Jasmine Lost 142 Pounds With a VSG — Here's How She Maintains Her Weight Loss

Jasmine said that she often ate out of boredom. "I ate to kill time, I ate at stop signs, I would walk to class and stop by a vending machine — just because," she said. "I ate upwards of 10,000+ calories a day." Deep-fried foods, desserts, and drive-throughs were her life.

"I even kept a package of doughnuts and M&M's beside my bed. There was a Chinese restaurant that I frequented so much they knew me by name, and by my order — a large lo mein with fried wings, two eggs rolls, pork fried rice, and extra, extra duck sauce," Jasmine said.

Exercise was out of the question because she hated gyms and would feel so uncomfortable. "I felt unfocused, out of place, and like I didn't belong. Gym shaming is real."

"I was killing myself with a fork and spoon," Jasmine shared. "My doctor sternly told me that because of my weight, I was slowly dying. My insides were literally crushing under my weight."

But Jasmine kept on eating, until a huge turning point when she passed out during her final exams due to her blood pressure being so high. "My doctor was gravely concerned with my weight and bluntly told me that I was headed down a terrible path that would not end well," Jasmine said.

Because of Jasmine's grave situation, her doctor insisted that she make a change immediately, and suggested having a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). In this procedure, a surgeon removes a large portion of the stomach, leaving a smaller-size stomach, about the size of a small banana. So when you eat, you feel full faster, which helps patients eat smaller portions.

Jasmine's doctor would only sign off on the surgery if she first lost 20 pounds. So, she did. She started walking, then walking turned into jogging, and jogging turned into running.

Jasmine had the VSG surgery in August 2018 and since then has lost 142 pounds. "Having this procedure literally saved my life," she said.

For two weeks following her procedure, she followed a strict liquids-only diet that consisted of water, broth, and juices. "Mentally, this was an adjustment," Jasmine said. After that, she had to focus on controlled portions. "Coming from a life as a compulsive binge and boredom eater, having reduced portions has been my greatest blessing," Jasmine said.

She wants to share that "having bariatric surgery fixes your stomach, it doesn't fix your brain. Surgery is a tool, not a miracle pill." She has to utilize her tool to be successful and be mentally disciplined. "I was given a second chance at life and I refuse to squander it," Jasmine said.

"My life was spiraling completely out of control due to my addiction to food," she added. "Losing this weight, I literally feel like a giant weight has been lifted off of me. I feel liberated and so free now."

"Many people believe that weight-loss surgery is an easy walk in the park — it is not," Jasmine said. She still had to focus on changing her unhealthy eating habits and incorporate regular exercise.

She threw out the bedside doughnuts and started eating more plant-based, following a high-protein, low-fat diet. She also drinks a gallon of water a day.

"I eat plant-based meals throughout the week, allowing the weekends for me to be more lax. Instead of 'cheat days' I call them 'treat days,'" Jasmine said. She encourages anyone on a weight-loss journey to enjoy an occasional treat day. "It keeps you from going stir crazy!"

Here's an example of what Jasmine eats in a day:

Pre-workout meal: 1 Muscle Milk Protein Shake

Post-workout meal: 1 protein pancake and 1 poached egg

Lunch: tofu wonton soup with bok choy

Snack: Quest protein bar or homemade vegan oat bites

Dinner: zucchini spaghetti made with Beyond Meat Crumbles or 2 ounces of grilled salmon with a side cucumber and tomato salad

Snack: kale chips and 1 tablespoon of hummus

Jasmine worked out five to six days a week to lose the weight, and continues this schedule to maintain her weight loss. "I enjoy a combination of cardio, dancing, CrossFit, and strength training," Jasmine said. "Zumba is also one of my favorites as it doesn't feel like a workout; it feels like a party!"

"I have run two marathons and 15 half-marathons. I love cardio and sweating now!" Jasmine said proudly. "I am also training for the 2020 Los Angeles Marathon which happens to fall on my birthday! Talk about a treat!"

"I get up every morning and I play upbeat music and dance for 10 minutes straight," Jasmine said. It gets her motivated to start the day and to go work out.

Celebrating nonscale victories also kept Jasmine motivated, like riding on an airplane and not needing a seatbelt extender, running marathons, and fitting into clothes that she had previously been too big for. "Instead of throwing them away in shame, I kept them because I knew one day I would wear them again," she said. "I just stayed focused and dedicated and kept my eye on the prize."

Aside from the nonscale victories she already shared, Jasmine also loved feeling confident enough to wear her very first bikini ever! She was also able to run her first half and full marathons. "Never would I ever imagined having enough energy to run long distances," she said.

If you're on your own weight-loss journey, here are a few tips from Jasmine:

"People assume that someone can just diet or they can just exercise. Sometimes it's not that easy and I needed that push to change my life," Jasmine said. "I think of my weight-loss journey as sort of an apology to my body and how much stress I was putting it under."

She said to just take it one day at a time. "Get out of the habit of saying 'One day . . .' and make today day one!"