WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY AND EXERCISE HELP 187KG YOUNG WOMAN SHED 68KG. SHE FEELS UNSTOPPABLE
'Morbidly obese' Ese Milan tried weight-loss drugs, then had surgery; 68kg lighter, these days she works out and is still shedding the kilos
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ese Milan, a 25-year-old content creator in Las Vegas, in the state of Nevada in the US. It has been edited for length and clarity.
My whole life, I have been a bigger person. I come from a Polynesian Samoan household, and my whole family is bigger, so I always thought it was normal. It was what I was used to.
But in 2021, I got sick and needed to see a doctor for the first time in years. The doctor told me I weighed 412 pounds (187kg). I was taken aback when I heard the number.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
After that initial appointment, I found a doctor who, after testing, diagnosed me with several conditions, including high blood pressure, high sugar levels, and type 2 diabetes. She also told me I was morbidly obese.
I had got so comfortable living at that weight with these unknown health issues, but I knew I had to do something about my health.
The doctor put me on medications right away and made an appointment for me at the hospital to get a sleep apnoea test.
Checking myself in for this test at the age of 22 was depressing. I was so young and yet was being checked to see if I stopped breathing in the night due to my weight. They strapped me to a bed for the night. I could not sleep because there was this huge machine stuck to my face. It was torture.
The medications were starting to make me feel terrible. I decided to stop taking them. Instead, I decided I would work hard to lose weight.
I started going to the gym every single day after work. The only way I was able to do this was because at least one friend came with me each afternoon. We had clubbed for years - now we went to the gym together.
At first, I stuck to the cardio machines. The people who did weights looked experienced and fit, and I felt uncomfortable working around them. I would not have had a clue of what to do. But I started watching them, figuring out how they used free weights and machines and started doing the same.
I became addicted to sweating. I loved seeing myself leaving the gym covered in sweat. The results were not quick at all, but by the time I was 23, I had lost 30 pounds.
The food element of weight loss was very hard to manage. I was surrounded by friends who socialised over food, and my family, who I lived with, continued to eat the same way.
I knew I was fighting against time and had to lose weight to fix my health. To stick through with this for the long term, I started considering weight loss surgery.
Without anyone knowing, I started researching doctors who performed weight loss operations and the types of surgery available. I decided on a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, and in November 2022, I went in for the procedure.
The operation did not last long; after 10 minutes, I was walking around.
I started telling people about what I had done. I did not care what anyone thought about the fact that I had weight loss surgery at 23. I did it to save myself.
Since the surgery, I have lost 150 pounds. It feels amazing to look back and see what I have achieved. I feel unstoppable. All the health concerns I had before are now nonexistent.
Other than the health benefits, my favourite part of losing weight has been the wider selection of clothes I can choose from when shopping.
However, I have been disappointed by how differently I have been treated since losing weight. People treat me better now that I am smaller. It shows how shallow people can be.
Weight loss surgery is not for everyone, but I have no regrets about having the operation. It literally saved my life.
Read the original article on Business Insider.
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.
More Articles from SCMP
Hong Kong urged to boost capital flow with mainland China for global market access
South Korea airport defends invasive body search of traveller after drug scanner error
Apple reveals App Store revenue share in China as Huawei rivalry grows
US advisory panel on China backs repeal of preferential trade status
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
2024-11-20T20:35:31Z
