Hello everyone - I am new to this forum and am scheduled to have gastric sleeve surgery in 11 days. What are your most helpful tips for getting ready for surgery and your most valuable suggestions for overall success on the road that I am about to travel? I am excited and hopeful for a better quality of life but feel a little bit like I am jumping out of an airplane without sufficient information about how to operate my parachute. Please share and tell me what was most helpful for you - no tip too big or too small. Thank you!

Hopefully most doctor's offices have extensive plans to get you prepared. I know that I had to have nutritional counseling for a minimum of 6 months along with classes on exercise etc. That being said, I read lots of books, watched youtube videos and started exercising before surgery so I would be the healthiest I could be going in. Best advise I to listen to your healthcare team and actually DO what they tell you to do. Is it easy-- sometimes....and sometimes not! Set yourself up for success. For each person that is different-- I needed to make sure that I only have healthy choices of food in my house (that way if I do go "off the deep end" I have to literally go out to get something. Support is probably the most important thing you can get. Being on sites like this one where everyone truly understands what you are going through are invaluable. The other important thing is to forgive- You might need to forgive a parent...or a spouse...for past hurts. But the most important person to forgive is yourself. None of us are perfect--not previously...and we won't be in the future. If you make a mistake (and you will) just shake it off, learn from it and get right back to working the plan. We are not in a race here--we are on a journey. You can go it! And rely on everyone here to help.

@@skinnyjeansatlast

Congratulations on your surgery date!

My tip is stay connected with support and research! BariatricPal has many stories, photos and videos of people that are successful with weight loss.

This is my link to my goal video. Underneath the video I posted what has helped me the most.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/videos/view-10-goal/

Bariatricpal sucess stories

http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/395-gastric-sleeve-surgery-success-stories/

Enjoy your research. I'm excited for you

Some critical success factors for me:

Ask lots of questions and learn as much as possible. Keep asking until I understand. Write everything down. My bariatric team gave me a manual and I consulted it frequently.

Be rigorously honest with myself and my medical team.

Do everything I am asked to do by my team, even if I think I can't.

Gradually weaned myself off of carbonation and caffeine pre-op.

Record my food. I use MyFitnessPal.

A fitness tracker is helpful. I wear a Misfit Shine.

Follow my post-op food plan.

Focus on getting my 100 grams of Protein and AT LEAST 64 oz of Fluid every day.

Stay off the scale.

Avoid added sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup), starches, and fried foods.

Take my Vitamins and supplements as directed.

Exercise regularly (when cleared). I am a Water baby, so swimming is my exercise of choice.

Practice mindful eating: eating slowly, taking small bites, and chewing thoroughly.

Use every resource available to me when necessary: my bariatric team, NUT, surgeon, psych, support group meetings, OA, self-help books, BariatricPal, MyFitnessPal, etc.

Participating regularly on BariatricPal has been very helpful.

Watching shows like My 600 Pound Life and My Big Fat Fabulous Life have been educational and thought-provoking (and often infuriating).

Practicing self-care, especially by finding ways to reward myself that don't involve food: massages, mani/pedis, art classes, writing classes and workshops, knitting, etc.

And, most importantly, learning to Embrace the Stall!

Embrace the Stall

http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Best of luck with your surgery and keep us posted on how you are doing.

Thank you - this is all so very valuable and helpful!

Do any of you know if it is possible to remain on primarily meal replacements for a more extended period of time than the initial few weeks? I wonder whether that might give me a better head start and help me to keep away from food and choices. Also, is it possible to drink too much water? Does a lot of water stretch the pouch?

Do any of you know if it is possible to remain on primarily meal replacements for a more extended period of time than the initial few weeks? I wonder whether that might give me a better head start and help me to keep away from food and choices. Also, is it possible to drink too much Water? Does a lot of water stretch the pouch?

Sleevers don't have pouches to stretch. Believe me when I say it is going to be practically impossible to drink too much water early out. If you are like most people, it is going to be a struggle to get enough, at least while you are healing from surgery.

As to Meal Replacement shakes, if you are like me, you will look forward to every food stage because it is really boring to eat/drink the same things all the time. Variety is the spice of life.

Hi congrats on your upcoming surgery. You've gotten some great advice so far. Water can't stretch your sleeve as it passes right through.....regarding your other questions about meal replacements. The most important thing to remember is to follow the plan that is given to you by your bariatric team.....Most likely that won't include meal replacements long term.....and wouldn't teach you much about how to eat in the future.

So study your plan and know what you're going to be able to eat and when......that eating plan is not a diet it is a prescription.....it's extremely important that you follow it to the T.

I wish you the best of luck!!!