Twelve years with the band

It has been a long time since I took that scary step to admit I was unable to keep the weight off without a surgical solution. Losing the weight was great and probably save my life, but, this journey has not always been easy.

When you first have your band you are excited about the newness and are relishing in the fairly significant and predictable weight loss you are experiencing, then reality sets in.

At some point in your journey you have to come to grips with the fact that you have, indeed made a substantial sacrifice to achieve your weight loss goals. The holidays in particular are frequently when the magnitude of our decision hits home. Some of my best memories of my parents and grandparents relate to the holidays which were of course related to food. At first, I was sometimes resentful that I couldn’t fully participate in the excesses which the holidays brought, and then I thought. Do I really remember what food I ate during those holidays or are those happy memories about the people I shared with them? Don’t get me wrong, the food was great, but like many other people for a while I got caught up in the food and activity and didn’t focus on what the holidays are really about.

This holiday season, don’t focus on what you cannot have, focus on what you have, faith, freedom, friends, family, health. When we do this the food and excess are no longer relevant.

Good luck this holiday season and God Bless.

Adam Smith, DO and Lapband patient