Before & After RNY with Jen T., losing 140 pounds!
January 16, 2018Why I Decided To Have WLS
My story begins when I was in grade school. I learned from a very early age that sugar foods tasted great. I believed in my soul that if one bite is good, then two hundred bites would be better. I came home from school each day and ate junk food. Eventually, by 6th grade, I had a craving for sugar all day, every day.
I was the fat kid in school and I was picked on by dozens of bullies. The first diet I can remember going on involved taking an appetite suppressant and severely restricting calories because I couldn't take the bullying anymore. I started 6th grade at 200 pounds and ended the school year at 135. When I was at my smallest, a size 7/8, the bullies realized that I had an amazing figure. They weren’t picking on me anymore, but the emotional damage had been done. I never gave them the time of day.
During junior high and high school, I experienced what would happen if you kept eating junk food and fast food all the time. Since I only had to take PE until 11th grade, I drove everywhere instead of walking, and an unhealthy diet caused my weight to really come back quickly. By the time I had graduated high school I was up to 250-275 pounds. I didn't think my weight was a problem until I started having menstrual issues and was diagnosed with PCOS. Instead of trying to fix the issue, I continued to eat the bread, sugar and processed foods.
I never cooked, I ate fast food all the time, and I didn't realize the damage I was doing to myself.
During college, I actually joined a gym, but I didn't realize that you can't out-exercise a bad diet. I didn't change what or how much I was eating, but I was moving fives times a week. My weight stabilized at 275 pounds. Truthfully, I didn't like how big I was and I hated myself in pictures. Finding fashion that flattered my figure was really hard.
In my mid-20s, I had an epiphany. I didn't want to begin the years 2000, 2001 and beyond being so overweight. I researched diet and nutrition tips and everything I read was saying the same thing. If you combine exercise with eating more protein, less sugar, more vegetables and less refined flour, you'll probably lose weight. I also joined an online community for accountability. I was shocked to learn I weighed 300 pounds. Unlike most previous attempts, when I got down to 275, I didn't quit my healthy lifestyle.
I had a family vacation in the Caribbean and I wanted to wear cute clothes on vacation so I kept going. I got down to 238 in September, and then we boarded our cruise ship for a vacation. The healthy eating habits totally went out the window during that week. It wasn't until a few weeks later that I realized my size 20 clothes didn't fit anymore.
I didn't keep the changes that I started working on, I stopped exercising, and the weight came back. But because I had more education about nutrition, I didn't return completely to my old habits of eating the food choices I was previously. Because of that, I didn't regain all of the weight that I'd lost. I managed to maintain 250 pounds for a year or so.
In 2001, I met the man that I would marry. I was 250 pounds when we first met. In that new relationship I spent all my free time with him, we went out to eat, and I didn't exercise at all. I managed to gain about 35 pounds, so I weighed 285. We were married in 2004. My wedding dress was size 26.
Looking back, I honestly thought that my weight never kept me from fully enjoying my life. I went cruising, I was working, I was active, I went out with friends, I never stopped going all day every day. But I do remember being tired at the end of the day. I didn’t want to get out of my chair when I was resting. If I slept wrong or on a hard surface (the floor, a motel room bed) my back would hurt so bad the next morning, and would take a few days to actually function normally again. I knew that my back problems were probably due to my weight but wasn’t yet motivated enough to do something about it.
Taking the advice of all of the doctors I had seen, my husband and I tried to have children right away. I was told I would have a hard time conceiving. We obtained a referral to infertility and with their help in 2007, during our second cycle, we conceived our son, James. He was born in August 2008. I conceived him weighing 283 and weighed 301 upon delivery. Carrying a baby in my exhausted body was difficult. I developed gestational diabetes. My sugar issues went away shortly after delivery. Thus confirming my suspicions that my health was fine and I was normal.
Being an overweight mom is very hard. You constantly have to get up to find out what your child is doing. You also never want to miss out on their childhood memories so you try to go and do as many things as you can when they are still small enough to want you around. When I had James, I also retired from my job so I could stay home. My husband and I did try for more children but stopped after 4 unsuccessful cycles. I knew my weight was to blame. This setback added to the unhappiness I felt on a daily basis.
Running the house, taking care of a child, and starting a home-based craft business takes a lot of energy. I was always tired, irritable, and was never completely happy with any picture I took. I became really good at posing my child in front of me because then you would focus on the adorable kiddo in the photo, and not his huge mom.
It actually wasn’t until my son was in Kindergarten that things started to reach their breaking point. My son was starting to get comments from his friends at school that he had a fat mom, my relationship with my husband was strained at best because I wasn’t happy with myself and nothing he did could make me happy. Finally, my health started to take a serious turn for the worse when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 39!
Before & After RNY with Jen T.
ObesityHelp User: Jen T.
Total Weight Loss: 140 pounds
Surgery Type: RNY
Date of Surgery: 2/25/15
Surgeon's Name: Dr. David Suh
My Surgery and Post-Op Life
In the fall of 2013, I finally had reached my rock bottom. I was too young to fall apart, my family needed me and I knew that I couldn’t stop eating a huge portion of food unless I had a physical reason to.
