My NUT and the Surgeon have invited me to speak at a meeting of people who are scheduled to have the sleeve sometime within the next 6 months. They said that I had handled the pre-op, post-op requirements really well, and was losing steadily. They and had told folks about how I was doing, and they wanted to do a Q&A with me. I was so surprised, seeing as how I've still got over 60lbs left to lose. But I told them I would be honored to answer any questions they might have to the best of my ability. My personal experience has been a complete and positive one from Day 1. So, my question to you is this: Is there anything that you wish you had know PRIOR to having the surgery? I feel that it's my responsibility to be honest, and up front with everyone that is there.

That's so exciting! Make sure to emphasize the pre op diet and necessity to follow it and get up and walk ASAP! Good luck!

Practice eating slow and chewing ASAP. I didn't realize how much of a challenge this would be postop. I wish I would have made the adjustment pre op.

I researched & feel I was well prepared. However, one thing I wish other people understood before surgery is that it's not a magic cure & there will be days the scale won't cooperate & there will be days you won't lose anything or might even gain weight as your body adjusts to this new way of life. I knew that & knew what to expect, but I feel a lot of people just don't understand that fact. It's major surgery & a major life change, especially the first few months as you work back up to regular food & your body needs time to adjust to those changes! I feel like some people think the weight is going to magically go away & don't fully understand the fluctuations in their bodies. Along that same line, I feel it's important to measure yourself because sometimes the weight stays the same but the inches change. I also feel it is important to cherish the non-scale victories & I feel like many people don't even notice them!

I also forgot to put the healthy food issue in my reply. I found that I could not eat, chicken, most vegetables, eggs and a lot of fruits. Where did it leave me? Processed foods! 11 weeks out VSG I can eat anything so far including veggies, fruit, chicken and eggs. Again, hard decision to personally make. Good luck with your choice.

1. Explain that using the pre-approval time to change your habits, Use the time to learn to chew chew chew your food, learn how to not drink Water with your meal.

2. Advice them to start charting their foods in advance on something like myfitnesspal.com or fitday so they can actually get an understanding of how much they actually take in. 80 grams of Protein and lowering the carbs now will make it easier later.

3. Tell them to try walking 10k steps a day and the faster they work on improving bad behaviors in advance the better it will be.

4. For those that eat only dinner and then snack all night, tell them to try finding a high Protein shake to start kick starting their metabolism in the morning.

5. Explain the reasoning behind no caffeine. I was told no caffeine no real reasoning why at first. Finally it was explained better about the dehydration and that if they can start weaning off in advance a little at a time it's better. Better to do it before the pre-op shake phase or after surgery. Why have withdrawals during those times.

6. Don't binge the day before the pre-op shake because it will make so much harder. Do your last chance meal a few days before the shake, and a sensible meal the night before shakes otherwise the first day of shakes is unbearable.

7. If you have to have a drain explain that. I freaked about this when I learned about it after I got my date.

8. Realistically that drinking is not easy the first week out and you won't be able to chug a bottle down and gulp after surgery.

9. Realistically this is only a tool and if you don't modify your behavior before and after, it will not be successful.

10. The week after surgery you may likely GAIN weight because of inflammation, water retention after surgery etc. it will go away.

11. It's up to them to make it successful, this isn't a cure-all.

12. Walking is vital, start working on some of form of exercise, now and after surgery walk.

13. However long your program is whether it's 1 month - 6 months, use the time wisely and it starts THEN not after surgery.

14. Realistically the challenges you find, regarding acid reflux, slowly incorporating food one at a time, and that the things you craved before surgery may not be tolerated after surgery.

I haven't had surgery yet, but these are things I learned along the way that seems to have helped me and these are things I wish I would have known.

MinaT's list is PERFECT!!! I think stressing the change in habits prior to surgery is so important!! The less you have to deal with post op the better!!

Also that your individual progress and tolerances will be different from everyone else's. That's okay. A lot of folks freak out if they can/can't do or eat this or that, or when they hit the 2- to 3- to 4-week stall. Remind them that it's a process, not an instant solution, and that there will be ups, downs, and plateaus, and it's all okay!

Specifically about the sleeve, nothing I can think of.

I wish I could have been more aware I would not have any major complications during surgery, lol. I do not think I sounded very confident to my Hubby sometimes.

Actually, I think I would have liked to have been more realistic and reminded myself that knowledge is sometimes thwarted by experience. I knew so much, read so much, but it all FELT different, and actually dealing with it is more thorough, more time consuming, more of a complete change than I expacted - even though I knew what to expect.

Oh yes!!!! The NSV's - I did not anticipate how important it was to have and acknowledge the NSV's. These small and not so small things are so very important.

VST - I did not anticipate just how important daily interaction could be for me. Without VST this would be a very different, lonely experience.

Hope that helps.

I cried for a couple days and wasn't aware of why until my NUT explained about the fat cells burning in your body that you no longer need, that really helped me.

I also forgot to put the healthy food issue in my reply. I found that I could not eat' date=' chicken, most vegetables, eggs and a lot of fruits. Where did it leave me? Processed foods! 11 weeks out VSG I can eat anything so far including veggies, fruit, chicken and eggs. Again, hard decision to personally make. Good luck with your choice.[/quote']

I'm a ding-dong, this quote was meant for another post. Sorry!

What I wish I had known before the surgery would be how tired I got of shakes and wanted to chew something, anything. Also, how weak I was the week after surgery. People used the word tired, but for me it was extreme weakness, even to get out of bed. This put me into a depression for a few weeks and I had major regrets about the surgery. Also, I think it is important to take more time off than you need because you can always go back early, but it's hard to go back and add time off. I took two weeks off and went back at the beginning of week 3. I should have taken that 3rd week off or at the very least taken half days that week for the extreme weakness and fatigue, but I felt too guilty to ask for more time off.

That I had to make time to eat because the hunger for food is just not there. Sometimes I just don't want to eat but have to eat for the nutrition not enjoyment.

WOW - You guys have tons of things that I think will benefit these folks. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas, thoughts, and experiences. This will really help!!

To take ample time off from work because of the extreme fatigue from surgery.

To take their supplements as directed

To find a support group be it online or in meetings because they will have additional questions

To not compare their weight loss to ur peers. Each person is different.

How hormonally it can be during ur weight loss

To not stock up on certain foods because ur tastes will probably change post surgery