How This Bariatric Patient Finally Broke Her 60-Year Food Addiction

The regain, even the smallest amount, was very terrifying. First, it was a little 3 pounds, then it was 5 pounds. It just kept adding up. Upset with myself for letting it happen. How could this possibly be that the weight loss came off so easily before? And I just couldn't get a handle on it. Fearful that I would slip back into my old patterns. Most of them, I did slip back there. That I would kind of like relapse and all the work that I had done for the 2 years plus would be for naught. Jessica's face popped up and it was like a vision from heaven. "Oh my gosh, here's someone that could actually help me." I had reached out to my bariatric team and got really no help at all. You were so enlightening, inspiring. It's like, "Oh my gosh, she did it. I can do it." I always, always was last. Always. But now it's all about me. I still had my same personality, but I put me first and then the rest of the people in my immediate circle benefit from that. I can easily get up from the floor. That was a definite no-no before. My knees feel better. Impossible. I'm the first one to have my shoes on. When they ask, "Lolli, are you coming?" It's like, "Of course I'm coming." Sounds like you're basically aging in reverse. Exactly.

I know you also mentioned earlier food just isn't bringing you happiness in the way that it did before.

No, it's not. Not at all. It's not all-consuming. I don't have to have comfort by finishing everything. I'm just a whole new me. And not— I don't mean in, in clothes and/or in weight gain. I feel very free. I don't feel like someone is pushing me down. I'm just a better me.

Looking back at where you started to where you are now, what are you most proud of?

I found myself. I'm happier, I'm more energetic, and I feel that those feelings of happiness and energy are spilling out to other people so that they can see a more positive me.

Hi everyone, I'm Jessica Lawson, founder of the Bariatric Success Academy, and today I'm joined by Kenlynn, who has just finished our coaching program and she's had really, truly an incredible transformation. And right now we're going to dive into her journey from the struggles she faced before joining to where she is today. So first off, Kenlyn, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I know it's going to inspire so many other folks who might be facing similar challenges.

You are totally welcome. It was a pleasure. It is a pleasure.

Thank you. And so, Kenlyn, can you just tell us all about yourself and what your biggest struggle was before we started working together? And then also, like, you know, who are you? You know, what did your journey with your weight look like? Really, like, throughout your whole life?

I've struggled with my weight since I was probably born. I've done multiple diet centers, Nutrisystems, multiple, multiple trials with weight loss. And finally— always I succeeded, but always regained. So I did have a gastric sleeve. Um, in 2022. And then I had a— in the process of doing that, I had a very large hernia, um, that needed to be repaired. And so I needed to lose some weight plus do my sleeve. So I did that. Um, it's been an awesome journey. And then just within the last 6 months, started regaining and I was terrified. That, of that process. You know, first it was a little 3 pounds. "Oh, okay. So I lost that." Then it was 5 pounds and I lost 3, and it just kept adding up and terribly, terribly upset with myself for letting it happen. How could this possibly be that the weight loss came off so easily before? And I just couldn't get a handle on it and totally fearful that I would slip back into my old patterns, which for some or more of most of them, I did slip back there. But I just had to regain this. And I was on the internet and Jessica's face popped up and it was like a vision from heaven. Like, oh my gosh, here's someone that could actually help me. I had reached out to my bariatric team and got really no help at all. And I wasn't truthful with them as well. But Jessica's very kind and sympathetic and brought out the best in me that I didn't even know I had. Oh, thanks.

And so I want to talk a little bit more about, like, what got you to this point of, of needing help, right? So you had your surgery in 2022. You were a nurse, right? You're now retired.

I am, right? Plus, yep.

Yep. And so, you know, I knew all the right, uh, right things to do.

Yep. And I think, of course I did.

Most people find themselves in that situation, right? Like I, I work with a lot of nurses and You know, everyone thinks it's eat less, move more, which to an extent it is, right? But I'm curious, what led you to getting surgery in the first place? Was it something your doctor recommended? And you mentioned the hernia, but you know, why'd you do the surgery route?

