Staying Connected to The Weight Management Center - January 19, 2010
January 19, 2010 – 4:22 pm
Once in awhile I’ll get an email from someone that says that she’s been reading my emails for quite some time, and that she is finally ready to get back on the slopes. She’ll mention shat wasn’t able to address her weight gain when it first started happening, but somehow, one day last week, something shifted and she is ready and willing to take serious action. Now.
I am not sure what it is that causes us to shift internally. I don’t know how in one moment we can be terrified, shut down or avoiding our present circumstances, and then the in next moment, clear as day, be ready to move forward. No question about it, no insurmountable obstacles, just ready to do what it takes to stop feeling bad, take some direction and get back on track.
This patient told me that she was embarrassed to come back and ask for help with something she had obviously thought she had mastered. She had been successful losing weight and felt extremely confident while on all beverages. She said, “I was sure I could manage things on my own. After all, this eating right and exercising is not rocket science.” After a short pause, and a solemn glance at the number I wrote on her chart she continued, “Honestly, back then I didn’t feel the need for more classes. I wasn’t sure what you all could tell me that I didn’t already know.” The worst part, she almost whispered, “I’m only ten pounds below the weight I was when I started.” I know how she feels. I can think of many instances where I’ve felt fairly confident that I could manage something on my own, and yet fell flat on my face when I tried to push beyond the limits of my actual competency. Of course, I didn’t know that until I had my face in the snow.
Most recently, and quite literally, the incident that comes to mind is while on a ski slope in Breckenridge. I’d never skied before in my life. I’m not sure how I got so sure I could keep up with the big dogs and not be bruised for days - even on the bunny slope. In retrospect, I think I was fueled by the sheer thrill of being able to stand up and maneuver on skis at all. (Look at me! I did it!) This triumph led me to feel like I didn’t really need any lessons, support or professional guidance. Talk about a hard-learned lesson.
The truth is we all need some guidance at times. There are people who have special training and skills in the area we’re working on, who can help us get started, get focused and moving in the direction of our goals. Of course, I’d like to ski again. It was a wonderful experience on so many levels, especially that first ride on the lift. But what I realized, in hindsight, is that I actually needed quite a bit of support, encouragement, training and courage to develop any mastery in something as foreign as skiing. I needed it longer than I thought. I needed to go slowly, cautiously, and then, a little bit at a time, trust putting what I learned into practice. But hindsight is 20/20. Right?
Kim, Darlene, Amanda, Stephen and I are all here to help you put this stuff into practice. In fact, we’re doing food lab classes this week. Kim has decided we should call them Living IT, in your kitchen. We’ve got lots of ideas for high fiber, high protein breakfasts. The door is always open. Let us assist you in this process, no matter how long it has been since you’ve been on the slopes.
We hope to see you in class soon!
Stefanie C. Barthmare, M.Ed., LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor, Supervisor
Weight Management Center
The Methodist Hospital
6501 Fannin, NB1-001
Houston, TX 77030
713-441-4944
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