A woman who ‘thought about food all day long’ lost almost 140lbs after undergoing weight loss surgery to curb her ‘obsessive compulsion’ to food.
Jessyca Souza Martins, from São Paulo, Brazil, turned to food to help her deal with a ‘lost’ feeling after transitioning from a teenager to an adult – which caused her to develop an ‘obsessive compulsion’ to food.
The 27-year-old says she was always an active and sporty teenager but upon reaching adulthood, she began to feel ‘distant’ from her true self, and she began binging on snacks and sweet treats every day to help suppress those feelings.
Transformed: 27-year-old Jessyca Souza Martins has revealed she gained 134lbs in just four years after developing an ‘obsession’ with food – forcing her to undergo weight loss surgery
New woman: ‘The greatest reason for my weight gain was emotional,’ she said. The transition from adolescence to adult life, I felt lost and distant from myself’
Jessyca resorted to emotional eating to cope with her feelings, explaining how she saw food as a ‘refuge’ and would constantly think about food all day long – even from the very moment she woke up in the morning.
She gained 134lbs in just four years, with her weight peaking at 288lbs.
‘The greatest reason for my weight gain was emotional,’ she said. The transition from adolescence to adult life, I felt lost and distant from myself.
‘I always had highs and lows with my weight but I never imagined I would become morbidly obese one day.
‘In approximately four years I went from a healthy life to obese. I had a compulsion with food, it was my refuge. Eating was the only thing that gave me pleasure every day.
‘I got to the point of waking up and my first thought to be what I would eat, that was scary.
‘When I ate lunch, I was already thinking about dessert, I did not drink much water and instead replaced it with soft drinks.
‘Every day I had to eat at least one large chocolate bar.’
In June 2019, Jessyca underwent bariatric surgery to decrease the size of her stomach and effectively reduce her food intake.
Impressive: After undergoing the bariatric surgery, Jessyca was able to move away from her unhealthy diet and embrace a much more balanced lifestyle
Jessyca has since followed a flexible diet plan which and still eats her favorite foods in moderation so she doesn’t obsessively binge.
She also works out five times a week with weight training to stay active and in shape.
In just a year, Jessyca lost 136lbs, bringing her weight down to 152lbs – and she has never felt happier.
Jessyca has since started her Instagram @jessycamartins, where she posts photos of her incredible weight loss transformation to a thriving fan base of over 50,900 followers.
Speaking about her new healthy lifestyle, Jessyca said: ‘When I started gaining weight I ate in secret.
‘I didn’t want to eat candy in front of people and be judged for it and that made my relationship to food even worse.
‘Today, I have the freedom of choice to keep the balance, especially after the first months of bariatric that really need to follow the risk.
‘I now dedicate five times in the week to bodybuilding-style training.’
In a few words of advice to others who want to lose weight, Jessyca said: ‘Calm your heart, everything will be ok you cannot just give up.
Speedy! In just a year, Jessyca lost 136lbs, bringing her weight down to 152lbs – and she has never felt happier
Goals: ‘Don’t focus on the final result as sometimes it may seem too distant too much or even impossible,’ she advised
‘If your reality isn’t bringing you real happiness, change it.
‘If you put yourself down and feel less than everything and everyone will just hump your process.
‘Stop, embrace and respect yourself.
‘Don’t focus on the final result as sometimes it may seem too distant too much or even impossible.
‘Start to value the process, every achievement less than it seems to be, she is yours, it’s unique.
‘I left the bottom of the well.
‘I would never imagine that one day I could say that today I am my best version.
‘And yes, today I say this with my heart overflowing with joy.’