My 100 POUND Weight Loss Journey

Thank u so much for this! I appreciate your honesty

I got the lap band in 2010. After 12 years it was rubbing an ulcer on the outside of my stomach. In 2022 I got the sleeve revision. I wish people would stop judging those of us who have are of a different size like there is something wrong with us. I completely understood EVERYTHING Cass was saying. I’ve been there all of my life. My advice to someone considering getting bariatric surgery is do what you think is best for you and your health.

LOL, the last section had me rolling with laughter! Thank for sharing your story. I saw someone go through this. She looked like a walking corpse for a long time. I do not think it is the easy way, nor would I do the surgery because I know I would never continue to eat like that. You are correct, it is in everything you do or say and feels like you are being judged whether you are or not. I feel amazed when I see the body positive movement, how wonderful for those people. Does it stop the self loathing, not for me.

Hilarious end story 😂😂😂

Thanks for the education it really has been an eye opener. You’re such a star

I don't get why people say it's the easy way out. people who do the surgery do so after years and years of trying and doing things the "right" way. it's not something you can just do because you want to over eat, like you said you got sick with the smallest amount of food so it's quit the opposite, it changes how your body intakes food and how much you can have and its major surgery, there's nothing easy about it. I've had a few friends do it. I've always lost weight when I work out and watch what I eat but I gain it when I take medications and they have that side effect. My issue isn't so much my tummy as my chest. I ended up gaining weight a year and a half ago from the side effect of a med for my auto immune disorder and most of the weight went to my chest. I went up 3 cup sizes. I was a G cup and went up to a J cup. I couldn't see my feet or put my arms down! it was ridiculous. When I'd lost weight in the past my chest never got smaller. At the point I was last year I was like, ok this is too much, they're too heavy (they weighed 10lbs) and I can't comfortably work out, not even doing a bike or just walking, they hurt when I moved. So I got a reduction. I feel so much better, the first thing I noticed when I woke up was, omg I'm breathing and I don't feel it, it's just happening. I was sore, like a bruise sore but not in, someone just hacked off half my chest pain, so that was not bad. When the swelling went down I went from a J cup to a c/d cup. I still have a bit of boob on the side, if I can lose weight, that will go away and I'll be a C cup, if not I'll be a D cup. The doc removed 6lbs of tissue from me, it doesn't sound like a lot when you think about how people lose 100lbs from gastric bypass but 6lbs on your chest is a huge burden to carry around. There is no way someone would say to me that I took the easy way out, I don't see it as any different then someone getting gastric bypass, it's not the easy way out, it's a different solution that works for some people when other ways don't work. Some of my friends who've done it do regret it because they either didn't lose much weight or gained it back later. I feel bad for them but they are still smaller than they were originally and are avoiding diabetes and other health issues that make old age harder and death quicker. I've been watching your older videos and you were beautiful then and you are beautiful now. I hate how people will says when someone acknowledges their weight, but your'e still beautiful, like being fat makes you ugly, you're hilarious and that makes you beautiful. When you tell your funny stories you smile and it brightens your face and makes others smile, that is way better than being a stick skinny magazine model who just looks nice, what else ya got? lol. anyway, love your videos!

Other people’s journey inspire me so muchhh 💦✨🧡

Lost 110 myself, going for a 170 total difference

The most honest video on You Tube. Thank you for sharing your story. You described what it feels like to be obese perfectly.

Nothing is more beautiful than confidence.

Thank you for sharing your story. I can relate to a lot in your story.

Today I really needed this video. I have been overweight/obese since childhood, and I can completely relate to your entire experience. As I listened to your words, I felt like it was me saying them. Thank you for making this video.

Cass good for you choosing what works best for you.

I can relate to this 100%. I am over 200lbs and have struggled with my weight. It's exhausting 😢

I really appreciate your sharing your story.

Do be careful - I had the sleeve and I lost 100 lbs and regained 85 and struggle every day not to regain more (5 years out now). It’s not as hard as it was before the surgery, but it is still endlessly difficult and it is because food is my coping mechanism

Thank you for sharing your story out. I was very much enlightened. I had not idea of all that was involved with this surgery. I would never dream of telling someone they took the easy way out. That is a personal decision that is between you and your doctor. And I know there are others like you that have tried everything possible to lose weight and have failed. I am currently in a struggle with my weight. When I was young I could eat anything and never gain an ounce. But once I hit 30, I started gaining weight. Now I am to the point of hating the way I look and am determined to lose the weight. In my situation it is basically my own fault because I love my junk food and dislike healthy food. And I do a lot of snacking out of boredom fatigue, stress...But I am working on cutting out the constant snacking.