Um, because nothing was working before. Uh, you know, um, I had yo-yoed so many times. In my life. I mean, like I said, probably since my, my 20s, even though you look back and it's like, "Oh, you weren't that heavy then," but you thought you were. And in my mind, I've always been heavy, which brings in limitations. But I had to have my hernia refixed because I knew that that could be a complication. Um, for my life. I mean, it was the size of a bowling ball. And so to do that, I went to him really to have my hernia repaired and to do that, I needed to lose weight. And so this was the option that I chose. Got it. So, okay.

And then you started to regain weight about 2 and a half years later, right?

After surgery.

And so I think that might Like, it just, you know, it just started.

I don't know. I had lost it very easily during the surgeries and it's like, "Oh, well, how is this happening?" Yeah.

What do you feel started to trigger the regain for you?

Oh, I'm slipping back into my old patterns. I'm, um, I don't know if it's a closet eater, but I eat when no one is around. Or snack, I should say, when no one's around. I get up at night and have my snack. It was a pleasure. Food has always been considered a pleasure or a reward, a lot of reward. So that's— I just saw those patterns reemerging and didn't see an end to to regaining all the weight back. Yeah.

And I know you're 66 now, right?

Yes.

And so how old do you think you were when these patterns started emerging in general?

Oh, I don't know. They were always, you know, we always had— my mother always gave us cookies and milk before bed or cupcakes. Chocolate, the Hostess chocolate cupcakes were frozen and they were so good. Not that they're not good now, but yeah, they were all food and dessert was always, if you know, if you finish your meals, mainly your evening meal, you can have a snack before bed. It was, it was a constant. It's, it, since I can remember, it was going.

So, so let's say like 60 years, right?

Like that's at least that I can remember. Yes. Yes.

A long time. And yes. Had you ever done anything that focused on your relationship with food?

Oh, never, never. Uh, not until he, not until with you. No, never.

Why do you think that was?

Um, I think the reward part of it was, or the, um, the feeling that you get from accomplishing whatever I was eating or my inner, um, emotions. It just, it just made me feel better. Um, Yeah.

I think also a lot of people don't realize that it is a problem too.

Oh, no, I absolutely never did. I, um, I don't think I consciously thought that, um, well, if I have this, it'll, you know, make, make me feel better, or it was just kind of a habit that just, um, it Uh, or a pattern that had been, it was used as reward. Like I said before, it was always used as a reward. Yeah.

And a lot of people think that it's just up to willpower or self-control to, yeah.

Or motivation or which we talk about a lot. And, um, no, it just had to be a, a, a brain fix or a, um, just had to be brought out to the open and openly because everything to me was all internalized.

Yeah.

I had to— you had to really say it to recognize it, I think.

Yeah.

Yeah. Winx was step one. Right.

And how are these struggles impacting your daily life, your relationships, and how you felt about yourself?

Oh, I was very— the regain, even the smallest amount, was very terrifying. Very, very. That I would kind of like relapse and all the work that I had done for the 2 years plus prepping to have my surgery would be for naught. It was just incredible. I was very sedentary. I think I told you the first time I went to the gym ever. I mean, it was just, you know, in this year. Never stepped foot, never ever. Yes, I've walked, but not on a consistent basis. I couldn't— my grand— kids live blocks, just a few blocks away from a park. And that was an effort for me to go there. And they go out twice a day. So, go out with them twice a day for this minimal walk now.

Yeah.

Was daunting even to think about it. But now I do it easily. I'm the first one to have my shoes on. So, And, you know, when they ask, "Lali, are you coming?" It's like, "Of course I'm coming." Yeah. So yes, I can sit on the floor. I can easily get up from the floor, which that was a, that was a definite no-no before, getting up. And my knees feel better. That was impossible. I would sit on the couch and they would do things around me or something, but now Now we, I sit on the floor, I build towers with like Legos. Oh yes. With Legos or the Magic Blocks. They love the Magic Tiles.

