The Problem With Pride

I am firmly convinced that one of the biggest obstacles to successful weight loss is PRIDE. Pride keeps people from asking for help even when they are drowning. Pride keeps people from being helped even when help is offered. It is an attitude of the heart that says “I can do it on my own” and “I know better how to deal with this”. I have been as guilty of this as anyone.

Where does all this pride come from? Some people are more prideful than others. Some are more resistant to being helped than others. Personally, I think it comes from the attitudes we learn and the ones we are taught as we grow up. Boys and men are generally taught to be self-sufficient. But women can be just as prideful as the men.

Relinquishing the pride is a huge step for people.  It never happens until the person sees that it’s a problem. I can see the pride and point it out but rarely does the patient acknowlege it. Usually, life just has to get really crappy for people to relinquish their pride. However, there is a positive side to this issue…when people chose to relinquish their pride, they open lots of doors. Others can encourage them and guide them more effectively.  The person is no longer resistant to change or discipline and life gets so much better. People are no longer stuck in their old way of doing things.

Isn’t the old way of doing things what got most bariatric patients overweight to begin with???

~Dr. Craig Chang