From 319 lbs to 165 lbs in 16 months

I think my catalyst was I went over the 300 lb mark. I felt that it was just a matter of time b4 it went over the 400 lb mark and so on and ended up on my 600 lb life. lol. I was not heavy all my life. I gained weight with each pregnancy and couldn't get rid of it. I had "thought" about gastric bypass surgery in 2007 but it was just out of my price range and insurance didn't cover it. But in December of 2018 just before Christmas I was browseing the internet and came across our local bariatric center and decided to submit an online application to see if I even qualified. I had an insurance now that covered bariatric surgery. A lot has changed in the past ten years. It's no longer considered a "cosmetic" surgery. It's now "medically necessary" if your bmi is over 40. I had just hit a bmi of 50 which is the beginning number for super morbidly obese. AFter much testing, a psych evaluation, counseling, etc. etc. I was told I was a GO. My insurance approved and surgery date was set. I had gastric bypass on April 19, 2019. It was horrifically painful, and just a really hard road to go down. Not to mention all the judgement I got. Many people thought I took the easy way out. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's HARD WORK. I track and measure every single bite that goes in my mouth, monitor my macros, take my vitamins daily (life long requirement), exercise like an athlete. Cardio, weight training, flexibility. I see a nutritionist, and an exercise therapist regularly. There is no room for a cheat day ever. My diet is near perfect every single day. I will have to do these things for the rest of my life. You don't just have surgery and lay back in your recliner and watch the weight fall off. You have to work hard for it and make a life long comittment to working hard at it every single day for the rest of your life. I'm off ALL medication. My blood sugar is perfect. My blood pressure is perfect. I no longer have high cholesterol. I am just do darn healthy now. I'm not just lighter....I'm healthier and that is PRICELESS.

Annie42019 wrote: »

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catmama256 wrote: »

I think my catalyst was I went over the 300 lb mark. I felt that it was just a matter of time b4 it went over the 400 lb mark and so on and ended up on my 600 lb life. lol. I was not heavy all my life. I gained weight with each pregnancy and couldn't get rid of it. I had "thought" about gastric bypass surgery in 2007 but it was just out of my price range and insurance didn't cover it. But in December of 2018 just before Christmas I was browseing the internet and came across our local bariatric center and decided to submit an online application to see if I even qualified. I had an insurance now that covered bariatric surgery. A lot has changed in the past ten years. It's no longer considered a "cosmetic" surgery. It's now "medically necessary" if your bmi is over 40. I had just hit a bmi of 50 which is the beginning number for super morbidly obese. AFter much testing, a psych evaluation, counseling, etc. etc. I was told I was a GO. My insurance approved and surgery date was set. I had gastric bypass on April 19, 2019. It was horrifically painful, and just a really hard road to go down. Not to mention all the judgement I got. Many people thought I took the easy way out. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's HARD WORK. I track and measure every single bite that goes in my mouth, monitor my macros, take my vitamins daily (life long requirement), exercise like an athlete. Cardio, weight training, flexibility. I see a nutritionist, and an exercise therapist regularly. There is no room for a cheat day ever. My diet is near perfect every single day. I will have to do these things for the rest of my life. You don't just have surgery and lay back in your recliner and watch the weight fall off. You have to work hard for it and make a life long comittment to working hard at it every single day for the rest of your life. I'm off ALL medication. My blood sugar is perfect. My blood pressure is perfect. I no longer have high cholesterol. I am just do darn healthy now. I'm not just lighter....I'm healthier and that is PRICELESS.

Sounds like you absolutely had to work very hard. So what do you think the surgery gave you that you wouldn’t have had without it?

Well first of all I was hungry ALL the time pre surgery. My appetite had no end and it took a lot to fill me up. So first off the bat I no longer have an appetite. So I"m able to eat to live rather than live to eat. I can eat a smaller portion and be totally fine with it until my next scheduled meal. Next...once the weight began to just fall off it spurred me on motivationally to keep going, make healthy choices, exercise and just in general make better life choices. Now those choices are a good habit. Next it got me off all medications and it literally cured my diabetes, gerd and high cholesterol. Those things are history. I take no meds what so ever now. I guess in the end...it gave me my life back which I wouldn't have had without it. My only regret....and I mean my ONLY regret....is I didn't do it sooner.