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Episode 56: What is Like Like After Weight Loss Surgery, A Personal Story- Vera Lee Curnow

 

What is Like Like After Weight Loss Surgery, A Personal Story- Vera Lee Curnow

Are you considering or about to undertake weight loss surgery? Going under the knife is a big step and commitment to make. You must be ready to make lifestyle changes that would make your surgery a long-term success. Vera Lee Curnow is an ordinary woman with an extraordinary story to share, including her journey to undergo bariatric surgery which took her a long time to prepare for.

Vera-Lee has overcome immense adversity in her own life, including several disabilities, chronic illnesses, multiple near-death experiences and has also survived domestic violence and sexual assault. She has also overcome anxiety, clinical depression and recently underwent sleeve gastrectomy to help her with severe obesity.

In this episode, Vera-Lee shares what her journey has been like before and after weight loss surgery, the steps she took to prepare for her sleeve gastrectomy procedure, and how the quality of her life, health, and relationships has improved since.

 

 

Key Takeaways:

Tune in to my conversation with Vera-Lee and learn:

  • Vera’s challenges with weight since childhood up until she was at her heaviest at 190 kilograms 20 years ago
  • Taking prednisolone as medication and weight gain put a huge strain on her respiratory system
  • How obesity affected her to the point that she had to sleep in a reclined chair for 5 years
  • Why it took her 10 years of preparing and conditioning her mind and body for weight loss surgery in November 2020
  • The steps Vera-Lee took to get ready and qualify for the surgery
  • What it was like to never feel “full” before and what went through her head during that time
  • Her biggest struggles before, after, and during her weight loss journey
  • The challenges she faces now that the surgery is over and how her eating habits have changed
  • How the weight loss surgery has affected her health (her respiratory system has been completely normal)
  • Having a helpful support system with her on her journey
  • How her eating patterns have changed since the surgery

 

Vera Lee’s Advice for People Dealing with Severe Obesity and Preparing for Metabolic Surgery: 

“Take it one step at a time, one small change at a time, and really look at your goals. Why is it that you want to lose weight? What is it that you’re trying to achieve? Because when you get into really difficult periods, you need to have that point of focus. You need to have something that’s drawing you back to really feel… what is it I’m working towards? Having an overall plan, but also having smaller goals along the way so that when you achieve them, you celebrate them.

“Helping to set goals helps you to start achieving goals, and that gets the momentum going and from there, you actually get the motivation to keep going. It’s not that you need to have the motivation first, motivation happens after you’re on that train, after you start with that process.”

 

Quotes:

Vera-Lee

“Don’t focus on the scale, focus on what’s actually going on in your body.”

“As long as you are mindful that you’re choosing the option that is going to support your body that is gonna support your nutrition, that you eat for nutrients… It’s about choosing really the nutrient-dense foods that are going to support your body and everything that it needs.”

 

Links:

Vera Lee’s Podcast: What the Flab Podcast

Thank you for listening to another episode of Decoding Obesity!

 

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