Born in the United States, but with deep Peruvian roots, Martha had struggled with her weight since her teenage years. She became the mother of two babies by age 17, and caring for her young children while being a high school and college student made life challenging. There was little time for exercise, and meals usually consisted of quick, convenient options like junk food. While the pregnancy weight was not going away, more pounds started to pile on.
As the years went by, life got even busier for Martha. She got married, had two more children, and settled into a home in East Orange, N.J. She also began working as a dispatcher for a local trucking company. In the meantime, her weight struggles put her on what felt like a constant roller coaster, affecting her health both physically and emotionally.
“In 2014, I reached my highest weight of 244 pounds, and things felt really out of control,” Martha says. “While I did have some depression before, it became very bad during that time, and my whole life started to hit me much harder.”
Over the years, Martha tried nearly every weight loss strategy she could find, but nothing seemed to work long-term. Her supportive family even attempted to help her along the way. From a vegetable soup purée diet introduced to her by her mother, to a calorie-counting guide book given to her by her aunt, Martha was always working to conquer her battle with weight. She also tried prescription weight loss pills, and while she lost some weight, it came back as soon as she stopped taking the medication.
In November 2014, Martha decided to have bariatric surgery—a sleeve gastrectomy procedure. The surgery helped her lose an impressive 100 pounds and keep it off for years. Unfortunately, the pandemic lockdown of 2020 and her fourth pregnancy sent things spinning out of control again. By late 2022, Martha was back up to 195 pounds. In addition to depression, Martha was struggling with sleep apnea and a loss of energy due to her weight. After seeing a photo of herself on a friend’s social media post, things started to get worse. Martha started to cover all the mirrors in her house because she didn’t want to look at her own reflection, and she also stopped participating in her favorite pastime—soccer.
“Soccer has always been a number one priority for me and my family. My husband and I both enjoy playing in recreational leagues,” Martha explains. “But I kept finding excuses not to go to my games anymore, especially because they were always recorded. I hated the way I looked, and I didn’t want to be caught on camera that way again.”
Martha desperately wanted to make a life change. She wondered if it was time for a revision to her gastric sleeve. An online Google search about the topic led Martha to discover True You Weight Loss and the option for an endoscopic sleeve revision, a non-surgical procedure for patients who have regained weight after a sleeve or gastric bypass procedure.
“I spent a whole day researching the procedure, reading the patient testimonials on the website and watching the videos,” Martha says. “I also called my mom to discuss. By the end of the day, I had submitted a consultation request. I had an appointment for a sleeve revision in New Jersey that was a month away, but I did not want to wait. I was ready to feel better now, because I just wanted to wake up and love myself once again.”
In February 2023, Martha was eager to take the next step with True You and have her endoscopic sleeve revision. From New Jersey, she flew to the clinic’s Atlanta location with her husband, aunt, and grandmother. She remembers feeling nervous, wondering if the procedure would actually work and hoping this would be money and effort well spent. But she was also very excited to feel better and have that second chance at weight loss success. Once she arrived to the True You office, she was relieved.
“The entire True You team was amazing,” Martha says. “I didn’t feel at all like I was in a medical clinic or a hospital; I literally felt like I was with family. They talked with me, asked questions about my life and my kids, and expressed care and concern about my mindset. They created such a sense of comfort for me that all my nervous energy melted away.”
Martha was also very impressed with Dr. Daniel Maselli, one of the country’s first dedicated endobariatric physicians, triple-board-certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and obesity medicine. “He was so kind and responsive—he even gave me his personal cell phone number and would respond to my messages immediately—that was very comforting during my recovery.”
Just hours after her procedure, Martha traveled home to New Jersey to complete her recovery, and by day four, she was feeling well enough to resume her normal daily activities.
By two weeks post-procedure, Martha had already lost 15 pounds. She remained committed to the True You diet plan, drinking her liquids and getting all of her protein, and was thrilled to see those early results. Martha’s hard work and dedication has continued to pay off. Today, she is down to 158 pounds, which surpasses her goal weight of 160—and she now has her sights set on a new goal of 155 pounds.
“I know this is possible because I have the motivation, guidance and support from True You,” Martha reflects. “Their team continues to help me through every step of this process. My dietitian, Laura, has been especially amazing. She has taught me a lot about portion control and exercise—information that has been crucial to my success.”
For example, Martha now understands that she can eat throughout the day as long as she is controlling her portions. She even travelled to Peru for a recent vacation and enjoyed many different foods and Peruvian delicacies. By using portion control throughout the entire trip, Martha had actually lost three pounds by the time she returned home.
Additionally, Martha has learned that exercise does not mean she needs to spend hours in the gym every day. Thanks to advice from the team, Martha now engages in the physical activities that work best for her, such as walking and soccer, and she doesn’t pressure or overwhelm herself by doing more than she can handle. In her new body, Martha is finally sleeping well again, and she feels a resurgence of energy, as well as a re-energized sense of self.
“During this journey, I have developed a newfound respect for myself and my body,” Martha concludes. “I feel good, and I know that I look good too—I can actually see the difference when I compare myself to pictures from before. I am finally playing soccer again, and I am able to be active with my kids. I can run with them at the park, and practice soccer with my son without getting tired. Most importantly, I have finally started to love myself—and for that I would re-do this journey 100 times over again.”
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