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I “Failed” at Gastric Bypass—And That Failure Changed Everything
Let’s get real for a second.
I had gastric bypass surgery at the end of 2018. I lost 120 pounds.
Sounds amazing, right?
But I didn’t look like the after pictures in my surgeon’s office.
I still had so much more weight to lose. I didn’t feel like a success story—I felt like a failure.
So much so that I skipped my 2-year follow-up appointment.
Because if surgery couldn’t “fix” me, what could?
I’ve been chasing skinny for four decades. And if you’ve ever been on that hamster wheel, you know—it’s brutal.
Let me say it louder:
💥 **I didn’t fail gastric bypass. Gastric bypass failed to address what I actually needed—**a new mindset, new habits, and a new relationship with my body.
But of course, no one tells you that when they’re selling you the “final fix.”
You know those medical warnings that say:
"If you experience sudden weight loss, consult your doctor immediately…”
I used to think: “Wow, lucky them!”
That’s how warped my thinking had become.
I had been trained to believe skinny = healthy.
But skinny can also be from disease. From addiction. From trauma.
None of that equals health.
And yet every diet I ever tried reinforced restriction:
Calorie deficits
Carb deficits
Fat deficits
Let me ask you something:
What thrives in a deficit?
Exactly. Nothing.
Let’s talk about the billions flowing into the diet industry, beauty companies, weight loss clinics, Big Pharma...
Every time you look in the mirror and feel like crap, someone profits.
It’s not you.
It’s not your body.
It’s the companies telling you they can sell you self-worth in a bottle.
Spoiler alert: You can’t buy confidence on Amazon.
In high school, I even tried bulimia. Not because I understood it—but because I saw it on a talk show.
I’m not making light of eating disorders. I’m pointing to how deeply broken my mindset was.
I was desperate.
By the time I got surgery, I weighed about 350 pounds.
I’m 5’2. You do the math.
Because weight gain isn’t a character flaw.
It’s a symptom of an unhealthy body.
It’s what happens when we ignore metabolism, mindset, hormones, and blood sugar—because we’re told to chase the scale instead.
I’ve lost weight on every diet I’ve tried.
And gained it back. Every. Single. Time.
Because diets work…
Until they don’t.
The solution isn’t surgery. Or a new app. Or the next “miracle” macro plan.
The solution is support, strategy, and sustainability.
It’s about healing—not restricting.
I didn’t need to be fixed. I needed to be heard, understood, and supported.
If this hit you in the gut... you're not alone.
And you’re not broken.
👉 Want to know what actually does work long-term?
Head to ambercontreras.com or DM me @coachamber_contreras. Let’s chat.