Page 115 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2018

I’ve learned that you can’t hesitate to put yourself first sometimes. Most of us put ourselves last and take care
of everyone else first, but it’s ultimately up to you to go after your personal goals.
Gloria Amacker
pounds,” she said. Amacker went from a size 28/30 to a size 14 and was off all of her blood pressure medications just two weeks after surgery.
“I’ve lost the weight but gained so much more,” Amacker said. “It’s overwhelming to be able to go into a store and buy any style of clothing that you choose or to be able to ride a bicycle without feeling like you’re going to die. The non-scale victories far outweigh any doubt or worry that I had before surgery.”
A little over a year later, Amacker is happier than she’s ever been and hasn’t looked back. “I’ve learned that you can’t hesitate to put yourself first sometimes,” she says. “Most of us put ourselves last and take care of everyone else first, but it’s ultimately up to you to go after your personal goals.”
The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center has been helping men and women like Gloria Amacker to meet their weight loss goals since their formation in 2000. Founded by South Mississippi Surgeons (SMS), they have been providing the Coast with quality surgical care for over 30 years.
ABOVE: GLORIA AMACKER weighed 312 pounds before her surgery.
LEFT: Amacker is now a size 14, down from a size 28/30.
DR. WILLIAM AVARA, III DR. JASON PAYNE www.smsurgicalweightloss.com
South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center
1124 Oakleigh Road, Ocean Springs 228.872.7277
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
May 2018 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 115