At 24 years of age, Lansing, Ill., resident Katie Oberman had been overweight since childhood.
“Diabetes runs in my family,” she says. “I didn’t want to develop the disease. After college, I gained a lot of weight. My dad passed away and I began stress eating and put on even more weight. I had plantar fasciitis and it was painful to walk. My mom suggested I have weight loss surgery. I said I didn’t need it that I could lose weight on my own.”
Three months later at 260 pounds, Oberman changed her mind. She thought surgery could be the stepping stone that she needed to change her life for the better. Her mom saw an ad online and suggested she go attend a Healthy 4 Life seminar.
“I was ready to commit,” she says. “The bypass surgery had proven results and I decided it may be the most effective surgery for me and my lifestyle.”
Using six small incisions, the surgeon fashions a small stomach and “reroutes” a portion of the intestines. The result is that the patient eats a smaller amount of food to feel full.
Since weight loss surgery on February 13, 2018, Oberman has lost 95 pounds and continues to lose weight.
“I teach preschool,” Oberman says. “Weight loss surgery has made my life so much easier. I am constantly getting up and getting down, rolling around on the floor doing yoga with my kids.”
“With Healthy 4 Life, it is not like you have the surgery and you are done,” she explains. “The team goes the extra mile to make sure you are comfortable and informed. The program makes sure you stay on track. It sounds cliché, but you really are changing your life. You can’t eat the way you did. You have to change your mindset to think of food as a fuel as opposed to a comfort item.”
“I recommend the program to anyone wanting a happier, healthier life.”
Take the first step toward reaching your weight loss goals. Attend a free Healthy 4 Life seminar, “Weight Loss Surgery: Is it Right for Me?” to learn more about individualized options for losing weight. Classes are held monthly at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, Community Hospital in Munster and St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago. For more information visit COMHS.org/overit.
