A letter to you:

You Matter:

Dear You, 
First of all - you really matter.  

Like REALLY matter, no matter what! 
I know it can feel hopeless at times, like you have totally ruined the gift that bariatric surgery was supposed to be.

You are living with all the stress and responsibility and triggers of every day.  Along with feeling guilty or ashamed about not eating right or gaining weight.
My guess is much of your brain space is spent planning for and caring for others.  
This is why I want you to pause - to consider yourself, and really take in just how much you matter to the world.  

It's time to take care of you. 

I know you've heard it before, "you can't care for others if you're not first caring for yourself".  I agree, but I think there's more.  

YOU matter because you are here!  Not just for what you can do for others. YOU are a valuable person and part of the world simply because you have been created and are here. 

So how does this all connect with trying to reverse weight regain years after surgery?  

Because I've heard so many clients and followers tell me they feel guilty about wanting to lose 15 or 20 or 45 pounds.

Or they feel guilty that they even gained any weight after surgery, weighed down by shame over every pound above their goal weight. 

 It’s as if what everyone else thinks of your body, matters more than you - you are more worried about your surgeon’s opinion of your weight than worried about yourself, or a family reunion causes so much anxiety because cousin Jane will see you’ve gained weight, when she knows nothing else about what’s going on for you.

I know that the idea of weight and a number on the scale is fraught with so much meaning.  It carries so much weight and pressure that our identity is/becomes that number

Some feel shame over the number.

Others feel guilty for feeling shame over that number. 

We think, "the weight on a scale shouldn't matter." 

We wonder, "why do we let that one tiny machine and those 3 digits can control so much of our lives and thoughts?" 

But I also know that the shame and guilt and physical affect of that weight can then impact every other facet of life and self.   You may find you’re not as social as you once were, or there’s less intimacy between you and your partner, or you feel like you’re watching your kids from the sidelines instead of interacting in their childhood.

I want so much for you to feel free from constant worry and constant head games about 

what to eat

why did you eat

if you should eat 

what should you eat 

why did I do this to myself

why didn't I do this for myself 

is it worth trying to do something different ?

                                  on and on it goes.  

Taking care of you is important, not just so you can care for others - but so that you can feel free and present and see more joy in the day to day because your brain is clearer and your heart is open.

You see it's not just about food, the scale, being a 'bari success', or the physical appearance. It's about you enjoying and living this ‘one wild and precious life’. 

Doing the things that matter just for you! 

So what does that look like?  What do you dream of?  What's getting in your way?
My clients and I work together NOT to make sure they meet all the numbers but to make sure they find themselves and their joy again. 

Won't you join me? Let’s Find your joy again - your balance, your YOU… TOGETHER... 
Love, 

Jeannie