Do you have all four legs of your chair on the floor?

Last night I held a local Grads Group Get Together. It's directed towards those who have had their surgery a year or more ago. 

As we were talking, I mentioned that I think that there are four major components to long-term success and that without all of them, We end up in a precarious position that can cause us to falter; just like when you have a weak leg on a chair. I think that the four legs of success are: 

Accountability

Exercise

Support

Pouch

Acountability varies for each of us. Some like to post what they eat in a public venue. Personally, I weigh every day. If I noticed an upward trend, I know that I need to get more 'accountable' about what I'm putting in my mouth, so I start logging what I'm eating. Seeing my weight on a daily basis allows me to really keep a close eye on my weight. Unfortunately, even though I no longer wear elastic waist anything, I can't rely on my clothes to alert me if I've gained 5 lbs, so I hit the scales.

Exercise is crucial to our long term succesa and health. Some go the gym, some run, some take classes... I wear a pedometer and if I don't have 10K on it, I know I have to get my tail out and move it. 

Support has been found to be essential to long-term success in a number of studies.  I think that OH has been a pivotal support mechanism for me, but I have found the need to connect with others in person as well. That's why I started our local support group and why I have expanded beyond the general meetings to include special interest groups. 

Surgery and the pouch has given us the tool we need to strip off the excess weight as well as an effective tool to help us keep it off if we learn to use it. Initally, it seems that we have to wrestle with our pouches as we learn to adjust to them, but with time they ease up on us and we learn to work with them. As we move past the initial weight loss, we need to learn to USE the pouch to continue to reap the long-term benefits that it offers to help us maintain the weight loss and incredible quality of life improvements.

So... Do you have all four legs of your 'chair' on the floor to ensure that you can not only lose the weight, but keep it off long term?