Spirituality and Weight Loss

The journey of weight loss is one that totally impacts your life. I thought when I first started out on the journey that there would be parts of my life that were compartmentalized that would not be effected or that there were areas that wouldn't be relevant to be effected, but I think I have been proven wrong. When you lose weight like this you gain perspective. It is almost like with each lb that you lose that you gain an oz of wisdom in an area of your life, your body, your path, your walk. For me this has been gradual in some areas and sudden in others. It has taken me almost 10 months to realize and for my brain to catch up and "see" that I am skinnier than I ever can remember and that girl looking back at me in the mirror is ME!!!! It did not take me long to realize what foods I could and cannot tolerate or what my taste buds love or does not enjoy. It has taken me some time to realize I can fit in a seat, get in between two objects, move behind people, and such but that is a slow process that is becoming easier. There have been sudden bursts of realizations such as no longer being a diabetic, having normal blood pressure, and breathing easier and then there have been surprises. I think one of the biggest surprises to me still to this day is my feet shrinking, but there are also surprises like embracing my faith.

Don't worry I'm not going to rant and soap box about faith, but I will say that WLS has had a huge impact on my faith. It has truly shown me that I can not do it all. That He provides intelligence, invention, and healers to come and take care of your body with diligence that is partially them and partially you. There were moments of "buyers remorse" and there have been moments of "really this again!" but at the end of the day this was part of my journey. Growing up I've worked through a number of things and it isn't a surprise for me to write about me going to a therapist. Through therapy I have learned a lot about myself and through my chosen career I have learned a lot about experience...human experience to be exact. I believe I was "chosen" to do the work I do and that every experience I have had, both good and bad, were put into my life path to teach me something. Now know that working through this wasn't easy and it is much easier for me to type this today then it would of been a decade ago, but through growth there is clarity. I have found that the good, the bad, and the ugly things, choices, and people I've encountered were preparing me for something in the "here and now" and helped me through a present situation. I might have never understood the reasons I went through something not perfect or good, but when I meet another human and "feel" what they feel and can "see" what they see through empathy and experience it makes the life lesson more real, more personal, more meaningful.

So where am I going with this? Here it is - my WLS was part of the path. There were good things that have come of it and there have been some struggles, trials, and things I've had to give up. There have been days when I want to eat my weight in ice cream or have a beer with friends, but I can't because I was led to make this choice. Through this choice I've learned about my own behavior, I have learned about others, and I've learned that my God is awesome and gave me such a gift just when I needed it rather than when I wanted it. I have learned so much about how people perceive others by morphing in front of people. I have learned so much about myself and about how I view others through morphing. I have learned that I am thankful for being given a gift and that I must use this gift wisely and honor it. I've never been a really religious person and it is something that I've often struggled with especially if you have known me through the years, but this too is a lesson. My faith is growing and it is an interesting journey to have at this particular time in my life, but it is all in a plan that is bigger than me...much bigger than me.

Here is a quote I found and love:

“Another way to see it: at any point in your career, you’ll usually be choosing between one path that is safer & one path that has the potential to feel more meaningful to you, between one path that is certain & one that offers more of a chance for a sense of purpose & heroism. It’s hard to be a hero if there’s no risk involved. A good way to think about ‘living a meaningful life,’ to a first approximation, is ‘making a difference in the lives of people you care about."