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Evo Terra: Excellent. Excellent. Okay. So Christine, I guess the obvious question I want to start with is, um, how do you feel after having lost all this weight?

Christine Lisi: I feel amazing. Um, it's definitely been a life changer. Um, I look at every day as a new day and I'm loving.

Evo Terra: That's great. I want you to walk me through. The process, not the procedure, but the actual process. And I want you to go back to the point where at some point in your life, you decided to seek a medical weight loss solution. What was that point and where were you?

Christine Lisi: So I've been overweight all my life. Um, did all the yo-yo diet and weight Watchers. Nutrisystem anything out there you can name? I did. Um, it was about into my twenties and then about my thirties, that all of a sudden I was placed on, um, high blood pressure medication. Um, I was pre-diabetic so I was placed on, um, some medicine for that.

Um, I also dealt with a fair share of anxiety, so I was on anxiety medication. Um, Um, married a couple of years, uh, really kind of struggling to get pregnant. Um, my, uh, gynecologist, my OB GYN actually said to me, Hey, you may want to consider not getting pregnant because of your weight. It could be very dangerous for yourself or, or, uh, a future baby.

Um, that was really eyeopening and very upsetting. Um, I left that. kind of upset. Um, he also in that same appointment recommended bariatric surgery. Um, I toyed around with it for a while. Um, I didn't think that I ever was be in that place that I needed to have bariatric surgery. Um, I was always athletic, um, enjoyed the gym.

Um, but weight was again, always the problem. Um, so the COVID pandemic hit. Um, I was. Place to work at home, um, by myself, uh, my husband is a chef and his pandemic didn't affect him at all in the senior community that he works in. Um, so I was home alone, um, and just kind of eating. And drinking and the weight just continued just to back on.

Um, it got to a point where, um, I was just fed up. I was just done. Um, and I decided, you know what, I'm going to reach out a coworker. Use the same surgeon. she recommended a doctor, a bail off, uh, and I decided to give a call in the middle of the pandemic. Um, so, um, as soon as I knew it, I believe it was the beginning of June.

I was scheduled for my consultation. And from there, the rest is history.

Evo Terra: And, and, and a lot of weight, it sounds like.

Christine Lisi: Yes, I, um, so I had my surgery, I had the duodenal switch on October 7th, 2020, uh, I'm 14 months. I'm in a couple of days. Post-op and, um, I am down over 180

Evo Terra: wow. That's a person or a big person.

Christine Lisi: Yes, it is. Um, it was definitely, uh, Something that is ever life-changing. Um, and I am, I'm just amazed. I went from a women's plus size 26, uh, in pants, um, a three X four XL shirt.

I'm now in size between a size 10 and 12 women's pants. Um, and about a medium, large women's shirt.

Evo Terra: Wow.

Christine Lisi: Uh, so the whole wardrobe changed to.

Evo Terra: That's part of the fun, right? I mean,

there's an expense to go with that, but also at the same time they hate new clothes. Right. That has to

Christine Lisi: Yeah, definitely. That was, um, it it's applied for sure.

Evo Terra: Yeah. Yeah. Do you think you are, and I don't mean to belittle anything, but I mean, where, where are you on your weight loss journey now? Where are you at a, at, at a weight you're happy with, you're going to keep going.

Christine Lisi: So I would like to keep going, but I do have one exciting surprise in this. Uh, I am almost halfway through my first pregnancy.

Evo Terra: Yay. Congratulations.

Christine Lisi: yes. So, um, my husband and I found out over the summer that we are pregnant with our baby girl. Um, so I for right. Um, my weight loss, um, has been paused, um, which I'm totally fine with because I'm growing, you know, a healthy baby.

Um, so I, um, but, but yes, um, I would still like to see after, um, after April of next year, I would like to see, um, you know, a continued weight loss, um, I am definitely at the point where, um, I'm, I'm five, 10 I'm, I'm a tall, um, tall girl. Um, and I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm really pleased with where I am right now. Um, but I would like to see if I can.

Maybe a couple more pounds down, but I I'm, I'm, I'm pleased and I'm very much so pleased. Um, even if I can't get, um, some extra weight off, um, I no longer on any medication, which was a huge thing. Um, yeah, not dealing with that. Um, know complete, just taking my daily vitamins is, is it, and it's funny because.

I've got this big PillPack because of all the vitamins and the, um, medication I previously took. And I don't need it anymore. I just have a couple of vitamins to take now. So that's the breath of fresh air.

Evo Terra: yeah, yeah. That has to feel so much, so much better just to know where you're at and you can get a healthy baby healthy pregnancy. Everything's going great. So that's, uh, that's very, very good news. It has to make you feel. Pretty incredible about your decision, right?

