Two months after my 20th birthday, on August 4, 2011, I had weight loss surgery. I had the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy which is unlike the Lap Band (which inserts a plastic ring at the top of the stomach and restricts the amount of food that can enter) as well as the Gastric Bypass (which reroutes the intestines to bypass the stomach completely. The Sleeve includes removing roughly 80% of the stomach and allowing for approximately 3 ounces of food to enter at one time.
I started considering weight loss surgery when I was 18 years old after struggling with weight issues since infancy. I had always been a chubby baby, then a chubby toddler, preteen, and young adult. When I was younger I was very active in sports- both soccer and basketball, as well as martial arts (specifically Tae Kwon Do). No matter how active I was my weight was also an issue, I was always overweight. I always had a very hearty appetite and even though my mother was very health conscious I always found a way to eat more than I should and foods that I shouldn't.
At age 20 I stood 5'2" and 256 pounds. I chose to have this surgery so that I would be able to get control of my weight and not have this be a lifelong issue that controlled my life. Almost three months after surgery I have lost 45 pounds and currently weigh 211. Few people know that I have had this surgery but I thought this blog would be a good opportunity to explain my experiences with weight loss surgery, give some history about me, and keep me accountable as I continue on using my sleeve as a weight loss tool.
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