NAWLS is a (WLS) Weight Loss Surgery support group provides online Bariatric, Lap Band, and Gastric Bypass weight loss surgery support, weight loss retreats, and workshops. Our weight loss surgery forum can help you.
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Home | About Us

About Us

Who is Katie Jay?  | What is NAWLS?

 

Who is Katie Jay?

Katie Jay, beforeHi, I'm Katie Jay. I'm an obesity survivor who underwent RNY gastric bypass in 2004.


Weight loss surgery was not an easy decision 

When I went through my decision process about getting weight loss surgery (WLS), I kept a journal to help me sort out my feelings and to consider the seriousness of what I was planning to do.

That journal became my first book, which I published in 2006. It's called, Dying to Change: My Really Heavy Life Story, How Weight Loss Surgery Gave Me Hope for Living.

I was totally addicted to food

Dying to Change is a brutally honest look at how someone like me -- a morbidly obese food addict -- could possibly make WLS work.

From my dysfunctional upbringing to my own unique quirks, I knew I would have to work hard to overcome my challenges and find freedom from my obesity for good.

By remaining conscious of my food addiction, and being willing to go to any lengths to overcome it, I am the happiest and most energized I have ever been in my life.

I've shed more than pounds

Not only have I left behind a good bit of weight, I have also turned from the shame and self-loathing that plagued me for most of my life.

Shame should never be the main driver in a person's life -- and it doesn't have to be.

My story is a message of hope

WLS has allowed me to more fully embrace my passion for helping others.

I wanted to make my book available to people who might be feeling trapped in their obesity and thinking their situation is hopeless.

I also wanted people who are not obese to read it, so that they could understand obesity better and come to treat obese individuals with more compassion.

But my book is not the whole of what I have to share

As I went through the publishing process, and began to be interviewed by the media, I realized I had a lot more to say than was in my book.

I wanted to give more information and support, too

So, I decided to launch a website, form a membership organization, and offer coaching as a way to share more information, support, and resources -- in the context of a safe and loving community.

The National Association for Weight Loss Surgery was born

That's how the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery (NAWLS) came into being. (And I decided to give my book away to everyone who joined.)

NAWLS has made quite a splash in the WLS community, and we have some very dedicated members, who are making great strides in creating a WLS lifestyle they can sustain and enjoy.

They understand the importance of being vigilant on their WLS journey -- even as they struggle to achieve their goals. They have become friends, accountability partners, and cheerleaders.

The reality is: Weight loss surgery is not a cure

We all know weight loss surgery is merely a first step in the process of ending obesity. And most of us realize at some point that reaching goal and staying there is going to take more effort than we'd hoped.

I'll help you shape your new life

A lot of great information and support exists in the physical world and in cyberspace to help WLS patients. However, with my masters in social work, eating disorder experience, life coaching certification, and a deep love of writing, I knew I could offer help that would be particularly effective.

The key to overcoming obesity is to be bravely honest with yourself

You see, I have a strong desire to speak honestly about what it really takes to succeed at WLS, and I go beyond stating the WLS guidelines and get into the messy gray areas of recovery in real life.

Believe me, I understand how hard it can be to make WLS work

I understand how hard it is to recover from obesity. I understand food obsession, transfer addiction, dealing with loss, poor body image, continuing medical problems, and other complicated issues related to obesity and weight loss surgery.

I offer personal support and a safe community of obesity survivors who will help you face your challenges

A solid, long-term recovery is possible after WLS, especially with the right tools and support.

I wish I could tell you it's easy, but you know it's not. At the same time, working for long-term success is rewarding beyond measure.

Membership in NAWLS is a great investment in your future

NAWLS members get information, resources, and programs to help them take responsibility and leave their obesity behind for good -- while shaping great new lives.

People turn their lives around every day. They let go of addictions, learn to deal with emotions, practice new behaviors, and overcome. You can, too. And I'm happy to show you the way.

Join me on this journey to an exhilarating life -- free of unnecessary pain and full of possibilities.

Never give up!

Katie Jay

 

What is NAWLS?

 

The National Association for Weight Loss Surgery (NAWLS) is a safe, loving, and non-judgmental community of bariatric surgery patients who struggle with weight maintenance and regain, sugar and carbohydrate sensitivity, transfer addictions, emotional eating, eating disorders, and more.

 

NAWLS was founded in 2005 by Katie Jay, MSW, to help weight loss surgery patients achieve long-term weight loss and maintenance. The association provides comprehensive and personal support including: 

  • Retreats and workshops
  • Speaking engagements
  • Coaching
  • Teleseminars
  • Classes
  • Audio programs
  • Books and e-books
  • Blogs
  • Discussion forums
  • Newsletter articles
  • Up-to-date bariatric news and resources

Members and non-members alike participate in this interactive community of obesity survivors.

 

 

MISSION

 

Our mission is to inspire bariatric surgery patients around the world to pursue lives of wellness, health, joy and self-fulfillment after surgery. We pledge to offer a community that will help you let go of the shame of obesity and heal your self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors that contribute to obesity, emotional eating, carbohydrate sensitivity, and sometimes transfer addiction.

 

 

VISION

 

Our vision is to be the leading provider in the world of bariatric surgery support after the "honeymoon" is over.

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What professionals are saying about NAWLS:


"NAWLS offers unique information and services in the WLS field. I endorse Katie Jay as one of the most accomplished professionals I have known. Her continuing contributions and those of this organization will benefit deserving individuals around the world. I also highly recommend Katie's book, Dying to Change: My Really Heavy Life Story, which is brilliant and groundbreaking." -- David Krueger, MD


"The National Association for Weight Loss Surgery will help WLS patients achieve long-term success. There is no other national organization like it. Not only does it draw expertise from surgeons, nutritionists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, life coaches, and personal trainers; NAWLS offers critical information, support, and resources to WLS patients. I encourage others to support this incredibly valuable organization." -- Osvaldo Anez, MD, FACS


"NAWLS understands the critical role nutrition plays in WLS success and keeps up to date on the latest information about nutrition and WLS." -- Sally Myers, RD, CPT