Welcome to 2015 on the WeightWise blog!
Welcome back, friends. I am so excited about the year to come and all of it’s possibilities. This year I hope to bring you a few things: inspiration to cook good food, motivation to change a habit, an inclination to love and embrace your body/health/spirit/workout/”insert word here”, and knowledge that there are ‘real’ people going through the same struggles and successes you are.
That brings me to Karlee. Karlee is the first person in our Patient Spotlight. She is here to tell us about what her motivation is, her goals, and what she does to keep living her best life.
Karlee after losing 102 pounds
I have known Karlee for over a year and a half now. She is an amazing woman, a great role model, and always has creative recipes to share with me. I am so happy that she wants to share her story with you…
(left) Karlee pregnant with daughter; (right) after working hard for over year and losing 100+ pounds
What was/is your motivation to lose weight?
My lupus was out of control and I was within a year of having double knee replacement…at age 34! I generally had no energy, had missed out on a lot with my family and was tired of being tired. My four year old and my sixteen year old needed a better mom and my husband deserved a wife that had more energy to enjoy life!
Tell me about any goals you’ve reached or any “wow” moments you’ve had.
I’m down to one pill a day for my lupus. This is a major milestone since I’ve taken 3-4 pills per day for the past 18 years. “Wow” moments- I can sit comfortably on a plane. I can see my seat-belt in the car. I’m smaller than I was in high school. I went from a size 22 to a size 6. I haven’t had a diet Dr. Pepper since July 2013 and haven’t thought twice about it…considering I used to drink two super big gulps every day, this is huge! My high school pom uniform is too big now (YAY!) And I thought I was “fat” at 150lbs back then. 🙂
Karlee’s journey from a size 22 to a size 6
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself the day of your surgery?
Don’t panic! Even though I didn’t feel nervous at all about the process, I’m a planner and not knowing exactly what to expect for the next 2-6 weeks kind of freaked me out! I relied a lot on friends I’ve met that have had the surgery and my dietitian to guide me. There’s a lot you can not plan for- even if you try- since your taste buds change and especially what you physically can eat/drink versus what your head says you can.
What is the one thing you do everyday to ensure your long term success?
Stay away from bread, pasta, rice, and soda! You thought I was going to say work out and drink lots of water, right? 🙂 I’m not going to lie, I slack a little in those areas more than I should, but Powerade Zero is my friend and the carbs & soda are an enemy! Being very open with others on what I did keeps me focused and helps others too.
Why did you choose WeightWise?
My lupus doctor tole me that Dr. Walton was the best and I trust her. Plus, I did my research. That was validated once I met other people in group and met the WeightWise staff. They really care about you and they make me feel like I’m their only patient. 🙂
Other information you would like to share/include?
People tell me all the time- “there’s no way I could go without bread/soda/beer/etc.” I tell them yes you could- if your life depended on it. I feel like if I hadn’t had the gastric sleeve, my life would have ended prematurely. Giving up those things is worth it if you can begin living the life you used to live!
Thank you, Karlee, for sharing your story and being an inspiration for so many people.
We would love to hear your story. Please call 405-715-7122 or email me at lauren.a@weightwise.com to learn how to be our Patient Spotlight story.