💎 The Truth About Bariatric Surgery: It’s Not the Easy Way OutBy Nurse Gina | Luxe Hydration & Wellness
- gbwrn302
- Oct 14
- 4 min read
🌸 Introduction: When the Healer Needs Healing
Before I ever became a wellness CEO, I was a nurse running on fumes. Twelve-hour shifts. Lives depending on me. Smiles I had to wear even when my own heart was heavy.
But behind the scrubs, I was exhausted, not just tired, I was empty. Carrying extra weight, short of breath, and trying to pour from a cup that had long run dry.
I could stabilize a trauma patient in seconds, yet I couldn’t seem to save myself. That kind of exhaustion isn’t only physical; it’s spiritual. And when your calling is to heal others while quietly breaking inside, that’s a pain only another caregiver can understand.
So yes, I chose bariatric surgery, not out of vanity but out of a deep desire for my own second chance. And what I discovered on the other side? Freedom didn’t come from the surgery. It came from the shift.
🩺 The Pre-Op Journey (And the Mental Load They Don’t Prepare You For)
If you’ve ever been through bariatric prep, you already know it’s a journey all by itself. Month after month of appointments, lab work, clearances, counseling, and classes. Nutrition visits, support groups, psychological evaluations, endless checklists.
But here’s what no one really prepares you for, the mental and emotional part.
They teach you what to eat and how to portion your meals, but not how to silence the guilt. Not how to eat without shame. Not how to love yourself while learning to live inside a new body.
You can follow every instruction perfectly and still feel lost inside. Because transformation doesn’t start on the surgery table; it starts in your mind.
That’s the piece most programs miss. That’s the part that makes healing real and lasting.
🍃 The Recovery and Restriction: Food, Shame, and the Ghost of Eyes Watching
After surgery, life changes completely. Your world becomes measured in ounces. You sip instead of gulp, chew slowly, and write everything down. And yet, you still feel watched. By others. By yourself.
You start to question:“Will they judge me for eating this? ”“Why can’t I be like them?” “Will I ever feel normal again?”
The physical restriction is real, but the emotional one cuts even deeper. Those early days when I could only drink an ounce at a time were humbling. There’s a quiet grief that comes with letting go of comfort foods and the habits that once held you together. But healing begins the moment you stop punishing yourself for needing help and start honoring the courage it took to begin. And to stop relying on the comfort of food and our own strenghth and will power. Honestly, some days we have it all together and some days we don't. It's in that moment that we must love ourselves even more and give ourselves grace. As Ophrah says, "when you know better you do better".
💫 The Fall and the Awakening
I had my sleeve surgery back in 2015. I lost some weight, but truth be told, I was still carrying so much emotionally. Then life hit hard. My mother passed. COVID came. The world shut down, and I sank into a stillness that lasted for months.
Then one cold January morning in 2021—Inauguration Day—I looked at myself and said, “Enough.”
That was my awakening moment.
I didn’t invest in another diet this time. I invested in me. In a trainer. In transformation. I had no idea the level of work it would take, but I knew if I could survive nursing school, I could survive this too.
Still, that little voice inside, the one that whispers doubt and replayed all my past failures, gonna try and talk me out of it. But I had just put real money on the line, and this time, the accountability was mine. No one else’s.
So, I focused on three things: mindset, movement, and nourishment.
We started small, thirty-minute workouts, daily hydration, mindful meals, checkins and journaling, little by little, I came back to life.
By fall, I was 160 pounds of strength, confidence, and clarity. And baby, the rumor mill at work was spinning like crazy.
While I was giving my trainer, Patrick Williams, his flowers online, people were whispering in corners saying, “She must’ve had surgery.” OMG, that was hilarious!!!
And the joke was on them!! because I did. Six years earlier. They were just late to the party. I was already glowing in purpose, walking in alignment, and living proof that discipline hits different when it’s backed by healing.
My haters? They’ll always be my motivators. Drop the mic. 🎤💋
🌷 The Heart Work
This journey taught me something sacred. Weight loss is not just about food; it’s about forgiveness.
Forgiving yourself for the years you hid. For the times you gave up. For the days you comfort-ate instead of cried.
You can’t heal a body you secretly resent. You have to nurture it, thank it, and treat it with reverence.
Because once you start showing your body love, your habits follow. And once your habits align, your confidence returns.
That’s the work, and that’s where real transformation begins.
💖 Affirmations for the Journey
Speak these softly to yourself each day:
I am worthy of healing, not just results.
I am more than my weight.
I trust the process, even when I can’t see the progress.
My scars remind me that I survived.
I am resilient, I persevere, I am dedicated, I am motivated.
I am walking in divine alignment, one step at a time.
✨ Final Word: There Are No Shortcuts, Only Sacred Work
There are no magic pills. No shortcuts. Everything worth having takes effort, consistency, and faith.
Bariatric surgery gave me a chance. Mindset gave me freedom. Time gave me perspective. And gratitude gave me peace.
Each day, I rise thankful for breath, movement, and purpose. I show up for myself, for my clients, and for every woman still searching for her “enough.”
If you’re walking this path, know this: You are not alone. Your pain is valid. Your progress, no matter how small, matters.
Let’s do the work. Heal the roots. And live from the inside out.
Stay Luxe, stay bold, stay beautiful. 💖— Nurse Gina
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