Do Your Thing!

As I stand in front of the pantry, staring at the items inside, I ask myself questions that I never used to ask myself.....Are you really hungry or are you upset, bored, overwhelmed, stressed? I shut the door and walk away, empty handed. YES! I am doing it!

I am beginning to not crave as much as I once did, but those old habits run deep. I didn't eat because I was hungry, I ate to stuff. I ate to suppress. Can anyone else relate? Anxiety was my biggest enemy, I got anxious, so I shoved something in my mouth. I found eating soothing. Now I am having to find a new way of life. Eating this way is really quite passive aggressive. You upset me, I eat my way through a bag of cookies instead of telling you that you hurt me. What is up with that????

I recently read an article about the divorce rate among post-ops. Now this particular article struck a cord with me. It was about how we should compromise and give reassurance to our partners, so that they can survive our weight loss and their own insecurities. It stressed how we become "selfish" after surgery. No offense, but shut up!

This time is a time of self exploration and is difficult. I personally don't find anything "selfish" about making time for yourself. Most weight loss surgery patients that I have met have never done that for themselves previously. Some of us need to seek professional help to deal with areas that we may feel need to be addressed after the weight goes away. And to say that any of those things are "selfish" is ridiculous. Do things you have never done before and love it. Yes, try to include your partner, but if they won't do it with you....does it that mean you still need to share a blood supply with the couch? No! Get out there and love life! Find friends who will do it with you, expand your circle and network, you will be amazed at the amount of smiles it puts on your face.

I know our families are important, so is mine! My youngest is 17 and I still drag her out of that cave she calls a bedroom and make her go do things with me every once in a while....lol If you have teenagers, then you will understand! But, I need time for me. I don't find that selfish. Don't let anyone tell you or make you feel that you are being that way for needing time to do your thing.

Really? There is balance with everything, but I think as mothers, sisters and daughters, we do plenty for others. Make sure you are doing plenty for yourself.