Weight loss surgery is about more than just the number on the scale. To be successful you must become a different person. Here is a critical first step.

Compassion and Change

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

– Dalai Lama

C stands for Compassion. Without compassion, you will likely live a small and incomplete life. This is because you will be too wrapped up in your own weight loss troubles to see the true wonder of the world and the important role you play in it. Without compassion, you cannot be at peace with the new thinner and healthier you, because the world that we experience is just a reflection of our inner selves. Do you experience the world as kind or hostile? Loving or cruel? Compassionate or critical? Practicing compassion is easy—it can be as simple as giving a homeless beggar a word of kindness rather than a critical judgment. Perform one act of compassion towards another person today.

C also stands for Change. You can’t change out there without changing in here; or as Jim Rohn said, “If you want your life to change, then you must change.” Some patients wrongly think that after weight loss surgery they will be the exact same person just in a smaller body. But make no mistake: as you lose weight, things will change, you will change. Everything must change. If you don’t change, then it won’t be long before the old you returns. Change one thing about yourself today—be it a new haircut, an item of clothing, or a word you use to describe yourself.

*The preceding is an excerpt from Dr. Vuong's new book Weight Loss Surgery Success: Dr. V's A-Z Tips for Losing Weight and Gaining Enlightenment, available on Amazon. If you liked it, then purchase the entire book to read all of the great tips now!

Thank you for the good thought! Very inspiring. I also believe that compassion is powerful and can change the world. It's the only thing we should practice towards all human & animals in the world.