Miranda

 

19 months after surgery

89 pounds lost

 

 

Before Surgery

 

Location: Diamond, IL
Age: 33
Weight lost: 79 pounds

Surgery Date: 2/12/08
Presurgery BMI: 47
Current BMI: 32

Miranda's Story

I was not always overweight. In fact, I was very small (107 pounds) when I was younger. But I also did not give any thought to what I ate or to the activities I was doing. When I left high school, I gained weight quickly. By the time I was 20 years old, I was up to 160–170 pounds. By the time I was 21 I was pregnant, and I gained more weight. I had my second child when I was 23. The next thing I knew I was morbidly obese. At my heaviest I was anywhere between 250–265 pounds. That is a lot of weight on my 5’1” frame.

Why I chose to draw the line against living with obesity

My dad died 24 days after my son’s second birthday. My dad was 55 years old and died of a heart attack. He did not take very good care of himself. He had heart disease and was diabetic. I never got to say goodbye, and my children never got to know their grandfather. That is when I drew the line against my obesity.

After my dad’s death, I started to realize that I took after him. I was short and round like him, and I was heading in the same direction. I did not want to leave my kids and my family that early. That is when I started looking into weight loss surgery.

It took me a couple of years to come to my decision. I wanted to try to lose weight on my own. After many failed attempts I went to a seminar to learn more about my options. It took me another year after that to set up a consultation with my surgeon. Once I met with my surgeon, everything fell into place. Dr. Joyce explained to me why the REALIZE^® Band was the right choice for me, and I completely agreed.

How my life has changed

My life has changed in more ways than I had anticipated. I have so much more energy now. My kids and I will go for walks and bike rides. I can help my kids practice their sports and last more than 5 minutes. I am not tired all day at work. I can fit comfortably in an airplane seat. I do exercises that I enjoy—like hip-hop dancing. Something I really enjoy now is exercising! My husband and I do a lot more things with each other and with the kids because I have the confidence to go out into the world and enjoy it. It has been a lifestyle change, and a great one at that.

I still have another 30 pounds to reach my goal weight. With the REALIZE Band, my determination, and my lifestyle, I know I will soon reach that goal.