Likedia lost 107 pounds

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Likedia lost 107 pounds with weight loss surgery but faced serious, life threatening complications. She recommends that people lose weight the natural way and says that the experience of taught her that what we eat is truly the key to weight loss. Her hope is that her story will serve as a testimony and a warning.  Here is what she shared with us about her experience.

My name is Likedia M. My longing to lose weight began after I had my two kids. With my oldest, I was able to get back to my pre-pregnancy size of a 14 and then with my second child I started at a size 14. I ended up going from a size 14 to a size 20 from 2008 to 2011. In October 2011, I weighed in at 225 pounds. I made the decision to have weight loss surgery (lap band). However, I never loss any weight with this procedure. I actually gained weight and ending up at 277.6 lbs. I was very depressed.

I would always dress nicely and carried myself well to be plus sized. It would really bother me that people would always tell me “you have such a pretty face”. This annoyed me so much because I would always think, “Well, what about the rest of me”. I remember going to the bakery, ordering 4-5 cupcakes and eating them in my car while crying my eyes out. Food was my security blanket. It made me feel good or at least that’s what I thought, but I was only hurting myself. My size 20 pants were so tight, but I refused to buy any bigger clothes. I was also starting to have really bad headaches and dizzy spells, so I went to the doctor. My blood pressure was very high and that really scared me.

I talked to my doctor at that time about getting a second weight loss surgery. She recommended that I go for it. My motivation was to get healthy so that I could be around to see my babies grow up. My husband always said he loved me the way I was, but I was doing this for me. I ended up getting weight loss surgery (gastric bypass) again in April 2015. I went in for what I thought would be a routine procedure of having the lap band removed and the gastric bypass done. I was told by surgeon and staff that I would be back home with my family within 2-3 days.

Instead I ended up on life support and med vacked to another hospital. I finally was taken off life support once I could breath on my own. I stayed in the hospital for almost a month and a half. I also went home with a wound vac attached to my stomach for almost a month and needed weekly assistance from a home health nurse. I ended up having 6 surgeries within 6 months due to complications from the surgery in April. Now, I am finally able to eat and keep foods down. My diet consists of lean white meat, vegetables, fruit, protein shakes, and lots of eggs.

My starting weight was 277.6 pounds on 5’4″ frame. Right now, I weigh 170 pounds, so I have lost 107.6 lbs. My overall transformation took 6 months. The advice I have for others is to lose weight the natural way. I would not recommend weight loss surgery to anyone. I don’t say this just because I ended up on life support. I say this because weight loss results still boil down to what you eat. With, the first surgery I ate wrong which is clearly why I gained weight. The second surgery has forced me to eat right or I would end up sick.

Ultimately, I hope to inspire any woman out there struggling with depression, lack of self love, or any other issue that is preventing you from losing weight. I thought weight loss would help me find myself but yet I’m still the same person inside. What I do know now is that God brought me through this journey. I know that there is a test in my testimony, which is why my heart told me I needed to share my ordeal. I have been so embarrassed and afraid to share my story because I felt like I was selfish for putting my family through this also. If you do plan on doing weight loss surgery please do your research ladies. I hope that my story may even save someone’s life. Just know self love is the best love, Queens.

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