Throughout her life, Kim Klingbeil has faced comments and criticism about her weight that ranged from clueless to cruel.
“I was picked on,” she says of her experience growing up. “There was a lot of throwing it in my face.”
People often assumed that Kim’s weight struggles came down to a lack of willpower.
“They’d ask, ‘Wouldn’t it be easier if you just worked out instead of having to buy different clothes or a different chair?’” she says.
Facing bias is a common experience for people with obesity. Of course, negative comments don’t help and instead only cause damage and suffering.
Kim, who underwent gastric sleeve resection surgery through ThedaCare Bariatrics in 2022, still carries the scars that have led to bouts with anxiety and depression.
Today, Kim is about 185 pounds down from her highest weight and is building confidence and healthy habits along the way.
“It is the best tool ever because it got me to where I can now see myself succeeding,” she says.
Long-term Challenge
Rewind a few years, and Kim struggled with obesity despite her best efforts.
“I followed Weight Watchers to a T. I had done shakes and ate healthy,” she says.
Kim completed a weight loss program through work in 2019 and lost about 50 pounds, but it didn’t stick.
“It was a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, I gained that back and much more,” she says.
Despite Kim’s weight, she says she didn’t have a lot of other health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.
Kim, who lives in Menasha works in pricing for an insurance company, says her weight did cause other problems. Simple tasks like getting dressed for the day made her feel overheated and exhausted. She’d look at a flight of stairs with trepidation, wondering what she’d do if she fell. On top of all that, Kim’s joints ached, from her elbows and wrists to her hips, knees, and feet.
For Kim, an avid bike rider, the problem wasn’t a lack of will to exercise. However, her weight did make physical activity more difficult.
All the circumstances combined to make maintaining weight loss difficult.
“The way that you get stalled without the tool of weight loss surgery is completely different,” Kim says.
Selecting Surgery
Several factors led Kim to choose weight loss surgery. “For me, it was a combination of nothing was working, my depression was bad, and the insurance was going to cover it,” she says.
After completing a mandatory six-month weight loss program through work and meeting with ThedaCare dietitians and exercise physiologists, Kim underwent a gastric sleeve resection in March 2022.
Going into the procedure, Kim felt well-prepared. “Dr. (Raymond) Georgen’s team was completely honest about everything.”
The time immediately following surgery brought some learnings for Kim. For example, when she rushed the return to eating solid foods, her body responded negatively.
“That’s part of the reason I wanted to have this type of tool,” she says. “It’s going to let you know.”
‘Amazing’ Results
In the years that have followed surgery, Kim has savored some sweet successes.
“I went to Six Flags and didn’t have worry about sitting,” she says. “I went on a plane, and I sat in the middle.”
Best of all, Kim now weighs about 196 pounds, down from her highest weight of 383 pounds.
“I freaked out on my husband. I said, ‘Honey, honey!’ and he came running into the bathroom. I’m 199!” Kim recalls of the day the scale dipped below 200.
To maintain that, Kim continues to put in hard work. She lives to stay active and uses the FitOn app to keep her on track.
In the warm months, Kim rides her bike. In the cooler months, she uses an elliptical machine and takes classes at the Y.
For Kim, it took finding the right formula. That often means doing several shorter exercise sessions throughout the day, such as three or four 15-minute workouts.
“I break it up because it’s easier to fit into my schedule,” she says. “Exercise has now become a habit, and I can tell when I don’t do it.”
Lifelong Commitment
Though Kim has come a long way, she admits that parts of the journey are still difficult. That includes making good food choices day in and day out, through birthdays, holidays, and vacations.
“It’s not easy,” she says. “I thought I was ready. I was not ready for some of it. It’s such a growing process.”
Kim still struggles with anxiety and depression and seeing herself as she truly is now. And people still sometimes make callous remarks, such as saying she took the easy way out with having surgery.
“I still see the 383-pound woman,” she says. “In the mirror, I’m still the same shape.”
To help her through, Kim relies on the help of a counselor and a strong support system. Whether people choose to use the ongoing resources through ThedaCare Bariatrics or pursue their own avenue, it’s essential to have support, she says.
In reflecting on her experience, Kim says she has no regrets. For others considering weight loss surgery, she offers a piece of advice.
“You will know when you know,” she says. “You need to be ready.”
As for her own journey, Kim continues to work on accepting herself as she is.
“I want to get to a point where I feel very comfortable in my body,” she says. “I’m hoping I’ll feel OK with myself. That’s where I’d like to be mentally.”
Ready to explore your own weight loss journey?
ThedaCare Bariatrics is here to help.
