NORTH WEST WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY SUPPORT GROUP

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Don't Give Up on Yourself!
February 20, 2009 12:20 am
Greetings everyone.   My support group meeting was last night. I had expected 7 people, who had let me know they were coming. One person called letting me know she was very ill. I heard from one other person last night who left a message that she couldn’t come. She also sent an e-mail saying, “Don’t give up on me.?
No, like Abba, Father, our Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Who is His Son, I will never give up on her. But, will she give up on herself? 

I arrived at 6:00 p.m. The support group meeting was to start at 7:00 p.m. Finally, around 8:00 p.m. after being there for 2 hours alone, reading the current OH magazine and gaining such valuable information from it, I cleared off the white board. I cleared off the chalk board. I put all my stuff I’d brought into my box, closed down the heat, turned off the lights, picked up all my signs, and preceded to commence to drive home not that happy. Then, as I was turning onto the street, along came one, solitary car with one occupant, heading to this meeting. I turned around, re-opened the room and I commenced working with her, giving her the valuable instruction on “Let’s Talk Protein.?

First, I asked her to read what was on a singular page of instruction on protein, which I’d retrieved from our Leader Board with OH. Silently, we both read it. I asked her what, what she read, meant. She didn’t know. Well, until 5:00 p.m., I hadn’t known either. Isn’t it amazing how we can read things and not understand them? Here I’d been working all day putting my program together. In fact, I’ve been concentrating on this subject for way over 4 years thinking I understand what I’m learning, but learning that my understanding is only according to my current awareness. Then, the words of beautiful instruction showed forth from the writing about protein on that singular piece of paper. We examined the protein containers I brought in. We found which container was the preferred container for folks who are maintaining their weight and which was the correct product for those who still want to lose weight. OK. Good for so far.

Then, I commenced the instruction of assisting her become her own best advocate, knowing how to do simple math (multiplication and division of really simple numbers), helping her gain great clarity about the following.

(1)     Learning how to calculate with understanding how much protein she must consume daily based upon her current body weight in order not to waste her muscles, have her hair fall out, or have other bad things happen to her, like death;

(2)     Learning how to calculate with understanding the amount of protein she must consume if she wants to continue to lose weight as well as the best resources for her.

(3)     Learning how to calculate with understanding the precise amount of protein she must consume to maintain her weight with health for her brain, her body, her mind, and her internal organs. Prayer will take care of her spirit. Knowing how to use her tool, learning to eat and drink for health is up to her.

(4)     Learning why she must add exercise into her daily schedule.

(5)     Learning how often she must eat for health.

(6)     Learning how to refute the poor or just plain unhealthy information floating around professional resources available to all of us.

Grumbling but with good humor, she got out her calculator. She fumbled with it, wanting to put it away and relying on me with my two masters degrees in finance and economics besides all the instruction and training I’ve received from ObesityHelp.com to do all the work. But, with encouragement and humor, she got over her fear and began to learn how to use her tool provided her back in 1985. However, this was a stapling procedure of some type. But that doctor who did the surgery is dead. She thinks she can’t find out anything about her surgery because he is dead. She had a revision procedure in 2002; yet, that unknown and not understood revision was from a doctor who is a great surgeon but doesn’t understand that we are what we eat. I had the same surgeon and he did a great job in the surgery room providing for me a tool. She’s not been able to get any helpful information from him either.   He leaves it up to us to figure out how to use our tool: that is not his concern. 

2 ½ hours after she arrived, we closed the teaching down. She walked out with great buoyancy and understanding of precisely what she needs to do. She walked out with great understanding and motivation. She walked out knowing precisely her best protein sources. She is a winner! Likewise, I learned a lot about protein, learned a lot of what I thought I knew and understood, and didn’t understand. I now know differently.

I know what I have to give to others is very valuable and will really help each and everyone who has had weight loss surgery or is contemplating it. But, if no one shows up, who will know? I’m glad she arrived when she did. Otherwise, she would not have benefited. I would not have benefited either.

So, dear reader, I ask you, will you give up on yourself? You had your weight loss surgery to help you; yet, are you continuing to operate in old patterns? Support group meetings are a bother aren’t they?   Nothing much happens there, right?
 
For myself, I will be approaching the other support groups seeking to find an audience who will want to learn what I’ve been learning. My health speaks volumes for what I am doing. Now, with the greater understanding I’ve gained through the teachings and interactions on Saturday mornings as well as my preparation and teaching last night, my health can do nothing but become even greater and I’m going on 72. I do know that my own health is worth the effort to understand and present the best of what I’ve learned about this weight loss surgery tool to others, because I benefit as well. But, an empty room can be so deflating.
 
Blessings, Christine Gibson
The light of the eyes of him whose heart is joyful rejoices the heart of others, and good news nourishes the bones.  Proverbs 15:30
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