Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
KL has lots of good food and friends. In college, when I start hanging out with friends, lepaking at night, my weight went up to 150kg. But that was just the start.
During the MCO, when I was living alone, there was no one here, so I binged on my comfort foods. We were all working from home (WFH), went to sleep, and repeated the cycle over and over again – and sometimes you skip meals. I was eating junk food.
My favourite food is actually pizza, from Pizza Hut. I also love eating rice, where normally I would eat 2 pinggan, tambah sambal. Kat malam makan roti with milo, and drank Starbucks frappuccino. And back then, I loved going to Seoul Garden and would go there twice a month.
Whenever I had my cravings, I would go.
At the same time, living alone with no one to monitor me during the MCO, I felt like I gave up – just like how everyone lost motivation. So I couldn’t lose weight through dieting and controlling my food intake.
“When it came to timbang berat, I memang tak nak.”
I refused to go to the hospital and clinic as well. I was extremely stubborn and convinced myself that I was healthy.
Life As A 250KG Person – It’s Expensive!
“In early 2021, I felt my body getting heavier. I couldn’t fit into my clothes and had to wear size 6XL clothes. I even had tailored (fat) pants.”
Even walking, I was tired. I was breathing badly and noticed that I kept being extremely sleepy/drowsy, even though I had slept for 8 hours.
I was extremely sleepy when I had to drive a car – I was just sleepy all the time. To stay awake, I constantly had to suck on candies.
And after eating a meal, I felt the constant need to munch on something else.
During the MCO, I would buy 3 packs a week, but now thankfully, I have stopped. Back then, I started smoking with friends during college then it started getting addictive, especially after eating. You have that urge to smoke. It started from there.
I could not go to concerts, I could not go on trips, and when travelling by plane, I had to get First Class tickets only, as those were the only ones that could fit my size. I had to take the front row seats because senang nak masuk keluar and ask for seat belt extensions. I felt ashamed.
When it comes to money, I was spending roughly RM400 a week on food alone, which included fast food, Grab food, and ayam goreng.
Life gets very expensive when you are a big person!
My left foot also felt kebas (numb). I thought I got poisoned but decided to ignore it. And my back was hurting severely, even when sitting and standing up.
250KG
In July 2021, my friend asked me to go to the hospital, where I went to Prince Court and had to use a specialised weighing device to weigh those who weighed more than 150 kg (the maximum of any standard weighing scale).
The hospital had specialised machines for obese people like me, and at that time, my weight had reached 250kg.
My high blood pressure was so high that it was around the 120-140 mark, which explains why I always had headaches.
Besides having a fatty liver, there were no other critical illnesses, thankfully.
The Surgery
For my extreme back pain, I went to a cheaper hospital at Shah Alam.
“Once at the hospital, I was warded for 4 days.”
“I couldn’t do an MRI because I could not fit inside the machine.“
So the doctor had to cucuk (insert) something in my spine, and we found out that the pain was due to my heavy weight, which is why my feet hurt significantly as well. It could not take the pressure anymore and it was interfering with the nerves.
From there, the doctor recommended going for bariatric surgery (done by many people like me who are over 200kg, or those with kencing manis). This was in December 2021.
At first, my parents didn’t want me to have the surgery, as they thought I might die.
“At 250kg, it might be fatal due to the lack of oxygen in my body.”
But the doctor reassured me it would be fine. Eventually, my dad said it might be a good option for me to lose weight, as I had tried before but had given up.
The 2-hour surgery cost RM38,000, and my insurance paid 80% of the total cost.
The surgery cut my stomach in half.
That was the only way to control my food intake, weight, and eating habits.
Life Post-Surgery
But still, this is not a shortcut. You still need to exercise to manage your physical-emotional impulses regarding food. At first, I wanted to give up, as I could not go out and eat good food, and for the first 2 weeks, I could only ‘eat’ milk.
After that, I could only eat blended (baby food). After 1 month, I could slowly start eating solid food, but it was not like before.
Now, I cannot drink right after eating. I have to wait 30 minutes.
It’s also in the sunnah that we should not drink while eating. And now that my stomach has been halved, eating and drinking simultaneously will make it kembang (expand). It’s actually a very good thing to do (drinking only after your meal), as it’s healthy for your stomach.
After the surgery, the urge to smoke has also gone away.
This is how I managed to lose my weight – they didn’t remove the fat, it’s basically a calorie and food restriction.
Now, I am 134 kg and wear clothes sized 2XL-3XL, instead of 6XL.
My life really changed post-surgery. I was more energetic, and I could finally wear my clothes from 2015, which I can no longer fit into (because I am much thinner)! Thank God I still kept my old clothes!
My target weight by next year is 70kg and my doctor predicted I could lose 100 kg total in just one year, as I have been losing that much weight already.
To lose weight, you still need to walk and jaga makan (tracking one’s food intake). And a high percentage if you d
on’t take care, your stomach will expand and grow to its original size in 5-6 years again.
I still eat the occasional junk food, but in a controlled manner and portion. I would eat just one instead of several.
Now even eating rice makes me want to vomit. Even Maggi goreng, I would eat only half of it. I focus more on consuming protein, and fibre and eating eggs to feel ‘full’ much faster. Japanese food is the healthiest.
When exercising, I go to the gym four times a week and alternate my workouts between my upper body and lower body, along with HIIT workouts for 30 min, weight training for 30 min, and cardio for 10 min. Previously, I had a personal coach and signed up for 48 sessions, but now I do it by myself.
My Old Habits Are Very Fatal
To those who are also overweight like me, do not give up hope because I believe there are still people who support you.
If you want to have the surgery, consult your parents and doctor and go from there. This surgery really changed my life and might change others’ lives too.
“I am now able to pursue a healthier lifestyle and don’t want to return to my old habits. My old habits are very fatal.”
Now I have the chance to go out, go to concerts, and do things I could not do before due to my heavier weight. I am now happier and more confident in myself. Actually, being fat is not good. I realised that it is not a very healthy lifestyle.
Now, I want to focus on achieving my ideal weight of 70 kg and finally be able to travel worldwide.
People always say that I am a happy person. And yes, I am happier. I am much healthier, and seeing a new ‘me’ is great. And if I can do it, you can do it too.
Know anyone with an exciting story to share? Drop us an email at hello@inreallife.my, and we may feature the tale!
For more stories like this, read:
https://inreallife.my/i-had-surgery-remove-80-my-stomach-when-i-was-17-because-i-was-overweight/
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