Nicole, a 32-year-old Mother recently reported losing over 140 lbs after having Gastric Sleeve Surgery. Just one year ago, Nicole weighed in at 275 lbs. Almost unrecognizable, Nicole has dropped over 8 dress sizes from a size 24 down to a size 8-10.
Life Before Surgery
Reflecting on life before surgery, Nicole admits she was addicted to junk food – with KFC being her favorite. She would indulge in fast food out of convenience and laziness – which gradually caused her to pile on the pounds.
In 2018, she was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), which caused her abdomen to extend out making her appear pregnant. “Due to my IBS, I would always bloat like crazy whenever I ate my favorite fast foods. I took photographs to show my friends and it honestly looked like I was nine months pregnant. I even had a worker at the supermarket ask if I was pregnant before, and I recently shared one of my ‘before’ photos online and had someone asking if I was pregnant in that photo.”
Infertility Caused by Obesity
Nicole believes the turning point came for her when her husband and her began trying to have a second child but were unable to conceive. Her doctors believed that her weight played a large part in her not being able to become pregnant. Nicole and her husband Jared had dreams of having more children and expanding their family. She knew she had to lose weight if she wanted to make this dream a reality.
With her biological clock ticking, Nicole knew that if she intended to make her dream a reality she would need to act fast. Over the years she had attempted every conceivable diet possible with little to no results. Upon the counsel of her doctors, she decided to undergo Gastric Sleeve Surgery in September of 2020.
Life After Surgery
Nicole has since changed her fast food diet in favor of a healthy, high protein, low carb, low fat, and low sugar diet. “It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to be able to change the eating habits that are ingrained in you. It’s really 80% mental and 20% diet and exercise.
The now 32-year-old Mother reports having more energy now than ever before in her life. “I work out for at least third minutes a day, 5-7 days a week – focusing on a blend of cardio and weight training. I feel amazing now that the weight is gone. I am honestly like a new person! I have so much more self confidence, I now love myself enough to take care of myself both mentally and physically. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me and my family.”
Before & After Photos
