Before (At my biggest)
After (120 lbs lighter)
Hello! Beauties! I am not for sure how to even start this article. The last 2 years of my life has been a eye opening whirlwind of events. This is not an easy article for me to write. I know some will support my decision, some may think I took an easy way out and then there will be those that will just think it was the wrong way. Well let me just tell you the way I chose to lose the weight. I chose to have gastric by-pass surgery. I did not just wake up one day and make this decision. I prayed, did research and more research.
In September of 2011 I was at my biggest I have ever been at approximately 250 pounds. After having my second child my weight had been a struggle for me. I did lose weight many times with fad diets and with prescription pills but would always end up gaining it back plus more. I have always fought with self-esteem problems even when I was as skinny as flag pole, what my family would tell me, well needless to say September 2011 was one of lowest points in my life. I had uncontrolled hypertension, COPD, my knees were giving out and was to the point of being diagnosed with diabetes. I was at the most unhealthy physical state of my life, of course it also didn’t help that I had been smoking cigarettes for approximately 30 years. I finally got the nerve up to call the Trinity Mother Frances Bariatric Surgery Center and made my appointment. I went for my appointment on September 19, 2011 and met with my doctor and he explained all the different choices I had. For example: Lap Band, Gastric Sleeve or the big one, the Gastric Bypass. I chose the gastric bypass because I knew this was my one and only chance so if I was going to do it I was going all the way, plus I had to get the weight off as fast as I could. I also knew the surgery wouldn’t work by itself. I knew I had to be ready to make a complete healthier lifestyle change. My doctor put me on an 1200 calorie diet along with cutting out all regular or diet carbonated drinks, or for that matter any drink that had calories in them. Plus, he told me he would not do the surgery on me if I continued to smoke. The quit smoking part I knew was going to be hard due to I had attempted to quit so many times before. For insurance reasons I had to lose 10% of my body weight before they would approve surgery. The next day on September 20,2011 I went on my 1200 calorie diet while taking a prescription diet pill, quit drinking any carbonated drinks and also laid down my cigarettes using the nicotine patch. By the way did I tell you I have a very loving and understanding husband of 32 years and he backed me all the way. You can only guess there were some bad days with nicotine withdrawals and no Sonic vanilla cokes…. LOL!
December 2011 I was able to schedule my surgery for February 27,2012. I was still smoke free and was on track with my 10% body weight loss. Then January 6, 2012, the worst day of my life, my mother passed away out of the blue. I look back and I know it was only with the help of God that I did not pick my cigarettes back up and get off my diet. I went forward and had my surgery. The last carbonated drink that I had was a vanilla coke from the Sonic on February 16, 2012 and I am still smoke-free.
I wish I could tell you it was an easy route I took, but there was nothing easy about it. The diet/lifestyle I live by now is more or less not eating anything with more than 6-8 grams of saturated fats or sugar. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. My body lets me know quickly if I eat something I shouldn’t and let’s just say that it isn’t in a pleasant way. I have to take extra multivitamins, Vitamin B-complex, calcium and monthly Vitamin B-12 injections. I drink some coffee but mostly decaffeinated tea sweetened with splenda. When weather permitted I was walking up to 6 miles a day.
I am in the maintain stage and have been for about 6 months and I am maintaining my weight. If you would like me to do another more in depth article about the guidelines I had to follow before and after surgery please leave me a comment telling me or any questions you may have. Please don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss any new articles! It is free and am looking forward to making new friends through my blog!
