Balance

I didn't really start to gain weight until I started working. I was doing many 12 hours shifts, and then playing all night. My energy was being burned off too fast and I got tired. It was easier to just fix something quick as long as it had lots of flavor, cheese, and other fat laden foods.
When I started sleeping in because I wasn't getting enough sleep, the weight went up.
So, when I lost my balance, I gained weight.
What are those things that I needed for balance?

• The proper mindset - This one is key. If we had no emotions, weight loss wouldn't be an issue.
• Sleep - Many people think they can get by with less sleep. Wrong. They are probably so fatigued that they are shortening their life. I am a firm believer in getting a nap every day as well as a full night's sleep.
• Schedule - I am a firm believer in maintaining a schedule. I get up early, even on the weekends. My body and mind are happier. The one thing I do, is to not use an alarm clock. That allows me to sleep just a little longer. If I find that I am sleeping more than an hour later than usual, I know that there is something wrong. It's a great signal to help me fix things before they get too bad.
  
• The physical body - Everyone is built slightly different. We have different blood types, we are different sizes and shapes. Our chemical makeup can cause problems, as well as helping us.
  
• Location - Living in this particular part of the country (Central Pennsylvania), I have been told, exposes us to almost all of the bugs that exist in the United States to make us sick. For a person living here all their life, they adapt by getting sick and developing immunities. So, this is a benefit. For folks coming here from other areas of the country, this may not be a good thing. Many of them get sick, and some of them die. My cousin moved here from Florida. He got sick and almost died. He spent weeks in the hospital.
  
• The seasons - We gain weight in the fall. We are animals. Our bodies store fat which is converted into food, when food isn't available. It also insulates our bodies so we burn that food slower. This is not something we can control. I am not sure if the folks who live in a non-seasonal area have the same problems. I know I do. As the spring arrives, we should begin to become more active and thus burn off the extra fat, but you know how that works.
• Available food choices - The key word here is choice. That little word can really mess us up. (or is it us who are doing the messing?) If we had no choice but to eat a pre-arranged caloric/nutritious meal, we wouldn't have the problem. But, we have choice. And that allows us to cheat, or get lazy.
• Our beliefs - if you think you can succeed or fail, you are right. Don't blame anyone except the one you see in the mirror every morning.
  
• Support - this is the smallest part of the balance unless we are being abused. If we are being forced to act in ways that aren't conducive to acting as close to normal, we might have a problem. But, most problems we experience, can be controlled, or changed. If we are being abused, physically or mentally, we can always leave. We may make excuses to not do so, but then that becomes our problem. This is the smallest part of the balance system, as I said above. We are supposed to be the ones in control of ourselves, so think twice about blaming others before you look at yourself. (sounds like a song)
• Health - how badly have you messed up your system before you started this diet? If you are morbidly obese, you probably have other health problems caused by your weight. You may or may not be able to overcome these problems. If you can, good for you. If not, God bless you.
• Faith - your religious beliefs can help you.
  

So, balance consists of all of the above, and maybe more that I don't know about. If there were just 3 or 4, it would be easy to balance yourself. Add on the variations, and unknown factors, and you are lucky to have found bariatric surgery.
I sure was.
Life is good!