Shelley's Success Story

1. What was the deciding factor or factors that led you to choose bariatric surgery?

Just about all of my doctors (Primary, OB, Heart, etc.) had been telling me for years that I should consider having this surgery. When I look back on what took me so long to actually do it I realized I hadn’t been putting myself first. In 2019 my daughter got engaged and I knew I didn’t want to be heavy in photos for her wedding, but more importantly looking at the future I wanted to be healthy and be able to be active with my future grandchildren. I had tried many different diets (WW, Jenny Craig, fen-phen medication, keto, etc) all my adult life and nothing was sustainable for me.

2. How did Dr. Liao and the office of Med*Thin aid you in your journey?

Throughout the process Dr. Liao was instrumental in helping me understand how to make better food choices and the importance of adding exercise to your day. She really helped me to understand how to make better choices with the things I eat and understand intermittent fasting. She provided many different sites that were easy to understand better choices for a low carb diet. Prior to surgery she helped keep me accountable to small goals I would set for myself and celebrated my victories whether small or large. Her upbeat, energetic personality made me look forward to my visits and want to be successful through the process.

2. Did your goals change at all once you met with Dr. Liao?

Once I met with Dr. Liao I learned to celebrate the small goals and not beat yourself up if you weren't perfect through the process. It's a lot easier to focus on smaller goals than to set one big goal for yourself that seems hard to achieve.

3. What was the hardest part about the journey?

Before surgery the hardest part was fear leading up to the surgery and not knowing what to expect. After surgery the hardest part was finding a way to get in fluid and protein at the levels I should be at. After surgery it's important to find what works for you.

4. What were your biggest victories?

My biggest victories have been:

- Sticking to the program. I've learned to realize when I'm satisfied instead of waiting until I feel full. This has helped me stop eating when I'm satisfied versus waiting til I'm full and overeating.

- Making getting in fluids and protein daily a priority. I started by setting a timer every 10 mins to remind myself to drink throughout the day. I learned what works for me when it comes to protein. I'm not a fan of the thick protein shakes but was able to find an unflavored protein powder and mixed it with crystal light and water which has been a game changer for me. This has really helped me meet my protein goals daily.

- Knowing it's important to be active daily, even when it seems hard. We went to Disney World last month and instead of renting a scooter like I had in the past I walked the whole time averaging 10k steps a day while there. The first day I walked over 13k steps. The next day even though I was tired I got up and did another 12k, continuing to walk daily for the 5 days we were there. After returning I continued to see progress on the scale losing weight after vacation which was a first for me! During COVID quarantine I started fostering dogs. Walking them daily has helped me increase my activity.

5. How much weight did you lose over how much time?

Since my heaviest I've lost 156 lbs. Since surgery December 27, 2019 I've lost 120 lbs.

6. What would you tell someone who is thinking about starting this journey?

I would tell those thinking about starting this journey to jump in feet first. Don't hesitate. Make the decision to put yourself first. This will be the best decision you've ever made!