Mylinda lives in Little Elm, Texas, with her big, busy, happy family. Three generations are in and out of the house on any given day. She’s a supervisor in the banking industry, is married to the love of her life, and has six grandchildren she adores. As a family, they enjoy swimming, boating and traveling. But Mylinda hasn’t always been so happy and healthy.
It Seemed Like My Existence Centered on Food
“When I was growing up, I was always the biggest kid,” said Mylinda. “The biggest in my class, biggest on my team, biggest everywhere.” Growing up in the 70s, the awareness level of childhood obesity is not what it is today. Health initiatives in the schools? Unheard of. “I was a good student, played softball and participated in church. But I continued to grow larger each year,” she said. “I ate when I was bored, I ate when I was sad, I ate when I was lonely and when I was happy.”
By the time Mylinda graduated from high school, she was over 200 pounds. She married, started in her career, had children, but continued to pack on the pounds. In 2008, she changed her diet and began working out. Mylinda lost 80 pounds and was on a good trajectory. But tragedy struck in July of that year when her oldest daughter was killed in a car accident. “I lost interest in dieting and exercising,” she said. “I lost interest in everything, and my health started to deteriorate rapidly.”
Dealing with high blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, Mylinda continued to spiral down. “When the scale hit 400, I just stopped looking at it,” she admitted. “I couldn’t enjoy life, play with my grandkids or participate in the things that I wanted to do. Movie seats, airline seats, even restaurant booths were all inaccessible to me.”
Career Change Leads to Life Change
Around this same time, Mylinda was hired as a contractor for a large company. She put her head down and worked diligently and was rewarded with a full-time position in 2012. This turned out to be a turning point in Mylinda’s life that she will be grateful for forever.
“I’d never worked for a company that cared so much about the health and wellbeing of their employees,” she said. “I began exploring the possibility of bariatric surgery.”
Mylinda connected with Dr. Ayoola at Weight Loss Specialists of North Texas. “Everything about him and his staff is wonderful,” she said. “They are just so compassionate. Down to the furniture in the waiting area, everything is accommodating and designed to help and not hinder.”
Mylinda had the duodenal switch in November of 2012, and it’s been nothing short of life-changing. “Even now, almost ten years later, I am down more than 200 pounds and have regained my energy, my self-esteem and my health,” she said. “My high blood pressure, cholesterol and sleep apnea are things of the past. I have my life back. I can enjoy my grandchildren and know that I’ll be a part of their lives for a long time. Today, I look forward to outings and activities that used to bring me such discomfort.”
Paying it Forward
Mylinda has decided that she lived too long with the stigma that often surrounds obesity. “I was bullied in school, and I know how it feels to just be stuck in the defeating cycle of being bullied, depressed, eating more, staying inside. It’s a vicious cycle,” said Mylinda. “No one should have to live like that.”
Mylinda does not shy back from sharing her story. “I will open my experience, my heart, my knowledge to anyone it could help,” she said. “I don’t hide from it. If this is you, find help. You can do it. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.”
It’s Your Turn
If you can relate to Mylinda’s story and are ready for your own turning point and success story, we want you to know two important things: We are here for you! And we believe in you! In other words, You’ve got this. And we’ve got you.
Weight Loss Specialists has everything you need to become the version of “you” that you’ve always wanted to be. From accountability groups, customized weight loss programs, toning up after weight loss and even aesthetic offerings to help you look as great as you feel, we’ve got you covered.
At Weight Loss Specialists, you have access to:
Nutrition guidance (including LiveFree Vitamins)
Weight loss medication
Weight loss (bariatric) surgery
Focal Point Personal Training
Rebirth Medical Aesthetics
Reach out. You won’t regret it.
