Instagram Star Loses 100 Pounds But Says She's Still Fat In Her Mind
Weight loss is a tricky beast.
It's not just about the physical transition: The mental journey is just as important.
Raina Trindade, a 29-year-old technical safety officer from Rio, Brazil, has clearly learned this firsthand.
She's dropped 100 pounds after gastric surgery. But she still thinks she's obese.
Even though she's reached her goal weight, she says she fights every day to keep a healthy, positive mindset.
She says,
I look slim and I look healthy and fit but in my mind I am still fat and still greedy for the all the bad food that will kill me. I still have the mind of a fat person.
Her hard work after surgery has seriously paid off.
Raina is thrilled with the results from both her tummy tuck and breast augmentation, which she felt was necessary after shedding so much weight.
But just because she's happy with what she sees in the mirror, that doesn't mean she's happy with how she feels inside.
Developing a healthy lifestyle doesn't happen overnight.
You can't surgically remove your bad habits. It takes time and consistent work to change them.
Before her weight loss, Raina was mostly eating huge meals loaded with unhealthy carbs and lots of sweets. She would eat chocolate at breakfast, and the main event of her day would be dessert.
Anyone who has made a weight loss transition knows you can't continue eating the same way after you reach your goal weight.
Raina said,
People mistakenly believe that once you do gastric surgery that's it, you don't have to do anything more, the weight will simply drop off. That's not true - it was very hard in the beginning, because you become like a child again and have to learn how to eat properly and sensibly.
Now, she sticks to meals containing lean protein and lots of fruits and veggies.
On top of that, she works out six times a week and sees a nutritionist.
But why did Raina want to go through all of this?
First of all, doctors had warned her that if she didn't make a change, she would be at the risk for a heart attack.
She said,
At a check-up before I decided to do the surgery, doctors warned me I would die because I was too overweight. I had problems with my kidneys, I was constantly short of breath, I was suffering from heart palpitations because my heart was working so hard to keep me alive in my fat body.
Before getting surgery, she tried diet pills. But eventually, her body stopped responding to them.
Raina was also bullied at school for her weight. It was hurting her self-esteem.
Her openness and honesty about her transition is refreshing.
