Although bariatric surgery is highly effective for inducing significant weight loss and resolution of comorbidities, weight regain following surgery is a common problem. This pilot study will test the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention designed to help bariatric surgery patients maintain weight loss. Findings from this pilot will provide the foundation for a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention.

The first intervention telephone call will occur one week following the baseline assessment. Calls will be made weekly in the first month (weeks 1, 2, 3, 4) and biweekly calls during months 2-4 (weeks 6, 8, 10, 12, 14). The goal of this intervention is to increase adherence to recommendations that patients are already receiving from their bariatric team as part of standard of care. Thus, each call will address maintenance skill building and anticipatory problem solving based on the processes outlined in the investigators' conceptual model and operationalized in the investigators' previous weight loss maintenance protocol. Relapse prevention planning will help patients identify situations in which overeating is common in the bariatric population (e.g., loss of control eating related to emotions, disinhibition).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Bariatric surgery at a participating VA site
• Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy (SG) six to 18 months prior to the time of data pull
• English as preferred language
• Regular access to a telephone

Exclusion Criteria:

• Receipt of procedure to prevent gastric cancer
• Revisional bariatric surgery
• Hearing impairment
• Cancer not in remission

30 participants completed baseline measures.

16 weeks

Adverse events were volunteered by participants during intervention or assessment phone calls; they were not systematically queried in this minimal-risk intervention.