Webster’s Dictionary defines the verb to hope as follows:  “to desire with expectation of obtainment”.

I don’t know about you, but that is how I went into this Weight Loss Surgery thing.  I had the desire to resolve my health issues by losing weight, using my Lap Band as a tool to reach my expectations.

Along the way, and it has been over 11 years, there were definitely periods of time when I thought that “it wasn’t working”.  Every time I felt that way, I remembered my WHY - WHY I choose to have Weight Loss Surgery in the first place.

Here are some of my reasons:

• To resolve my sudden high blood pressure
• To resolve my asthma
• To help my arthritis
• To be able to walk pain free
• To lose weight, look and feel better
• To LIVE my life and not die of a stroke, heart attack, or any of the other co-morbidities.

Do any of those reasons resonate with you?  I expect each of you can find at least one that is the same, or similar to yours.

Going back to these reasons helped me to push through any crisis of belief in myself and my ability to win this lifelong battle with obesity.  I know we all need to look forward to our goals, to have daily action plans in place to attain them, to have realistic goals and to set time frames to get there; but reality is, sometimes you do have to look back to be able to reach inside yourself, not get stuck in your head and your own negative thoughts and remember not only your WHY, but also to look at how far you’ve come.

• It may not be in the number of pounds you “want” to lose.
• It may not be getting rid of all of your health issues
• It may not be in the size you thought you “should” be wearing

However, it may be that your medical issue is now more easily controllable, you can do things you haven’t been able to do in years, although not EVERYTHING on your list yet.  It may be that you are definitely smaller in the size clothes you wear, and you are able to walk around pain free for longer periods of time. 

Take a moment and locate yourself in today, look back at where you started, and tell yourself - write it down, share with your friends, your significant others, your bariatric team, your support group.  Shout it out to the world.  Strengthen that belief in your decision to have had Weight Loss Surgery, and your ability to meet your goals, start planning today and tomorrow with a smile on your face, and HOPE in your heart.

That’s what I do every time the journey “gets me down”.  It’s usually not about the journey, it’s typically about me not feeling my own POWER.

Never give up, Never lose hope.  If you want to reach out for help getting back “in the game”, getting rid of that regain, kicking that plateau to the curb, energizing yourself and your body’s metabolism to begin losing, and to start feeling like you did shortly after surgery - that “ I CAN DO ANYTHING” feeling.  I suggest you find the time and the inclination to be educated through WLS Success Matters BACK ON TRACK 6 week series.  It works. 

I have been using these techniques for the past 11+ years and here I am losing weight once again- solidly in the 150’s when I began my journey at 424 pounds.

YOU ARE POSSIBLE!