In Reiki, there is a concept that when you progress to a higher level of healing that anything unhealthy about your self will get worse in order for proper healing to be achieved. I don't think I explained that very well, but once becoming active on Sparkpeople and moving along the path to better health through weightloss, the journey has not been a straight uncomplicated path of decision made, result achieved.

In the beginning of "the time has come to do something about your weight because it is hurting you physically", I was in pretty sad shape. I was 50, post hip replacement, walking with a cane because the other hip was going and discovered I barely fit into the seat belt on a plane. I had successfully dieted before, but just didn't have the energy to stick with a diet. Stressed or in pain, happy or sad, food was my comforter. I knew as my osteoarthritis advanced in later years, I would always have the battle of decreased activity around the future hip and knee replacements. I decided on a lapband to help control how much I could eat.

Post op, I quickly found myself on a high protein/low carb diet. I had always been taught high protein was a faulty plan and problems would come of the diet. The more I ate this way, the weight seemed to slowly melt away. I no longer had all the carb cravings either. As a nurse/exercise physiologist, it has been exciting to see postive articles come out on the cardiovascular benefits of high protein/low carb.

To make it a very positive summer, we had record high temperatures. The former owner had left a small above ground pool so I worked out for and hour & a half almost every day. By the first of July, I no longer needed the cane. The sun blessed me in another way as well. Apparently like many who struggle with obesity, I do not absorb Vitamin D. The sun with prescription replacement had my Vitamin D levels up to normal for a few brief months. I felt 20 years younger!

Pool season stopped. I bought a bike so I could ride through fall and winter, but my lapband seemed to be work against me. The weight was staying off, but I was vomiting frequently. Fast forward to Christmas, low vitamin D levels and I ended up having my gallbladder out. Whew! It wasn't the lapband.

Spring is slowly coming. It seemed to take a while to recover from the surgery. I am now on two Vitamin D replacements to see if we can get those levels up. I know when it happens, because my muscle aches disappear and I have energy again.

I would have loved to have been one of the success stories who is down to their goal weight by the end of the year post op lapband. (It's not going to happen in 20 days.) Yet, slowly, ever so slowly, as I continue to set small goals and work towards being healthier--positive changes happen. Sometimes I just have to sit back and look at were I was 2 years ago when I was making the decision that I had to take control of my weight because it was controlling my life. As someone once said, you didn't create this problem overnight and you won't undo what has been done overnight either. I am glad to find that small simple changes add up over time.