Carly Schell
I was overweight since childhood. It runs in my family. Luckily it never kept me from doing sports, being involved in actives or having a social life. It was more of a private insecurity. I’m the typical bubbly, funny, laugh-about-anything personality, so no one really knew my weight bothered me. But there I was, 33, married with two kids, 5’4”, and 268 pounds.
I was starting to feel it. I lacked energy. My feet hurt. As a hairstylist I stand all day. Weight Watchers, L.A. Weight Loss; you name it, I tried everything. Then I saw Weight Loss Forever in Fine Lifestyles magazine. I read about it, called, and the next thing I knew, I was booked to have surgery within a month! I had no second thoughts. I knew this was a permanent decision, and I was ready for a life change.
I’ve lost 85 pounds since surgery a year ago and have still another 25 to go to reach my personal goal. I can’t even say I’m a different person, asI always had confidence and a love of life. I am just so happy to have control over my weight now that I now have that “full” feeling, which I never had before. My coworkers say I haven’t changed one bit, but I have a way better wardrobe!
The huge difference is that I’ll be here longer and can run and keep up with my kids. I can be a healthy example for them. The first thing people notice is my smile now, not my size.
Brian Forsyth
At my heaviest, I was 321 pounds. I was sluggish, it was hard to move, and getting motivation was really difficult. My back hurt, my knees hurt, my ankles hurt—I was very uncomfortable all the time. My self-esteem was really low. I always felt like people were staring at me, talking about me, making fun of me. I was afraid to eat in front of people, and many wouldn’t give me the time of day.
Now, not only do I feel completely different, but people treat me differently. I’m down to 205 pounds; I look great and I feel great. I have tons of energy, and every day is like a new experience.
Weight Loss Forever has been amazing. Even going for surgery was a terrific experience. The facilities are phenomenal; the clinic is clean and the staff is kind. When I got there, they were waiting on the stairs to welcome me. I’ve been through many surgeries, and this was by far the best encounter. I have so much faith in the staff, I’m going to go back there for follow-up plastic surgery because I trust them and the facilities more than I do my health care here at home.
Now, I don’t miss any support group—I look forward to them. I can call my facilitator any time, text any time. Whenever I have a question, she has the answers for me. If she doesn’t have the answers, she finds them for me.
Chris Hergott
I’ve always struggled with my weight from childhood. I continu- ously tried to diet on my own with some success, but I always gained it back plus more. Finally last year I hit my highest weight of 283 pounds. I’m 5’11” and I knew I was only going to go much higher if I didn’t do something.
I have a lot more energy throughout the day. My history of depressionis now completely in control. Food no longer has power over me. I don’t feel the hunger or the cravings like I used to, especially for junk food. Inow eat a healthy amount and I am very satisfied for a long time. I know I’ve added many years to my life and that every one of them will be so much better. The sleeve was the best decision I’ve ever made. I feel so good about myself - my only regret is not doing it sooner.
I had a very easy recovery and quick results. WLF has been terrific; they would call me every day and the support has been amazing. They were extremely thorough and very honest. I recommend the entire team at WLF to anyone. The experience has made me into a new healthy person, one that I will be the rest of my life.
Cindy Haskins
Cindy’slife before surgery was a constant struggle. Food was the enemy, exercise was hard, and every day tasks became a challenge. I’d done every diet, tried every “as seen on TV” exercise tool, but even if I lost the weight, it would come back plus a few pounds.This cycle made me constantly discouraged and depressed, always self-conscious. While I was a naturally cheerful and social person on the outside, inside I was hurting and very sad.
As a nurse, I knew a Center of Excellence was important for my safety and I was opposed to adding something to my body or rerouting anything. I met some of the Weight Loss Forever staff at a tradeshow and expressed my concerns. They told me about the “sleeve”, which just removes the stretched out part of your stomach, which seemed like common sense to me. After a lot of thought and research, I decided to do it. I didn’t care what other people thought about me—it came down to how I felt about myself. It is the best decision I’ve ever made.
Weight Loss Forever was fantastic. My facilitator was supporting me the whole time, answering questions and providing guidance. The support from WLF makes the experience so much easier.
After the surgery, the weight started falling off. I started having more energy, and I decided to start toning up. Exercising was actually fun because it wasn’t such a struggle. I spent time learning about nutrition, and I even adapted my role at work to focus more on preventative medicine. It has really changed my whole world. I’ve never been in this great of shape in my life!
When I look at the before and after photos, I realize how overweight I was. I never saw myself as that big, and I can identify with myself better now. I have better self-image, and I live a far healthier lifestyle. Life is supposed to be fun! Though I had reservations and emotional highs and lows, I would not change it for anything. I recommend it to everybody you don’t need to struggle with your weight. It really is life.
