The Holy Grail Part One

I decided it was time to write about what I have learned over the nearly five years since beginning my journey with the Lap Band.  It is important that I recognize it and share it with others. If I can possibly help one other person, then I will have been successful.


I found that the key to success did not lie with one nutritional method or exercise routine.  The key lies within.


I can use whatever TOOLS I choose, but ultimately my success comes from within.


  Why do I call what I have learned the Holy Grail you might ask.  For those who are not aware, the Holy Grail is the Chalice that Jesus Christ used at the last supper.  If you are familiar there are those who would search the ends of the earth for the Holy Grail because they believe it holds unearthly powers, healing powers, magical powers if you will.  No cost to high to pay, no sacrifice to great.


This concept, I found parallels millions of us who try to break the tyranny of obesity.  


Over the years I have spent countless hours in reflection. Why I would lose 70 pounds only to gain it back and then some.  Why I could stick to a plan of healthy living and exercise and actually be successful and lose 25 pounds, but suddenly a bump in my road would derail this success.  Why after losing 80+ pounds in 15 months with my Lap Band did I derail and regain 68 pounds.  How did that happen.  Most importantly why did it happen.  I had to figure out this answer if I would be able to turn it around once and for all.


I have been told Kristin do not beat yourself up over that regain of weight, you are back on track.  I do not wish to beat myself up, but I had to figure out the WHY.  Why it happened, what was the root cause if I was to be successful on turning my obesity around for good.


In my journey I found the answer not from a diet, not from a device that had been placed inside of me, not a new exercise fad, what I found is....... that it lies within.


I can hear the nay sayer's right now,  "well that might well work for you...but I am different, special, (insert your excuses here)."  I know that this sounds bold of me to claim, but let us take a look.


If we were really all that different then the following would need to take place:


Dr's would have to throw out their diplomas, because a broken bone for one would not be the same as a broken bone for another.


Personal trainers....same thing....exercise programs would be useless, because of the myriad of variations for each person would make training clients a huge task.  Hmmmm why do so many running training programs, follow a similar core pattern?


Food industry - hmmm millions spent to ensnare just a few in addicted lifestyle.  Poor investment in my opinion, IF such a thing were true.


The truth is every time I hear the ...."well that works for you BUT" clause....what I am really hearing is the cop out that one experiences when facing the ultimate truth.


The bottom line is that we do share some fundamental things in common.  That these commonalities can actually be considered realistic and absolute truth.  In a world of loose and shifting values, this concept of absolute truth is met with resistance.


The Values:


1) Drying out - recovering from food addiciton.
2) Re-programming the brains reward center
3) Mastering the ability to choose one response in the face of powerful stimuli
4) Emotional stability and balance


These are foundational values.  If any one of them is missing, your platform that supports your journey will become unstable and collapse.


Over the next few days I will be blogging about these values. I want to address each one of them with you a little more.  Why?  Because as I feel it would be a sin to not share the cure with cancer.  I also feel, it is a sin for me to not share the foundation in being successful in losing a substantial amount of weight and keeping it off.  I have lost a total of over 150 pounds over the 4.5 year journey with my Lap Band.  I believe what I have learned is the HOLY GRAIL!


I want to share it with you.