Senior Citizen Delivers 185-Pound Weight Loss
This Shore Publishing story details the remarkable 185-pound weight loss success story of a 66-year old woman named Revalyn Klein Hickey who had gastric bypass surgery.
“At first I was embarrassed to tell people I had the surgery because I thought they would think less of me because I couldn't lose weight on my own. But it's not an easy process; it's tough, and maintaining is still tough. You have to give people who have gone through it a pat on the back,” she says.
Revalyn, don't you worry about what people think of HOW you lost weight. Just be proud that you did something about it, especially as late in life as you did. That is amazing to me! My mom had gastic bypass surgery in December 2003 at the age of 53 and I thought that was old for weight loss surgery. She has lost 120 pounds and kept it off for about 18 months, too. CONGRATULATIONS on your incredible weight loss success story.
Weighing in at 320 pounds in 2002, Hickey now boasts a very girlish 135-pound figure that has her feeling younger than she has in years after a lifetime of struggle with her weight.
"I was hiding behind a wall of fat ... (but) the wall of fat came down,” she said. “After that my whole life just burgeoned. I became a Renaissance woman, in a way. I tried things I never had done before, things I never would have done if I were still fat.”
I can relate, Revalyn! This former 410-pounder who lost over 180 pounds himself finds himself doing things I never would have thought were possible. But they are. It is hard to explain to people the change that happens to your outlook on life all as a result of the physical differences that have happened to you when you lose a lot of weight. It's weird, but you really do become this alter-ego of your former self beaming with all the confidence in the world that nothing can stand in your way of succeeding at anything. The weight loss itself is nice, but the mental transformation is even more exciting to me.
Hickey is active in her community now volunteering her time and energy to worthy causes. She's being noticed for the way she looks now, but it a good way as opposed to the frequent stares and whispers she used to have to endure. For her, the fact that she lost weight when she did was all a part of a process she had to go through to get to that point in her life.
“I think things go in progression. I had to do other things before I got to the weight,” she says. “There are people, I am sure, who are obese and can live very full and very rewarding lives, but that wasn't happening to me. I was only living my life at one quarter speed. Now, at last I am living a full life.”
WOW, what a vivid word imagery that is -- "living my life at one quarter speed." I don't even think it was THAT fast for me, Revalyn! Your world literally does turn upside down whenever you lose as much weight as we did. It is hard for people to believe some of the things we couldn't do before losing weight.
Could you scratch your back then? How about sit in the seat at the movie theater? Was walking that short distance from your car to the front door of Wal-mart a workout? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you know where Revalyn and I are coming from.
Again, I sent my sincerest accolades to Revalyn Hickey for not only losing weight, but keeping it off now for nearly two years. I encourage her and others who have had weight loss surgery to look at livin' la vida low-carb as a way to continue the good habits you started with the surgery and to make it a lifetime of healthy living.
If you are overweight or obese, then let Revalyn's story touch you and motivate you to do this for yourself! Regardless of how you lose weight, I encourage you to DO IT DO IT DO IT! You'll be so glad you did.
“At first I was embarrassed to tell people I had the surgery because I thought they would think less of me because I couldn't lose weight on my own. But it's not an easy process; it's tough, and maintaining is still tough. You have to give people who have gone through it a pat on the back,” she says.
Revalyn, don't you worry about what people think of HOW you lost weight. Just be proud that you did something about it, especially as late in life as you did. That is amazing to me! My mom had gastic bypass surgery in December 2003 at the age of 53 and I thought that was old for weight loss surgery. She has lost 120 pounds and kept it off for about 18 months, too. CONGRATULATIONS on your incredible weight loss success story.
Weighing in at 320 pounds in 2002, Hickey now boasts a very girlish 135-pound figure that has her feeling younger than she has in years after a lifetime of struggle with her weight.
"I was hiding behind a wall of fat ... (but) the wall of fat came down,” she said. “After that my whole life just burgeoned. I became a Renaissance woman, in a way. I tried things I never had done before, things I never would have done if I were still fat.”
I can relate, Revalyn! This former 410-pounder who lost over 180 pounds himself finds himself doing things I never would have thought were possible. But they are. It is hard to explain to people the change that happens to your outlook on life all as a result of the physical differences that have happened to you when you lose a lot of weight. It's weird, but you really do become this alter-ego of your former self beaming with all the confidence in the world that nothing can stand in your way of succeeding at anything. The weight loss itself is nice, but the mental transformation is even more exciting to me.
Hickey is active in her community now volunteering her time and energy to worthy causes. She's being noticed for the way she looks now, but it a good way as opposed to the frequent stares and whispers she used to have to endure. For her, the fact that she lost weight when she did was all a part of a process she had to go through to get to that point in her life.
“I think things go in progression. I had to do other things before I got to the weight,” she says. “There are people, I am sure, who are obese and can live very full and very rewarding lives, but that wasn't happening to me. I was only living my life at one quarter speed. Now, at last I am living a full life.”
WOW, what a vivid word imagery that is -- "living my life at one quarter speed." I don't even think it was THAT fast for me, Revalyn! Your world literally does turn upside down whenever you lose as much weight as we did. It is hard for people to believe some of the things we couldn't do before losing weight.
Could you scratch your back then? How about sit in the seat at the movie theater? Was walking that short distance from your car to the front door of Wal-mart a workout? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you know where Revalyn and I are coming from.
Again, I sent my sincerest accolades to Revalyn Hickey for not only losing weight, but keeping it off now for nearly two years. I encourage her and others who have had weight loss surgery to look at livin' la vida low-carb as a way to continue the good habits you started with the surgery and to make it a lifetime of healthy living.
If you are overweight or obese, then let Revalyn's story touch you and motivate you to do this for yourself! Regardless of how you lose weight, I encourage you to DO IT DO IT DO IT! You'll be so glad you did.
posted by Jimmy Moore at
11/05/2005 10:06:00 PM
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