On the second and third pages of Karen Gillman’s book, “It’s Never Too Late,” there is a stark contrast between two photos of her, taken 14 years apart. At first glance, it is difficult to even recognize that these photos are of the same woman.
One of the photos was taken in 2000, while Gillman and her husband, Mark, were on their honeymoon. It was before she had gone through a journey, both literal and symbolic, to overcome her obesity.
“I look at that, and I feel sad that I was not maximizing the potential that I could have been, because of how I was feeling with my weight,” Gillman said, looking at the honeymoon photo. “It was weighing me down mentally and physically.”
In 2004, Gillman, a resident of Plant City, decided that she needed to take an extreme step toward managing her weight. She went through a surgery to limit her stomach’s intake, causing her to feel full on small amounts of food.
The next 10 years were full of ups and downs for Gillman. She has achieved her weight loss goal, but it took a commitment to a significant and permanent lifestyle change.
“People think that when someone has weight loss surgery, it’s the easy way out,” Gillman said. “In fact, it’s actually quite different from that.”
After being continually asked to share her story, Gillman wanted to type up a summary that she could send to anyone who was curious. But a few paragraphs turned into a few pages, and a few pages turned into a few chapters.
The end result was a 110-page book, “It’s Never Too Late,” which was published in March. In addition to telling her story, Gillman hopes the book will inspire others who suffer from obesity to take the action that is right for them, whether through the “lap band” surgery she had or a different method.
“I don’t want people to be under the impression that what I (did) is the only thing that can work,” Gillman said. “I’m not out promoting the lap band. What I’m promoting is a cure from being morbidly obese, and for people to get a grasp on their weight.”
Fed Up
When Gillman was almost done with high school, she noticed that she was beginning to gain weight somewhat rapidly. The pattern continued, and though she seemed to always be on some sort of diet, she gained about 10 pounds each year.
In 2004, when the scale read 325 pounds, Gillman found out about a weight loss procedure that was new at the time: the lap band. There wasn’t much research on the lap band yet, but it was a risk she was willing to take.
The lap band is a device that is surgically installed near the top of the stomach to limit the amount of food the stomach can hold. It enables patients to feel full on small portions of food.
Gillman traveled to Mexico for the procedure because it was less inexpensive there. It was the first time she had ever had surgery.
“In my book, I made up a new term, and I called it ‘nurious:’ I was nervous and curious, combined,” Gillman said.
Her pain was minimal and her recovery time was quick.
“If I could equate it to anything, it would be the same as if you had done a bunch of sit-ups and you weren’t used to working out. That kind of soreness in your stomach,” she said.
But the biggest challenge for Gillman was to mentally get accustomed to much smaller portions than she had ever had in her life. She was used to super-sized meals and daily Big Gulps, but those were replaced with fist-sized portions on child-sized plates, and lots of water.
“I had to break up my relationship with food, just like you would break up with a bad boyfriend or girlfriend,” Gillman wrote in her book. “It was a real life break-up with no going back! My obsession with unhealthy food has now joined the list of the ‘bad boyfriends’ of my past.”
No Going Back
After getting past the transitional phase, Gillman’s weight began to drop dramatically. Ten years after the surgery, she is 145 pounds lighter, and she is confident she’ll never have to shop for plus sizes again.
“Now, for me, it’s just a way of life,” Gillman said. “There’s just no going back, and I don’t even think about it.”
Gillman consumes less than 1,200 calories a day, which is less than the average for other women of comparable height. She is almost six feet tall.
In order to go through the lap band, her food needs to be a consistency that is easy to digest, so kitchen gadgets such as a shredder and hand blender are must-haves. Bulky breads, most pastas, leafy salads and heavy meats do not break down enough for Gillman to consume safely.
Gillman is not a writer by trade, but she knew she could complete “It’s Never Too Late” if she put her mind to it.
“Again, if you want to do something, you have to be the one to do it,” Gillman said. “I had a story to tell, and I know it can help a lot of people.”
Book Signing
Karen Gillman will host a book signing for “It’s Never Too Late” from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at RAOK Boutique, 2804 James L. Redman Parkway. The book also can be ordered from her website, KarenGillman.com.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.