Claire Lajeunesse-Lewko
As a Registered Psychiatric Nurse, Claire Lajeunesse-Lewko has helped people dealing with mental health issues. Her desire to assist others stems from the emotional difficulties she experienced growing up. Because many of her childhood memories are filled with disparaging remarks, being overweight has been an issue since before she was a teenager.
Similar to others who struggle with obesity, Claire played the rollercoaster game, losing weight through programs only to gain it back as soon as she made any progress. In 2008, after nearly 40 years of battling, Claire had had enough. At 5’1” and 185 pounds, she opted for the lap-band.
“The procedure went well at first and I lost weight, but within a year I was having severe complications,” says Claire. Once it was removed the weight immediately started coming back. I chose the lap-band because it was reversible and that really made no sense—I gained everything back!”
Claire heard about Weight Loss Forever and was reassured by the fact it was a Saskatoon-based company with follow-up care so she contacted their office to learn more. She was sleeved last December at 164 pounds and within three short months lost over 30 pounds. Because of her medical background, Claire is in a unique position to evaluate the quality of care she received.
“The care was second-to-none,” she says. “I’ve never felt more safe.” Since the procedure, her high cholesterol and both knee and hip problems have disappeared.
“The work I do now as a facilitator is rewarding; I can pass along my personal, medical and psychological experience,” says Claire. “I understand why certain things happen and can explain that to people. Moneywise, it’s the best investment you can make in your life—for people who have a lot of co-morbidities, the weight loss is enough to take them out of those risk categories.”
Hal Turner
Being overweight was a lifelong struggle for Hal Turner, a successful realtor from Saskatoon with CENTURY 21. For years his weight fluctuated, over time contributing to health issues—chronic knee problems, heart disease, and diabetes. He heard about Weight Loss Forever through several friends who had gone through the procedure and believed it was a possible solution to his obesity.
He researched the Sleeve and found that it didn’t have complications like the Lap- Band, or the long waiting list and nutritional deficiencies that can be associated with gastric bypass surgery. “When I made the decision to go with Weight Loss Forever, my doctor did some research on the company and the procedure and backed me 100 per cent,” he says.
Hal went for the procedure at the end of April, weighing close to 350 pounds. In just four months, he lost 80 pounds and continues working toward his weight loss goal with support from Weight Loss Forever and his facilitator.
“It’s funny. After I lost the weight, everybody asks if I’m ok because I’m losing so quickly, but I’m actually much healthier already. I’m finally on the road to better health my diabetes is gone and I’m off most of my medications,” he says. “Of course, going through this was never my first choice but I think it was my only choice. It’s extremely positive and encouraging to continue my journey on the path to getting to be who I was meant to be.”
Jason Everett
T.J. “Jason” Everett struggled with obesity most of his life. Always a big guy, Jason assumed his European background was the reason for being of good, solid stock. But “there were never limits on eating in my family,” he explains. “I was always physical, so it wasn't until I was in mid 20's when things really got out of hand.” Suddenly it was far more serious than just being a “big guy.” High blood pressure, diabetes and, Jason says, “all the ‘large person’ health problems.”
Jason is one of the 1% of WLF patients who experienced a post-surgery complication. “My facilitator Julie was right there with me. Melanie (WLF‘s CEO) drove down from Saskatoon and my doctor was on a teleconference with Dr. Pompa to share the information about my surgery. When I had a hospital stay, the Regina support group met at the hospital so I could attend. I was also so pleased with all the support from everyone on the WLF website and Facebook group, patients and facilitators alike. I couldn’t go to the Christmas party in Saskatoon so they even made me a video greeting and I was so happy. It felt like I was there with everybody.” Jason says he still feels “completely taken care of” throughout the journey.
“I just moved to Saskatoon and got a job right away at a tire shop,” Jason says. “Life is physically so much easier since I’ve lost over 145 pounds. I am embracing a whole new life and outlook, enjoying meeting new people in Saskatoon, telling my story.” Another exciting chapter in Jason’s story is completing his first fun run, the Bridge City Boogie 5 km, in June.
Kim Heddon
Although Kim Heddon had always been heavy, her real battle with weight began after she had children and the struggle led to health issues, such as an under- active thyroid. As the weight piled up, she became trapped in a vicious cycle of trying one fad diet after another, watch- ing her scale climb and her self-esteem drop. About 10 years ago, it became clear that diets and exercise weren’t working. Kim accepted it, deciding she would never turn to another diet unless it was per- manent. At a trade fair last year, Kim noticed the Weight Loss Forever booth. Intrigued, but sceptical, she approached Weight Loss Forever and asked about the “new diet they were trying.” When Kim heard it wasn`t a diet, she took their card and did some research on the Sleeve. Wanting to be sure, she also asked her doctor to look into the proce- dure, the surgeon and the facility.
