A Better Cinderella Story

Posted: Aug 28 in What is Obesity by Staff

Cinderella was down on her luck. She was stuck in a bad situation with her evil step mother and step sisters, but she did as they said and wished very hard for something to change. Then POOF! Her fairy godmother came out of nowhere singing songs and dancing with her little magic wand so that Cinderella could go off to the ball and live happily ever after. All it took for all of Cinderella’s dreams to come true was one flick of a wand and a few hours in the company of royalty.

We all love fairy tale stories for a reason. We want to think that all of the weight loss help, financial support and wisdom will shower down on us eventually. We love hearing happy endings and thinking that maybe our dreams can come true one day too, but there are reasons stuff like that only happens in fairy tales. No matter how hard you wish, a fairy godmother isn’t going to pop out of thin air—I’m sorry to disappoint you. If you want your dreams to come true, you can’t afford to sit at home and wish really hard. You need to get up, take action and start making a difference in your own life.

Re-Writing Cinderella

Here is the problem with the classic Cinderella story. She didn’t actually work for her success or accomplish much of anything on her own. It is true she was a hard worker. You can insert the lyrics of “Cinderelly” here and think of all the chores she did with those singing mice by her side in the Disney movie version of the tale. But when you break down what really happens in the story Cinderella was robbed of a crucial experience in her life. She had a problem, she needed a solution and she was given everything without having to take action herself.

Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and all of your weight was gone. Someone pressed a reset button and you were at your goal weight without having ever tried. Would you appreciate the healthy lifestyle you need to follow to maintain that weight without having taken the steps to get there yourself?

Losing weight is a difficult process, but it is a valuable one as well. After weight loss surgery you are given the chance to gradually develop a healthier lifestyle that will set you up for long term weight loss success. From all the hard work you’ve already put into your weight loss program you know how difficult it is to lose and maintain weight. Imagine losing weight without appreciating that hardship—what would stop you from gaining the weight back?

You’re well on your way to the ball. The pumpkin chariot is turning the corner and you are ready to go, but unlike Cinderella you can be proud of yourself for putting in the hard work to get to where you are on your own, and once you get there you will know what to do to keep up your healthy habits for years to come.