Lutece lost 175 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Lutece lost 175 pounds. Knee pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, and sciatic nerve pain could not stop this mom from getting healthy for her family and herself. She decided to have Gastric Bypass surgery and faced some complications. However, she has no regrets and feels like she truly living her life now. Check out her story.

I am a St. Louis, Missouri native. I started my weight loss journey 17 months ago. I didn’t realize how much I was growing until I got on the scale and it said 499.9 pounds.

I was not an active person. I had become the person who only does they have to. do I knew that I had to make some changes. Time was ticking, and my children wanted to do more. This hurt me because I was the mom who waited at the end of the park because walking was painful.

My body was slowly breaking down. I was taking blood pressure and diabetes medication. I had knee pain, sciatic nerve pain, and feelings of depression. Also, having sleep apnea and being overweight in general was a deadly combination.

I knew that when my time came to leave this earth, I did not want to be stuffed in a casket. I also don’t want to leave my children behind because I couldn’t get my health in order. So, I vowed to begin to make changes slowly.

Throughout the years, diet and exercise just wasn’t my thing mainly because it already hurt to move. I decided to look into weight loss surgery after numerous attempts to do it on my own. After eight long months, I was finally approved for Gastric Bypass surgery. On April 20th, 2018, my life changed for the better. Although I experienced complications due to blood clots after surgery, it was the best decision I have ever made for my children, my family, and for me.

My eating habits changed drastically. I had a bittersweet relationship with food, but once my mind was made up, I knew that I could succeed. I started monitoring my calories and portion sizes. Once I got under 400 pounds, I vowed to go to the gym three times a week and increase the time over the months to come. I did 30 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the elliptical and 10minutes on the bike. I incorporate ab workouts into my routine to help prevent loose skin.

Currently, I weigh 325 pounds at 5’8″. I still have a lot more weight to lose, but I thank god for my tool [Gastric Bypass] because I know even though it almost took my life, it SAVED ME. I’ve lost 171 pounds in nearly a year since having surgery.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned while on this journey is that although I almost lost my life after surgery, this is the first time in my 29 years that I have lived. I am no longer just existing. I made it through the hard process of getting WLS and all the experiences that comes with it. I can honestly say I no longer feel pain when looking at myself in the mirror.

My advice to anyone who is struggling with their weight: Be strong and don’t give up. There are 365 days in a year and every day doesn’t have to be the same. If you need help with exercises or if you have gotten to the point where you feel weight loss surgery is your only option, do what you have to do to live.

Be encouraged and make changes one day at a time. It’s ok to mess up, as long as you do what’s best for you. Some people may not be as supportive once you lose the weight as they were supportive of your bad eating habits. It’s ok to drop them as you drop your weight. You are worthy of life. Don’t let food be the reason it gets shortened.