Dr. Papageorgiou: Long time no see. How long has it been since we last met?

James B.: Probably 15 years… You are now a plastic surgeon with offices in Bern and Rhodes. What do you specialize in ?

Dr. Papageorgiou: I offer a broad spectrum of lipedema surgery, tightening operations, facial surgery, upper eyelids, facelifts etc. and of course non-invasive procedures such as Botox etc.

But let us talk about you … You look great!

James. B.: Thank you for the compliment. I don’t get any younger, and the older I get, the more I have to do to stay healthy and in good physical shape.

Dr. Papageorgiou: Let me introduce you briefly. You are a qualified sports teacher, studied at the famous SPOHO in Cologne and after, I would almost say after a trip around the world, you have now made Greece your home again, giving high-end private fitness lessons combined with nutrition advise and meditation. Tell us where you have all been?

James B.: I’ve been around a lot. It all started as a fitness coach for a beach volleyball team when we were on the World Tour. One of the players got injured and immediately I became an offer from the owner of the main sponsor, who was based in South Africa. After 2 years there, I went to Russia and then I was mainly employed in Latin America.

Dr. Papageorgiou: How come that you’ve changed you location and clients so often?

James B.: The job is always the same. As soon as I had the feeling that my client had finished learning, it made little sense for me to stay around. So I had to start again somewhere else…

Dr. Papageorgiou: That’s exciting. But what do you mean by finished learning?

James B.: My clients are almost always very successful people with an intensive time schedule. They try to use the little time they have for themselves as effectively as possible. And that’s where I come in. I provide a nutrition plan that is individually adapted to the week, physical training (also adapted to the circumstances and schedule requirements) and, of course, a meditative rest break. As soon as I notice that my client has absorbed and internalized this scheme, I have done my job. When I meet my client and tell them: let’s meditate now and they interrupt me and say: I’ve already done this on the train today, I realize it has now become part of their life. Then I’m happy and move on with a clear conscience.

Dr. Papageorgiou: Have any of your clients had plastic surgery?

James B.: Yes, a few. But it was always done in an understandable and effective way. One, for example, suffered from severe obesity and had liposuction. Another did the same. Both were very practical-minded entrepreneurs and after listening to my training plan, they told me: Ok James, we’ll start in 4 weeks and I’ll come to you with 10 kg less fat. I will have some liposuction first.

Dr. Papageorgiou: Along the lines, let’s save a year of dieting and training, I’ll have 10 kg of fat sucked out first and then I start with better conditions.

James B.: Yes, exactly.

Dr. Papageorgiou: I’m also observing a trend like that.

James B.: What do you think?

Dr. Papageorgiou: Well, I think if the whole thing is paired with a decision, according to the motto: first liposuction and then consistent improvement of the physical and mental condition, then I say: why not.

James B.: I thought the same thing. Of course, it’s also an approach of our time and quite controversial. You could also argue that you have to change yourself first, work hard at it, in this case on your diet and physical fitness, and only when everything has been exhausted and you can’t get any further you take the step and have liposuction. My clients saw it the other way around. First improve the physical conditions, i.e. get rid of fat with liposuction so that the following changes become easier to implement. In the end, everyone has to decide for themselves. In any case, both ways are better than doing nothing. As always in life, this decision is also individual for each person and has several levels and aspects.

Dr. Papageorgiou: Definitely James. I really enjoyed talking to you.

James B.: Likewise.