Learn how to tell your story differently

kikkipoo

Today somebody told me to learn how to tell my story in a different way that shows the positive over the negative...thought it would be worth sharing in here. Sorry if this gets long.


The story I have been telling over and over again is of one where I didn't allow myself to take credit for my successes but I sure had to own the shame for all of my failure. You see, I was a fat kid my whole life. At 320 lbs and 23 years old I chose to have gastric bypass. Insert all of the "you cheated" or "you took the easy way out" comments here. I heard them all and believed them all.

Truth is weight loss is still calories in/calories out, and I ate less and moved more with my new tool. I lost 180 pounds. Fast forward from 2003 to 2014 I started gaining again. My tool was obviously still there but I was physically capable of outeating my calorie needs and my job was sedentary and I had had 2 more babies. I saw my weight go from 140 to 180. Now you can insert all of the harmful things I heard and/or told myself, "you wasted your one chance", "you blew it", "you're a bariatric failure".

Then I joined BB and got back down almost all of the way..before life happened again with a big move from California to Texas and a career change. I never got my eating and lifestyle back under control again for more than a couple of weeks at a time. I yo-yo'd all the way back to 240. 100 pounds heavier from my lowest.

Here's where the story I tell needs to change. I am not a failure. I worked hard for every pound lost and along the way I learned valuable information about nutrition, the metabolism, and the value of muscles and so much more. I am nearing 40 and I am still 80 pounds smaller than I was at 23. I have inspired people along the way, and I know today there is no such thing as an easy way out or cheating at this weight loss game, because it is not a game. I am doing nothing different today 16 years post weight loss surgery than anyone else who hasn't had bariatric surgery to keep the weight off and stay healthy. And whether I ever finally make it to my goal for my big 40th birthday or not, I no longer will lead with that when someone asks me how I lost all of the weight, because that 2 hours under the knife isn't the story behind all of the work I've done, pick me back ups I've endured, and countless hours spent logging calories, miles walked, or tears I've cried in 16 years.