Lisa lost 144 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Lisa lost 144 pounds. At her heaviest, she shared with us that she felt like she was pulling a heavy load with every step. So she decided to have gastric bypass surgery in 2015. After surgery, she followed her dietitian’s instructions and meal plan and made time for exercise. Having a supportive friend who was her cheerleader along the way was key to her success.

What was your motivation?
I had a friend who was my coach and cheerleader along the way. That support was a huge inspiration to get me going. Once I got into the groove of things, it was just a matter of time.

What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up?
Once I made up my mind, I set a goal. My first goal was to get under 300 pounds, and I did it just by changing what I was eating. In 2013, I lost 25 lbs. and made it under 200 pounds. However, I ended up gaining that weight back plus more. By 2014, I was at my heaviest, and it felt like I was pulling a heavy load with every step. I knew I needed to do something about my weight.

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
I had Gastric Bypass Surgery (Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass) in July 2015. Now, five years later, I have no regrets.

How did you change your eating habits?
My first step was to see a dietitian, which is required with weight loss surgery. She was my biggest asset. The first thing she did was instruct me to count my calories and write down everything I ate and drank. 

I focused on staying within my daily calorie intake goal of 1800 calories. It is very easy to sabotage yourself if you eat and drink the wrong things. Water is the absolute best beverage, and it helps the metabolism.

From there, you analyze what you need to remove, cut back on or increase. (including dairy, salt, sugar, and fat) During this process, I learned these things: 

• Use small plates instead of large, regular-sized plates.
• Take your time when eating 20 minutes or longer. 
• The more you chew, the better it is for your stomach.
• The most important thing is to make your calories count.
• CARBS is the absolute worse. There are good carbs and bad carbs, and you have to learn the difference.

What foods did you stop or start eating?
I was never a junk food eater. I just ate too much high-calorie food for the most part. I just needed to cut back and be mindful of how much and when I was eating. 

During my transition to the weight loss program, I did everything my dietitian told me to do. They gave me menu guides and food planning ideas during each visit (We were gradually making changes to how and what I ate). 

The to-go foods that I ate whenever I got hungry and couldn’t eat a decent meal would be nuts, triple zero yogurt, cottage cheese, protein bars, slim-fast protein shakes, premier protein shakes, or Atkins protein shakes. There are protein snacks in the lunch meat section that I ate as well.

My also dietician told me never to buy juice because of the sugar. That was the one thing she told me not to do. With everything else, I cut back gradually.

Today I can eat whatever I want. However, I am fully aware that I have to eat small amounts of food, which is why the surgery has been such an asset for me. 

What did your workout routine consist of?
I did 30-minute walks as many days/week as possible. Or I would also swim for 30 minutes a day. Ten minutes of exercise is better than 0 minutes.

How often did you work out?
Due to my work schedule, it could be anywhere from once a week up to 3-4 days per week.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 340 pounds, and my current weight is 196 pounds.

What is your height?
I’m 5’8″.

How long did your transformation take?
I would say five years for me because my weight came off very, very slow. I would also like to add that I have not re-gained weight since my surgery.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
I learned how important it is to eat as healthy as possible and get enough rest.

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?
All you really need is “one” coach/cheerleader. However, I would keep my business to myself as much as possible. The only reason I’m saying this is because almost every time you mention to someone your plan to have weight loss surgery, they will reply with lots of negative stories. That’s why you want to keep your moves to yourself as much as possible. All you need is one good partner/friend/cheerleader/coach.

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