My Story

Hello, my name is Christi.
I thought I would fill you in on my personal story and why I made the decision to have Bariatric surgery and create Successfully Slimmer, LLC.
I have never had a healthy relationship with food and I have always battled with my weight…sometimes winning, but often losing.  After struggling with an eating disorder as a teenager, I moved on to many years of roller coaster dieting. Every diet plan imaginable (including a Bariatric monitored and supervised diet), diet pills, injections. liquid diets, and any thing that I could find that promised to “help me lose weight”. I wasn't just dieting; I was again obsessing over food.

I realized that I loved food too much and I always felt like I was punishing myself if I couldn't have it. So I decided to start working out...very heavily.  I was able to eat more of the food that I wanted because I was burning so many calories, but then my unhealthy behaviors started creeping back in. I had to do more and more exercising. I hired a private personal trainer and added that 5 day a week session to the 2 hours a day I was already doing on my own. I worked out so much that I no longer had time for anything else.  All I did was work, work out, and sleep. I was no longer living life, I just existed in yet another one of my obsessions. I realized that is was becoming ridiculous and eventually slowed down my work out routine to a healthier schedule and maintained my weight pretty well….......…for a little while.   

I then met my soul mate. He too, had struggled with weight issues his entire life as well.  He was a very strong cyclist and spent time every day on his bike. We started to enjoy spending our free time with each other instead of working out.  My husband is also a wonderful home chef and loves to cook for me…and of course I love to eat!!! Eventually our working out came to a complete halt. We just enjoyed every moment together. It was the happiest I had ever been in my life. But eventually the weight started to creep back on both of us.  

I now have a 3 year old  precious son. Since becoming a mother, he has been my main priority and my weight issues weren’t constantly haunting me. It was also never a problem with my husband because we both love each other no matter what size we are. But, I became unhappy with myself. I couldn’t stand to look into a mirror. I didn’t feel like leaving the house  because it required me having to get dressed up in clothes that I looked awful and felt uncomfortable in. (I rarely bought clothes because I kept insisting that I was not going to stay overweight.) I’d rather stay in my husband’s big t-shirts and my lounge pants and hang out comfortably in my home.  

That is when I came to the realization that I was so tired of living that way. I wanted to go out with my husband and son and not be cooped up in the house because of my own body phobias. I finally decided my health was worth it, and after MANY months of research, I decided to do the unthinkable...I had weight loss surgery.....in Mexico! I chose to have a surgical procedure - the Laparoscopic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG). 

I had surgery on Feb, 25th 2010 and I have already dropped from a size 16/18 to a size 8 in only 8 weeks! The entire experience with the surgeon, nurses, staff, drivers, chef, and recovery house was amazing. I have never had medical care anywhere like I did there. They truly made it feel like I was on vacation. My husband accompanied me and the staff catered to what ever he needed as well.  Our experience with the quality of care and service was absolutely wonderful. 

Fast Forward to the Present:

I have been so thrilled with my results.  I no longer obsess over food 24/7. I finally sleep through the night with out dreams of food haunting me. I have learned what it is like to have a healthy relationship with food. I'm not scared to see myself in the mirror anymore because I am starting to like what I see again. J

I believe so much in my surgeon that I became a patient care coordinator for some of the other top Bariatric surgeons in Mexico. I want to help others that have battled with weight issues to finally have a permanent solution. My insurance does not have any Bariatric coverage and I was unable to afford the $18,000 to $25,000 price to have surgery done in the states.

After researching surgeons in Mexico, I found that the VSG surgery had been being performed as a stand alone surgery in Mexico far longer then it has been in the U.S. or Canada. Before the VSG was approved in the states, the surgeon's in Mexico had already been performing the surgery with wonderful results. It was a comfort to know that I would have surgery performed by a surgeon that was experienced for several years before it had been widely performed in the U.S.  With the prices being so much more affordable in Mexico, it also allows people that truly need medical attention to have a second chance of living a new, healthy life.

Now my mission is to spread the word to anyone that suffers from obesity that there is an option. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I will be here to help you with every step of your surgery process. Remember, I also went through it!

This is why I have created Successfully Slimmer, LLC. Please feel free to navigate throughout this site to see all the different surgery options, prices, surgeons’ certifications, etc. If you are unable to find what you are looking for on my site, please feel free to call me at: 205-477-1851 or you can always email me at:  Christi@SuccessfullySlimmer.com to answer any questions that you may have.

I hope to help you on your weight loss journey and to becoming Successfully Slimmer.