Redefining Health and Wellness for Women

Hi I’m Lindsay Maggio and I’ve had obesity since I was a young adult. My entire life was a series of weight loss and weight gain, what seemed like a never ending yo-yo. I felt like I tried all of the things, all of the diets, all of the gimmicks, and nothing every stuck long term. Having dealt with this chronic disease my entire life and faced the stigma so often experienced, I wanted to do better for my patients.

I decided to become certified in obesity medicine; to gain this knowledge meant I could help people in a different capacity. We were not taught much on obesity in medical school. 

What I did not know is how becoming certified in this field would change my life. For the first time in my life, I realized that there is nothing wrong with me. I did not lack will power. I did not “white knuckle” through this hard enough. I had a disease and my body was doing everything it possibly could to hold on to weight and to hold on to fat. Through this training, I learned forgiveness and love and that accepting treatment for obesity was no different than the inhaler I carry around for when my asthma flares.

I started medications. The first I didn’t tolerate. The second did not work. The third one started to work, but slowly. Then I started to plateau. I met with a bariatric surgeon. I was determined to change my life for good. I started running regularly. My entire relationship with food changed.

And I did it! I lost over 100 pounds. And I have kept it off for two and a half years. I never ever dreamed this was possible. But it is possible.