I was talking with the dietician today at my "mandatory supervised program" and she said something that struck me. She stated that people who have had this surgery will tell you all the things they wish they would have done differenty pre-op as opposed to making the changes post-op.

So, if you could go back what changes would you make?

::thumbup:: started exercising instead of waiting until I was a week post-op and already tired to begin with...(can't say they didn't tell me to!)

I am getting my date tomorrow and I am almost too confident going into this.

I hope after I am banded, I can come back here and still not be able to answer this question.

How important small pieces and eating slowly REALLY IS! I should have practiced in the months before surgery

Started cutting my food smaller and learned to chew really slowly. It's a good habit to have anyway!

I also would have been more aware of the 'no sex' for four weeks post surgery *blush*

I too would have practiced smaller bites, eating slower, drinking more water. I would also have ask more questions.

I wish I would have known that I could have been banded when I was at a lower starting BMI. In that case, I would have had it done a few years earlier.

I would have really practiced chewing small bites and taking my time. I still find that I eat too fast and it hurts....I haven't even gotten filled yet.

I would have started NOT drinking with meals. This is one of the hardest things for me post-op still.

Test out Protein powders beforehand. You do NOT want to be a week post-op (starving) and HATE your shake.

try Vitalady.com to get samples, that's what I did.

Also, start making protein rich recipes before surgery so they are already staples in your menu and easy to make and enjoy.

crush your pills and put them in your protein shake!!! don't try to cut them really small and don't try to mix them into applesauce, its gross. The shake is the only thing that covers the awful taste.

Ditto to researching protein shakes. I absolutely hated them. I should have checked more varieties preop. Don't count on one flavor to get you through the whole post op period - you'll get sick of even your favorites. You have to have some variety.

I would have practiced eating my meals without drinking during them.

Only a week out and I have a bunch already!

Stop drinking with meals now to get used to it as well as only taking sips (not gulps) when you do drink. Im not even on solid foods yet and not drinking 30 min before/after a the shake is hard... and once I do drink its hard not to just sort of chug my Water like I used to.

Find a Protein Shake you like. You wll be drinking LOTS of them, best to like it

Accept that when they say it will be 1-2 weeks till you get back to work that it will be. I tried going back less than a week after... it wasnt pretty!

There isn't anything I don't know postop that I didn't already know preop...at least so far and I'm 9 weeks postop.

I read the postop forum for a long time before I ever became actively involved so I'd be aware of the problems people faced after surgery. It was better preparation than all the information my doctor gave me and he gave me considerable.

.

...took more time off of work. Going back to work within 3 days is a total understatement...(for me anyway)

I wouldnt change a thing.

I got a band to stop dieting forever. I got a band so i could never count calories again, never fuss over fat or Protein, so that I could eat a completely normal balanced diet, only in reasonable portions. I fully expected that I would eat better some days than others, and that's true, and I knew that healthy eating is key to losing weight but that is different to *dieting*. I dont diet and never will again.

I was prepared to work hard though, to sort through all my head issues, what drives me to eat the wrong things, and to work out when it is OK to eat those things and when youre eating them for the wrong reasons. I was also more than prepared to exercise hard - it was one of my major dreams and goals.

It all worked out that way for me, luckily. Because of the type and amount of exercise I do, my calorie needs are fairly high and this eating approach works for me.

So there's nothing I would change. I dont just feel thin these days, I no longer feel like I'm a fat person in remission, I feel cured.