Publisher’s note: In part 2, Nicky Bicksler shares her bariatric success story — massive weight loss, plus ending an abusive relationship and emotional eating. Read part 1. After facing years of abuse for my weight and being in an emotionally and financially abusive marriage, I reached a point in my life where I was severely […]
Publisher’s note: Binge eating disorder, massive weight gain, and stress from emotional trauma and abuse are common in people with obesity. Here, Nicky Bicksler shares her story of triumph over those forces. In Her Own Words I weighed 428.4 pounds at my heaviest. I was pre-diabetic, with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), […]
Bariatric Women’s Support is another of my favorite Facebook WLS groups. Why? Well, BWS is well-run and its just for women who’ve had or want weight-loss surgery (WLS). Plus they offer a number of services that other WLS online support groups do not. Let’s take a closer look at Bariatric Women’s Support: Bariatric Women’s Support […]
Kelley Gunter author of You Have Such a Pretty Face, had the BPD/DS duodenal switch surgery in 2002 and subsequently dropped 243 pounds from her pre-surgery weight of 391 pounds. Kelley later had plastic surgery after massive weight loss to remove the excess skin and fat that remained. And her transformation was stunning. One could […]
Connect with patients just like you 24/7 in a Facebook bariatric support group. Online bariatric support groups can be used to receive support, celebrate physical and emotional accomplishments, provide anecdotal accounts of the “bariatric lifestyle” for preoperative patients, and comment on challenges with mental health and experiences of weight bias, according to a study published on ScienceDirect. And […]
Cheyanne is losing weight without bariatric surgery. Here’s how she dropped from 260 pounds to 175 pounds by making healthy lifestyle choices. Growing up, Cheyanne Lent was like most kids. She had dreams and ambition. She played sports. But Cheyanne’s weight soared in high school despite being active. She ate a lot of processed convenience […]
A number of celebrities have come forward over time stating they have had resounding weight-loss success with gastric sleeve surgery — most recently, TV personality Mama June Shannon in her new series Mama June: From Not to Hot. In fact, several have reported losses ranging anywhere from 60 to 150 pounds following their procedure. Celebrity Gastric […]
Kristin Szilagyi waited with me in the hospital room the day of my obesity surgery: August 27, 2003. Kristin stayed with me up until the last moment when the nurses brought the gurney to deliver me into my new life. And Kristin was there on the “other side” — the term bariatric patients have given […]
Colleen Cook is motivated. Colleen self-paid for the gastric bypass surgery in 1995 by taking a second mortgage on her home. Colleen Cook went on to become the President of Bariatric Support Centers International, a company that provides education and support services for weight loss surgery patients and the healthcare professionals who serve them. The decision to have […]
Sandi Henderson discusses her role as a bariatric educator. As a successful weight loss surgery patient, Sandi literally has “been there” and brings her shared experience to the people she serves. Sandi Henderson had been struggling with her weight since she was 3-years old. Finally, at age 56 and weighing over 400 pounds, Sandi made the […]
Alex Brecher, founder of BariatricPal, is over a decade-long success with Lap-Band weight loss surgery. In 2003, the same year that I had my gastric bypass surgery, Alex underwent the Lap-Band procedure. At age 27, it took Alex a little more than a year to drop roughly 100 pounds. And he vows to keep it […]
Sandi Henderson is a Lap-Band surgery success story. She lost 250 pounds — more than half her bodyweight! And she has kept that weight off for the long term. Lap-Band Surgery Success Sandi Henderson reached her heaviest weight at 424 pounds. With a BMI of 68.5 and wearing size 28 clothes, Sandi knew she had […]
Alex Brecher is not only successful at weight loss (read his Lap-Band success story), Alex also is the man behind the success of BariatricPal. BariatricPal is an online social network for the weight loss surgery community, where patients support each other before and after weight loss. BariatricPal grew out of the desire of Alex Brecher […]
Terri Wehling struggled for years to lose weight. She tried a number of different diets but, like most of us, would take off some weight and then gain it back. Terri’s health was failing so fast that she opted for the LAP Band surgery, which is one of the two adjustable gastric band implants available, […]
Mikimi’s journey through body contouring after massive weight loss is one of triumph over challenges: From battling HMO insurance approval for plastic surgery, to enduring wound healing issues, to again fighting for HMO insurance coverage for plastic surgery revisions — and in the end, winning! Mikimi got her plastic surgery paid by insurance. Mikimi had […]
Dating after Weight Loss is Part 2 of Jen’s story. Read Part 1. Jen began Dating after Weight Loss Surgery Jen and John met through an online dating site. They were married on October 17, 2015. My Bariatric Life: What were some of your concerns about attention from men and dating? Jen: My #1 concern was […]
