Some great advice from Katie Jay

I've posted some articles previously from Katie Jay- a WLS success who has not only loss over 180 lbs but has kept it off for more than 5 years. In this latest article she made some incredible points that really rang home for me so I wanted to share it with y'all.

BTW- I know Im late with the challange posting...its been a HELL of a week!! I'll post the combined results tommorow..promise !!!
So remember to send me your weights for tommorow!

HAPPY LOSING people !!

WLS Mastery: It's NOT What you Think!
(The Eleventh Stage of WLS Transformation)
by Katie Jay, MSW
www.nawls.com

I recently had an experience that may surprise you.

I was on travel, alone, and pressed for time. I
glanced at my watch...I had just under an hour to eat,
get changed, and be ready to speak to a bariatric
support group in an unfamiliar city. Yikes! I gripped
the wheel of my rental car and pulled into the only
restaurant I could find near my hotel: Burger King.

Ironic, isn't it? Yes, I know. Although I did not
succumb to the tantalizing, French-fry fare that had
been my typical trajectory for many years, I found
myself eating the better part of a Whopper Jr. with
cheese, extra pickles, no onions.

Although I am not thrilled with my choice, and have
since rationalized it every which way under the sun,
I share this experience with you because this is the
perfect example of the Mastery stage.

"What?" you ask. "This is an example of Mastery?
Mastery of what? Cheeseburgers?"

I could have really beaten myself up over my lunch
choice that day.

And, had my decision to eat that cheeseburger
happened during almost any other stage of WLS
transformation, I might have considered this a
"might-as-well-throw-in-the-towel moment" and,
well, thrown in the towel for the rest of my trip
-- and, perhaps, beyond.

During the Mastery stage, the 11th stage of
transformation, you learn that one not-so-great
choice is survivable. You learn to trust yourself.

You learn to fall down and get right back up.

Because I was in the Mastery stage, I knew that upon
eating said cheeseburger I would immediately pick
myself up, dust myself off, and get right back on
plan. And, that's exactly what I did.

Later that evening, when I went out to dinner with
a handful of professionals from the hospital, I could
have eaten the baked potato with my meal. But, I went
with the steamed veggies.

Sure, I wanted the potato, but I didn't let myself
linger on that thought. Instead I chose to move on
without a fuss (or self-pitying thought) and to focus
on the people.

That's what Mastery is.

You consistently work toward your goal of managing
your weight (and other areas of your life) and when
you go off plan, you come to trust that you can easily
get back on plan at the very next meal.

You don't become perfect, you become disciplined in a
way that makes you feel great about yourself and hopeful
for your future.

In my case, I knew the cheeseburger bun might trigger
some cravings for more carbs later, so I was prepared
for that possibility -- and I had a plan for how to deal
with that.

We are all going to fall from time to time, but in the
Mastery stage, we get right back up. One cheeseburger,
piece of cake, or bowl of spaghetti does not have to
signal the beginning of a long, drawn out, affair with
foods that aren't good for us.

You will know when you've entered Mastery. When your
natural trajectory -- 99% of the time -- is heading
for WLS success and not for the fast-food drive thru,
then you'll know you've made it.

And even when you do wind up in the fast-food drive
thru, you'll know you're in the Mastery stage when
one, isolated food choice doesn't become your excuse
for throwing in the towel.