This story of her friend Elena was shared by Makeyeva Marina. She wanted to tell about Elena’s experience with obesity treatment to support and inspire others.
My friend Elena, with a height of 164 cm, weighed up to 130 kg. Excess weight had accompanied her life for many years and affected her well-being. Elena’s story became an example of strength and inspiration for me, and I want to share it.
The thing is, Elena is still shy about her body. She feels that the results after her bariatric surgery are barely noticeable. That’s not surprising – only three months have passed. Moreover, the results are invisible only to her. From the outside, the changes are tremendous.
Elena had been on diets for the last 20 years. It was painful to watch her. She didn’t look well, and was constantly irritated either from hunger or lack of vitamins. She managed to lose 3–4 kilograms at most, and then came the breakdown. At those times, she ate everything in sight. Naturally, the weight came back with double force.
Eventually, Elena decided that being slim was not for her. She gave up, stopped restricting food, and quickly gained another 20 kg.
At that moment, I came across a story shared by one of my channel subscribers. She told me that after bariatric surgery she lost 50 kg. I managed to get in touch with her and learn the details. Then I spent a long time persuading Elena to follow the example of this woman she had never met.
But all the steps were completed. I won’t describe the visits to doctors and examinations. The main thing is that the surgery was scheduled. The surgeon insisted on laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
After the procedure, Elena spent three days in intensive care – that’s the clinic’s policy. I rushed to bring her vegetables and dairy products, but I was forbidden. They said that for the first three days my friend would only drink water, and even then just in sips.
Later, she was allowed to have a light broth. A few days later, she was discharged. We looked at the traces from the surgery – only five small marks on her abdomen. The doctors promised they would soon disappear completely.
I worried about Elena. She was recommended to eat no more than 50 ml of food at a time. Water was limited to 100 ml. I thought she wouldn’t be able to cope, as she had always suffered from hunger pangs.
But Elena said she didn’t feel hungry at all. That amount was enough for her, she felt full. Here’s what she ate:
- baby puree, one small jar;
- drinkable yogurts;
- juices diluted with water;
- light tea.
By the end of the first month, my friend had noticeably lost weight. But the most important change was her mood and outlook. She was no longer a breathless, gloomy woman dissatisfied with herself and everything around her. Elena became active, constantly invited me
Author
A bariatric surgeon with many years of experience helping patients improve their health and quality of life.
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