• food obsession,
• emotional eating,
• feelings of guilt and shame around food and your body, or
• your sense of self loathing after you overeat?

If you're like most people, it probably didn't remove all of those things. As we all come to realize, weight loss surgery isn't magic.

Do you still wish there was some easy way to make your food and weight problems go away?

You already know weight loss surgery (whether it's gastric bypass, duodenal switch, lapband, or some other type of surgery) is anything but the easy way out.

My guess is you found this site because you are deeply concerned about your struggle to get control of your eating. And if you're like me, you do not want to be obese now, or ever again.

Can you imagine being free from weight-loss worries, while having the willingness, resources, and power to reach your goals?

Do you want to be free from the bondage of food obsession  --  and the obesity mindset  --  for good, so you can live a healthy, productive, and full life?

I wanted that freedom, too.

My name is Katie Jay and I'm the director of the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery. I've found it is possible to be free from food addiction and the limiting mindset that keeps us at risk for weight regain.

At 331 pounds (my top weight) I was dying to change. I wanted to lose the shame of being overweight, get rid of my diabetes and other health problems, and live my life with purpose.

I wanted to take one more shot at actually achieving some of my goals, and maybe even live out the dreams I still held deep inside of me.

At first I thought weight loss surgery was the whole answer.

Early on, I thought weight loss surgery was a quick fix, almost a magic cure (in fact, one surgeon told me it was a cure). Over time, I came to understand that surgery wasn't going to cure my obesity. It was a great start, but not my solution.

That realization is what prompted me to develop a more comprehensive strategy I could implement in addition to using the tool of surgery.

Not only did I draw from my educational background (I have a masters in clinical social work and a life coaching certification), I set out on a mission to learn what really works for people in my situation  --  and what doesn't.

I read the latest research, interviewed the best minds in the fields of obesity and food addiction, and worked closely with weight loss surgery patients.

I wanted to find the answers to my coaching clients' most-asked questions, "How do I stop overeating?" and "How do I get off sugar?"

At first I looked for one big answer.

Perhaps you are still looking for a single solution. Maybe, even though you know down to your bones it's not possible, you still wish there was one, easy answer  --  like a magic wand someone could wave over you to make your obesity problem go away for good.

But you haven't found the magic wand to free you from your burden.

Like Cinderella sitting all sooty at the hearth, you long to experience a freedom that seems impossible to attain.

You've tried all kinds of things, hoping each one would solve your problem: exercise, protein, water, affirmations, different exercise, different protein, more water, different affirmations, Overeaters Anonymous, therapy, WLS support groups  --  but no one thing seems to really solve your problem.

Wouldn't it be great to have a fairy godmother to help you escape from your weight and food issues?

I'll be your "health and well being" fairy godmother!

I can't magically fix your problems. I can't tell you what will work for you. I can't make you open your mind to the possibilities. I have no crystal ball or magic wand (okay, truthfully, I do have a wand I like to wave around -- but it doesn't really have magic in it).

What I have is a powerful support site to help WLS patients who are frustrated with or afraid of weight regain, so you can overcome your feelings of being out of control with your eating and your life.

Participation in NAWLS will help you:

•        Change your mindset, your unhelpful beliefs, and the way you respond to your thoughts and feelings about your situation.
•        Understand what your true challenges are and what your real possibilities are.
•        Explore what solutions will work for your particular situation.
•        Implement those solutions and live in peace and joy.

I will introduce you to ideas you've probably never considered, and I'll share surprising strategies and tactics to get you moving toward your goals.

Most importantly, I will introduce you to a warm and supportive community of like-minded people. I'll even provide accountability if you want it.

Ultimately, though, your success is up to you.

The bottom line is you are not a fairytale princess who is going to be rescued from your cold, dark castle. As your "health and well being" fairy godmother, I'm going to show you how to rescue yourself.

With support and encouragement, you'll choose your own escape route and make your own way. And you'll survive. That's right. I bet you'll even thrive.

We share the same goal.

I too want lasting freedom from food addiction and obesity. I have found a system to save myself  --  one day at a time -- from a life of fear and overwhelming burden, and I can show you how to find your way, too.

I've found the best approach is different for each individual.

Finding weight loss surgery success is like designing your own, custom-made glass slipper. To get the perfect fit, you need to consider many things: the length of your foot, the width, the height of your arch, etc.

You need a program tailored to your particular needs.

And that's where the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery comes in handy. We offer a wide variety of information, services, and products to help you create a plan for WLS success that fits your needs.

Are you ready to rescue yourself from food addiction, obesity, and the mindset that threatens your success?

Here are some of the topics covered on the NAWLS site: 

• Weight loss surgery basic information in plain English
• How to recognize and deal with "head hunger"
• Common eating triggers and how to get a handle on them
• Nutritional guidelines that set you up for success
• How to read laboratory results and why they are a key to weight loss maintenance
• Which exercises give you the most benefit and how much is enough
• Emotional eating and how to overcome it
• Patterns of behavior and thought that threaten your success
• Adjusting to the new you
• Relationships after weight loss surgery
• Making a "Mastery Plan" for long-term weight loss maintenance

And a whole lot more.