Your long-term success will depend upon your adherence to the recommended lifestyle changes following your weight-loss surgery, including diet and physical activity. How willing are you to adopt lifelong healthy habits?

A strong predictor of long-term success is high levels of exercise, such as an hour a day of brisk walking. Another predictor is sticking to an eating plan that’s low in calories and fat and high in protein. Keeping a food diary and weighing yourself regularly are both associated with long-term success, as is maintaining a consistent eating pattern with little or no snacking. Catching “slips” or “lapses” early and devising strategies to prevent them from recurring will also help long-term control.

Knowing how and when to ask for help from family, your support group and health-care professionals are keys to staying on track. Maintaining long-term weight loss requires eternal vigilance, but it’s well worth the effort.