I get it now; there is no prescription
I was looking for a prescription, not a drug, but a prescription from someone else which would help me. I need to lose weight and regain my overall health.
I registered for and completed boot-camp type programs at some great facilities, but I did not maintain my success. I have paid thousands to various personal trainers over a dozen years, and have not had long-term success. I have gotten advice from physicians about the need to eat less and move more--I know/knew this intellectually already. I've had friends offer me incentives such as reward trips if I accomplish a given goal. I've even been given exercise equipment by friends in an effort to help.
Regardless of the methods, the sources or the intentions of those who counseled, I never met the expectations I had for myself. Their ideas and advice wasn't working for me. Their prescription for improving my health wasn't working. I even tried to double the dose of their prescriptions, but my body and lifestyle had built up a resistance to their Rx. Damn it anyway!
In my most recent work with a personal trainer, this past fall, I faithfully showed up to follow her routine. She was one trainer among half-a-dozen I have contracted with over the years. This lovely and caring woman knew how to transform me, and I needed her to do it. I needed her prescription for my better health. She was inspiring, encouraging and genuinely wanted me to get healthier. Not only did I want to succeed, I didn't want to let her down; that was part of my motivation. She had a prescription for me to lose weight, and improve my overall health. While it was an expensive commitment for me to maintain, I boldly decided that price was no object when it comes to my health and my ability to live to see my grandchildren.
During my stint with this sixth personal trainer, I felt motivated to move, and move properly. I got the expensive heart rate monitor I needed to keep my activity in 'the zone'; I paid for an extensive metabolic test and analysis to fine tune the exercise and caloric plan just for me. The test, the HR monitor and watch, her guidance and instruction were all part of the prescription I wanted. I got the prescription, but it didn't work, again.
This is when I realized there isn't a prescription. None of these caregivers around me had the right compound to fix my dilemma. I realized that I looked to the trainers for a to-do list that I could follow to make everything better. I looked to the doctor for medical guidance that would make everything better. I chased the incentive from my friends to make things better. I had to do something myself. Trite, I know, but there isn't a prescription. I get it now, there is no prescription.
No one has anything to cure my ills. I found myself looking to my trainer like a naive student waiting to be told what to do next. After all, this is what I paid her for, to tell me what to do. I wouldn't move unless she told me to. I wouldn't show up at the club, if I didn't have an appointment. Similarly, I wouldn't do anything that the doctor didn't specifically tell me to do. I waited to be told what to do next that would cure my ills. I waited for my friends to check in on me to tell me what to do so that I could achieve the great incentive trip to Antarctica. I wouldn't move until he told me what to do.
There isn't a prescription. There isn't anything that anyone can do for me or to me that will make me change. I get that now. I understand now that I have to get up and do something all by myself. I understand that the personal trainer can't tell me what will work--because none of it works if I don't do it myself. My friend who offered me the trip of a lifetime is going to keep riding his bike further and faster and won't wait for me, but will help me catch up to him--he just can't pedal his bike and my bike at the same time.
I did research on my own to find the OH boards; I found a physician on my own; I forced myself to the first morning coffee session at Panera. I am not looking for a prescription, but instead I am taking the steps to cure myself. I am using the instruction from my trainer on how to move correctly; I am using the guidance of my physicians to inform my nutritional choices; I am joining my friends in their bike races, rather than waiting for them to pedal for me; I am using the OH community to reassure me that this can be done. And, I'm using the Saturday coffees as a way to make sure that I don't forget all of the above.
Goddamn it! I always thought there was a prescription someone could give me, but 4 months ago I figured it out, there isn't one. I've got all the right ingredients to cure myself. WLS is one ingredient, but there are so many other ingredients that are needed, none more important than the other. Friends, trainers, the OH boards, Saturday coffees--they all work in combination like a miracle drug. Independently, none of them work, I have proved that.
If you've read this and agree that you had been looking to get a prescription from someone else to help you achieve your health goals, you'll agree there isn't a prescription from someone else. You have to accept the ingredients that you already have, just as I have, and make your potion and take it every day. Medicine doesn't taste good, but it's not supposed to. It's how you feel after taking your medicine that we're all working towards. Swallow your metaphorical potion for good health and you'll feel better; stop taking the potion and you'll feel like crap again.
I have to go now to take my potion so I can catch up to my friend on his bike, because I want to go on that trip and I want to live to see my grandkids. That's my prescription.
Dan
I registered for and completed boot-camp type programs at some great facilities, but I did not maintain my success. I have paid thousands to various personal trainers over a dozen years, and have not had long-term success. I have gotten advice from physicians about the need to eat less and move more--I know/knew this intellectually already. I've had friends offer me incentives such as reward trips if I accomplish a given goal. I've even been given exercise equipment by friends in an effort to help.
Regardless of the methods, the sources or the intentions of those who counseled, I never met the expectations I had for myself. Their ideas and advice wasn't working for me. Their prescription for improving my health wasn't working. I even tried to double the dose of their prescriptions, but my body and lifestyle had built up a resistance to their Rx. Damn it anyway!
