For any man or woman actively trying to lose weight, you need to have incredible will-power and dedication. Weight-loss surgery is certainly a step in the right direction, but you still have a lot of hard work ahead of you. However, new research shows that when it comes to successful dieting, one old saying — “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” — certainly rings true. In fact, there may even be scientific evidence to back it up!  

According to a survey recently published in the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, those men and women who have undergone weight-loss surgery first tried an average of 24 diets and exercise programs before deciding to have the procedure. The survey, which was conducted among  409 bariatric surgery patients, included those who had undergone gastric bypass or adjustable gastric banding. The results showed that prior to their procedures, most of the patients were an average of 100 or more pounds overweight. In addition, they were afflicted with about five obesity-related conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

Experts believe that a diet’s success or failure may be linked to their level of compliance.  After the procedure, patients are advised to follow specific guidelines, including: receiving enough exercise, changing their eating habits, receiving nutritional counseling and psychological support, and visiting their doctor regularly.

In this survey, those patients who followed these guidelines most closely lost more than 123 pounds the first year. Those who didn’t closely follow the guidelines lost only 92 pounds. At the five-year mark, the more-compliant patients lost more than 127 pounds, compared with 100 pounds for the less-compliant.