Structure your day in ways that make it impossible for you to snack during your day. Enlist your family and your coworkers to help you succeed. For example, shop only once a week at a large grocery store, and do that after you have recently eaten. For fresh fruits and vegetables go to a produce stand – someplace where there are no chips, no ice cream, no forbidden foods.

One of the best predictors of how people do with these operations is their employment history. Return to your work as early as possible, even if it is only part-time. If you have been on disability, get off of it; if you do not need to work for economic reasons, become involved in a volunteer organization that is important to you. If possible, extend your hours or take an extra job. Look for jobs that keep you away from food; avoid those that give you easy access to food.

This is one of the other best predictors of a successful outcome. Exercise, exercise, and exercise. Water sports are best, walking is good, exercise bikes, aerobics, and weight lifting, are all beneficial. Park your car in back lots, far away from the office; take the stairs; grow your own vegetables; get a dog that needs lots of exercise. Be creative, and build this into your schedule.

It turns out that one of the predictors of how well patients do after an operation is how much TV they watch. The less TV, the greater the weight loss tends to be.