Ah, okay.

Got it.

Yeah. So, I mean, it sounds like you're basically aging in reverse.

Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly.

You know, and so, you know, what, what really made you realize that you needed help and that you couldn't do it on your own?

Well, I wasn't getting any help from our— my bariatric team at all. I mean, and I had to— I had to find a something, something to do. I was doing the protein shakes like we first talked about, you know, twice a day. You know, limiting my calories, not really getting my exercise in, but, um, and it just wasn't happening. And then, like I said, I saw you on— I don't even know how— on the internet. And it was just, oh my goodness, someone sent me— somebody sent you to me.

Yeah, no, I remember— I remember in our Instagram messages, you were asking about protein shakes, and I remember—

Yes. Yes.

And I, wow. I remember it so vividly and because I remember thinking to myself, oh, oh no. Like she's, she's trying to, to just only eat protein shakes. Yes.

Yes. Literally.

Right. And like thinking like that's the way that she's gonna lose the weight, but, but that's not how it works. Right. And so I, I, I vividly remember that exchange like yesterday and, and so You know, you found me on the internet. I'm curious, what made you decide to work with me specifically? Because we've never met in person, right?

Oh, no, no. We're thousands of miles away. Yeah. You live in Florida. I live in Connecticut. No. Um, I, I don't know. You're, you're, you were so positive and energetic and you had done it too. And I think that that's what most was, that you had done it. There was— I could see that someone else had struggled and had conquered their regain. And that was like, "Oh my gosh, I'm the only one, of course, who has had regain after my surgery. And how could this be?" Because there are so many people that you know, that are happy and it's like, why not me? Yeah. So I, I just, you were so enlightening, inspiring. It's like, oh my gosh, she did it. I can do it. Yeah. So, yeah.

And, and I think as well, what you experienced with your doctor nutritionist, I see all the time where like the doctor nutritionist, they're really great. At what they do, which is getting people ready for surgery and right after surgery. But then when it comes to tackling regain, that's kind of out of their realm, right? And, and especially because the studies show that the reasons why people regain are all about up here.

Mm-hmm.

And having to do with your relationship with food, and that's not really their wheelhouse either. And so, right, you know, I'm curious how, so, so you, so you enter the program, right? Like, yeah. Well, well, let me ask, let's ask you this too. I think a lot of people that are regaining weight have tried a lot of different things.

Oh yeah.

And want you to be completely honest, like, cuz I think a lot of people join the program and there's, you know, a question of like, is this gonna work?

Like, oh yeah, I always, cuz I mean, they haven't, the other things that I've tried didn't work. So why would I think that this one will? Yeah.

But it was co— but you're confident enough to move forward. So I'm curious what made you confident enough?

Um, I thought that, I think that this is more one-on-one, even though we do have group coaching sessions and stuff like that. I could always, you know, text you whatever I wanted. And where you can't do that with your bariatric team, you know, or share things, share things with you that I'd never shared with anyone else or still hasn't shared. And I just thought you were always there sitting on my shoulder and I always felt your presence, you know, helping me. I mean, when I went to my bariatric team and told them, they'd say, "Well, just keep, you know, you're keeping your calories down, you're drinking your shakes. That sounds good. You know, we'll recheck you in 3 months." Well, you know, it just wasn't happening. So I needed something. You were there. You're like I said, always there, just always around. I could hear your voice in my head, you know, on one of the, you know, coaching calls or whatever that next week saying, you know, Kenlyn, you can do this. You've come, you've done it. You did it last week. You can certainly do it this week. Yeah. Get out and walk.

Yeah. And when you're 66, you know, and 3 months is a long time.

Yeah. Like, yeah, but I've seen such a big improvement in, in just my, in my whole being, in my whole inner self. Um, I'm more confident. Um, I'm, my personality is a pleaser to please everyone, make sure everybody's okay. And I always, always was last, always. But now it's all about me. It is. And yes, I'm— I still had my same personality, but I put me first, and then the rest of the people in my immediate circle benefit from that. The kids, you know, I'm more mobile. I can do things with them. They, you know, I'm pleasing them as well. So, and that makes me very happy. So my pleasures have been, like we talked about yesterday, have moved from, um, getting the emotional, uh, support that I got from food. I now can give it to the kids, which, you know, I don't need that. I'm getting it from them now. Yeah.

