To me it means your golden year is your best time frame for weight loss. Weight loss surgery restriction is fantastic in your first months. Your surgery restriction will become less over time and weight loss slows down.
“Taking advantage” means don’t waste this time frame. Follow your surgeons’ plan/instructions. Log your food, hit your calories and macro goals for the day, hydrate, exercise/activity and make behavior changes for the long term.
We cannot control the “luck factor” Sex, age, medical issues, medications, complications, hormones and body physiology. What you can control is “working your plan” Decide how lax or strict you want to work this. Decide what you want out of your first year.