Hello! My name is Krissa and I am 25 and single. {Why must I say single. I am not sure. But there you have it} I used to blog over at Randomness.

So it was difficult to decide what to guest post about. But I figured since I am in the process of my journey with weight loss. Why not share some thoughts about that? I have been overweight my ENTIRE life. I have always been “the fat one.” And I finally hit rock bottom a couple years back and decided to have weight loss surgery. And here I am a year and a half out and down 100lbs {and counting}. I must clarify that it’s not an easy journey.

I find there is a common misconception about having weight loss surgery. That it’s the easy way out {I even fell into this category. I told my Mom I wouldn’t do it until I tried everything else. I wasn’t gonna take the easy route} Boy was I wrong. It is most definitely not the easy way.

My Weight Loss Surgery Patient Story and Tips

If you are considering a weight loss surgery I would say GO to one of the support groups. Many hospitals hold a support group once a week for bariatric patients. I went with my Mom, as her support, and going to that group really helped me understand more and really was what pushed me to decide to have it done myself. One of the big parts about getting approved for surgery is most insurances require you to have {at least} 6 months of consecutive monthly doctor visits where they are tracking your weight and trying to assist in weight loss. If you don’t go see your doctor monthly this could be long part of the approval process.The biggest change {for me} was the eating habits. After surgery with the Plastic Surgeon NYCI was only able to eat ¼ cup {I now eat about ¾ cup} of food at a time. It was hard {and still is sometimes} to only eat that much. The good thing is, I do get full. But sometimes I still just want to sit and eat a whole plate of food. So adjusting the eating was a change, still is a change. Other big changes included no soda, also no alcohol {I’m not a drinker so this didn’t bug me} because it stretches your stomach and can cause ulcers. So you must be willing to stick to the rules because it can affect your health. If you decide to do it…do it 100% knowing what you are getting into. It is a lifestyle change. You can’t have this surgery and then go to a fast food place and eat the same meal you did before surgery. {I am not joking, people do this and it is fatal}

…Moving on…

I was just recently part of an online fitness challenge. It has helped me become rededicated to my weight loss journey. I am definitely not a weight loss/nutrition/exercise/diet know-it-all-person or anything. Probably, far from it.

A few weight loss surgery tips that have helped me:

Have a good relationship with the scale.

If you know me you know I HATE the scale. I have never liked it and I have struggled with it for many years. {Probably since I have been in the 4^th grade} It’s important to have a good healthy relationship with the scale. Only weigh once a week. And know that your body fluctuates 2-3lbs EVERY day.

Take your measurements.

This goes hand in hand with the scale. I had to take my measurements at the beginning of this challenge. I also started a Group Personal Training class at the gym. I began gaining muscle because of that class {and muscle weight more than fat} so the scale wasn’t reflecting the numbers I would like. But my measurements were telling me I was on the right track. I was still losing inches even if I wasn’t necessarily losing weight. So take measurements. I normally measured myself every 2-3 weeks. In the course of 8 weeks I lost 17 inches.

Keep Hydrated with WATER!

Because I had weight loss surgery I had to cut out soda. Diet Dr. Pepper was like sweet nectar to me. I had to have one {or two or three} every day. So switching that to water was difficult. But I feel so much better now. I always carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go.

Allow yourself some freedom.

Being super strict with calories and what you allow in and out of your body is difficult and for me only lasts, maybe, a couple days. My body then goes into this binge mode because I have been so restricted and I then tend to eat almost everything in sight. I like the idea of allowing oneself a free day {or two}. It doesn’t mean to go all out and eat everything around. But allow yourself more freedom in your food choices. For me that would be brownies, my weakness.

Challenge yourself.

This would probably be the one tip I would tell people. Get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. I am a shy person. I am definitely not a huge fan of working out in front of people. One of my biggest challenges was getting myself to run at the gym. I hated to think of people watching me, a big girl, running, in all my glory. {Note the sarcasm} But I got over it. I did it. And I realized people weren’t watching and if they were oh well.Another big step was taking a class at the gym. Having people in this class seeing what I wasn’t capable of doing, it scared me. But I took that step out of my comfort zone and did it. And in my experience 99.5% of the time people I have met are so supportive, friendly, and helpful. So CHALLENGE yourself!!! It will be different for everyone what that means. But do it!For most people, women especially, weight is always on the forefront of our mind, Developing healthy habits will definitely help in feeling better about ourselves. And that leads to a happier person. And well, I really like being happy!

~ Krissa

If you liked this weight loss surgery patient story, check out:

• The Green Smoothie That Helps Me Lose Weight
• Weight Loss Success Story of a Mother
• 15 Inexpensive Ways to Help You Get Healthy and Fit

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