And that's amazing. And so you, you joined the program and how soon after starting did you begin to notice like any kind of positive change, whether it was physical, mental, emotional, energy, or, you know, maybe something else?

Oh, I don't think it was that long at all. I realized that I could eat food and would— I have the 5 meals every day and that I needed structure and it gave it to me. So, and I could always, you know, eat a little sooner or a little later, depending on what my water schedule was. But I could now eat and was full. And sometimes my meals, my small meals in between the 2 and 4, as you'll learn about, but were always small, but they were always there. So I was never I don't think I was ever hungry. Yeah.

And you're eating probably a lot more food now than you did before, and you're actually losing weight.

Yes. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. And now you're, you've like, tell me about the nighttime eating. Like what kind of progress have we made there?

Oh my goodness. A tremendous improvement. It, but it was just a little bit. Uh, we have a dog gate, um, between our kitchen and the bedrooms. And I just put the gate up. I moved my water. My water used to be on the kitchen table, which, um, is where, um, I would have my snacks. I just moved that into the bathroom. It was little, little things that certainly I didn't think of, but it, it was just little things that changed. And realized that, um, I don't need to do that anymore. I don't need— I don't need to. What do you mean by that? I don't think— I don't— I don't think that I— it's a want thing anymore. It just— and it was an emotional thing to get me, you know, a, a thing to get me back to sleep. It's like, no, I can lay here and just think about the day or, you know, do my silly music rhymes or songs in my head and I'm asleep anyway. So yeah. And I'm tired. I mean, I'm tired because I do more. I have my Apple Watch that takes my steps and, you know, I now I put on my sneakers every day, which I normally don't do. And I just make more steps, make me get to my goal steps, whatever they are for that day or that week. Yeah.

How do you think that shift happened?

I think through our work together. I'm just a happier me. And I guess putting me first. Yeah. Putting in the work that we do and, and listening to the modules and working through all that. Just, yeah.

And let's talk too about like mindful eating, because I know that's been really, really about that.

That was a hard thing.

Yeah, because you, when you first came to me, you were watching TV while eating a lot.

Yep.

Or just like eating quickly. And I remember at first, like, um, you, you, you weren't always getting all 5 meals in or—

Oh, definitely. No.

Yep. And like struggling a little bit there, but now you get 'em in like clockwork.

Yep.

And you found yourself eating slowly and like really enjoying the time. So, so tell me about like that journey with mindful eating, because I think a lot of people are skeptical of mindful eating at first. Um, but what kind of value have you seen out of that?

Um, yeah, I, I don't think I even know what mindful eating was. Um, we did have funny techniques. We did, uh, to do that. I started— I'm a right-hander. We started eating with my left, my left hand, which was hysterical the first couple of times. And, and really putting your—

being—

it started out as not a chore, but a task that, you know, and eating, like I said, eating with my left hand, but also putting your fork down. I knew about the chewing of, you know, 30, you know, some people say 30 times a minute, you know, chew your food or 100 times. And I mean, they had told me all of that when I was doing my bariatric workup. But I moved my seat. I don't know if I even told you that I moved my seat in the kitchen. So I look right out our big French doors onto our deck and like I sit there and watch the birds, put my fork down, take a bite. My water isn't— I don't drink with my meal like I had been. And just think about what the day is, especially in the morning, the breakfast and the second meal, and just kind of do that. Our meals for lunch and dinner My husband Ken sits there too, and we actually talk to each other. What? We just had our 43rd anniversary. Oh, wow. Last week. And it's like, oh, you live here too? You're just not someone in the next room. So it's been very good to rekindle that. We're empty nesters for a long time, but just to be more on the same page of what's, what's he, his new project or what he's doing. And, um, so I, I will, I don't say as often, well, I didn't know that.