In my most recent work with a personal trainer, this past fall, I faithfully showed up to follow her routine. She was one trainer among half-a-dozen I have contracted with over the years. This lovely and caring woman knew how to transform me, and I needed her to do it. I needed her prescription for my better health. She was inspiring, encouraging and genuinely wanted me to get healthier. Not only did I want to succeed, I didn't want to let her down; that was part of my motivation. She had a prescription for me to lose weight, and improve my overall health. While it was an expensive commitment for me to maintain, I boldly decided that price was no object when it comes to my health and my ability to live to see my grandchildren.
During my stint with this sixth personal trainer, I felt motivated to move, and move properly. I got the expensive heart rate monitor I needed to keep my activity in 'the zone'; I paid for an extensive metabolic test and analysis to fine tune the exercise and caloric plan just for me. The test, the HR monitor and watch, her guidance and instruction were all part of the prescription I wanted. I got the prescription, but it didn't work, again.
This is when I realized there isn't a prescription. None of these caregivers around me had the right compound to fix my dilemma. I realized that I looked to the trainers for a to-do list that I could follow to make everything better. I looked to the doctor for medical guidance that would make everything better. I chased the incentive from my friends to make things better. I had to do something myself. Trite, I know, but there isn't a prescription. I get it now, there is no prescription.
No one has anything to cure my ills. I found myself looking to my trainer like a naive student waiting to be told what to do next. After all, this is what I paid her for, to tell me what to do. I wouldn't move unless she told me to. I wouldn't show up at the club, if I didn't have an appointment. Similarly, I wouldn't do anything that the doctor didn't specifically tell me to do. I waited to be told what to do next that would cure my ills. I waited for my friends to check in on me to tell me what to do so that I could achieve the great incentive trip to Antarctica. I wouldn't move until he told me what to do.
There isn't a prescription. There isn't anything that anyone can do for me or to me that will make me change. I get that now. I understand now that I have to get up and do something all by myself. I understand that the personal trainer can't tell me what will work--because none of it works if I don't do it myself. My friend who offered me the trip of a lifetime is going to keep riding his bike further and faster and won't wait for me, but will help me catch up to him--he just can't pedal his bike and my bike at the same time.
I did research on my own to find the OH boards; I found a physician on my own; I forced myself to the first morning coffee session at Panera. I am not looking for a prescription, but instead I am taking the steps to cure myself. I am using the instruction from my trainer on how to move correctly; I am using the guidance of my physicians to inform my nutritional choices; I am joining my friends in their bike races, rather than waiting for them to pedal for me; I am using the OH community to reassure me that this can be done. And, I'm using the Saturday coffees as a way to make sure that I don't forget all of the above.
Goddamn it! I always thought there was a prescription someone could give me, but 4 months ago I figured it out, there isn't one. I've got all the right ingredients to cure myself. WLS is one ingredient, but there are so many other ingredients that are needed, none more important than the other. Friends, trainers, the OH boards, Saturday coffees--they all work in combination like a miracle drug. Independently, none of them work, I have proved that.
If you've read this and agree that you had been looking to get a prescription from someone else to help you achieve your health goals, you'll agree there isn't a prescription from someone else. You have to accept the ingredients that you already have, just as I have, and make your potion and take it every day. Medicine doesn't taste good, but it's not supposed to. It's how you feel after taking your medicine that we're all working towards. Swallow your metaphorical potion for good health and you'll feel better; stop taking the potion and you'll feel like crap again.
I have to go now to take my potion so I can catch up to my friend on his bike, because I want to go on that trip and I want to live to see my grandkids. That's my prescription.
Dan
(deactivated member)
on 5/13/09 2:55 am - MN
on 5/13/09 2:55 am - MN
WOW Dan! How eloquently said! I'm so glad to have met you at Panera a few weeks ago, I had no idea I would be so inspired by you though! What a fantastic bonus!
I agree with you wholeheartedly - there is no prescription; however ill-fated though, I think I'm still in denial and still looking for one. The EASY WAY OUT! But there is NO easy way - this is hard, being fat is hard, being addicted to food is hard, avoiding buying the things that makes it difficult to lose the weight is hard....But you ARE RIGHT!!! I have the prescription within me and it's all up to me, every minute of every day, every choice I make is a decision to take my "potion" or not.
Thank you for pointing out the obvious to me - I needed to hear it!!!
P.S., I'm the one that sat across from you (long-curly hair) when the guy from your clinic, who's tried to do this 3 times before, came for the first time.
Good for you coming to this realization BEFORE surgery! I think you've got a solid foundation built with all this experience and knowledge behind you, and knowing you need things like Saturday coffee to keep that momentum going as a post-op.
You're going to be such a WLS success story, I can feel it!
You're going to be such a WLS success story, I can feel it!
Kristy (weight loss below does not include 16lbs lost during pre WLS diet)
START: 325 Day of Surgery :309 GOAL: 180
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