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Yesterday we had a call from a client that is going to take their doctor’s advice for weight loss surgery (WLS).  Now this sweet lady had started with us and then had many family emergencies that took her away from support and kept her off her program.   She didn’t use us as a lifeline of support by either taking calls or returning them.  On top of that, this same doctor had told her not to go onto the full program. This hampered her full nutrition and energy sources on the plan.  Her doctor told her she was concerned that the rapid weight loss would hurt her.  Now that same doctor is recommending surgery.  As I see it WE NEED A HERO! No not me, I can’t make her choices for her.  Not that I would even want to.

I have practically given up on expecting the hero to be the doctors and medical practitioners.  I am more convinced each day that there are a special few that really want to help people do anything but be treated by their clinic or specialty for the rest of their life.  Heck I even sat down with a local hospital person that told us in private she thought WLS was the worst choice and yet she runs the clinic.  No hero’s available?  I don’t know but they are hard to find.

The only place I can count on finding a hero is in the individual (or in you as you read this).  That’s right! The hero is in you.   Now before  you write this article off as another bashing weight loss surgery article, keep reading.  I am not against WLS in extreme cases where it really is the last resort.  I personally came very close to at least talking about it with a doctor.  I believe it to be the only choice when people have to be forced to eat less rather than taught how to deal with their cravings and eating habits.  It is a last resort to save lives in my personal opinion.  But I digress a bit.

In you there is the ability to ask your doctor some honest and insightful questions. Doesn’t sound heroic?  Well guess what most of you just trust your doctors.  You find it difficult to challenge their opinion and just take it as the absolute truth.  You won’t take the time to do your research and ask the right questions.  I think you have to dig deeper to find it within your self to challenge your doctor. You have to fly heroically to find different opinions and get the pros and cons.  You have to be willing to face the obstacles that are put into place to keep you from making an informed decision.  In the case of the example client all she had to do is ask one question (something very hard for her personality):  Why is weight loss surgery better than a restricted calorie diet?  Both restrict calories – One permanently.  Why would you tell me it was harmful and then recommend it to me?

This could lead to more courage and more questions like.  What are the long term effects of both?  Will I still have to watch what I eat and exercise to maintain my ongoing weight loss?  How much weight loss can I expect after surgery?  How does it really work?  Explain malabsorbtion to me.  Do patients after weight loss surgery still have to apply portion control and watch what type of foods they eat?  Will I ever be able to eat like I do now that got me into this condition?  See, when armed and informed she would be able to make that heroic effort.  And perhaps the most important question is:  Will I be able to maintain my weight loss without special eating conditions when I have finished loosing the weight?

I went to an all day seminar here in Boise for all the weight loss surgery folks.  Here are the basics of what I learned.  WLS patients still have to practice the “habits of health”.  They still have to learn disciplined eating and exercise habits.  Their weight loss is no faster than the average weight loss many of my clients and other coaches experience and sometimes even less.  The overall cost of the surgery for the pounds lost is much more.  And last but not least is the fact that it is surgery, and there are associated risks.  My overall opinion was why would I screw up my plumbing for something I would have to do anyway on any other weight loss program?   The only answer I could come up with was I would have to make an effort to do it on my own before I gave the control over to the surgeons.  I would have to dig deep to stick to it and make it happen.  At least then I would still have my body the way it was designed to work and function and I would be able to make my choices based on the results I wanted, not what the newly rewired plumbing could deal with.  Little did I know how much easier it was to do with the right support and planning.

Yes we need Hero’s, people willing to face the questions and make the right decisions for them.  You see when it is all said and done, weight loss surgery or dieting, still require the basic fact that food is fuel, not a replacement for comfort or to satisfy a need or quiet a stress.  Too much fuel and you will still have a problem with either choice.  Are you heroic enough to take a look for the answer to your weight issues within yourself?   We help people loose weight every day, but every day those wonderfully heroic people are the ones doing the work and making the effort to stay on track.  We are just part of the crowd to lift them up and keep them flying.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I had to clear some feelings about how I felt about the issues mentioned in this post because each of my clients are important to me.  I needed to vent a bit.  You see I am like the little boy walking the beach filled with starfish dying in the hot sun.  Picking up one at a time and putting them back into the life refreshing ocean.  Someone comes by and says why do you do this?  It can’t possibly make a difference with all those starfish beached here.  The little boy tosses one more back into the ocean and says:  “It made a difference to that one!” Perhaps today this post will reach just one more person that needed to be reminded “There is a hero within you!”

More From CoachRick

• How to handle disappointment — Weight Loss or otherwise!
• Weight Loss and how it can change your life.
• Weight Loss and Why Your Doctor may never help you.