Yeah.

You're doing that. I didn't know that. Yeah. So yes. So, um, just being more mindful, more together now. We do a lot more things as he's retired as well. But more things together and we're more in tune together as well. So that's been, it's been very good for that relationship as well.

Amazing. And then tell me about the moment we were talking about yesterday where you had cookies and pretzels at the house for your grandkids, but like didn't even feel tempted at all.

No, I didn't. They had come to stay overnight. And I had things that they like. Um, and when they were getting ready, I packed them all away. It was very— it was like, nope, these were for them. And the cookies and the pretzels, yes, um, they had both of those, um, at our house, but the temptation wasn't there. It was whatever they were doing, or, um, if they were having them at kitchen table, I was in the other room. I didn't feel tempted at all because I knew that they were for them, not me.

Hmm.

Yep. And then I packed them all up and sent them home with their cookies and bread.

And those have been your trigger foods in the past?

Yes, they have. Both of them.

Yeah. And I know you also mentioned like earlier in this, as well as yesterday, like food just isn't bringing you happiness in the way that it did before.

No, it's not. Um, not at all. It just is just something that I, I know I have to do because, uh, as you said before, I'm a nurse and I know that there's calories and water that needs to be drunk and, um, things that need to happen to sustain myself, but it doesn't— it's not all-consuming. It's not like I'm thinking about, "What am I going to have for lunch?" or— because I meal prep, thank you very much. There's really no thought process on what I'm having for at least 3 days on what I'm going to eat. I just go to the refrigerator and, depending on what meal it is, take it out. And, you know, eat it. Yeah. And sometimes I don't finish it all, but it's not a clean-your-plate club all the time. But most of it, it's all measured out and I can have whatever I've prepared. But I don't feel the need to be the clean-plate club anymore. No, I, and I feel we did the fullness, um, your fullness, uh, test when you're full.

The 1 to 10.

Yeah. Yes. Yes. The 1 to 10. And, um, some days I just, you know, I don't have to have comfort by finishing everything or, you know. Yeah.

And then walk me through. How you've integrated your family, right? Because I know that's been something that I think has been really special about your story is, you know, like your weekly meal prep sessions with your daughter and involving the grandkids too. Like, how has all this become a family activity?

Oh, they love it when I'm over there on Wednesdays.

It's my—

is one of my prep days. I bring my little containers and, um, they are 2 and soon to be 5. And so they have their special knives and they love cutting up Lolly's fruit. Oh my goodness. They're at the apple. I mean, not so much the apples, but the strawberries, they fight over who has strawberries. So I have—

Oh, really?

Oh yes. So then we did grapes and so somebody does grapes one week and somebody does strawberries and then we'll switch the next week. And they love using the measuring cups and measuring out the cottage cheese. Oh my goodness. Yeah. I mean, yes, we get it all over. Um, but they just think it's the greatest. They have their special chairs. Um, I don't even know what they're called, but the, the ones that are, you know, all surrounded. Um, so anyway, they get on their chairs and they know it's lolly time to prep for food and we get out all the measuring cups and, and the their special knives and they just go to town. They— I just sit there and make sure we're not spilling all of it into the— onto the floor. But yeah, so yes, we, Kristen, my daughter Kristen and her two young children help with my meal prep and everybody has fun with it and they learn as well about certain sizes of the cups Or do we use the big cup or the little cup or, you know, so yes. Yeah.

And so they're learning habits that you didn't learn, right? Like, wow. Absolutely not. How?

Absolutely not. Right.

Your mom was giving you cookies and Hostess when you were a kid and they're learning to meal prep.

Yep. Yep. So, um, yes.

And so.

Yeah, it helps them too because they, those, you know, they have those snacks as well, especially at lunch or, and, you know, so it helps them with that as well. So yeah.

And so since you started the program, like how much weight have you lost?

