Steve Totah – How I Found My Voice After WLS
July 31, 2023How I Found My Voice After WLS: Being overweight all of my life came with a lot of baggage. Food was always my medicine when it came to depression, anxiety, and lack of confidence. Feeling like I was stuck was such a horrible feeling. Stuck with a job I didn’t like, but I was good at it. Stuck at this weight and no matter what I tried, I just couldn’t seem to lose it. Being in that bad headspace where I wouldn’t allow myself to be the person I wanted to be.
After lots of back and forth, I finally decided to move forward with weight loss surgery. With the shedding of the weight also came a new self-confidence and I finally found my voice that had been missing for so long. I finally felt like I could do whatever I wanted to do. I felt worthy, and I felt like I could be that leader I knew was buried deep down inside. That motivated me to finally leave the job I felt stuck at. I finally jumped outside my comfort zone and now I am a Program Manager with 26 direct reports. I have the respect of my team, my leadership, and my peers. I was active doing 5Ks, 10Ks, hikes, bike rides, doing HIIT classes, boot camp classes and other activities I really never would have done 155 pounds heavier.
Finding My Voice After WLS
As I continued to build my mind up, give myself that self-confidence and started to love myself, probably for the first time ever, I came to feel the need to help others. I wanted to share my experience with others and see where I could help them on their journey. I want people to know if you have your mind right, anything is possible. I realize that this is easier said than done, but just like everything in life, it takes work to get there. But once you are there, the skies the limit.
When I work out with our team at the gym, I am constantly helping and motivating others. I may not be the best at the gym, but I have that heart and I have that leadership skill where I can continue to motivate others to push through and be successful. I constantly find myself being drawn to those who need that help the most. I feel their energy and instantly want to help. I try to lead by example and show them that nobody is perfect. I still may indulge in comfort food at times, maybe alcohol at times, and other bad habits, but I keep it in moderation. I have to say there are days where you will feel like you are lost, and you feel like you can’t do anything right. Accept that day as a loss, but remember in the bigger picture.
If you had four bad days in a month, that means you had 26 or 27 good days. Take that as a victory and celebrate those victories.
I talk to a lot of people about setting themselves up for success. We all have goals, but I like to start with smaller goals, and celebrate those smaller goals, because if you set yourself up with a large goal that seems so big, it may not be achievable. Then you lose interest and lose motivation to achieve that goal. For example, if your goal is to lose 100 pounds, then let’s do this…set a small achievable goal to lose 10 pounds first. Once you reach that goal, celebrate and be proud of that success. At that point, set your next achievable goal. Keep doing that until you reach your ultimate goal, celebrating EVERY victory along the way. This will keep you interested, focused, and motivated to continue.
I repeat, celebrate ALL victories on this journey, no matter how small you may think it is. A win is a win. That is what helped me be more confident with myself, and also helped me help others along the way.
Social Media
I wanted to share my results for others to see my growth, so I found my voice after WLS on an Instagram page to show my progress. I also created a Facebook support page for others to help each other out. I have since let go of the Facebook Support page for the time being, since it didn’t have the lasting impact I hoped for. It is one of those things I need to re-evaluate and see what platform makes the most sense for me to help others. Maybe I will partner up with someone to make an even bigger impact. Time will tell.
My story is so much more than this, but I wanted to share with you this small part of my journey about how I found my voice after WLS to help motivate others. I look forward to seeing where I am drawn to next on my journey. I am always open to any type of discussions, so feel free to reach out. Looking forward to seeing my old friends and meeting new friends at the 2023 ObesityHelp National Conference on September 15th & 16th.
Connect with Steve: ObesityHelp, Facebook, Instagram
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Steve Totah underwent the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy in 2018 and has successfully lost 155 pounds. Currently, he dedicates his time to offering support and empowerment to individuals, guiding them in reclaiming their lives and accomplishing their own personal transformations. |
