At 5 foot 3, and 320 lbs, Tina Minasyan decided she had to make a change. Like many people suffering from obesity, she struggled with daily tasks such as putting on clothes, walking up steps, shopping, taking public transportation, and many simple, everyday tasks people often take for granted. That change began with her decision to have Gastric Sleeve Surgery.
Five years after surgery, Tina has lost an incredible 171 pounds, documenting much of her journey on Instagram and Pinterest.
Tina evaluated many weight-loss surgery options such as Gastric Bypass and Lap-Band Surgery. She elected to have Gastric Sleeve Surgery because she was afraid of the more dramatic bypass procedure and the lap-band did not appeal to her.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery is a procedure that removes 75-80% of the stomach, trimming it down to about the size of a banana. The patient consumes less food as a result of the stomach being smaller and inability to consume larger portions. As a result, weight loss occurs.
Tina first became aware of her weight when she was in elementary school. After being weighed she was shocked to learn she weighed 130 lbs. She knew from her appearance alone that she was different and heavier than the other kids, but it didn’t start affecting her life until she began high school. At that time, her weight skyrocketed dramatically affecting her confidence and self esteem. She went from being a social butterfly to becoming very reserved, pushing many of her friends away because she felt like they were talking behind her back about her weight. As a result, she found herself alone, depressed, and never participating in school events such as homecoming, prom, and other high school activities. Her depression spiraled so low that her parents decided it was best for her to drop out of high school and focus on her mental health.
Over the next few years Tina spent a lot of time in therapy, trying to cope with her depression. She was desperate to lose weight and took matters into her own hands trying nearly every popular diet on the market such as Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Atkins, and others – but she was ultimately unsuccessful losing weight.
Once Tina decided to have Gastric Sleeve Surgery, she was surprised to learn how much preparation goes into leading up to surgery. She was assigned a very strict eating regimen by her doctors consisting of mostly low-carb, sugar-free, “soft” foods. This diet lasted several weeks and helped her to prepare both mentally and physically for what was to come post surgery.
After surgery, Tina describes her experience as being really great, and very difficult. Physically she healed very quickly from the procedure, but described the mental healing aspect of life after surgery as being much more difficult. She attributes much of her mental healing and success with weight loss after surgery by shifting the way she thought about food, her body, and overall health. It’s a long-term commitment and ongoing process of making healthy, good, conscious decisions for your healthy, daily.
Tina lost the majority of her weight in the first year, an astounding 180 lbs. Fast forward five years, Tina has continued to keep the weight off but emphasizes it’s a life long struggle dealing with the fear of regaining weight. “It’s part of life” she says, and she never punishes herself for it. She is a huge advocate for eating foods you like in moderation and establishing an exercise routine that is healthy and something you enjoy.
Tina has made peace with the idea that her journey is continuous and that every day comes with its ups and downs. However, she believes that if she had never had Gastric Sleeve Surgery, she would have never been able to lose the weight and regain her life and all the success she has accomplished along the way.
