This is a loaded question—with an answer that may surprise you. You will likely have a small bit of weight regain months or years after surgery, and it is perfectly normal. During active weight loss, you’ll have a target weight in mind, and oftentimes you can achieve this.

The first part of the surgery is losing the weight. The second part is keeping it off. Regaining about 10 to 15 percent of your weight loss is not uncommon. Actually, it just means that you’ve reached the weight that you can maintain with moderate, but not heroic, effort. Surgery is meant to make healthy eating easier, not replace it. Sometimes a weight-loss goal is set too low for optimal, long-term success. If you’re moderate in your eating and activity but have gained a few pounds, don’t fret. You’ve simply found your stable weight. If you find your weight creeping up after a few steady years, get back to basics: Count calories and increase your activity. The best advice I give patients is to set a weight range, rather than a single number, to allow a little “wiggle room.” Remaining within a 5- to 10-pound range works for most people.