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I always struggled with my weight, but it got worse after nursing school. The long, exhausting shifts led me to binge eating—something I’d always done, but now it was out of control. My life took a sharp turn three months into my job when a patient assaulted me, breaking my wrist. During the months I was off work, my weight ballooned.
I was in my twenties, young and dumb, and ignored the first suggestions to consider bariatric surgery. I convinced myself I could handle it, that I didn’t need any drastic measures. But deep down, I knew I was addicted to food. The pandemic only made things spiral. I’d eat healthy, then wash it down with fast food or sugar, justifying it as a reward. I couldn’t even walk up the stairs without getting winded. But in my mind, I was fine. Despite the pain in my feet every morning, and the aches that lasted all day, I pretended everything was okay.
Then, we got a dog. My husband and I thought it would be a good way to get me moving. But I could barely keep up with our new puppy. That was the push I needed to take surgery seriously. The real turning point came when I was trying on pants and had to confront the size I was now wearing. I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself. “Who the f**k is this?” I asked the stranger staring back at me. The person inside me was screaming to get out, but I felt trapped in a body that wasn’t mine.
I went through all the steps to prove I was a candidate for the surgery. At my peak, I weighed 309 pounds. Heart failure and disease were always in the back of my mind. When it came time for surgery, I hoped it would be my last stop. I didn’t tell many people. I didn’t want to hear their opinions or gather the bullshit stories about someone else’s failure.
Post-surgery, I lost over 130 pounds. I’m thrilled with my life now. I ran a 10k marathonc, and I no longerdon’t get winded walking up or downon stairs anymore, and watch my husband struggle with them instead. Physically, I wish I’d had the surgerydone it sooner, but mentally, I wasn’t ready. The surgery was a tool, but the mindset was the real game-changer. Following five simple rules—protein first, vitamins, hydration, movement, and portion control—I truly transformed my life. Looking back, I barely recognize the person I was. No one forced me to do this; it was all me. That’s why I did it for myself, quietly, without needing to explain or defend my decision.
