Heather Mann: 110 Pounds in 10 1/2 Months

Heather Mann: Before and After

My name is Heather Mann and I am a 31 year old wife, mother, friend, daughter, employee, and so many other things.  But for years I let my weight define me.  Although I was all those things, my weight held me back from the life I wanted to live.  I struggled with my addiction to food as early into my child hood as I could remember.

My story doesn’t begin at the moment of surgery. It starts many years before that: it began when my addiction to food started to flourish. I developed this addiction that caused my weight and health to spiral out of control. I lost touch of what it really meant to be hungry because I would eat for any reason. If I was happy, sad, stressed, or content I would eat. My weight increased but my confidence and life waned. I had gotten to a point with my weight where I had tried everything imaginable and failed.  I couldn’t run around and play with my kids, take them to the fair and be able to ride with them, or go out in society without feeling uncomfortable.  I was miserable with myself and the way I looked.  I had thought about weight loss surgery but never thought it was for me.

In early 2015, I was at a low. Low self-esteem, low energy, and low on life. I had decided that enough was enough and it was time that I took control of my life and live the life I knew I wanted. With the help of Dr. Fore and his amazing team, I was able to utilize the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) as a tool to help get my life under control.

Don’t get me wrong, the sleeve is GREAT but it is not a “fix all”. I still have to make the conscientious decisions every day to eat the right things and get in exercise to help me reach my goals. The sleeve gave me the push I needed to get going. The VSG really did help me get my life back on the right track and now I’m happier than I have been in years!  This surgery has forever changed my life for the better.  I am currently 10 ½ months post op and have lost 110 lbs! I can now run around with my kids, take them to an amusement park and ride with them, and do anything set it front of me.  I have gained so much confidence and am just so proud of myself and the life I now live.  I have inspired friends and family to also have the surgery and take control of their lives.

When I started this process, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, I just knew I had to change.  I knew I wanted to be around to watch my children grow up and to teach them to be healthy and not follow in the same unhealthy habits I had developed over the years. I no longer have to stress if clothes will fit, if I can fit in a booth at a restaurant, if people are staring at me because of my weight, or worry what people think of me.  My journey through the entire process has been nothing short of amazing!!  I love the new life I live!!!  I have more energy and confidence than I have ever had before.  I eat like I am supposed to and go to the gym 4 days a week.

I am still a work in progress but thanks to my sleeve I can be the person I’ve always dreamed of being!