Hi, I’m Vera, and I invite you to join me on my deeply personal journey towards weight loss. Food has been a lifelong companion of mine, establishing a complex relationship that began in my childhood. I remember standing out among my peers, always consuming more than the rest. As I grew, my weight evolved into the focal point of my existence, an omnipresent factor dictating every aspect of my life.

I have embarked on so many dieting ventures (including Ozempic before it got so popular) that it would probably be easier to list the strategies I haven’t tried – such as swallowing a tapeworm, a method I’m definitely not intending to try.

The magnitude of the issue reached a critical point, compelling me to consult my family doctor and request a referral for weight loss surgery. To me, bariatric surgery always represented the option of last resort – a drastic, irreversible procedure that I was willing to consider only when all else had failed. And fail it did.

Caught in a whirlwind of mandatory courses and consultations with a diverse array of professionals – including social workers, dietitians, surgeons, and nurses – I found myself being evaluated for surgical candidacy.

At this pivotal moment, reality hit me like a splash of cold water, stirring the question within me, “What am I doing? Have I truly given it my all?” This introspection ignited a renewed resolution, a commitment to pursue a dedicated weight loss journey, which I documented on YouTube in 2021. Regrettably, this endeavour fell short of my hopes, landing me back at the frustrating roundabout of yo-yo dieting. I even ventured into a medically supervised program, managing to shed 40 pounds on Optifast, only to watch it bounce back in an alarmingly rate. This has led me to reconsider bariatric surgery once more, fully aware of the potential risks, yet cognizant that remaining morbidly obese brings its own set of consequences. However, an incessant thought haunts me… have I genuinely given it my all?