Katy resident Lisa Carey just bought a full-length mirror. She hasnt used one in years.
Recently, she appreciates her reflection more. Its not just the changes in her own body the weight loss that matters, she explained. Its what she can do without feeling weighed down.
Im doing things now that Id never do before, said Carey, 53.
For example, she recently headed to a Twenty One Pilots concert with her daughter, stood the entire time, danced to the music and posed for photos. Spending more time with her children has been her goal since day one. The whole reason I did this was to be the mom I needed to be, she said.
That required hitting a reset button, Carey said. While a number of people find success in fasting or other weight loss programs, for her the answer came with surgery.
But first, she had to commit to making major changes in her diet.
A lot of people look at surgery and think its an easy way out, Carey said. Theres nothing easy about this.
Careys weight gain had been gradual. She added a few pounds after the birth of her first two children. Then she was diagnosed with traumatic fibromyalgia, deep pain triggered by a car accident.
All of a sudden, this active lifestyle I had wasnt as active as before, she said. And the medications didnt help.
In addition, in vitro fertilization for her third and fourth children also affected her fitness. All you want to do is sleep, she recalled. Youre so tired from the hormones and you just shut down. My active lifestyle was gone.
Carey said she tried everything to lose the weight, but nothing worked.
A year and a half ago, she started researching surgical options. I just decided that Im sick of this, she said. My body was not the person I was inside, and my body was ruling my world.
Carey yearned for the days when she felt like an active mom. As her youngest children entered their teenage years, she wanted to be more involved in their lives.
I was so weighed down with the weight, she said. It was keeping me from what I wanted to do. I wanted to be the mom I was before. I was inside - but I wanted to be that mom outside.
Carey booked a consultation with Dr. Ricardo Bonnor at Texas Surgical Arts, who explained her options. They made a plan for Carey to undergo a gastric sleeve surgery, removing part of her stomach.
Bonnor stressed how active a role Carey would have to assume in the process. He also explained that theres a stigma that persists, associated with the operation. Some patients need help, he said.
Still, its not a quick fix. You have to have the proper mindset, mentality and attitude, Bonnor said. Surgery is just a component.
Carey had to completely change the way she looked at food. Food is fuel, she said. Its not entertainment. And so much of what we do is wrapped around what you eat.
She had to learn to eat on a schedule, watch portion sizes and make time for breakfast.
For the two weeks before surgery, Carey could only eat soft foods. She also eliminated sugar, carbohydrates, alcohol and carbonated beverages completely.
After surgery, she maintained a liquid diet for a week, consuming only three ounces of nourishment at a time.
With time, she was able to add in more food. But even now, she maintains certain dietary restrictions. She counts about 1,500 calories a day and limits her carb intake. She upped the amount of water she drinks and the amount of protein she eats.
Its a total and complete lifestyle change, Carey said. Its all about the foods you eat and when you eat them.
In addition, she tries to increase her exercise. Even when she doesnt have time for a work-out, she makes an effort. For example, shell park her car farther from a destination to increase the walk.
In total, Carey has lost 120 pounds. She also had a tummy tuck to eliminate extra skin.
I didnt go in thinking that this was a magic wand, that my life would be great if only I lost weight, Carey said. I truly started this process, just because I wanted to be the person outside that I was inside. I wanted to be healthier.
Bonnor said that Carey has been an exceptional patient. Shes a great case of someone who made a powerful transformation, both on the inside and outside, he said.
She considers the lifestyle changes a long-term solution. The scale is just a number, she said. What really matters is how you feel when you look at yourself.
Carey has always been a busy person. In addition to being a wife and mother, she runs her own social media management company, New Creative Media, and maintains a blog, Money Saving Parent.
Self-care starts with acknowledging our weaknesses and then tackling them, Carey said. Were a lot stronger than we think we are.
Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.