I think it's 8 to 10 pounds, which isn't what, 4 months, was it 4 months? 3 months? The pro— 12 weeks?

Yes. So I think you started at 191, right?

Oh, that's right. I did. Yeah. Um, oh, so it's more than that.

Yeah. So I think you've lost 16 pounds.

Oh my gosh. Right.

Or when I watched our first call, that's what you said in that.

Right.

Oh my. But I also think that what you just said is also really awesome because the focus isn't on the scale, right? Like, yeah, weight loss is important, and you came to me because of regain, but everything else we've been doing has been so much more important that, like, you can't even— you didn't even remember how much weight you lost.

Exactly, right? And I was getting— yes, because I was getting towards— back towards 200, but it, it isn't now The scale is going, it's going in the right direction. It's not going up. And that was my fear. So yes, even if, like I first thought it was like only, like under, like 10 pounds, but now I see that it's more, but it wasn't, it's a continuous, you know, even if it's a pound every 2 weeks or The, the direction is what I wanted. Yeah. I mean, I haven't reached the, my goal that I think I should be at for, but the pro— the, the main thing is I haven't regained. Yeah.

And you, so you've lost 16 pounds over the last 4 months, and I would rather it be slow and steady.

Yeah.

Then fast anyway.

Right, right. Yeah.

Because that's going to actually keep it off. And so, but beyond the weight loss, like what other improvements have you noticed? Whether it's like energy, sleep, confidence, or maybe something else.

I'm just a whole new me. And not, I don't mean in, in clothes and, or in weight gain, it's just I'm very, I feel very free. I don't feel like, um, like someone is on my, pushing me down. Um, I'm, I'm just a better me and I'm thinking about me more, not more than others, but I'm putting myself first and I, out of, I don't think for ever. I mean, I'm an older sis. I mean, I'm the oldest sister. Um, and people, I always had to worry about people. Always worried about what my sister was doing and whether she was okay or my kids, what they're doing or my grandkids, what they're doing. And, but then I realized that without me, who would be doing that? So I have to be here. I have to improve myself and, and be a better, be a better Lolly as I'm called.

Yeah.

For myself. And so that I can be that for them. I think that was very enlightening. I mean, very powerful. It's been a very powerful, you know, time.

Yeah. And what's something specific that you can do or feel now that would've seemed impossible maybe before joining the program?

Going to the gym, walking a half— I mean, I didn't do that. That, that wasn't me ever, ever, ever. But now if I want to go take a half an hour walk or walk down to my mother-in-law's who's, you know, and walk back home, that's like Okay. I would never have done that. I, they live 6, she lives 6 houses away. Um, I would have taken the car. It's not even a half a mile or even 2 houses. Yeah, it probably.

Wow.

Okay. But you know, it's like, I would never do that. I would walk. I would drive the car now. I, if I like want to go down there for whatever reason, our trailer is down there. I walk down there. Yeah. And I'll walk home. Yeah. So that, no. I'm more outside. I weed more. I take care of the flowers more. Um, and they find pleasure in that. My flower boxes are beautiful this year. Oh my God. I just had the right combination. It's just more, I'm finding pleasure like we've talked about in other things. Yeah, definitely.

And the program is not cheap, right? So what would you say to someone who maybe is hesitant about investing in themselves with a program like this?

I think that It could have been so much more, and you get, you get way more out of it than what you, uh, what the money is. I, I just, um, like I said, I was down in the dumps, and, um, I think that the money does, um make a motivator. You've spent money on yourself and to use it wisely. Yeah. To use this money as a for you kind of thing. I don't spend a lot of money on myself. I spend money on the kids, of course. Um, but that brings me pleasure, but yes, to, to actually invest in myself, um, is not something that I do. But it was so very worth it. Yeah, definitely.

Had you ever really invested in yourself like this before?

Never, never. I mean, other than, you know, student loans or, you know, paying for school or that kind of stuff, but never, never.

Yeah.

Never. No.

And I know it can be scary too, right?

