Kendra lost 137 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Kendra lost 137 pounds. When her weight reached over 400 pounds, this proud mom of four decided to take steps to improve her health. She had back surgery and bariatric bypass surgery. Although she went through a long recovery, she says that her life has improved in various ways, and she would happily do it all again.

My name is Kendra, and I am 31 years old, I’ve been married for eight years to my wonderful husband, and I have four beautiful children.

Other than my previous weight, my life was absolutely amazing! Well, I tried to make good with what I had. I was always exhausted and in pain. I couldn’t be active with my children because of an issue in my back.

When my weight reached over 400 pounds, I finally decided that something had to change. Yes, I said the same thing to myself previously, and it didn’t work. Now, I was seriously ready to make a change.

I made a vision board, and it helped me put a lot of my life into perspective. It gave me something to look at when I woke up, and it also gave me something to look forward to in the future. This idea was life-changing.

Then, I talked to my husband and my sister for advice on which steps I should take. I wrote down all the important notes and then I began to work.

I spoke to my doctor to set up an evaluation appointment and got options for surgeries. Then, I searched for a specialist to help keep me on track. Due to the neuropathy and my sciatic nerve issues, I decided to get surgery on my back first. This procedure was very intense and had me on recovery for an entire month. I also got a bariatric bypass surgery that transformed my life for good.

I’m an entrepreneur with two businesses under my belt, which helped a lot because I had to be on bed rest. I could work, take calls, and do face to face meetings from the comfort of my bed and home. Everything worked out great.

My surgeries were completed by December 2019, and I weighed 420 pounds at 5’6″. I currently weigh 283 pounds, and I feel amazing. I’ve lost over 100 pounds, and I’m not done yet.

Weight loss surgery helped me a lot. I love it because I can’t cheat, and trust me, I’ve tried. I can only consume so much food before I’m completely full. Having surgery has changed the way that I digest foods. I have entirely given up bread, pasta, sugar, and pop. (Those were the death of me.) I’m so glad I said goodbye to those things.

For exercise, I walk every day, and I try to do Zumba with my kids three times a week.

Even though this was a very long and serious recovery, it has genuinely helped me. I’m not in pain anymore, I can walk and go upstairs without getting out of breath, I’m spending more time with my children, and I’ve been taken off a lot of medication because of my new health. I love my new life. I make sure to listen to my body at all cost, and it works out for me well.

My advice to anyone looking for a way to help themselves physically, or who has tried all the other possible ways to make a change: Take a chance on weight loss surgery. It’s scary, but it’s well worth it. Yes, it was a long and hard journey, but I wouldn’t change a thing. This decision has been great for me, and I would do it all over again if I had too.