Page 184 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2021

HEALTHY LIVING
WEIGHT LOSS NLeads to
ew Life
story by Victoria Snyder Aphotos courtesy of Emily Goldman
t the age of 18, you don’t usually expect to already be on multiple blood pressure medicines and insulin. For D’Iberville
resident Emily Goldman, this was an unfortunate reality. After starting college and not having time to be active and play sports, Goldman’s healthy lifestyle she’d maintained throughout her earlier teen years came to an end.
“I wanted to enjoy my college years and not
be held back from anything, especially by my “ weight. I decided to make a change,” she says.
After her mother had a positive weight loss
surgery experience with South Mississippi
Surgical Weight Loss Center, Goldman decided before and after her ”
that was the right path for her as well.
“The process was incredibly easy, and everyone
EMILY GOLDMAN
gastric sleeve surgery.
South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center changed my life for the better and inspired me to do the same for others.
in the office is supportive,” she explains. Her doctor was Dr.
William “Pete” Avara, III. “He was phenomenal. He was
attuned to me in what I wanted. He prepared me for the
mental and physical aspect of the surgery.” meet their weight loss goals since their formation in 2000.
Goldman opted for gastric sleeve surgery because of her Founded by South Mississippi Surgeons (SMS), they have lifestyle, age, and the fact that her mother had such a positive been providing the Coast with quality surgical care for over
experience with the surgery. Now at 23, Goldman’s life has changed for the better because of her experience.
She recently graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition
and dietetics and is a personal trainer at Crunch Fitness in D’Iberville. She also interns at Lagniappe Wellness in Ocean Springs to become a registered dietitian and is pursuing her master’s in nutrition and dietetics at USM. She was inspired to start on this path because of her surgery.
“My weight started at 320. A year after the surgery I was at 189. Four years later, now that I am eating correctly and working out every day, I sit at 210,” Goldman says. “For me, it was never about being ‘skinny.’ It was about being strong and healthy.”
The South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center has been helping men and women like Emily Goldman to
30 years.
To learn more about weight loss surgery, visit their website
at smsurgicalweightloss.com, where you can register for a free webinar to start your journey.
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
184 | September 2021
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