This Lady is a downer , she has scared me about trying to drop 130 pounds of weight.
So I eat right and it will all come back .
I'm on my 3rd week of keto.
I hate 2 soft tacos one night, and the next afternoon I gained 1.9 pounds.
How is that possible.

Wow thanks for sharing this people need to understand this isn't a defect of will or character. Also nail biting I noticed I stopped when I was doing weight watchers years ago one of the requirements was a daily vitamin. I did some research and believe my nail biting was pica caused by iron deficiency when I started taking vitamins it just stopped.

Omg the last part about the evil alien urine was hilarious… I would have thought these things don’t really work, not that they work too well! So horrible but so funny 🤣

OMG I had gastric bypass is 2003 and I can tell you it is not a quick thing or a cheat. It is a tool! I have kept off 200 lbs! I love your channel!

Thank you for sharing this...I had the sleeve surgery 6yrs ago and i lost 100lbs and then covid hit and i gained about 30 back and now im still about 15lbs rebounded and it is awful b/c i am only 4'11 every single pound hurts me and i was recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis so it hurts even more now and im only 34yrs old but thank you thank you thank you for sharing. My weakness is also carbs and sweets.

When you say you just smelled a cupcake and gained weight? That didn’t happen and it removes the accountability from you. If you ate the cupcake then own it. Plenty of people struggle it’s ok. But please don’t blame it on smell

Just wondering, have you ever considered a plant based diet to maintain your weight loss?

Amen. I still after 8 years feel like I am that person. And still feel like people judge me. I am starting to get my rebound weight and I am scared. But it's normal. I am still scared to death. Thank you for sharing your story. I wish you all the best in this journey.

I so get this story!!

THANK YOU!!! You said everything I have felt for the last 20 years. I felt so much judgement, and, yes, I wanted to wear a shirt the said, “I know I am fat”

I’m crying as I watch this. I know how you feel. My daughter had weightloss surgery and I am on Mounjaro for weight loss.
I’m so grateful for you talking about this ❤ I have ballooned, lost, ballooned , lost. It’s been a life long struggle.

You are Amazing ❤

💖🙏🏻

Thank you for this video! ❤

I had weight loss surgery (sleeve) in 2022. Best decision I’ve ever made. I’m 8 months out and am 90lbs down since my start (30lbs before surgery, 60since) it is NOT the easy way out. Cutting out part of your stomach and the mental reprogramming you go through is NOT easy. Super proud of you for doing what was best FOR YOU!

Thanks so much for talking about the “guilt/shame” that comes from some with the idea of surgery for weight loss…

You are so cute! I applaud anything you can do to lose weight. I need to lose so much and all I seem to do is gain. Thank you for sharing your story.

I'm so glad you shared this story Cass. This is SO SO similar to my own story. I was born 9lbs 9oz and also always felt a little chubby. I wasn't. But I remember never feeling full as a child and always wanting more. I actually developed very early at age 11 and was well endowed in my breast hips and butt and bc of the attention I received from older men, I was constantly embarrassed and ashamed of my body. I thought my legs were fat and refused to wear shorts or short dresses for DECADES. After getting mono late in high school I personally believe I developed adrenal fatigue from Epstein Barr Virus. I have struggled with extreme adrenal fatigue ever since. It was then that the weight gain started. No matter what I did stopped it. I did all the weight loss plans. Got a personal trainer, etc. Finally discovered I had hypothyroidism and got on meds for that, but it didnt help my weight (or my energy). Went to the bariatric center bc at this point there was no excuse for my inability to lose weight. I tried a few different weight loss meds that had horrible side effects and stopped and gave up again. I started drinking a LOT. I struggled with addiction and depression through all of this. I definitely caused the weight gain myself, but I knew something was keeping me from getting the weight off. Eventually I saw my friend get bariatric surgery and decided to at least visit a seminar at my hospital. It took 2 more years for me to continue to fail at losing weight to finally accept that surgery was the only option left. No one supported me at first. I had to advocate for myself for months. I am 10 months out and down 100 lbs. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. (Definitely not the easy way out). I too now struggle with trying not to fall back into bad habits with poor eating. But it was so so worth it. I had the sleeve. To anyone reading this, please consider surgery. Talk to your doctor. Bariatric surgery has come SO far and the old stigmas attached are outdated and wrong. Advocate for yourself. Thank you for sharing Cass <3

Oh my goodness Cassie! Thank you so much for this honest video. Love your channel and your enthusiasm every single video xx

Thanks for sharing! I am waging a war against myself right now too! After having my first son at 22 years old I have been struggling with weight I'm now 37. It's been a couple years of yo yo weight. 2023 is the year I am going fix what I eat and move more! Healthiness is so important and the weight loss is bonus. That is my thinking this time. Food is fuel. Body positivity is wonderful but we shouldn't promote being obese because there are so many mental and physical issues with being overweight. THIS IS MY YEAR!

