At age 22 I weighed 412 pounds. I had weight loss surgery and have lost 150 pounds so far.

Ese Milan before and after her weight loss surgery.

My whole life, I’ve been a bigger person. I come from a Polynesian Samoan household, and my whole family is bigger, so I always thought it was normal. It was what I was used to.

But in 2021, I got sick and needed to see a doctor for the first time in years. The doctor asked me to get on the scale and then told me I weighed 412 pounds. I was taken aback when I heard the number.

After that initial appointment, I found a primary care person who, after testing, diagnosed me with several conditions, including high blood pressure, high sugar levels, and type 2 Diabetes. She also told me I was morbidly obese.

I had gotten so comfortable living at that weight with these unknown health issues. But I knew I had to do something about my health.

I started working on losing weight

The doctor put me on medications right away and then made an appointment for me at the hospital to get a sleep apnea test.

Checking myself in for this test at the age of 22 was depressing. I was so young and yet was being checked to see if I stopped breathing in the night due to my weight. They strapped me to a bed for the night. I couldn’t sleep because there was this huge machine stuck to my face. It was torture.

The medications were starting to make me feel terrible. I decided to stop taking them. Instead, I decided I would work hard to lose weight.

I started going to the gym every single day after work. The only way I was able to do this was because at least one friend came with me each afternoon. We’d clubbed for years — now we went to the gym together.

At first, I stuck to the cardio machines. The people who did weights looked experienced and fit, and I felt uncomfortable working around them. I wouldn’t have had a clue of what to do. But I started watching them, figuring out how they used free weights and machines and started doing the same.

I became addicted to sweating. I loved seeing myself leaving the gym covered in sweat. The results were not quick at all, but by the time I was 23, I had lost 30 pounds.

I decided on weight loss surgery

The food element of weight loss was very hard to manage. I was surrounded by friends who socialized over food, and my family, who I lived with, continued to eat the same way. I knew I was fighting against time and had to lose weight to fix my health. To stick through with this for the long term, I started considering weight loss surgery.

I lost half my weight in 3 years. I have body dysmorphia from all the loose skin I have.

I weighed 325 pounds at my heaviest. I lost almost half my weight by cutting down portions and moving more.

Without anyone knowing, I started researching doctors who performed weight loss surgeries and the types of surgeries available. I decided on a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, and in November 2023, I went in for the surgery.

The surgery didn’t last long; after 10 minutes, I walked around.

It was only when I left the hospital that I started telling people about what I had done. I didn’t care what anyone thought about the fact that I had weight loss surgery at 23. I did it to save myself.

Since the surgery, I’ve lost 150 pounds. It feels amazing to look back and see what I have achieved. I feel unstoppable. All of the health concerns I had before are now nonexistent.

Other than the health benefits, my favorite part of losing weight has been the wider selection of clothes I can choose from when shopping.

However, I’ve been disappointed by how differently I’ve been treated since losing weight. People treat me better now that I’m smaller. It shows how shallow people can be.

Weight loss surgery isn’t for everyone, but I have no regrets about having the surgery. It literally saved my life.