Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
Welcome back, OSLP family! This episode features an honest, inspiring story of transformation, mental health, and support. Today, Jessica—known for her realness and humor on TikTok—shares the ups and downs of her bariatric journey, offering encouragement to anyone feeling alone. Get ready for genuine insights, a few laughs, and practical wisdom for every step of your journey.
Journey & Childhood
Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
Welcome Jessica to the show. Yes, I’m so excited. How’s your day going so far?
Jessica:
Thank you for having me.
So far so good. I’ve been painting my room. I’m doing like a gym renovation.
Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
Ooh, tell me more. Like what kind of…
Jessica:
So, well, see, I do have a gym planet or a gym membership at Planet Fitness, but I struggle with social anxiety. And so I thought maybe, you know, after losing weight and being in a smaller body, that that would change for me and I would be able to get over that gym anxiety. But I haven’t, yeah, so I have not. Yeah, it’s unfortunate, but it’s okay.
I’ve decided to do something here at home. So I’m remodeling a gym. So I’ve been painting all day.
Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
It’s hard. Some days are harder than the others. So, well, let’s start your story. So have you been overweight your whole life? Like I came out a big baby and was big since then. So how is your journey start?
Jessica:
Yes, pretty much the same. Have been overweight or I had been overweight, yeah, the majority of my life.
Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
Yeah. So like, how did it go? Like for me in middle school and high school, it was rough. I got bullied. I never had like a real boyfriend. I didn’t go to prom. Like how was, you know, younger age you?
Jessica:
Yeah, I was bullied, you know, as a larger little girl. I had breasts and that was always… you’re so young and you have boobs, ha ha ha. And it’s not that it’s a big deal, you know, because maybe as a grown woman, that would be like, well, thank you. But yeah, like thanks for the compliment. But back then it felt, you know, not that. It felt very disheartening and sad.
So I did struggle with bullying growing up in grade school, and then of course it moved to middle school and it got a little bit worse and I actually made friends with my bullies. They still said like mean things that were hurtful, that a real true friend should not say… but I did befriend them and of course they weren’t true friends or they wouldn’t have said the things they did.
And then that continued into high school, but as it continued, I grew thicker skin and I learned how to just, you know, it was what it was. But yeah, I had been overweight my entire life and I had, you know, had my fair share of bullies and, you know, made fun of jokes and things like that. But I’ve been able to work through that, thankfully.
Jessica’s Surgery Decision Journey
Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
How big, like what was your highest weight?
Jessica:
My highest weight was 407 pounds and at the time I was roughly like 28 years old.
So I had, honestly, so like I said, my family is very supportive, you know, in all aspects of my life. So my mom actually had always brought up bariatric surgery to me, but I never really gave it a second thought. I was kind of a part of the crowd that was like, well, that’s the easy way out. You know what I mean? Like I need to go to the gym and I need to, you know, have a thousand calories a day.
And all these things, the Jenny Craig diet, the slim fats, all this stuff, you know? And so I never thought about having surgery, but eventually it came to the point to where all those things didn’t work long-term for me. I’m unhappy, I’m not healthy, I have asthma, which makes it way harder when you’re 400 plus pounds. So I decided that something had to change and bariatric surgery was my, you know, my last choice.
Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
Did you have any other like, comorbidities, other health issues besides the asthma?
Jessica:
Yes. No, not really. I was never diagnosed with anything, but I did suffer, I would say, chronic pain. I was constantly taking like Aleve and Tylenol because my body just, it was always sore. I was carrying around 400 pounds all the time. I was on high blood pressure medication.
Surgery & Recovery Experience
Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
How did you find your doctor?
Jessica:
So I basically just Googled. Google is my best friend. So I just Googled bariatric clinics in my area. And I went from there and just researched each individual clinic, seeing what they had to offer… I also joined a lot of Facebook groups and seen like who used what doctor, who used what clinic.
I decided to actually go out of state to a different clinic. So I didn’t go in state to where I live. I went out of state because I just, I prefer them. And it worked out for me.
My surgery date was 1-19-23, so January 19th of 2023.
I woke up in a very bright room and I was still very foggy. I guess I was on some pain medication… I woke up in this large room with a bunch of other people. The only thing I could think of was, man, I’m about to be the center of the human centipede. I was so freaked out… but I didn’t wake up sick. I know a lot of people wake up nauseous, but I didn’t feel any nausea. A lot of people have gas pain after surgery. I did not experience that. I was very fortunate.
Jessica On Nutrition & Eating Changes
Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
What was the diet like afterward?
Jessica:
I was on liquids for almost two months after bariatric surgery… then I went on to my purees and then soft foods and they still were like roughly about a month long each between each stage.
So, Lipton noodle soup, the chicken broth, I would strain the little packets of the soup and that’s what I lived off. That and Premier protein shakes, the chocolate ones at first.
I haven’t really touched the soup since then, but I do drink protein shakes. I prefer to eat my protein, though, through solid foods. I like to eat my protein—chicken, eggs with cheese and hot sauce, deli meat, cottage cheese… I like to bake with protein powder too, like cornbread and baked goods.
Non-Scale Victories & Skin
Jessica:
I’ve lost a little over 230 pounds. With losing 230 pounds, a lot of non-scale victories have come. I can sit in my driver’s seat and the steering wheel doesn’t touch my belly anymore. I can buckle my seatbelt properly. Before, I would have to take the wheel all the way up… now I can keep it as low as I want.
I’m in a medium-large, can go practically anywhere and find clothes that fit me and that I like.
My problem areas are my stomach and arms, with the lower hanging apron and some loose skin on my neck. I got tattoos to cover insecurities.
Activity & Life Changes
Jessica:
If I’m not at work, I’m probably at Walmart. I like to paint. I just live and experience life with more energy now. I started a garden this year—it’s very fun that I can actually do something like that because before I’m not sure I would have had the energy to do that.
The new Jessica is just more active. Even if it’s just mowing the grass, that’s something I never used to be able to do. I also do a lot to hit my protein goals—chicken all the time, cottage cheese and mustard, protein baking, devoting a lot of attention to nutrition.
Mental Health, Relationships & Support
Jessica:
Mentally, I’m still very well. I’ve always struggled with mental health, but I have a very supportive family. As I lose weight, things shift—body image is hard. Some days are better than others. My girlfriend is my support, and we’re vocal about everything.
At first, she worried that my weight loss would affect our relationship, but because we communicate, we’ve grown much closer through this journey, and she’s started her journey too.
Sex life improved, energy went up, everything just feels brighter.
Closing Thoughts & Advice from Jessica
Jessica:
Be kind to yourself, friends. This is a journey if a journey ever was. Comparison truly is the thief of joy. Try not to compare yourself to anybody because you are your own person. Love yourself as you are. And thank your body for what it can do—it got you through a lot.
Our Sleeved Life Podcast:
Thank you, Jessica, for being with me. I’m so happy to learn from you today!
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