Page 78 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2020

HEALTHY LIVING OVER THE FADS
Vancleave woman loses the weight once and for all
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster A photos courtesy of Stephanie Parker
n all too familiar tale: a woman let down by fad diets, losing hope with each failed attempt. For Stephanie Parker, a 33-year-old mother of boys, this wasn’t just
another story, it was her life.
“I had tried so many diets, but they all turned out to be
fads,” she said. “I was 237 pounds and could never seem to get the baby weight off. For 14 years I had struggled with my weight, becoming more and more upset because I would lose 10-20 pounds and gain it all back within a matter of weeks.”
Parker was encouraged when she saw the amazing results two of her close friends experienced after surgical weight loss. Their success pushed her to take the first step towards achieving her own weight loss goals, contacting South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center (SMSWLC).
“I went from being a person who had lost all hope to feeling like I had a chance to get my life back,” said Parker. “Dr. Avara understood my struggle with fad diets, but was also real with me and told me that I would lose weight with this surgery, but only if I put the work into it and changed my lifestyle. And here I am today, weighing 154 pounds.”
Parker was thrilled to exceed her goal weight of 155 pounds after undergoing the gastric sleeve surgery. With the help of the SMSWLC team, she was able to change her lifestyle one decision at a time, by taking the stairs rather than the elevator, by drinking more water, and by making healthier eating choices.
“My experience throughout the process has been nothing short of amazing,” said Parker. “Seeing your results is the best feeling in the world. When people ask me, “Wow, how’d you lose so much weight?’ I tell them straight forward: South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss.”
The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center, founded by South Mississippi Surgeons, has been helping men and women like Stephanie Parker to meet their weight loss goals since their formation in 2000. South Mississippi Surgeons has been providing the Coast with quality surgical care for over 30 years.
To learn more about weight loss surgery, visit their website at smsurgicalweightloss.com, where you can register to receive a free information session.
AFTER
STEPHANIE PARKER has gotten her weight down
to 154 pounds after surgery.
BEFORE
PARKER weighed 237 pounds before surgery.
DR. WILLIAM AVARA, III DR. JASON PAYNE DR. JOHN HALL
South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center
1124 Oakleigh Road, Ocean Springs 228.872.7277 • www.smsurgicalweightloss.com
78 | March 2020
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living