Transparency in 2105
Transparency in 2015. As I sit here and look back at 2015, it was a year of change not only for me but for my entire family. There were so many areas that were out of balance and this was the year to come to terms with them and bring wellness back to our home. Our health had suffered for the past 10 years and it was time to claim our lives back by regaining our health. In the process, we have grown closer as a family and have made family time and personal time a priority.
Bringing Wellness Back to Our Home
For the past few years, God had been dealing with me about the things that needed to change in our home. It wasn’t just about health but my entire family’s well-being. We can get so wrapped up in one area of our lives that we let other things go and it brings unbalance to our lives. We forget to trust God or try to make things happen and make it “our god”.
Unfortunately, I did that in one BIG AREA of my life and God was dealing with me about it. I lived, ate, and breathed Add a Little Dazzle at the cost of my family. I felt I had no other choice because I had to help my husband by working. Unfortunately, my family paid the price for that in many areas of our lives.
As I went through 2015, I made the changes I felt God was telling me to make. Some of them were easier than others but I always had peace about my choices. One of the first things my husband and I vowed to do this holiday season was to spend more time as a family and not get consumed with work. We made family time a priority.
What are Your Goals?
Tonight many will set goals for the coming year. The most common one is Weight Loss. I know how difficult that goal can be and the emotions that come with it. You pray and hope that this year you can finally lose the weight. Then, you start with the best of intentions but it quickly fades away within a month.
The most difficult part for me was coming to terms that losing weight didn’t fix my health issues. Actually, it brought to light many I didn’t even know I had including diabetes, anemia, and painful joints to name a few. On May 19, 2015 I shared this POST about my lifelong struggle with my weight and how in desperation I had Gastric Bypass Surgery 13 years ago.
Seven Years Later
Seven years later (picture above), I gained back almost half of what I originally lost after Gastric Bypass Surgery. No matter what I did the weight wouldn’t go down and I sat with almost half of my weight back on. Make sure to read my story in this POST I published in May 2015.
Yesterday, I was accused on Facebook of lying to you (being accused of withholding that I had Gastric Bypass Surgery) and “claiming” that through changing the way we eat (my husband and I ) we lost weight. I have been accused of giving false hope by stating that we lost weight through changing our food and that I have made no mention of having Gastric Bypass 13 years ago.
I have always been transparent about having Gastric Bypass Surgery and why I did it. You can read my story HERE.
No Surgery
My husband has NEVER had Gastric Bypass Surgery and has lost 68 lbs. 馃檪 He accomplished this by changing his eating by eliminating PROCESSED FOODS and SUGAR. Furthermore, my children benefited from this change as they are no longer sick. As a family, we lived sick 10 months out of the year for the past 10 years.
This is the FIRST TIME in 10 years where we haven’t been to the doctor the ENTIRE YEAR because NOBODY has been sick. YES, it has EVERYTHING TO DO WITH OUR FOOD. What we eat affects our body in more ways that just our weight.
Before Gastric Bypass/After Clean Eating
YES, I had Gastric Bypass Surgery 13 years ago and lost 135 lbs. through hard work. NO, Gastric Bypass Surgery didn’t help me keep it off as I gained more than half of it back after the birth of my third child.
After struggling for 7 years and going to many doctors, it was found that the reason I couldn’t lose weight was because of all the damage caused by having had Gastric Bypass Surgery. My hair was falling off, I was anemic, and was a walking time bomb of deteriorating health. That doesn’t count all the nutritional deficiencies I have.
Doctors told me what was wrong but gave me no solution to losing the weight after Gastric Bypass Surgery and all they could do was control my diabetes but not make it go away.
YES, my family and I eliminated ALL PROCESSED FOODS and SUGAR from our diet and our bodies started healing. Furthermore, the stubborn weight (that wouldn’t budge for 7 years even after Gastric Bypass Surgery) started coming off and my body started healing. I have lost 65 lbs. by eliminating all processed foods and sugar.
The years of damage I have done to my body because of “yo-yo dieting” and Gastric Bypass Surgery is something I am still dealing with. Food is our medicine, will heal our bodies, and will allow us to lose weight. Not only has this change helped me and my family but many around the world. Search the internet and read other success stories of people who have lost weight and regained their health by eliminating PROCESSED FOODS AND SUGAR. How I wish I would have known this before I had Gastric Bypass Surgery.
I FIRMLY stand behind my statement that eliminating ALL PROCESSED FOODS AND SUGAR helped my husband and I lose weight. Food was and is our medicine and it can be yours, too.
YES, I had Gastric Bypass Surgery and lost weight 13 years ago, BUT it didn’t help me keep it off, teach me how to eat, or help me lose weight the second time around. I have worked hard to lose 68 lbs. through Clean Eating and Zumba. Gastric Bypass helped me get a jump start 13 years ago but it didn’t do anything this time around. My 135 lb. weigh loss was part Gastric Bypass and part Clean Eating. Had I not made the changes I made, I would have gained all the weight back. Thankfully, I found out about the danger of processed foods and sugar in time.
Revived Wellness isn’t just about losing weight. It’s about bringing back wellness to ALL AREAS of our lives: faith, family, finances, friends, and food. These have all been part of my focus in 2015 for a better and more balanced life and my desire it to share with you how we are bringing wellness back to our lives.
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Monica, Knowing you personally, I know you to be a truthful and sharing person. I know you genuinely want to help people through sharing your real-life struggles, failures, and successes. I wish you continued success in the new year and look forward to following your journey. Let me know next time your coming to ABQ; I’d love to meet up again.
Mary
Thank you Mary. You know me and I would NEVER try to trick or lie to anybody. I will probably be in ABQ next weekend and would love to catch up with you.
Oh thank you Monica for this informative info. I have an appointment next week to talk with the surgery I have planned as soon as I could lose 50lbs. You can’t imagine how this has changed my thoughts. They make you believe it’s a quick fix that will keep the weight off. Thank you for sharing your struggle and sharing this part of your life with us.
Debbie,
Shoot me an email and we can chat. I would love to share my experience with you.
Hugs!!
Monica, thank you for sharing your journey with us. God Bless you and your family as you continue to strive health wellness. You are an inspiration and I’m glad to be able to follow your blog. Blessings to you and your family. Thank you for sharing.
what you post here is the hard truth the truth people don’t want to see or hear. If they don’t believe you they can watch ” the skinny on obesity” on YouTube it’s an hour-long video that describes how sugar is addictive and so potent that it has been compared to cocaine. Eliminating unprocessed foods and sugar from your diet is a necessity not only for losing weight but from healing and being healthy from the inside out. Much of our society doesn’t want to embrace this because it is hard work and isn’t easy. Doctors only know medicine. Food is indeed medicine and unfortunately doctors don’t prescribe food to heal their patients. They prescribe surgery and drugs.
You can do it! God bless you and your family. Beautiful story tfs
Congratulations Monica & your family for getting healthy the good way. It has given me the push that I need to get healthy again.
All the best to you all.