I’m always telling you how investing in yourself will help you live your best life and how decluttering will help you, so I took my own advice.
I wanted to share with you earlier, but I wasn’t totally comfortable with all the changes I was experiencing so I kept it to myself. I wanted to sit with the changes and get comfortable with how I was changing. It’s been a year now, and now I feel like I’m in a really good place. I feel ready to share how I decided to go on this weight loss journey with you.
How It Began
For most of my adult life, I’ve been overweight.
I tried a lot of things to lose weight.
I worked out on my own.
I worked out with a trainer.
I did Weight Watchers, like 5 times, the diet from the Duke Center for Weight Loss, Nutrisystem, and even SlimFast…
I worked with nutritionists.
I worked with a positive eating coach.
Some of them worked – for a while but I couldn’t sustain them.
Nothing ever got me to a point where I was really healthy and I couldn’t maintain any of it.
My doctor suggested I try some of the weight loss drugs on the market, and I really wanted to be able to try them, but I have Graves disease (Thyroid autoimmune disorder) and my mom died of thyroid cancer and most of those medications are contraindicated for people with that kind of history.
I chose not to try them, the risk didn’t seem worth it.
In 2018 I started the process of preparing myself for weight loss surgery here in Israel. I dragged my feet because it didn’t feel that urgent, and things take time, but I ended up doing all the testing and appointments, except the final approval meetings for the surgery.
I was getting psyched up to get the surgery and then my mom got sick and all of a sudden it didn’t seem like a great time to get the surgery.
If I’m being totally honest, I was really scared to get surgery.
I also was embarrassed.
It felt like it was something I should be able to do on my own. (Clients always tell me they feel like decluttering is something they should be able to do on their own. Maybe it is, but there isn’t any shame in getting help if you need it!)
Bariatric surgery felt like a total cop-out.
I was also scared it might not work for me, or I may not be able to sustain the weight loss.
In any case, I pushed it off.
Big mistake!
In 2020, after my mom died I was in really bad shape.
Emotionally, I was worn out because of her death, the stress of Corona lockdowns, and the impact of Corona on my business.
That took a toll on me physically.
I was having blood sugar issues, blood pressure issues, my thyroid was off, I developed ulcerative colitis, and my cholesterol was crazy high.
And I was only 39.
I knew I needed a change, so I contacted my doctor, did all the tests again, met with the surgeon (actually on my 40th birthday!), went to the board meeting from my HMO for approval, and set a surgery date for November 2021.
I’m still not sure I did the right thing.
Before surgery, it’s difficult to understand how much you have to adapt and change after bariatric surgery.
For those of you thinking that gastric sleeve surgery is a cop-out or a silver bullet, let me assure you it isn’t.
Before the surgery, I lost 15 lbs by focusing on my protein intake and working out. It was really hard to work out in my unhealthy body, but I just walked for 50 minutes, every day!
I prioritized myself.
After the surgery, the work I did beforehand, focusing on protein and exercise, and making time for myself, helped speed up my recovery.
How It’s Going
Now, at least 4 days a week you can see me doing interval running around the hospital near my house in the afternoon. (I never thought I would be comfortable running again!)
I focus on my protein and water intake. It’s difficult some days, but I try to take the days I don’t reach my goals in stride. (I think being organized helps me do that!)
One of the things that have been most difficult for me, is understanding how my body fits into space, and how I look to others, and myself.
I’m still not sure if bariatric surgery was the best choice, or if I’ll be able to keep the weight off but… I know this, today, I don’t take medication for blood pressure or blood sugar issues, my thyroid disorder is in remission, and my cholesterol has improved significantly.
It took time.
The surgery was a jump start, I worked hard for the weight loss success I’ve had until now, and to continue to work hard to keep weight off.
Now, I not only have to be careful about what I eat but also how much I eat and drink.
Between eating and drinking, there is a waiting period. There is a 15-minute waiting period between drinking and eating and then after eating, a 30-minute waiting period before drinking is permitted.
Eat every 3 hours is key so I can reach my protein goals without stretching my stomach out.
No more fizzy drinks, alcohol, persimmon, or popcorn for me. I have to peel the membrane off from around the citrus fruit. I can’t eat whenever I want. I have to plan carefully.
I have to be disciplined (which is really hard for me regarding food!)
I gave things up, but I gained a lot.
That’s why I always say decluttering and being organized is like losing weight.
In order to move forward, you have to make room for a new way of doing things and let go of the things that aren’t making your life better. Plus, it takes time to do it in a healthy way!
It’s hard.
It takes time.
But it’s worth it.
I feel better, I look better, I’m healthier, and I’m stronger.
If you’d like to chat with me about the surgery, I’m happy to answer any of your questions.
I hope this story inspired you not to wait to get help until you’re in a really bad situation like I was.
The sooner you reach out for help, the easier it will be to make a real change in your life.
The first step is the hardest, but you can do it, and I’m here to help.
I’m ready to support you on your Journey to Organization, all you have to do is take the first step and reach out!