But I think it was, it to think, well, am I going to What am I going to get out of it? I think the unknown of, you know, is this going to work? Yeah. You know, because it hasn't worked in the past. So, um, you know, will it work this time? And yes, I think so. Yes, I'm— I don't think so. I know so. Yeah.

What do you feel like made it work?

I think finding that I was like we talked about other times, I'm not the only one in the boat. And, you know, sometimes you're all out on an island and you think, oh my gosh, it's only me. Or to find out that other people struggle just like me. Like, I'm not alone. And that was very powerful to, you know, and our coaching sessions, um, with the group to find out that there are other people just like me. Yeah. Yeah.

And so what would you say to someone who maybe is watching this, experiencing regain, struggling with their relationship with food, and like feeling like they failed, they've tried everything, and just are feeling down in the dumps? Like, what do you wish the version of you 4 or 5 months ago— like, what would you say to them?

I said, go for it. It does work. It's, um, and it's not about, um, like you say, the quick, uh, loss, weight loss, but it's so that you can get— so you find yourself back again. Um, find yourself. Yeah. Yeah. And looking back at where— and bring yourself to the front line and to be on the top of the, the pedestal, or put yourself first. Yeah. And that's very difficult.

For sure. And, and looking back at where you started to where you are now, like, what are you most proud of?

Um, I feel, um, that I found myself, um, that I'm happier, I'm more energetic. Um, and I feel that those feelings of happiness and energy are spilling out to other people, um, so that they can see a more positive me. Yeah.

Amazing. And very, very last question, cuz I know I've taken up enough of your time, but is there anything else you'd like people to know about your journey?

I think that people need to know that you are wonderful and that you are so energetic and so motivating and, um, so kind. And you, even though I know you have many more clients than, than myself, it always felt that it was just you and me. Always. Um, what's what? Um, and that you had been there, um, been there before and, and thought so much of us, like I think I told you the other day, thought so much of us or your clients that you needed to make this whole program not for yourself. And I'm sure you benefited in the knowledge that you gained, But you did it for others, Jess. It, it was just, it's just amazing that you put that much effort into helping other people. I didn't know you before, but you've made a difference in my life.

Thank you.

Yeah.

I really appreciate that, Kenlynn.

Yeah. I appreciate it.

Yeah. And thank you for being so open and vulnerable about your journey today, like your transformation. Has been absolutely amazing to watch and truly inspiring. And I know it's going to impact so many people listening.

Yeah. Well, I hope so because it's well worth the journey. Um, and I won't say that there hasn't been some downtimes, but we've always worked through those. And, um, I now know that, um, I could take it hour by hour if I need to. Yeah.

No more starting over on Monday.

No, no, no. There's none of that. It's start over for the next hour, or maybe, maybe even we have to go to start over a brand new day, you know, but, um, I really didn't have any of those. Um, I never really had binges like others have said. Um, but I certainly— I'm not saying that I never fell off the wagon either, but I didn't feel like my fall was that big anymore. I knew that I could get back on and do it the next hour, the next day. Always felt that I could without guilt, without putting myself down and making the hole even bigger. I never felt that It was a do or die kind of thing.

Amazing.

Yeah.

Thank you so much, Kenlyn.

You're welcome. It's been a very— a pleasure.

Now, for those of you who heard Kenlyn's story and recognized yourself in her struggles, whether it's the nighttime eating, the shame around regain after surgery, or feeling like you've tried everything, I want you to know that what Kenlyn has achieved is absolutely possible for you too. Age is not a barrier. Past failures are not predictors of future success, and Most importantly, you do not have to figure this out alone. Kenlyn realized that she couldn't. And if you're ready to stop the cycle of regain and heal your relationship with food and finally create lasting change like Kenlyn has, I encourage you to reach out because just like Kenlyn discovered, the right support and approach can change everything. If you want to learn more about working with me as your coach and the Bariatric Success Academy, book a free Bariatric Success strategy call with me at the link in the description. I can't wait to learn about you and see how I can help.