Page 102 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2022

HEALTHY LIVING
Under
CONSTRUCTION
toa
HEALTHIER LIFE
SMART before and after her weight loss surgery.
Smart now lives a more fulfilled life, can keep up with her kids while walking around with more confidence, and even enjoys being in the spotlight at times. For the past year and a half, she has been helping lead worship ceremonies at church, something she never would have dared to do three or four years ago.
“Surgery is a great kickstart to weight loss, but the rest is up to you,” says Smart. “You need to change your eating habits and your whole mindset about food and incorporate more physical activity to be successful in the long run. I’ve hit plateaus during the whole process, and I’ve even gained a little weight at times, but I’m still under construction, even now. It’s an ongoing process, but you must keep going.”
To explore weight loss options and begin your journey, call 228.872.7277 or visit SingingRiverWeightLoss.com.
story and photos courtesy of
Singing River Health System
Overweight. Uninspired. Unmotivated. These were a few of the emotions that Christine Smart was feeling before making a change in her life for the better.
A dear friend of Smart’s underwent gastric sleeve surgery at Singing River Weight Loss Center and despite her incredible transformation, Smart was still not convinced that was the answer to her problems until an unexpected turn of events occurred following her last pregnancy.
“What ultimately made me pull the trigger was a health scare
I faced during my fourth pregnancy,” she recalls. “I discovered I had a nodule on my thyroid and had to have it biopsied, which fortunately turned out to be benign. Following the delivery of my son, I had the nodule and half my thyroid removed. Post-surgery, I consistently struggled to lose weight and keep it off. My weight constantly fluctuated, and I was gaining more than I was losing. The struggle was very real!”
She thought to herself, “enough is enough!” Smart was ready to have more self-confidence, more energy to spend time with her kids, and overall, ready to become healthier so she could enjoy the rest of her life.
Smart went into Singing River Weight Loss Center blind, not knowing any of the doctors. She was scheduled to meet with Dr. Payne. From the beginning, she felt everyone from the nursing assistants to the doctors and admin staff at check-out were all supporting her along her journey. Their support made her feel that this was the right choice and all this positive reinforcement would help in her overall success in the end.
Smart weighed in at 245 pounds the day of surgery and following her gastric sleeve surgery she was down to 137 pounds. At her 18-month post-op appointment, Dr. Payne told her, “You could
be the poster child for this procedure because your results are so great!” That validated her decision and made her feel so proud.
William T. “Pete” Avara III, MD, FACS
Singing River Weight Loss Center
228.872.7277
15190 Community Rd., Gulfport
1124 Oakleigh Rd. Ocean Springs
2525 Telephone Rd. Pascagoula
Jason Payne, MD, FACS
William Berglind, MD, PhD
John Hall, MD, PhD
Robert Cromer, MD
102 | November 2022
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