“When we came back with our research, he told me if he was considering weight loss surgery, this was the company he would choose. If he had to pick a doc- tor, Dr. Pompa was the one he would go with and if he had to choose a facility, he would pick that one, too,” says Kim.
While Kim was concerned about travel- ing for the procedure, she was confident knowing Dr. Pompa is certified to prac- tice both in the United States and Mexi- co, has done thousands of surgeries and the staff at Weight Loss Forever were so professional and knowledgeable. “I could have had the surgery in Canada but it would have cost an exorbitant amount of money, I would have been on a long waiting list and I would have had to travel anyway,” she says. “I was very impressed with the pleasant, relaxed at- mosphere and you are being taken care of by doctors—not nurses, doctors.”
On July 6, 2010, at 217 pounds, Kim got sleeved and is now down to 145 pounds. In addition to the weight loss surgery, Kim underwent plastic surgery—circular tummy tuck, partial leg lift and breast augmentation with implants—this April. While visiting her doctor for her post- operative appointments, she says he marvels at her surgical lines and says it’s the most beautiful work he’s seen in his practice. “When I chose to do plastic surgery, there wasn’t any doubt I would go back with Weight Loss Forever; I knew they would never choose a plastic surgeon who didn`t complement them and the services they offer. Dr. Rodas specializes in people who have lost a tremendous amount of weight and he’s wonderful,” says Kim, who lost 2.71 kilograms of skin after the procedure.
“It’s the icing on the cake; why go through all that weight loss and not get it done? As you age and your metabo- lism slows down, it looks hopeless to lose weight but I found something that worked and I’m so thankful. I believe in Weight Loss Forever and the surgery so much. I finally reflect on the outside how I’ve always felt on the inside and don’t have that weight dragging behind me anymore.”
Lorna Woroniuk
Even as a little girl, Lorna Woroniuk blamed herself for being over- weight; she couldn’t understand why she was different from her friends. As she progressed through school, she tried dieting and exercising; when that didn’t work, desperation turned her to selective bulimia. When that failed, her self-esteem regressed and she put up with abuse for years.
“I knew I was never going to be the pretty one, so I drank a lot and tried to fit in that way. I projected one person but that’s not how I felt and I don’t think anybody really knew that,” says Lorna. “Even my parents didn’t know what I struggled with because if I said it out loud, I had to face it. And I just didn’t want to face it.”
Going through depression, Lorna hit her lowest point and her highest weight last year when she accepted that she was going to have health issues and probably die young. When she heard about Weight LossForever, she thought it was another thing she would fail at and it wasn’t until she found out from her husband (radio personality Scott Nich- olls) that a colleague had lost a lot of weight by getting sleeved, that she decided to contact Weight Loss Forever. Even after she was sleeved last October and saw theweight coming off, Lorna still worried she would fail. Whenthe second month rolled byand she was still losing weight without struggling or feeling hungry, she knew she’d finally found a permanent solution. She’s lost over 80 pounds since being sleeved and her success has rubbed off on her family—her mom, dad and brother have lost a combined weight of nearly 100 pounds.
“This journey has changed my entire family and I’ve learned so much,” says Lorna. “It’s given me confidence and self-esteem—I’ve never had that before. I’m proud of who I am.”
Mike Stutt
As an avid athlete in his high school years, Mike Stutt had always been in fairly good shape, keeping fit with many sports, his favourite of which was wrestling. Mike had eight years on the provincial team, four years on the national team and two world championships under his belt; it seemed like nothing could get in his way. But, like many other athletes, life after high school can change routines—switching gym shorts for coveralls and running shoes for steel-toed boots, Mike, now an equipment operator for an oilfield in Algonguin, AB, works 20 days on and 10 days off and learned shortly after he left high school that it’s hard to keep active when you’re working a full-time job and life gets in the way.
“It’s something I dealt with since I was in my teens. I was a fairly accomplished athlete in high school, but once I got into the workforce, things went from great to not so great,” says Mike, now 40. “Then in 1997, I was in a motorcycle accident and was off of work for almost two years. My weight went way up and I never really got it back down. At first it wasn’t that bad but it got to the point where I had trouble at work—because I work a 20 and 10 schedule at work—it got to the point where I knew I needed to do something that actually worked.”
