Guilty Feelings-Do you have them after WLS?

From the LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest July 18, 2011

We are in the heart and heat of summer! I hope this newsletter finds you well with many opportunities to enjoy new things that weight loss surgery has made possible. After surgery many of us experience feelings of guilt for making our own health a priority above the needs of others. If you have felt guilty for taking time for you since surgery you are not alone.   

Guilt, as defined by Merriam-Webster is, "feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy: SELF-REPROACH". It surprises me that when my fellow WLS friends tell me about guilt they are not talking about fridge-side forays with forbidden foods. They are talking about feelings of selfishness because WLS requires them to put themselves first above all others for whom they care, an action contrary to the self-sacrificing manner in which they have conducted their lives.

This Weekly Digest addresses feelings of guilt experienced by many WLS patients. We seek to understand that self-care is essential in our ability to care for others in our life. We will review a technique to say "no" and discuss our WLS dreams.

As we continue in this journey toward better health I believe we each discover strong, capable, beautiful beings inside. May each new day be one of discovery, growth and empowerment.

Best Wishes!
Kaye Bailey

Read the Full Newsletter - Free Online Archive