Find Your Passions In Life And Live Them!
September 11, 2013Get A Life!
Usually when someone says to “get a life” it is meant in a derogatory manner. For our purposes as WLS patients, it means that we are reinventing our lives after our surgery. Before surgery, most of us spent considerable time thinking about what we were going to eat, what we wanted to eat, what we did eat and feeling guilty about it, thinking about eating, planning, food shopping, considering what we were going to eat next (even before we were finished with our current meal) and having a general preoccupation with food. Since surgery, that preoccupation is greatly diminished. Now what?
The space of time we have been given due to our freedom from the confines of food is important to recognize. For many of us, boredom can be a trigger to graze. It is important for us to get a life by filling our life.
We have families, friends, careers, homes to maintain, community and church commitments and other roles in our lives. The surgery gives us an opportunity to replace the interest we had in food and pass our time with other things. If we do not replace our previous preoccupation with food with some other interest, there is a good possibility we will return to filling that time with food again. So as WLS patients, we need to get a life!
Here are some “how to’s” so you can get a life:
→ What do you like to do? Make a list of hobbies that you currently enjoy. Reflect back on other times in your life that you’ve wanted to try something but didn’t — now you can. Take on a new interest and give it a try.
→ Make a list of causes you feel passionate about. This could be anything from a local, state or national issue, animal rights, childhood obesity or charity work you become involved with.
→ Is there an athlete inside of you? Find out by picking a goal such as participating in a 5k or even a marathon. Become immersed in preparation and training for your big event. Play a sport or join a sports team. You’ll combine fun and fitness.
→ Write a book. Are you an expert in a particular area? Do you have a special story about your life? If you have a book that is inside of you write an e-book. Share what you know through a book (and earn money too!).
→ Bring out your creative side. Do you enjoy floral design, crocheting or knitting, counted cross-stitch, watercolor or oil painting, cooking a certain cuisine or WLS-friendly recipes or whatever interests get your creative juices flowing — dive in and enjoy on a regular basis.
→ Spend your time on OH. Whether you are pre-op, post-op or a support member, you can make OH your online home. Getting to know other OH members and developing online friendships is rewarding. Create your own OH Group to provide support or connect with other members that share a similar interest as you.
→ Volunteer your time. Spend your time giving to others. You can volunteer at a local hospital, animal shelter or Humane Society, read to children at a nearby school or become a coach for a youth sports team.
→ Take a class or lessons. You can learn about something new that sounds interesting. Think outside the box for exciting, fun classes to take. Check out a local adult learning center, recreational center, community college extension courses, singing lessons, piano lessons or home improvement seminars. Have fun and create a new hobby.
You have an opportunity to reinvent yourself and your life. Do the things you’ve always wanted to do; do the things you never thought possible; and create a life that is full of your interests, passions and that reflects who you are.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cathy Wilson, PCC, BCC, had RNY surgery in 2001 and lost 147 pounds. Cathy is a regular contributor to the OH Blog and authored the "Mind Matters" column in ObesityHelp Magazine. Cathy is a licensed pilot and loves flying. She is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC).Read more articles by Cathy! |
