Do you know the one secret that assures success after weight loss surgery?

Don't you wish there was a magic wand you could wave over yourself and be freed forever from the bondage of obesity? It'd be great to know a sure-fire way to "regain-proof" your weight loss surgery (WLS), wouldn't it?

Many obese people hope WLS will be that "magic wand." They summon all their courage and energy, and take the plunge, hoping they will finally lose weight almost effortlessly, and for good.

But then reality sets in. While many people who have WLS experience a honeymoon period, in which hunger is nearly nonexistent and the pounds fall off rapidly, most also experience a return of hunger, and eventually a return to old behavior patterns that can threaten their WLS success.

Not everyone returns to old behaviors, though. And some people go there briefly and then finally find something better than a magic wand -- personal responsibility.

Some people are wildly successful with WLS.

Success usually isn't an accident. Most successful people have found a method that has helped them reshape their body, mind, and spirit, so they can keep their weight off and be healthy.

If you're reading this, you probably are one of them (or you're about to be!).

Consider the swimming champion, Ian Thorpe.

Ian Thorpe, won 5 gold medals swimming at the Olympics. He was so incredibly successful he must have found the secret to success, don't you think?

Was it His Shoe Size?

"With an arm span of 190 centimeters and a shoe size of 17, I have the perfect measurements to be a top swimmer," says Thorpe. "But the physical characteristics are only part of it. Long, hard work-outs and, above all, discipline are the keys to success. My weekly training schedule is 36 hours long and I'm in the pool every morning at 4:15 a.m."

Is he crazy? Would you get up early to be at the pool by 4:15 a.m.?

Thorpe must have incredible motivation to be such an early and energetic riser.

But why does he do it? He's got the perfect "wingspan" for a swimmer and nice size-17 "flipper feet," you'd think he wouldn't have to be quite so vigilant. So why does he get in the pool at 4:15 a.m.? Why does he get out of a warm bed and go to the pool in the middle of the night?

Do you know the answer?

It's the training. Look carefully at what Thorpe says: "Thirty-six hours of training." Thorpe does his workouts and consults with a coach, so that he can get the results he dreams about.

Thirty-six hours?! Training with a coach?!

Think about it.

You have chosen to undergo major life-altering surgery to lose weight (which should be considered an Olympic event -- don't you think?) and how much time do you spend on shaping the lifestyle you need to be successful (your "training") in a week? One hour? Two hours? Do you train at all?

And what about a coach? Do you have someone with practical experience teaching you successful techniques and motivating you to reach beyond your self-imposed limitations to become a hero in your own life?

Or do you hide behind the excuse that the changes required of you are just too much to ask and you have no time or money anyway.

Time and money are never the real issue. People who succeed in reaching their goals will encourage you by telling you, if you really want something in life, find a way to get it. Make the decision that you want it and you will do what it takes to get it.

The one thing all humans share is the amount of time we have available to us in 24 hours.

How you spend your time is a choice. If you're looking enviously at all those people who lose to a healthy weight and keep it off, believe that they spend time and money in training. If you want the one secret to success, that's it. Everything flows from the training.

You may think you know all the answers already. I thought I knew all the answers, too. I had been on every diet under the sun. I had visited nutritionists and doctors. I read fitness magazines.

All those experiences taught me something, but not enough. I have required additional training -- the kind the pros do (because we want to be pros at losing weight and keeping it off, don't we?). If you don't do the training you need to do, then your chances for a sustained weight loss -- and the fulfilling life that accompanies it -- are limited.

Aren't you tired of being limited?

Training isn't about results, it's about showing up. Getting to the pool is more than half the job. Ask Thorpe. Once he's there, staring at the shimmering lights reflected in the pool, he thinks, "Ah well, might as well dive in."

But if he doesn't go to the pool, if he doesn't show up for a workout with his coach -- if he's sleeping warmly in his bed -- he's not training. He's not learning the strategies he needs to master in order to win. He's not practicing technique. He's not getting input from someone who has swum in his flippers, and who is committed to his success.

He won't get the results he wants lying in bed asleep! He won't get the results he wants going about his day telling himself he's too busy to go to the pool, either.

I know what you're thinking. That is too much for you. You can't do it. It's too hard to find the time, the money, the motivation, the & well & you get the picture. You were not built for punishment.

But hang on. You're punishing yourself right now, aren't you? You are obsessing about food, your body, or the scale, right? Notice you're not taking the time to sort out what to do. You're not tweaking your technique. You're not working with a coach. You're not training like an Olympian -- despite the Herculean requirements of the post-WLS life.

Are you ready to dive into training?

Learn what you need to do to overcome your obesity for good. Find out the strategies that work. Discover the pitfalls to avoid. And prepare for the race of your life.

And don't tell me you can't. If you make an effort to do something consistently, no matter how awkward you are at the start, you'll get better at it. You have to. You weren't that hot at walking when you first started out years ago. Now you walk all the time. You are an old pro at it.

The process of learning to walk by trying again and again was very effective for you.  A simple process will automatically create progress.

It's the training. You want one secret? There -- you have it. If you want sure success, you must do what champions do. Find the time to train. The results will take care of themselves.

Train to Maintain

If you're ready to find peace with food, your body, and the scale -- and change your life forever -- a seasoned coach, who has walked the walk, can show you the quickest route to success. NAWLS has limited space available in Katie Jay's Inner Circle Coaching Group. The group is kept small on purpose, so that you get the individual attention you need.

To find out the exact details, including whether you qualify, email Katie Jay directly at katiejay@nawls.com.