My background is in training and professional development and I consider myself a lifetime learner. I can honestly say that deciding to have WLS, preparing to have surgery, and equipping myself to be successful has led me to learn a great deal: about the surgery itself, nutrition, mindful eating, food choices, exercise, metabolism, obesity, etc.

Going forward there is so much to learn: how to cook, how to dress, relationships, etc.

I am curious to hear about specific things you have learned along the way as well as some of the best resources you have found to help you learn about this process.

What have you learned? What else do you need to learn? I would love to hear your thoughts.

I don't know where to begin trying to calculate everything I've learned in the years spent first considering bariatric surgery, and then ratcheting up that research this past year, after the decision to proceed was reached.

I will say that I definitely learned more on my own, here on these boards, and with other outside sources, than I ever did during the six months of mandatory classes I took as part of my insurance process. There were even times when I wanted to jump up and teach it myself, as the material covered seemed so rudimentary, barely skimming the surface, and so far from the in depth expose I was expecting.

I've learned that the learning process will never end, and that once I'm a post op I'm probably going to feel like a novice all over again, on the realms of a newborn, and it'll probably feel that exact same way as I graduate through each level, such as the different eating stages, stalls, maintenance, and so on.

Finally, I've learned that even at 54, starting your life over again is still a viable option, if you're willing to work for it. That I'm a lot stronger and determined than I've ever given myself credit for. And that complacency is an easy trap that if fallen into, can lead me right back to where I started.

Edited July 27, 201511 yr by The Candidate

@@The Candidate - AMEN to your statement of "...starting your life over again is still a viable option, if you're willing to work for it".

I am 52 and I am post-op and I think I have really learned to LOOK at not only how much I am eating but what I am eating. Really reading the Protein, sugars, carbs, etc.

@@jane13 Never say never, words to live by. I will definitely follow your example, thank you!

Great OP, @@Inner Surfer Girl !

And double-amen, @@The Candidate , for your line bolded below:

Finally, I've learned that even at 54, starting your life over again is still a viable option, if you're willing to work for it. That I'm a lot stronger and determined than I've ever given myself credit for. And that complacency is an easy trap that if fallen into, can lead me right back to where I started.

I'm now 69, was sleeved almost a year ago at age 68. Since I was sleeved I've learned more than I could possibly express here -- about nutrition and eating behaviors (eating slowly is now not only possible, but very enjoyable) and so much more. And the lessons don't seem like they're EVER going to stop.

This surgery gave me the opportunity to learn how to change. Somehow, even as the smartest person I know , before WLS I couldn't learn these lessons well enough to turn them into the lifestyle I needed to become and remain healthy.

Again, great topic and thread! Thank you.

P.S. I wish I could explain to newbies how they cannot rely on the sleeve's restriction to change their lives. There are so many lessons they must learn and put into action to make the changes permanent. And they may even have to keep changing what they're doing to remain successful. This is a lifelong project. So, so interesting!

@@VSGAnn2014 What a coincidence, as you're also the smartest person I know too! ????. I always look forward to your posts, as I've definitely learned a lot from them.

Here's what I've learned. I have a very disfunctional relationship with food. I eat for a ton of reasons and being hungry is only one of them...and not the most important one either. I've learned to understand and accept that and know that just like any other addict, I have to use the help of a professional along with support via this site, and not just in the virtual world. I've learned that I have to avoid certain situaltions that can put me in a dangerous place in my head where I want to turn to food for comfort, and whatever else I use food for. I learned that I must follow the rules and hold myself accountable or I will slide back into bad behaviors.

I have also learned that I am stronger than I realized. I am smarter than I realized. I have always been a good person, compassionate and thoughful. I learned that I hid alot of myself behind the happy fat girl who was not really so happy. I learned that being normal sized opens the whole world back up. I learned that I wasn't living before..but just existing. I learned, and am still learning just who I am and who I want to be. I learned that life is never perfect but I also learned that it's a whole lot better now than it was 2 1/2 years ago.