Paying it Forward

 I was at the Y last night and there was this  young looking man that had 2 small children and they were running around and watching kids play basketball.  As I walked around the track getting in my cool down I noticed he was  having a great deal of trouble keeping up with his tots due to his size. 

Now the big question, do you say hello and share your story or mind your own business? Through the years I have found 99% of people welcome your story especially if you carry a before photo. You get one or two that want to smash your face in  

When I finished and hit the lockers I was leaving and he was there again.  I walked up to him and commented on his children and we started talking.  He was very interested in what I had to say and gave me his email and said he was going to follow up with researching his options.  I always wonder if I did the right thing but when I saw him tear up looking at his kids I knew I had.

I never was able to talk to a skinny trainer or rail thin doctor, but when you talk to someone that has walked in your shoes it's a totally different story.  Pay it forward if you feel you can, it comes back to you 10 fold.  

AWW! That's great! I know it's a touchy subject with some. I usually just tell people about my story and make sure I'm not stepping on their toes. I find that many people do it because they want to see their kids or grandkids grow up. Nothing is better than playing with those you love! Great story.

 Thanks Lesley,

I really do think it was seeing the pain on his face (emotionally) trying to keep up with his little ones that motivated me.  And yes we do love to talk about our weight loss and why shouldn't we, we should shout it to the roof tops!!  

you must change your name now to Ididagoodthing!! good for you! when I was SMO I had a few experiences like what you did.  I never felt bitterness or anger or a MYOB attitude - I always felt like it maybe was a message from above trying to prod some sense in to me to at least listen and learn and finally... I did!! Good job youdid!!   Mary

Not yet Molly but you are a wonderful positive person.  Thanks   

I don't recommend weight loss surgery to anybody.   I wouldn't want to carry the guilt if someone had a bad outcome.   In my opinion, it's a serious decision to make and they should discuss it with their doctor. 

I know several people that I work with that would benefit from a bariatric procedure (any of them depending on their personal choice and dr recommendation of course).  I've been there and watched them go on Biggest Loser challenges at work over and over and I am looking forward to the day when they see my success and decide to look into it for themslves. :)

Great job

I would be careful. Someone could easily be offended if you suggest WLS being a serious option for them. We all reach this realization at our own pace. I would hate to make someone feel bad about themselves, even by pointing out the obvious.

Some woman who I had only met once and barely exchanged two sentences with sat next to me last Thursday at school. She proceeded to tell me in her very limited Swedish that she bought a product on the internet last year that she mixed and put in the microwave (?!) and she ate it and it helped her lose 15 kilos. Then she interrupted my conversation with a friend to inform me that I should never drink anything bu****er! I was drinking a Coke Zero (Yes, I know, TONS of chemicals, but it was a school Easter party thing and they had no water present). She told me it was full of sugar and would just make me fatter. I tried to tell her it had "manga kemikalier men inget socker" (many chemicals but no sugar!). She didn't seem to understand that. lol If she didn't understand that, she wasn't going to understand WLS or what I am working on. The whole thing pissed me off. She doesn't know me or my story, so her advice, though I am sure it was well intended, was not well received.

Unsolicited advice regarding somebody else's weight = Invitation for a beat down 

I came to this decision on my own. I think that was the main reason Ive been so committed. I would have been really offended if anyone would have approached me. I pay it forward by sharing my story at my hospitals pre op class twice a month. Those folks are on the fence and I tell them the.good the bad and the ugly. I love answering their questions.