HomeSuccess StoriesJennifer Walters: 230 Pounds Disappear gwhqadmin October 15, 2009 Success Stories 2 Comments Jennifer Walters had a weight problem creeping near 400 pounds. After weight loss surgery, her life seemed to improve in every way. I was always a large child all through school and was constantly picked on and teased. The usual mean things kids say became the reality of my life – and often was the impetus to my eating to feel better. Diet camp at age 12 did not work permanently and a diet program “designed for teens” the next year did not work, so I gave up. By the time I was in high school, I was well over 200 pounds. It seemed that by the time I was in my mid-twenties, I was more than three hundred pounds. I was depressed and seeking an answer. I heard that answer on an infomercial late at night – it turns out this health star was in my own hometown of Dallas at the time, so I decided to attend her workout facility and I became a member. I was somewhat successful with Susan Powter, losing about 90 pounds and getting healthy, landing myself in the public eye for a while as I was asked to be in her book. Then divorce time came and knocked me off that success train in a hard way, and I reverted to eating instead of maintaining my new lifestyle. Along comes birthday 35 and I see the scale nearing 400 pounds, telling myself that I WILL NOT go over this mark. Then in my second marriage, while pregnant with my son, I actually lost weight, about 50 pounds. I forgot about weight loss for a while because I (hopefully) thought this loss might keep up once the baby was born. Of course that was an irrational assumption. I then began to investigate weight loss surgery after the scale crept back up close to the 400 pound mark again. I tried many programs before this decision, such as Weight Watchers, and they just did not seem to work for me. The weight always seemed to come back. I went to seminars, support groups, and studied online for about six months before deciding gastric bypass Roux-en-Y was the right decision. I had my surgery in April of 2006 and initially lost over 230 pounds. It is a constant program to maintain the success I have been able to achieve. Right now, I am having issues with a small regain of about 15 pounds. To counteract this rebound and to help maintain this loss, I continue to work the tool that was given to me rather than trying to sabotage it most days. That has been the most important part of the success – remembering this is a tool but I have to know how to use it. I am now approaching the desire to reduce my excess skin with plastic surgery. However, that will not likely happen, due to the cost. Many people think weight-loss surgery is an easy way out; I do not believe it any easier than other weight-loss methods. I have had my share of complications (including surprise surgery to correct a hernia just last summer) and issues with maintaining nutritional balance in my lab work. It is panicky to think I may go back to 400 pounds, but I am determined NOT TO! Jennifer Walters, age 41 391 pounds down to a current 184 pounds 2 Responses Jennifer November 16, 2009 Oh! I think I remember you from the book! Are you the one ‘with a face like an irish princess’?? I always wondered about what had happened to you after the book.Anyway-most importantly congratulations on losing the weight. You have done very well. Chantel McGleno April 19, 2011 Hello jennifer. I am not even sure if you will receive this BUT I hope you don’t mind. Your story was such an inspiration I actually quoted your story in an english paper I am doing involving obesity. I too am a big girl and will be having weight loss surgery and I wanted to write about something that I am truly passionate about it and this was it! 😀 Congratulations on such a wonderful amount of weight loss. And please keep up the great work. Some weight gain is to be expected but just remember it happens. You look wonderful.
Jennifer November 16, 2009 Oh! I think I remember you from the book! Are you the one ‘with a face like an irish princess’?? I always wondered about what had happened to you after the book.Anyway-most importantly congratulations on losing the weight. You have done very well.
Chantel McGleno April 19, 2011 Hello jennifer. I am not even sure if you will receive this BUT I hope you don’t mind. Your story was such an inspiration I actually quoted your story in an english paper I am doing involving obesity. I too am a big girl and will be having weight loss surgery and I wanted to write about something that I am truly passionate about it and this was it! 😀 Congratulations on such a wonderful amount of weight loss. And please keep up the great work. Some weight gain is to be expected but just remember it happens. You look wonderful.