Hi. I am still pre-op so I am wondering what regrets people might have once they have been through it? Or maybe what surprised you the most about life after surgery? Thanks for the posts, I just want to be very sure I know what I'm getting into.

My biggest surprise has been how uncomfortable everyone's comments make me feel. I saw someone yesterday that I hadn't seen in a while and it was just uncomfortable with all of their comments...

I am 12 days post op and my biggest surprise is how easy the recovery has been for me. I had very little gas pains and no pain after I left the hospital. I have been on pureed foods for a few days and it feels so good to be able to have something other than a Protein shake. I am still learning to slow down when I eat or drink. If I go too fast, I will know it. I may have to try counting or something in between to remind myself I need to take my time.

Regrets? None that I can think of right now. I will say that this is not for the faint. You really have to be all in to go through the meal plan stages. I'm a picky eater so it's really hard but tuna has a lot of protein in it. I try to stick with things that are most beneficial to my healing and my health.

@@Quest4TheNewMe What comments made you uncomfortable?

@@mechele8 You are right. This is a life changing decision.

I would have to say that my biggest surprise would have to be my recovery. Short of one day where I tried a new shake and it didn't agree with me. my recovery went way smoother and easier than I thought it would. I am such a big baby when it comes to be being uncomfortable or in pain. Even my family was surprised at how well I did. YEAH ME!! LOL

My biggest regret would definitely be not doing it sooner. I had gone to a WLS about 5 years ago and ran out of it early thinking this is not for me, I don't need this. Now knowing what I know now, I really really wish I had stayed and did it then. But hey better now than never.

the biggest surprise so far for me is how quickly I healed and also the heart burn. Thank God for prilosec. I have yet to experiance regrets. I have wanted this more than anything. The hardest part for me right now is eating. I am like a baby learning how to eat again. I dont want food but i do at the same time. Love/hate relationship with food. I love watching people eat food....lol

No regrets really. I didn't like the emotional aspect at all. What a rude awakening that was. But you get through it and move on. I do get annoyed at my inability to eat sometimes. Like yesterday. I cooked for hours and tried to keep the sampling to a minimum but I could still only eat about 6 bites before I was full. Oh well. I walked out my door this morning NOT being a larda** so it's ok.

@@Quest4TheNewMe What comments made you uncomfortable?

Sorry, I don't know how to tag you from my phone.

It was a family friend who has kids my age and he was saying things like:

"Where'd you leave the other half of you?"

"Day-um!!!" (damn)

"You look GOOD!"

"You look amazing!!"

I also had one of the male Directors at work come into my office and ask "what's with the transformation", that he saw me and wasn't even sure that it was me. That I don't look anything like I did before. He just kept going on and on.

I weigh right now what I did when I was 15 yrs old. I have lost almost 100 lbs. I get that it's significant and that I look good, but I wish people could just comment that I'm looking good and leave it at that. I'm tired of the continual comments and need to ask me a bunch of questions. Or the people that I see frequently that feel the need to comment every time. And those who ask how much I've lost (she's just catty and competitive). I'm just over it and ready for people to move on.

@@Quest4TheNewMe I'm sorry. I understand what you mean. American culture nowadays is so much TMI, so much everything out there, that it makes it hard for people to simply want to get on with their lives.

I'm a week out tomorrow. I feel great most of the time and am itching to drive and go back to work but because I am incapable of drinking (makes me feel like I fail) I am out until at least Monday. I can hopefully drive before then once I get off the last two doses of pain med.

Make sure you are a liquid drinker. Honestly my only regret is that this step is SOOOO hard.

My biggest surprise was the 5 incision I have in my stomach I thought it was only going to be 3 ????. Other thank that is going well so far got to learn a new leaving and think that's the hard part!

My biggest surprise was how easy it all was. I read so many posts about emotions, cheating on the preop and postop diets, nausea, pain, stalls, constipation, diarrhea, depression, GERD, food intolerances, body image issues, loose skin, etc. I was expecting the worst, but turned out I worried for nothing. I had a fairly easy, pain free recovery and no problems following dietary restrictions. I never got emotional (other than happiness) and luckily had no serious complications. Even though I experienced some of the other things (diarrhea, then constipation, food intolerances, loose skin, and stalls) none of them were as bad as so many posters on here made it sound. I think a good attitude and realistic expectations makes a huge difference in your WLS experience.

Postop life has not been any harder than so many of the diets I've been on in the past but this time I've gotten much better and more permanent results. At 15 months out and maintaining well below goal, I honestly think this really was the "easy way" to lose weight and have never had one minute of regret.

I am almost 6 months out. No regrets, NONE! Even though I can no longer eat the way I used to that does not upset me. I am healthier, happier, and know I can do all of the things I have not been able to do before the surgery. Surprises: how sensitive my reaction to smell has gotten. The smell of anything deep fried gets to me, the same with sweet smells. Surprised at the looks I get now, it is no longer the "that guy is fat" look. I have also been told by the wife that she has caught women checking me out (says it turns her on). Surprised at the overwhelming support that is out there not just on these forms but in general, my circle is way supportive of me and helps hold me accountable. Biggest surprise is I have lost over 100lbs in 5 months, off all pain and blood-pressure medications and feel amazing. My energy is through the roof I workout multiple times a week both cardio and weight-lifting, I am starting to see definition in my muscles. Where I have always been a very strong big guy, I would get big but not cut, now I am getting both. I lost a lot of strength before, but, even with the calorie deficit my strength is coming back very quickly.

Good luck with your journey, it will not be easy, but it will be worth it!

Kindle, I love your positive post so much. I am 8 days out from surgery and feel amazing with little to no incision pain, have been active (legally) and am finding this phase of the post-op diet manageable. I also think that down the road my food restrictions, amounts, etc. will be no different than one of the diets I have tried - good point you made.

I am so looking forward to the day when I can say I have reach goal. However, my first goal is ONEDERLAND which is not far off! Thanks again for your encouraging post.

The biggest unpleasant surprise was the Masonry Poops - I actually do seem to shit bricks. I'm in the "add Fiber and colace" part of trying to get a fissure to go away now. Don't take it lightly when your doctors suggest that you have stuff on hand for post-op for whatever might end up coming out (or not coming out, as the case may be). Use it liberally. Add fiber. Drink lots. Complain often, lol.

The BEST surprise was how fast all those obesity related aches and pains started going away. My legs and feet stopped aching within a couple of weeks. No more back pain, stairs aren't as much of an issue as they were the FIRST time I was this weight (and I'm still really large), etc.