The Secret to Long-Term Success After a Gastric Balloon
The gastric balloon is a temporary, non-surgical procedure for weight loss in individuals who are overweight or obese. The balloon is placed endoscopically in the stomach and filled with saline. It occupies space in the stomach, helping you feel full faster and remain fuller for longer. After six months, the balloon is removed in an outpatient setting.
In this article, we discuss how a gastric balloon works as an effective tool for weight loss and the key strategies for long-term success with it. (Know more about the Gastric balloon procedure here)
Weight Loss Results During and After the Gastric Balloon
Scientific evidence shows that patients with a gastric balloon typically lose approximately 10–15% of their total body weight during the treatment period. However, individual results might vary depending on their eating habits, lifestyle behaviours, and adherence to follow-up sessions with the bariatric team.
The balloon works best as a behavioural and lifestyle support tool rather than a stand-alone solution. People who follow a structured nutrition and behavioural support program while the balloon is in place generally achieve more predictable and sustainable outcomes. On the other hand, if long-term lifestyle changes are not maintained, approximately 30–50% of lost weight may be regained within 1–5 years after balloon removal.
Understanding Weight Loss Plateaus
During a weight loss journey, some people often hit a weight loss plateau. This is a point from which you no longer lose weight despite sticking to your diet and exercise routine.
The weight plateaus are a normal biological part of the weight loss process. As body weight decreases, metabolism naturally slows, and the body becomes more energy efficient. It needs fewer calories to function because there is less tissue (both fat and lean muscle) to support.
A major part of this shift happens to your resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR is the total number of calories required to perform basic life-sustaining functions like breathing and pumping blood. During a long weight loss period, your RMR can decline even further than expected as your body tries to conserve fuel.
This drop in RMR acts as a biological alarm bell. Your body doesn’t realise you want to lose weight; it thinks you are facing a food shortage. Sensing that its energy stores are shrinking, your body initiates a powerful hormonal retaliation to defend its weight. It floods your system with hunger hormones while cutting back on fullness signals. You may experience frustration and confusion as you will feel hungrier and less satisfied, even though your body actually needs fewer calories than before.
Further, reduced physical activity, increased portion sizes over time, poor sleep, stress, emotional eating, and inconsistent routines can make managing the weight loss plateau challenging.
Please know that hitting a plateau is completely normal, and it is absolutely not a sign of failure. It is simply your body’s natural way of adapting to the changes you’ve made. With professional medical help, you can progress well on your weight loss journey.
Reasons for Weight Regain After the Gastric Balloon
There are two primary reasons for weight regain after the balloon is removed:
- The Sudden Loss of Physical Restriction
While the balloon is in place, it physically occupies about one-third to one-half of your stomach volume. This mechanically forces smaller portion sizes and slows down how fast your stomach empties. When the balloon is taken out, that physical barrier vanishes. Your stomach instantly has its full capacity back, meaning it takes a significantly larger volume of food to feel physically “full.” Without strict, conscious portion control, it is very easy to accidentally slide back into eating larger volumes.
- Return to Previous Eating Behaviours
If you struggled with unmanaged stress, grazing, emotional eating, or a lack of meal structure, those habits will likely return once the balloon is removed. To prevent this, you must actively address these behavioural patterns while the device is still in place. Further, patients who discontinue follow-up support are more likely to regain weight over time.
How to Maintain Long-Term Success After the Gastric Balloon
To get the most out of your gastric balloon procedure, always work with a bariatric counsellor and a nutritionist. They provide you with the right medical guidance and tools to improve your results from the procedure with a focus on long-term success.
Some of the key practices that will help you are:
- Following structured eating habits even after balloon removal.
- Prioritizing protein, hydration, fibre, and meal consistency.
- Maintaining regular physical activity in sustainable ways.
- Continuing follow-up support, nutrition guidance, and behavioural coaching where possible.
- Monitoring small weight changes early instead of waiting for significant regain.
- Building routines that are realistic and maintainable long-term rather than relying on temporary restriction.
Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Program (HELP) by Nords
Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Program (HELP) is a unique initiative by Nords to help people make lifestyle changes that support weight loss and improve overall quality of life after weight loss procedures. This program is designed around scientific evidence showing that combining medical weight loss tools with behavioural therapy and nutrition counselling improves long-term outcomes.
How does the HELP program work?
Phase 1: Building the Foundation
At this stage, we focus on understanding your eating habits and triggers. You will partner with our bariatric counsellor to build awareness around hunger and cravings. You will learn how to improve your relationship with food, build structured eating routines, and understand hunger cues. This stage ensures you establish a solid behavioural and lifestyle foundation.
Phase 2: Reaching and Accelerating Towards Goal Weight
You will follow a personalised nutrition plan developed by our nutritionist. As you progress on your weight loss journey, we optimise your weight loss plan to meet your changing needs. This involves addressing weight loss plateaus, tracking progress, and adjusting the treatment as you progress. Most patients begin to see noticeable weight loss, better appetite control, and increased motivation.
Phase 3: Maintenance and Long-Term Success
Through follow-up sessions, we help you build sustainable habits, manage triggers, maintain your weight, and stay confident. This ensures your results are not temporary but sustainable for life.
Key Takeaways
The gastric balloon is a minimally invasive procedure to help people lose weight. While it can help patients start the journey, long-term success is strongly determined by the eating habits, behaviours, and lifestyle patterns built during and after treatment. We support our patients with the HELP program integrated into all weight loss procedures to ensure the changes are not temporary but long-lasting.
