Ok, so my surgery is scheduled for October 17th and I've been reading through these forums like it's my J-O-B. I spend most of my days cycling through a range of emotions. I usually kick things off with excited, move on to freaked, dabble in nervous, dip my toes into full on terrified and then cycle back to totally freaked. And so I'm curious: if you could go into a wayback machine and talk to your pre-surgery self to share all of the best tips, tricks, and advice you've learned along the way that has helped to make you successful what would you say? I'd love to hear any specific info (i.e. you better get your ass exercising at least 4 days a week; or ditch carbs right from the get go) or even any more general advice (i.e. skip cardio and focus on weights; or don't tell anyone at work that you've had this surgery). I know there are many posts like this, but I'm selfishly looking for the Grade A, primo, best of the best of the best advice. You people know your sh**...and right now I need all of the good sh** I can get, cause I'm way deep in the middle of today's totally freaked out cycle

I had my surgery 10 months ago...If I could go back and give myself advise, here's what I would say:

* Be kind to yourself. This is marathon, not a sprint

* Do not be a slave to the scale - in fact, don't weigh the first 2-3 weeks after surgery, then only once every one to two weeks. (this is hard because newly sleeved folks love to see that pound a day loss, then panic when they stall)

* Be patient - you didn't gain the weight in 5 weeks, don't expect to lose it in 5 weeks

* Work on your emotional stuff before surgery - I spent a lot of time researching the procedure and planning for life post-op, I should have been working on the reason why I got to 256 pounds. Tackling your emotion stuff during recovery is hard.

I have found that I am more calm and in a zen place than I was on my surgery date. I had expectations of losing 106 pounds - I have lost about a pound in 8 or 9 weeks. That's somewhat discouraging, but I reflect back on my life a year ago and all of a sudden that number on the scale doesn't really have power over me. I'm at 73 pounds lost - I hope I get to 106 and I'm working towards that, but it no longer hangs on me like it used to.

What she said.

Amen to what McButterpants said!

Weigh no more than once per week. When you see a stall it will feel short lived. I didn't weigh after surgery until my 2 week post op appointment and I'm glad I didn't. Started me off in the right frame of mind, (to change my habits and the #'s will eventually follow)!

Personally, I ditched exactly NOTHING other than my obsession with food! I log food and exercise so I know what's coming in and burning off and I work the things I want to eat into my diet now. As long as I'm getting my Protein and macros, I have no guilt in having a treat when I want it. For me the guilt was tied to the obsession\craving so it works for me. I exercise enough to allow that wiggle room, (an extra 400-500 cal burn most days). Others find they need to eliminate trigger foods entirely. Neither method is wrong, you just need to figure out what control looks like for you.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the great advice, everyone! Will try to get myself to that zen place pronto!

@McButterpants couldn't have said it any better.

Here's what I would say (responding to what I can "read" about your personality in your OP):

Stop trying to be perfect before you've even started. Don't even try to be perfect. You won't be. If you have WLS, you won't get graded. There is no "final test" or "final course grade." The class is never over.

I see on WLS forums so many people (ahem, including me) who have an all or nothing / must be perfect / one mistake equals failure mentality.

To take this journey, you can (and may and even should) study, study, study. But you will also have to submit to the reality that you really don't know what challenges you'll have and how you'll solve them until you are on the journey.

I do think that a positive attitude and an ability not to sweat all the small stuff seem to be gifts that those who do very well all seem to have. By "do very well," I don't mean that they lose weight the fastest or the most. I mean that they come to a peace early on that this journey is not about perfection and that it is never going to end.

This comment may not be responsive to what you were asking, but it's what your OP made me think of.

Love what everyone has said. I have been successful beyond my widest dreams. Read these forums, model yourself after others...and the. Just do it. That is my tip, persevere. Work that sleeve. There is no perfection there is just doing each and every day (paraphrase of Julian Michaels)

OMG - I thought I was the only one that went through the daily regime of emotional disturbances. I am doing the EXACT same thing. I have finally decided that I can go through these emotions everyday - BUT at the end of the day I am going to take 1 hour for me that has nothing to do with WLS.

Since it is not yet that time I would like to add that I am currently freaked and researching the boards lol. In about an hour I will be calm and talking myself off the ledge.

Thank you to everyone putting advice and info out there! Its appreciated!

today is the 17th!!!

@@EGR you are now sleeved. hope things are well for you, and the info you have gathered has helped. give us an update when you can. take care!!!

Aw, thanks for checking in! @@Rovobay Had my surgery yesterday and am doing pretty ok, I think. My biggest challenge, by far, has been nausea. I had never had surgery before (and therefore had never had anesthesia). Even though I was giving zofran during my operation, I woke up and was severely nauseous. Amazingly, pain and gas have not really been an issue for me at all. I'm definitely more sore today than I was yesterday, but it's sort of the same feeling I get when I've worked out too hard. I am still taking zofran and 1/2 of a Norco tablet (which is probably why I'm not really having pain!). I've been getting up every hour or so to walk a bit and have no trouble at all drinking my Water, which is fantastic! I've been able to get down about 1 full shake so far in the last 24 hours, and so far my tastebuds haven't changed (was loving and drinking Isopure shakes before surgery, and they still taste good to me!). @ I see you're going to Dr. Umbach as well! I can't say enough good things about the doc and his staff (especially Mindi, but honestly: everyone there that I dealt with). They have thought of EVERYTHING--spent a ton of time educating us all about step-by-step what's going to happen before and after surgery, and even offer this fab IV therapy post surgery to ensure we're staying hydrated and pumped up full of Vitamins. The doctor gives you his cell phone number in case anything comes up over the weekend, and they have a nurse that checks in with you the day after surgery as well. So you are in great hands over there!