Hindsight is 20/20 - any tips

I am scheduled to have my surgery next week and am wondering if any of you veterans have any words of advice now that you have lived it already.  I have been able to glean a lot of what appears to be helpful, but would love to hear straight from the horses' mouth.  One thing I have noticed is the Miralax/Dulcolax recommendation immediately after surgery.  Also, would love to hear what the variations were for length of time equated with amount of weight loss.  I know it is very individual, but it be a nice little ray of hope to cling to :)

Please and thank you in advance. 

Get small spoons, small forks and small plates.  I use ramekins instead of plate, and antique sugar spoons and snail/crab forks.  It helps you not get over zealous and take bites that are too big.  You can get the ramekins at walmart or target for 99 cents each.  glass or pottery.  I have metal ones too but I can't microwave those.  These are also good to load up with jello in the beginning so you have a fridge full of jello ready made.  The forks and spoons you will have to go to some antique stores for. 

water enhancers.  get them.  water goes down easier with some flavor.  crystal light, decaf iced tea with splenda, etc.  make sure its zero calorie, but get them. 

in the hospital ask the nurse for extra liquid 1 ounce measuring cups.  They use them for medicine.  they are the perfect size for you to use to measure your food and liquids.  And you want to do this!!  DON'T EYEBALL YOUR SERVINGS OR MAKE GUESTIMATES!!!  You will be hurting and vomiting everyday till you figure out this is important.  Like me. 

protein and liquid are your two biggest things.  Don't fret on carbs or calories at first.  When you get into solids you can start focusing on carbs and calories.  Until then, just focus on your protein and water.

You will have gas pains.  they may be in your shoulder or under your collar bone.  Its called referred pain.  You have to walk.  the more you walk the less pain you will have.  It sounds backwards but its true.

Don't eat stuff before you are supposed to.  Advance on the diet the way your doctor wants you to.  Advancing before hand can cause stomach upset.

After that it is all about staying on plan.  You should have a diet of mainly protein foods, and you carbs should come from green veggies first.  Everything else is just filler and really useless to you.  You might be allowed fruit, and bread, but if you eat that you are filling yourself up with stuff that made you fat to begin with.  If you are going into this asking if you will be allowed ice cream or m&ms or white bread again, you might not be ready for the surgery.  Invest in yourself and in the fact that you have to cut your relationship with food to save your life.  And that taking those things out of your life is good for you.  You never hear a heroin addict saying in rehab "I'll get clean if in a year I can have a little taste again"  That doesn't work for them and it won't work for you.  Food is an addiction.  Just like drugs.  That being said, watch for addiction transfers.  Your doc will (should) tell you no alcohol for a year.  That is good advice.  its for a lot of reasons, one of which is addiction transfer.  The other is that when we lose weight our livers go into overtime.  If you put the added pressure of liquor onto it you can do massive damage to your liver. 

I had surgery 14 months ago and there is no way I would have understood then what I know now.....so....firstly:  this is your journey and yours alone.  I had great family support ( terrific surgeon...terrible NUT) but I felt quite alone. I have never known anyone who has had this surgery, no one *****ally could give me advice other than the surgeon( who is now a good friend because i have such a big mouth, I taught him about this journey!) so here is some of what I have learned....

1.  This is serious surgery and you need to let yourself recover from the operation and your new insides.....I am tough and older ( 67)....I had almost no pain, I walked my gas off in 3 days, I had no problems sleeping. But....I was tired and dragged for about 6-8 weeks.  Because I felt so little pain, I just assumed I would bounce right back but I should have listened to my body which was saying...slow down and take care of me!  (no long term ill effects, just great frustration!)

2.  I could not eat more than a teaspoon at a time for a good number of weeks....i just wasn't hungry and really was having trouble.  My calorie intake couldn't go above 350 for about 5 weeks so that made me dizzy and weak....I didn't  tolorate protein drinks or powder and began to be obsessive about eating....my advice to my self now would have been....relax, do what you can and drink, drink, drink....( soup, milky drinks, whatever makes you happy!  Obviously no sugary stuff!)

3.  Very little weight loss in the first 2 months.....well that is a no brainer...I went into starvation mode with so few calories!

4.  Over focused on weight loss....no loss...depressed....lost a pound....happy happy....Nothing can cure this!  I needed to have faith in the surgery because IT DOES WORK!

So to summerize....

As long as you listen to your body, your doctors, and find a good support system you will be fine and this will be an exciting and rewarding journey.  You will need to work hard, be very compliant, and make sure that you fit this way of life into your own life comfortably.  

I started with a BMI of 53 and now am at 23, I went from 262 to 120 and a size 26 to a 4/6... Yes you read that correctly.  I am relaxed and active ( no gym, no triathlons just lots of walking, running after grand children, cooking for 10 and travelling and socialising)....I eat out  allot, cook allot, and am still a foodie.  My life's interests, passions and pleasures have not changed.....I have and I am so greatful every day I made this decision but it wasn't easy and it is not an easy fix!

good luck to you....this forum can support you very well.....I live in a place where there WLS is not usual and people are quite reserved and they don't do groups or discussion so I felt this forum was my lifeline!

All the best

Joan (sorry for the length of this!)

That was the best advice! Right on the money!

Tic Tacs and Popsicles were lifesavers right after surgery... Tic Tacs helped with the nausea, I just bit them and let them melt in my mouth, and the SF Popsicles because it was cold, refreshing and solid. :)

I had no need for miralax/colace until 7 months out.

I plateaued after the first week and it lasted 3 1/2 weeks. Don't freak out, it happens. I lost more weight the second and third month.

Even though I did really well in the stages the last transition to 'real food' especially meat took time. Important - small bites-chew well and make sure it is moist with some kind of broth or sauce. The Crockpot can be helpful, as well as eating chicken thighs not breasts. Easier to digest.

I am a weigh myself everyday person. For me that works, just can't get crazy over every fluctuation. I only record my weight once a week (Wednesday, the day I had surgery)... I also record it on my monthly surgiversary -the 23rd, and I record it the day I see the Doctor. That way I can see the trends, weekly, monthly and since I last saw the Doc.

Thank you all for the amazing tips!  I know it is my journey, but it feels kinda like your first pregnancy, you have no idea what to expect, but know the outcome will be amazing.  I'm mostly nervous about the protein intake, I have really been struggling with finding a liquid protein I can stomach.  I have never liked any of them, even when over the years I was trying many different diets.  Getting them past my gag reflex has been a tough one and it's just the pre-op diet!