Other things I wished I known:
That I would be flattened with exhaustion in the first 3-6 weeks.
That constipation during the full liquid and pureed food stages would be a real issue and not to snooze on doing what needs to be done to keep things moving.
That once my tummy healed getting enough water in wouldn't be so hard. Sure, I can't pound a glass of water, but also don't have to take tiny baby sips anymore. I can get water in with normal size sips which add up easily as long as I keep a glass nearby.
That starting my vitamins would not make me throw up. I was really freaked out about this and waited longer than I needed to.
That following my program's diet wouldn't be as hard as I thought. I have had a few tough moments, but it really hasn't been that hard and is waaaaay easier than all the other diets I've been on before VSG.
That I wouldn't be losing 7-9 pounds every week. Intellectually I knew this, but I secretly held out hope that the big losses would continue after the first two weeks. I am losing consistently, but it's much slower than those first couple weeks. typically it's around 1.5 pounds, with 3-4 pounds a week every now and again for a big loss. Also, if have a big loss like that I can count on the next week having no loss, or only seeing a tiny loss of just a few ounces. Again, this is stuff I "knew" but a part of me still had some unrealistic hope that I would have "my 600 pound life" sized losses.
How much joy taking walks again would bring me. Before surgery, walking was painful and I'd forgotten how much I liked it. I've lost enough weight now that there is no pain with movement, just the joy of being outdoors and feeling my body do what I'm asking of it without a problem.
that I didn't need to worry about going into a depressive slump after surgery. this, along with throwing up, was my biggest fear - that the surgery plus the change in diet would cause me to feel down or even depressed. The opposite has been true, experiencing increased physical comfort, range of motion, and physical ability has been enlivening and I have found my mood to be more stable.