Just got approved for surgery and was wondering what is a great tip or secret to get the most out of my sleeve from you sleeve vets. Thanks in advance!

Im not necessarily a vet but ill put in my opinion anyways. I honestly think that most important tip is understanding its purpose. I went in thinking I was getting this and i was just going to drop all this weight and it would easy. I thought that I would always feel full and that I wouldn't want to eat anything ever again. I thought I would never have an urge for ice cream of candy. But obviously I was wrong. I didn't fully understand what I was getting myself into. And I wasn't mentally prepared for all the changes that were going to take place. I haven't lost as many as some in my 6 months post surgery (around 70 lbs) but i think i have done okay. I am sure that i could have lost more if I didnt sabotage myself on purpose. I went though all kinds of stages. I felt I wasn't worthy of being small or that it was tearing my family apart because each time I said that I lost some weight it would start a fight because he assumes I am going to leave him. I lost a lot of hair and have really saggy arms now. that in itself took a toll on me. I was started to hate myself so like always, i turned to food. I am finally coming to terms with my inner issues and making a change because i did this for my children. my mind still had control over my plate making too, i always put too much and cant eat it all. so all in all, what i am getting at is prepare your mind for the changes because they happen very fast and it doesn't have the time to catch up. I wish you the very best of luck with your journey. and always remember that you are worth this and your deserve to succeed!

Excellent information .... thank you for your honest comment... Good luck to you... you too are worth it!!

I am hardly a vet, but I think the best advice is something I've seen on here many times before--this is a journey, not a race. Take your time, follow the instructions given by your NUT and your Surgeon and take it day-by-day, hour-by-hour, and minute-by-minute.

Be sure to stay hydrated, I did not and developed kidney stones - 3 times - OUCH! Keep sipping and the moment you notice your urine getting more than SLIGHTLY tinged yellow drink some more.

Also, BE PATIENT the weight WILL come off.

Thanks for the tips!

My tip is protein first! At about the 6 month mark, you'll be able to eat more carbs than you think, and at that point the "protein first" rule becomes very important. Also, expect that you may have stalls or plateaus, and be prepared for things to slow down the closer you get to your goal weight. Finally, my tip is to really enjoy and appreciate the weight you have lost. I am not to my goal yet (with 25 lbs to go), but I fully appreciate how much better I feel, and I take advantage of my far greater health. I think that if I focused on the "25 lbs to go" rather than the 125 lbs lost, I'd feel discouraged right now. As it is, I feel pretty great and I just ran my first half-marathon!

My tip is protein first! At about the 6 month mark, you'll be able to eat more carbs than you think, and at that point the "protein first" rule becomes very important. Also, expect that you may have stalls or plateaus, and be prepared for things to slow down the closer you get to your goal weight. Finally, my tip is to really enjoy and appreciate the weight you have lost. I am not to my goal yet (with 25 lbs to go), but I fully appreciate how much better I feel, and I take advantage of my far greater health. I think that if I focused on the "25 lbs to go" rather than the 125 lbs lost, I'd feel discouraged right now. As it is, I feel pretty great and I just ran my first half-marathon!

I think that is great advice, Lila. I'm having my surgery on July 11 so I have a long way to go yet, but I'm going to try to remember your words about concentrating on how much weight has been lost instead of how much to go.

While you're still newly sleeved, take advantage of that "honeymoon" period to make the behavior changes you're going to need to make to carry you through the rest of your life. At first you're going to see changes and rewards come quickly, use these as motivation and reasons to stick with your plan. Journal your food and activity. Learn about metabolism , basal metabolic rate (BMR) and how muscle building positively impacts BMR. Understand that this is going to be work, this is not the easy way out.