Marie Thomas has a new attitude, a new look and is looking for a new wardrobe.
The 52-year old mother of two boys, age 24 and 28, has shed some unwanted baggage – pounds, that is.
“My heaviest weight I have been is 287 pounds. I am now 175. I have lost almost half of myself.”
Marie said she always had weight problems and was thinking of surgery to help her shed the pounds.
“I had tried everything up till then to get off the weight and it was stuck there . . . . Been there and done that.”
Late last year Marie had an entrapped hernia and was a patient at Sandy Crest. It was there she met doctor Sahle Griffith who advised her on bariatric surgery as an option.
After speaking to her husband, she went ahead with it.
She worked with a dietician and was on a regime for three months before the actual surgery.
“Between the doctor and I we decided on the sleeve. That means 80 per cent of my stomach was removed.”
Dr Griffith and his team prepared a plan for Marie to continue after her surgery.
She said the best advice came from a member of the team: “Surgery is not a cure. It is a tool and what you do with the tool that is what the results will be. I have used that mantra to date and it has been a year and three months since I have had the surgery.
“It has been an awesome journey. What you take away from this clinic and what you learn after surgery, I am still doing it.”
She said she eats anything and is not restricted to two spoonfuls but has changed her eating habits.
“I eat small portions and I drink small portions.
“If I have a bad day I go for a walk . . . . Before I would have pigged out and then felt sorry for myself. I don’t do that anymore.”
She said she has been able to stick to it, something she hasn’t been able to do before with diets.
“Before I would lose the weight but it came right back.
“I am eating more sensibly now . . . more healthily . . . . I do a lot of exercises and strength training.”
Dr Griffith explained there were three options for weight loss surgery but it was up to the individual’s needs.
He also said obesity is a “major problem in the Caribbean and many illnesses such as cancer, respiratory, diabetes are linked to how people eat.”
Marie said she has goals and dreams she wants to bring to fruition
“I want to run a 5K eventually. I have started slowly to get there. I have started with 10 000 steps, and jogging.”
She said one of the things people took for granted was now easy for her to do.
“I travel overseas a lot. Now I can fit in the airline seat and I can buckle the belt comfortably”, she said, getting emotional.
“I could never do that before. I used to have to beg for a little buckle. That was a joy for me.”
Marie said she has increased self-confidence and self-esteem.
“I feel better about myself. I can now find clothing to fit me . . . . I am going shopping for a new wardrobe.”