First of all, I want to thank all of you who faithfully read my weekly blogs. Some of you I have known for many years and others I am just getting to know.
We are all at a different stage in the bariatric journey. Not all of us are at that same place this very moment. And that’s what I want to discuss today.
What happens when you are 5 years or 10 years post bariatric surgery? Is it over? What changes? What is different from that first year after surgery?
I feel like I am an authority on this topic because I work with clients who are at every different stage. I meet you before you have surgery and we discuss the pre.op diet and surgery itinerary. I see you cruise through your first year. I see your weight loss stalls and plateaus. I hear your cries when you are frustrated that the scale is not moving and I get to celebrate with you when you reach your goals.
Limbo – there is a place where a lot of us are in limbo. We haven’t met our weight loss goals and we have become complacent. We may have got close but then we experienced a regain. There might have been a job loss or a death in the family or work stress? The reason doesn’t matter. Sometimes life gets in the way of us reaching goals.
Does that mean that it’s over? Does that mean that our tool no longer works? What gives?
I am here to tell you that your tool does still work. Your tool is still intact. It isn’t broken. What is broken is our commitment to ourselves.
When this occurs, we need to dig a bit deeper and work a bit hard and go back to the basics. We need to ditch the sugar and starches. We need to start moving our bodies again and get active. We need to recommit to ourselves.
So how can we do this? I often receive messages, calls, and emails from clients who are in this exact situation. This is what I tell them…
First of all, you’ve got this. You are a champion and you lost a whole lot of weight. You just need to get focused and follow this advice.
- Pick your “re-commitment date”.
- Make your food plan.
- Food prep for the first week.
- Weigh yourself.
- Take pics.
- Take measurements.
- Get our your water bottle and dust it off.
- Remove all the refined and processed carbs from your fridge and pantry.
- Set your bedroom up for some good quality sleep. Darken the room and lower the temperature.
- Get ready to move again – put your physical plan into action. Walk or jog or strength train or garden or stretch.
- Get back into your favorite bariatric forum or FB group. Let them know that you are back.
- Be accountable.
If this is you, (I am pointing my finger at you) then that’s okay. If you want to reach out to me and tell me about it, I am here to cheer you on.
Limbo – don’t agree to live in this place, please. Sure, you lost a lot of weight, but did you reach your ultimate goal? Sure, you may have reached your goal, but did you have a regain? Why become complacent at this point? You promised yourself never to go back to where you started from when you made the decision to have weight loss surgery. So what gives? Why did your motivation give up on you? I didn’t give up on you so I don’t expect you to ever give up on yourself.
If you never reached your goals, and you are happy where you are, then I salute you and that is terrific and this specific blog is not for you BUT, if you are one of the thousands who came and “almost” conquered then the time is NOW to get back on your weight loss horse. Giddy Up!
Guys “limbo” happens to the best of us. Doesn’t mean that we are weak or bad or wrong. It just happens sometimes.
Don’t beat yourself up. Dust yourself off and get back in the game again. This is YOUR game, your rules. Make it great!
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