Christine Lisi: Yeah. Um, it was a decision that, um, that I have to be thankful for such a supportive husband and family. Um, because I truly, I didn't think I would ever go this direction and get weight loss surgery, but it is one of the most important most life-changing. I think I've said that a couple of times a thing that I've decided to do in my life and I, I couldn't be more proud.

Um, I actually. Um, I inspired my husband so much too. He also is now a post-op bariatric patient from Dr. Bale off. Um, so we, so it's now we've got the support of each other, um, in this whole process and it's really, it's been life-changing.

Evo Terra: Yeah, no doubt. I want to ask a couple of questions about the pregnancy. I mean, surprisingly not, I've never been pregnant. Um, but my wife, my wife's been pregnant. I don't know what that was like. My daughter loves him pregnant. Um, but, um, and you know, it's your first pregnancy as well, but for the women out there who are considering.

A getting pregnant and also having weight loss surgery. I mean, you probably don't wander those two things together, but, um, from your point of view, I mean, how, how, how do you think your pregnancy is going now? Post-surgery as opposed to how it would have been without.

Christine Lisi: I think it's going pretty well. Um, all of my tests and everything are coming back great. Um, which is, you know, a blessing. Um, I believe that I'm doing. Can she make sure I'm getting the nutrients. And of course you want to make sure that you're hitting all of your calorie goals and all of that, um, you every day, um, that you can grow a healthy baby.

Um, the struggle definitely in the beginning was, oh my gosh. Really only eat so much. Um, and now I have to add some more calories in there. Um, even being over a year post-op, you know, it's still a struggle to get, you know, a big meal. And, um, so I just kind of learned how to space those meals out. So instead of one breakfast, you know, one big breakfast, I kind of have a protein shake in the morning, you know, at 7:00 AM.

I have a. Uh, a breakfast snack at 9 30 10, and then I have my final little, I don't know, another snack at 11 o'clock and that's my breakfast all morning, you know? So I've just learned how to get my calories in on, um, a larger amount of calories in and space it out throughout the day. Um, that way I'm, I am hitting all of those nutrients.

Um, and it's definitely. At first, I was very nervous. I was very concerned because I wanted to make sure I was providing for my child. Um, and I think I'm doing it. Um, you know, thankfully, um, I am seeing my regular doctor, my regular OB GYN, um, their nutritionist over at, um, guardian state. Uh beriatrics um, I've been working with Anna.

Um, so she's been kind of. Guiding me through that. Um, I'm also seeing a high risk doctor, um, due to the surgery, um, and my pre-existing conditions before surgery. Um, so, you know, to have some extra eyes on me, it's always a good thing. Um, so it, it it's going well. It's going very well.

Evo Terra: That's fantastic. Yeah. Normally I would talk about, I'd ask you about maintenance and keeping the weight off, but, um, I'm not going to talk about that because you have to do something different, right? I mean, you're, you're, you're growing a new, a new life inside of you. Um, so, but I will ask, you know, for, for, um, in any, any tips for success that you might advise to, uh, another young woman looking to have this type of.

Christine Lisi: I would say if I could give any advice, if there's any hesitation. Do it, um, not necessarily just go into the surgery and get it done, go through the process. Uh, learn about it, go through the pre-op. The pre-op stuff was scary for me because I knew I was unhealthy and I was so afraid that every doctor, every clearance, they were going to find something, um, But I knew I was doing something for myself.

Um, I knew I was going in the right direction and if they did find something, then we would deal with it. Um, so go all in. Don't hesitate. Just do this for you. Remember, this is for no one. Um, and I, I use that mentality, uh, and I'm the only person that mattered to myself. So I ha you have to be selfish and it's the best decision that you'll make of your life?

Evo Terra: Christine, anything else that I didn't ask about that you wanted to bring up?

Christine Lisi: no,

Evo Terra: Okay. You did great.

Christine Lisi: Thank you. Yeah.

Evo Terra: good.

Christine Lisi: I think that covered my story. Yeah.

Evo Terra: Yeah.

Well, wonderful. So, all right, well, we will end it here then. So thank you once again, for the time you spent with me, um, I'm assuming, and I do not know the answer to this, but I am assuming that at some point, someone from garden state will say, Hey, Christine, your story is live, but the good news is you you've already figured out where the stories are.

So you'll know when to watch for it. So I'm going to provide this up to the engineers tonight, send them a note, telling them it's all said and done. Um, I dunno if that takes them days or weeks, because I never know no one bothers to Dell, the host of the damn show when the episodes live. It's fine. It's probably fine.

Not about me. It's about you. Certainly so, but, uh, but again, I, I do, I do really Thank you. for your time and I hope you have a great day and, uh, congratulations again. And, uh, uh, looking forward to hearing about the baby.

Christine Lisi: Yeah. Thank you so much. It was really awesome doing this. I appreciate your time. You have a good night.

Evo Terra: You too. Bye bye.

Christine Lisi: All right. Take care.