I got a referral from my PCP at Kaiser to start the weight loss surgery classes. My weight at the office visit was 315. I had to wait for an opening in the Options Classes. In the meantime, I cleaned up my nutrition and got my head in the game. My first Kaiser class was in July 2014. I weighed in at 296. I felt relieved that I’d lost some weight but was saddened to learn it wasn’t as much as I’d hoped.
Keeping a food journal helped me realize that years of overeating stretched my stomach out so much that I needed a huge portion of food to get full. At Options, I learned what my life was going to be like as a post-op, and what foods and lifestyle I would need to embrace if I wanted to keep my weight off. I learned that I could never stop moving, even if its just walking around the block. I got it through my head that I couldn’t eat sugary treats or junk/fast food if I wanted to stay thin. My classes ended in January 2015 and I weighed 278.
After classes, my referral to Dr. David Suh came quickly. I was put on his schedule and I met and worked with his incredible staff. My RNY surgery was on February 25, 2015. I weighed 266 the morning of surgery.
The first few days after surgery were rough. I struggled to take in water because it just hurt to swallow liquid. I also struggled with gas pain. I didn’t regret my decision but knew that I was going to take a while to recover. I didn’t have any complications. I stuck to the protocol religiously. I tried every day to get my water down, but hardly ever reached my liquid goals. I never stopped trying though.
Eventually, as I healed, it got easier to drink. Crystal Light flavored water was easier to drink. At first, my energy was also pretty bleak. But I kept resting and listening to my body. Thankfully, I found that my endurance actually increased every week. It was at my 6-week post op mark I realized I could walk the grocery store without resting and could also do an hour of exercise class without stopping to rest.
In the next 6-9 months, I kept all of my appointments. I attended the monthly support group meetings. I continued to share my journey and my experiences. I followed the protocol to the letter. I exercised five days a week.
The weight literally melted off of me. I eventually got to my lowest weight, 158, where I have maintained, within 15 months of my surgery. It is unbelievable how much my life is better since I had my surgery.
This is just a very small list of the things that are better since I’ve had my surgery. I can fit everywhere (restaurant booths, movie theatre seats, desk chairs, airplane seats, roller coasters, public bathrooms). I can participate in my kiddo's life without being embarrassed by my size or worried about being physically limited to activities.
I have gained a confidence that shows when I don't hide in pictures. I am no longer sitting on the sidelines of life. I am in the middle of the fun and am actively participating in so many new things. I can't believe how much cuter the clothes are in the smaller sizes. Getting dressed daily is fun because everything looks so good on my new figure.
I have collarbones now and love to wear necklaces that don’t have extenders. My wedding ring went from a size 8.25 to a size 5.25! I am so much happier and easier to get along with. My hubby is so proud of my success and is thrilled with my results. He often says it is like he got a new wife without having to get remarried.
Our relationship dynamic has changed completely because I am much happier to be around. My spirit energy is much more content and I don’t complain as much about things because I’m not in pain or uncomfortable anymore. My health is also much better. I am no longer on high blood pressure or blood sugar medications. I sleep so much better now, and I don’t snore anymore. I am so much more comfortable wherever I go. I am no longer out of breath or overheated every moment of every day.
I am so blessed to have received a new lease on life. Now I can be the wife and mother I was meant to be.
A Special Milestone / Non-Scale Victory
There have been so many things that have stood out as a milestone, but the most special thing was that I finally could go camping with my cub scout and the sleeping bag could finally fit. Previously, my sleeping bag was too snug to actually zip over my hip/stomach area. I tried to keep warm at night, but when your zipper doesn’t close, the cold air will find its way in. I nearly froze one night when the temperature went to 40 degrees and my left side was exposed to the elements.
After surgery, I now have the opposite issue. I am freezing all day every day. I actually have an electric blanket on my side of the bed that I use every day of the year. When we camp these days, I use 2 sleeping bags together, a 0-degree bag placed inside a 20-degree bag. It totally works! The best part is that my child is getting the experiences that he can look back on with fond memories. I can’t believe I waited this long to do finally take care of myself.
Has ObesityHelp.com been a part of your journey?
ObesityHelp is an amazing website with tons of helpful information and incredible people who are on the same journey. Their annual conference is so motivational and helpful. The Fashion Show was so much fun and inspiring. Walking the red carpet was an experience I’ll never forget! The panel speakers at the lectures were amazing and helpful with so much insightful information. I’m so grateful I was able to be a part of this event.
ObesityHelp is most helpful because in order to survive this journey you’re going to have to find a village. You have to find people who get it. Surround yourself with like-minded, successful people, who are committed to working their program. These people will become your new family.
If you ever lose your WHY (your motivation, your one thing that keeps you on protocol despite your crazy day or cravings), your village will help you find your way back.
Share Your Before & After Success!
Do you have Before & Afters, special milestones and non-scale victories from your journey that you’d like to share? The OH team wants to hear from you! Visit our Before & After Submission page for details.
