nutritionist helped me understand what was happening metabolically and emotionally. Within six months, I'd lost the regained weight and developed a sustainable approach I can maintain for life. More importantly, I stopped beating myself up and started treating myself with compassion."
— Jennifer R., Age 52
"The constant nausea and food intolerances made me miserable. I could barely eat anything without feeling sick. I thought this was just my life now. But with expert guidance, we identified specific triggers, adjusted my meal timing and composition, and found supplements that actually worked. Now I can eat comfortably and actually enjoy food again."
— Michelle T., Age 47
"My weight loss stalled at six months post-op, and I couldn't figure out why. I was following all the rules but the scale wouldn't budge. Turns out I was severely deficient in several nutrients, not eating enough protein at the right times, and my stress levels were sabotaging my efforts. Addressing all these factors together finally broke through my plateau."
— Patricia L., Age 39
Common Myths That Keep Women Stuck
After two decades in this field, I've heard every misconception about post-bariatric nutrition. These myths prevent women from getting the help they need and achieving their goals. Let's set the record straight:
Don't let these myths keep you stuck in struggle. The support you need exists, and seeking it demonstrates wisdom and self-compassion, not weakness.
Next Steps
Ready to Break Through Your Plateau?
You don't have to figure this out alone. You don't have to stay stuck where you are. And you certainly don't have to give up on the health goals that motivated you to have surgery in the first place.
With the right support, you can overcome the challenges you're facing—whether that's breaking through a plateau, managing uncomfortable symptoms, correcting nutritional deficiencies, or addressing emotional eating patterns. The solution isn't more willpower or stricter rules. It's understanding what's happening in your unique body and implementing personalized strategies that work for you.
After 20 years of helping women just like you achieve their post-bariatric goals, I know what's possible. I've seen remarkable transformations happen when patients receive the specialized support they deserve.
How to Get Started
01
Schedule Your Consultation
Book a free 20-minute discovery call to discuss your specific challenges and determine if we're a good fit
02
Complete Your Assessment
Fill out a comprehensive intake form so I can understand your full history before our first session
03
Attend Your First Session
We'll dive deep into your current situation and create your personalized action plan
04
Begin Your Transformation
Start implementing your customized strategies with ongoing support and guidance
You Deserve Success
You took a courageous step when you chose bariatric surgery. You invested in your health, faced your fears, and committed to change. That deserves recognition and respect, regardless of where you are in your journey right now.
If things haven't gone exactly as planned, that doesn't diminish your courage or mean you're incapable of success. It simply means you need the right support, guidance, and strategies to help you navigate this complex path.
You are not broken. You are not a failure. You are a woman who is still showing up, still trying, and still deserving of support.
Every day I work with women who once felt exactly how you might feel right now—frustrated, discouraged, wondering if they'll ever reach their goals. And every day I see those same women breakthrough, transform their relationship with food, achieve sustainable results, and reclaim their confidence.
That transformation is available to you too. The plateau you're experiencing isn't permanent. The symptoms you're managing can improve. The habits you're struggling with can change. And the health goals you're working toward are absolutely achievable with the right approach.
Your post-bariatric journey doesn't have to be a solo struggle. Let's work together to create the breakthrough you've been searching for.
With over 20 years of experience and hundreds of success stories, I'm here to guide you through whatever challenges you're facing. Because you deserve to feel amazing in your body, confident in your choices, and proud of how far you've come.
The next chapter of your journey starts today.