Not knowing what that was, Mike started doing research and, while trying to learn more about the available options, was in touch with his friend Connie, a real estate agent in Saskatoon. “I’ve known her forever and had been talking with her about doing something one night and she told me she was going to do it, to get the procedure with Melanie through Weight Loss Forever. She went a month before I went and that’s what really got it all rolling,” he says. “I’ve been in touch with her on and off through all of it and she’s doing fairly well and things are going great now. For me, it all just kind of happened in six weeks.”
Mike went for his procedure on December 20, 2010. The day he had his surgery, he was at 372 pounds and has since lost 130 pounds. Since the Sleeve worked so well for Mike, his uncle, who has also struggled with weight issues—a trait that seems to run on Mike’s mother’s side of the family—decided to go for the vertical sleeve gastrectomy procedure through Weight Loss Forever this June.
“It was practically the most positive medical experience I have ever had. The care was amazing down there. Speaking from being a guy and liking to do sports, I’ve been in the hospital a bit, whether it was for stitches or so on, but I’ve had surgery a few times; I had shoulder and elbow surgeries from the motorcycle accident I had, and this one was just amazing,” Mike says.
“Everyone in that clinic was a doctor. And Dr. Pompa came and talked to me for half an hour before she did the surgery; I’ve never met a surgeon beforehand at home and it was just a different twist. I was impressed by it. It was an all around good group of people. I wish I would have done this 10 years sooner. It’s given me back things I’ve lost and it just opens up so many doors and changes so many things, it’s truly amazing. I have a lot of new words in my vocabulary that I’ve never had before, like “medium. I get to shop in stores that don’t start with “Tall and Fat” and it’s been a great adventure that has affected everything—my work, my home life—things go smoother and it’s been quite dramatic. It was 26 degrees here today and I’ve never liked heat in my life but I thoroughly enjoyed it, today. I have a new outlook on vacations and life.”
Rae-Anne’s
I wasn’t overweight until I hit my teenage years. I developed polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), making losing weight difficult. Growing up over- weight is hard—I had low self-esteem and little energy.
After seeing a friend achieve success through Weight Loss Forever and the way it changed her life, I decided to get healthier. I wanted to do it for my daughter. At 300 pounds, I always felt like I was holding her back. I couldn’t do fun things with her. I knew that by being overweight I was shortening my time with her, and I wanted to be there for her. As a single parent, I needed to get healthy for her.
While most patients that get surgery experience no side effects, I was one of the few (less than 1%) who did. I had a lot of nausea, I wound up in the hospital and it took a few months to feel better. Even with all the obstacles, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I feel amazing! It has given me a better life, a longer life, and a healthier life. My PCOS has even corrected itself because of the surgery! The staff have always been there for me and because of the support groups, I never feel alone. My facilitator keeps in constant contact, and she is an amazing resource for me. You can also blog about your progress on their site, which is a source of inspiration.
With the support of the facilitators as well as other patients, I am always surrounded with people who understand my journey. A few people accuse me of taking the easy way out, but my journey hasn’t been easy. I think taking the easy way out would have been to do nothing. I did a lot of soul searching and research before deciding to change my life, and I am so happy I did. Weight Loss Forever’s motto is “choose life,” and it’s 100% true. I chose life. Other than having my daughter, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made for myself.
Shari Turner
While she never considered herself overweight, Shari Turner, a successful real estate agent with RE/MAX Boyd Godfrey Realty in Saskatoon was never completely happy with her reflection. In her early 20s, her “yo-yo dieting” began and while she lost weight, she would gain more back and got heavier every year.
Sick of her discomfort and tired of her weight slowing her down, Shari knew she had to find a permanent solution. “Every day, the first thing I thought about was what I was going to wear and how uncomfortable I was with my size,” says Shari. “One day, I met a girlfriend who had lost a lot of weight and told me she’d gone through Weight Loss Forever. I asked about it, researched it and thought my husband would thinkI was crazy, so I put it on backburner. When I finallybrought it up, he said, ‘I’veseen how hard you’veworked and if anyoneis a candidate, youare. If you want todo it and arecomfortable, doit.’”
The next day,Shari called theiroffice. After readingthrough Weight LossForever’s extensive informationkit, which covers everything from the procedure to how to prepare and what to expect afterward, Shari got sleeved. She was impressed with the high level of care she received at the hospital and has bonded with other patients at the monthly support groups. Since July, Shari’s lost over 80 pounds and is working on toning her new body.
“Weight Loss Forever makes a private and sometimes frightening issue so comfortable and every- thing at the hospital was handled so professionally. I can’t imagine getting better care anywhere,” says Shari. “As a real estate agent, I realize that other people generally don’t care what size you are, they care how well you treat them; it’s got nothing to do with anyone else. It’s about perception and how you see yourself. This experience has taken the weight off my shoulders and allows me to be who I really am.”