Nice video

I had surgery a year a go and it is so nice to hear someone else though process around it because I often feel so alone in this. And it’s not easy but totally worth it

I had the sleeve done 4 years ago and I’m having trouble keeping my weight up 😮 never thought I’d EVER say that!! I went from 240 to 137ish, my goal was to be in the 150s and yeah right. I eat bad stuff too and try to gain that way and NOPE! Anyway, I’m so happy for you ❤ you look great and look so happy ❤❤❤

Are you me?

Are you able to eventually absorb vitamins again or is it a lifelong thing to take the vitamins?

You may have made the most exciting video that had a ton of information packed in it. You have a gift!

I think your bob haircut is the best look for you too..

Thank you so much!!

So Brave. We love you

It's so important to recognize that the MYTH that weight loss isn't sustainable for most people (or that surgery is the ONLY option for so many) is based in part on unhelpful advice like "just eat less" that science now shows missed huge pieces of the puzzle. And those missing pieces can be different for everyone. For me, low-glycemic eating is a great alternative to bariatric surgery because it also provides the jump start of rapid weight loss and resets the powerful hormonal and neurochemical signals that drive us to overeat. When I do it in a sustained way, I feel FREED from otherwise endless HUNGER and cravings for sugar and start truly wanting healthy food in moderation.

That's partly because insulin is no longer screaming at me that I NEED to eat, and my brain neurochemistry isn't desperate for dopamine. And as a bonus, my stomach still has room for big salads and other healthy veggies. : - )

Scientists like Nicole Avena and Nora Volkow and her team have done great research illustrating that the sugary foods we crave and overeat really do trigger an addiction-like response in the brain. Luckily, as Dr. Volkow's research on drug addiction has shown, even serious cocaine addicts can change their brains back to a more normal state through extended abstinence.

I know firsthand that when I'm in the throes of sugar addiction, it feels like I NEED it to feel okay, and that life without it will be a joyless misery. But I can attest that that LIE falls away once my body has a chance to fully reset, and life becomes SO MUCH HAPPIER than it ever was while constantly chasing the next fix.

When we understand that sugary foods literally "medicate" low emotional states and appease (yet perpetuate) intense BIOLOGICAL drives to eat poorly, it's a lot easier to be kind to ourselves about past choices and resolve to make more self-loving ones in the future.

There are also hormones like ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, and GLP-1 (etc.) that make weight loss easier or harder and can be modified through lifestyle change (better sleep habits, exercise, lower-glycemic foods, stress reduction, protein at meals...).

Problem-solving one's personal triggers to abandoning healthy eating (such as hormonal fluctuations, stress, and emotional eating) is also key to creating the kind of LONG-TERM CONSISTENCY that's necessary for ANY weight loss method to work, including surgery.

My hope is that rather than recommending a surgery that does carry serious risks (including death for a small percentage of patients), more doctors will adopt an addiction model of obesity and support patients in lifestyle changes that address root CAUSES of overeating. Luckily, we don't have to wait for doctors to get the memo.

Trying science-backed lifestyle changes before resorting to surgery is sensible because if it solves the problem, you can forego a serious medical procedure. And if it doesn't, you've gotten some practice making the kind of sustained lifestyle changes you'll need to stick with anyway for the rest of your life post-surgery. Win-win.

Some science-backed tips that have helped me and others lose weight, keep it off, and feel FREE from the torment of food addiction:

- Recognizing and addressing the biological and emotional factors that drive less healthy choices
- Low (or lowER)-glycemic eating
- Having predetermined rules for when and how much to indulge in less healthy options
(rules reduce the burden on willpower because the decision was already made)
- Saving high-sugar foods for special occasions
- Consistently practicing alternatives to emotional eating that work for you
- Making healthy choices easy, and less healthy options hard
(e.g. keep healthy foods on hand and junk food out of the house)
- Pre-planning how to handle relapses
- Noticing what you're doing RIGHT and focusing on the POSITIVES of lifestyle change
- Protein at most meals
- Finding exercise you ENJOY and doing it regularly (exercise increases dopamine)
- Surrounding yourself with people who have healthy lifestyle habits
- Improving sleep habits
- Finding stress reduction techniques you like and doing them regularly
- Trying RESPONSIBLE intermittent fasting to further lower insulin levels if previous tips weren't enough
- etc.

Above all, giving ourselves permission to ENJOY LIFE and love ourselves regardless of size is a blessing I wish for everyone! ❤

Laughing so hard at the nail biting bit. My dad used chicken poop. I’ve tried explaining that the smell and taste wouldn’t go away …sounds like you found chicken poop in a tube. But I stopped biting my nails!