The question comes to me in different forms, and the meaning is pretty much all the same. The essence of that question is, “How do I keep myself motivated after all these years?” My answer is typically either:The question comes to me in different forms, and the meaning is pretty much all the same. The essence of that question is, “How do I keep myself motivated after all these years?” My answer is typically either:
Or
These are quick summations of how I do it. As you all know, it is much more complicated than that. Let’s look at me, my journey over the past 15 years and what I do. Then I suggest you look at where you are in your journey and what you do.
To begin we need the definition of motivation:
So here goes, straight from the mouth of Google -
Noun
The reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. "Escape can be a strong motivation for travel"
The general desire or willingness of someone to do something. "Keep staff up to date and maintain interest and motivation"
What if you changed those examples to “Health can be a strong motivation for following the WLS rules” and “keep myself up to date to maintain my interest and motivation”. This journey is about each of us as individuals after all, right?
I’m going to quickly go back 15 years to my initial motivation for choosing weight loss surgery. I was in my doc’s office and the PA took my blood pressure on one arm, then on the other arm, then went and got the doc. The doc took my BP again and told me we needed to do something about it, NOW! - today before I went home, and then going forward, to keep it in a reasonable range. She medicated me in the office, took my BP at 15 minute intervals and then finally sent me home with a prescription for blood pressure meds. This literally scared me into considering weight loss surgery for the first time in my 55 years on this planet. MOTIVATION - YOU BET!
Then I went to an introductory seminar offered by my local bariatric surgeon. I tried very hard NOT to be impressed, NOT to be sold, but when I saw the dramatic transformations - both physically and mentally of some patients I made an appointment to see the surgeon. - MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION and SUPPORT.
These very same patients were attending my doc’s support group meetings so I went, dragging my husband with me for the first 3 months so I wouldn’t be alone and feel so out of place. What did I get at these meetings? I got a sense of family, of belonging to others who understood me and where I was coming from and I got to hear firsthand the good, the bad and the ugly. I could do this is what I thought. I am ready to do this, willing to make these changes and wanting to reclaim my life. - MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION and SUPPORT.
Over the next couple of years, I became those patients - the ones sharing their stories and their transformations with others at both introductory seminars and support groups. I LOVED paying it forward because I got to see folks awaken to the possibilities of living a new and different and healthy life, free from the burdens of their obesity as well as having a place and means to keep myself accountable since I was putting myself out there. - MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION and SUPPORT.
After a number of years, the support groups became a place for me to share and learn and listen to others complain and share how they learned to eat around their surgeries. This was not for me, so I decided to reach out to a larger audience on the Internet to share, inspire, and support others to keep this going forward. This resulted in reaching thousands of new folks, and finally developed into my being trained and certified as a bariatric educator and coach. There is a lot of history that continues during those years, but simply stated I NEVER FORGOT where I started, nor will I ever forget the hard work it takes to keep me where I am today. I celebrate my accomplishments and share my challenges with all of you on line, here and of course on Facebook in many of the groups that are out there for support. - MOTIVATION.
The courses and Facebook groups I facilitate were developed with all of you in mind - places to not only receive non-judgmental motivation, inspiration and support, but also a place to learn and be coached in how to make the WLS rules fit into your personal lifestyle. It seems that when we allow life to intervene is when we hit a plateau or, oh no, face regain. Life will always be there trying to throw wrenches into the works of your journey IF you allow it to. I succeed in not allowing it to most of the time because I have learned over the years where to get the help, support, motivation and inspiration I need to continue… to get up every Monday - Friday and get my rear to the gym, to plan and prep my meals for the week on the weekends and to LIVE my life, not let my life direct me.
It’s about choices. It’s always been about choices and it will always be about choices. That much I am 100% sure of. I choose to sit in the driver’s seat of my life and direct it where I want it to go. Before WLS and the ability to control food instead of allowing food to control me I was just letting life happen, without controlling me, my responses to it – I have learned that I can control my fitness and my food choices as well as who I consider friends and associates. With all of these and my mental and physical health, I live my best life. At 70 I must say it’s a pretty great life.
I do have to thank my greatest supporter, my biggest fan and cheerleader who was with me from day 1 and has lived through my fears, my tears, my angst, my misplaced anger, and remained steadfast in his responses to me which are: “Whatever You Need I AM There To Help YOU”. This unconditional love and support comes from my soul mate, my lover, my best friend, and the man I have been married to for 51 years today, April 4th, 2019. Thank you Chuck, I love you.
Where do you get your motivation, support and inspiration from?