Your success doesn’t stop after surgery.
patient resources
Explore our collection of tools, support options, and practical guidance designed to help you stay healthy, confident, and on track for the long term.
For patients who’ve had bariatric surgery, annual follow-up with nutritional labs and a general progress check is always recommended.
Whether your original bariatric surgeon is no longer local or your insurance has changed, our team is here to help.
Nutritional Care
Stay on Track with Annual Follow-Up
Request a list of recommended annual blood work
Get nutrition tips to stay on track
Schedule a comprehensive evaluation for additional concerns
If you’ve had bariatric surgery previously or if you’re still contemplating a procedure, we would love to hear your story.
Our patient support groups meet at 5 pm once monthly at Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho.
Support Groups
Weight Loss Surgery
Existing patients
Individuals considering surgery
Those new to southern Idaho with prior bariatric surgery
Call (208) 239-2760
You're not alone on this journey
Weight Loss Tips
Every patient’s journey is unique, but most face similar challenges along the way. Here are five of the most common—with practical, encouraging solutions.
When “healthy habits” start to feel boring…
Consistency is key, but even the most disciplined patients get tired of repetitive meals. Try shaking things up while still focusing on lean protein and whole foods.
Try one new meal a day—keep the others the same
Try a new cooking style, new flavors, or try a new cookbook
Change your environment. Invite a friend or eat outside
Eat out at a restaurant with healthy options once a week. Box half your meal before you start.
Exercise is one of the biggest predictors of long-term success.
Patients who exercise regularly after surgery lose up to 25% more weight and maintain it more easily. If it feels hard, try these tips, based on your challenges:
Busy? Wake up 45 minutes early, use lunch breaks for quick walks, invest in at-home equipment
Body aches? Try swimming, aqua therapy, or a recumbent bike. Gentle movement reduces pain.
Don't like exercise? Set "gym dates" with friends, try hiking, or walks with family, set a goal, try something new like swimming or skiing.
Don't know where to start? Work with a personal trainer for a few months to learn safe routines
Don't worry. It's temporary, common, and reversible.
Hair thinning is normal after major weight loss. It is an involuntary stress response from surgery, Ozempic, or diet. Once weight loss is stabilized, hair will return to normal. To minimize hair loss:
Take a daily bariatric multivitamin with biotin
Get at least 80 grams of protein daily
Avoid tight hairstyles and excessive heat
Consider a strengthening shampoo like Nioxin
Most patients notice hair loss around 3–9 mos, with regrowth by 9–12 mos and full recovery within 2 years.
Simplify your daily supplement strategy.
All-in-one bariatric vitamins make life easier—just one multivitamin plus calcium throughout the day. Consistency is key.
Choose a vitamin you like and set up auto-delivery
Use a weekly pill organizer
Keep your vitamin with your breakfast or lunch
Set daily reminders on your phone
Take your bariatric multivitamin with a meal, and separate it from calcium by at least 2 hours to improve iron absorption.
What You Need to Know About Weight Stabilization or Regain
nobody loses weight forever.
Between 6 and 12 months after surgery, most patients will reach a point of weight stability. Some will even gain a few pounds.
After loosing pounds a week for many months, this can be a difficult mental experience! But it happens to everyone and it’s important to focus on the wins already accomplished.
Most patients reach a healthy and comfortable weight after weight loss surgery, and regular check-ups with your weight loss team can help patients feel assured and confident in their progress.
Serious weight regain is a separate issue.
90% of patients are successful in maintaining at least 50% of their weight loss long-term after weight loss surgery, so while a person may gain 30 or 40 pounds back over the course of their life, significant weight regain over 50 pounds is unusual.
Major weight regain usually occurs in the setting of new life stressors that prompt a return to unhealthy lifestyle choices. Lack of regular follow-up with your weight loss provider can also contribute to this.
It’s hard to manage a problem you can’t quantify. Check at least once weekly to know where you stand.
Identify what you are doing that is contributing to weight gain, then ask yourself what you are able to do to change this.
Schedule an appointment with your weight loss provider, so you can troubleshot together and get some additional therapies, if needed.
Keep your scheduled appointments and stay accountable to your goals.
Generally, we recommend the following steps to successfully battle weight regain:
The earlier you can recognize a trend and get back to weight stability, the better! Your team is here to help you, so don’t feel like you have to do this alone. Long-term follow-up and accountability are the keys to success.
Your health.
Your confidence.
Your freedom.
It’s all possible with the right surgical plan—learn which procedure is the best fit for you.
