In 2004, Kelly Brunig made a spectacular plunge from nearly 400 pounds to 194. But… as it happens, life then got a little out of control and after a slow 8 year climb back up to 286 pounds, she came to a point where she said enough. Kelly got out her rusted neglected ‘tool’ to see if it still would work. She was thankful it did, gave it good polishing and made a Big Comeback from her Regain. She shares her story, what she did, and how you can do it too!
author, Kelly Brunig
Gastric Bypass 2004
Highest Weight 390 pounds
Original Lowest 194 pounds
Regain High 286 pounds
After Regain Loss 164 pounds
Earlier last year, I opened my toolbox and saw that a very useful tool I had gotten ten years ago was covered in rust. I hadn’t used it for several years and it was so corroded I didn’t believe it could ever be a useful tool again. But I had a project that I really needed to get done and that tool was paramount to its success. I had tried this project many other times before in my life with other tools and could not get it done!
So I decided to clean the tool up, little by little, and I hoped and prayed, and it slowly began to work again as it was intended. To my surprise, once I removed the rust and oiled it back up again, it actually worked BEAUTIFULLY.
The tool I speak of? My Bariatric Pouch! Given to me ten years ago when I weighed 390 pounds, it was to be cared for, respected and used for a LIFETIME. In 2004, my tool was shiny and new. It worked all by itself for the first year. But then I started to ignore and neglect it and the rust started to form.
What caused the rust? A few crackers here, a cookie there, a biscuit, the diet pop that had crept back in. Pretty soon, I was drinking that pop along with my meals. I was living life and was not taking time to add exercise into my life, either.
After years of neglect had passed, I found myself having to buy size 3x clothes again because I was back up to 286 pounds, an almost 100 pound regain from my flash in the pan low of 194 pounds. I had also taken to abusing alcohol. I was drinking heavily because I felt so hopeless and lost.
One day I woke up and knew I had to stop drinking and worked to disrupt the patterns I had created with alcohol. Once I cleaned myself up from the alcohol abuse, I realized I needed my tool. I only hoped it was not too late and I could get it back. The Project I had to work on? It was ME!
I looked up the website I used to visit, BariatricEating.com for inspiration and amazing products then I slowly started cleaning off the rust by going back to what I KNEW I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING ALL ALONG.
I stopped drinking with my meals or for 30 minutes after.
I eliminated the white processed or starchy carbs and sweets that had once again become a prominent fixture in my life.
I swore off drinking soda again.
I made Protein First a priority.
And the one bit of rust that seemed the hardest to remove? My complete LACK of exercise. I had never made it a habit on any level.
Over the last 2 years, I have cleaned up my pouch tool and lost a 96 pound regain PLUS AN EXTRA 30 pounds that I had never lost initially! I didn’t think it was possible, but I proved MYSELF wrong. I love the life that this tool has allowed me to create so much that I keep it clean and well-oiled, I maintain it on a regular basis now. I am amazed by how well it works given the amount of abuse it has taken. It has helped me to create the very best version of me.
If YOUR tool has started to get a little rusty, or if is fully covered in rust, you have the ability to CLEAN it off at any time and get it working once again! We now have easy to follow plans that will help you do it.
The 48 Hour Pouch Reset, BOT – Back on Track, and BE Easy plans are all designed to help you rediscover the SUCCESS of losing weight again. Used in the order listed, they will help you get you to your GOAL. Regains normally mean we have failed the surgery, not that the surgery has failed us… clean up your tool and get your Pouch Confidence back with the 48 Hour Pouch Reset then move into the Back on Track plan. Once you have handled a chunk of regain, you can move into the BE Easy Plan for life.
You can find them, along with a wealth of resources, on this website. Just click on HOME on the top navigation bar and start reading. You will recognize yourself in the words… these articles are about you, they are about all of us. Rarely is our tool BROKEN. It is the bad habits and bad choices creeping back into our lives that cause the layer of rust and grime to form. We can help you to clean those tools up, and KEEP them clean on a daily basis, so that you can be your very BEST version of YOU. I repeat that it is not easy to begin moving forward when you have been at a standstill or even moving backwards and we are here to HELP YOU TO DO IT. You are not alone.
The post Regain Success, 116 Pounds Gone! Bravo Kelly Brunig appeared first on Bariatric Eating.