Seeing Sandra now so thin, only 63 kilograms – just a year ago she weighed 102 kilograms, not a single person pops their eyes or claps their hands: “It is impossible to recognize you!” After laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery – during which a smaller stomach was formed, which was disconnected from the large – Sandra Kakhiani, the director and soul of the popular resort pub “Resort pub”, now does not defend herself against compliments and sincerely enjoys them: “THANK YOU everyone!” Sandra gladly answered the questions of “Lietuvos pajūris”.

– When people see you so thin now, are they surprised or, hmm, scared?

 – (Smiling). Surprised and praised. I enjoy all the compliments, and to be honest, I haven’t heard any bad ones yet. Thank God.

   I never had good eating habits – I only became interested in healthy eating as an adult. However, I have never received any insulting comments for being overweight. Nobody even called me fat at school!

 – You must have been as cute as you were until recently, since you were a child?

 – Yes, I was always larger than my peers. My grandmother treated me to pancakes, my father to fried potatoes. Among other things, my favorite dish is kugel (smiles). I never had good eating habits – I only became interested in healthy eating as an adult. However, I have never received any insulting comments for being overweight. Nobody even called me fat at school! (Laughs). Some of the people I’ve shown my pre-op and current photos are genuinely surprised, “We didn’t notice you were like this!”

 – How did you decide on that cut anyway?

 – I thought about him a long time ago because I had an eating disorder. I reward myself with food. I’m sick – I’m eating. I’m fine – I’m eating. I experienced the pleasure of life through food. I just tried losing weight – sports, carbohydrates in the morning, proteins in the evening, keto, intermittent fasting, the Japanese diet, and kefir. Even the watermelon diet – I ate only watermelons for five days – did nothing! As much as I dropped, it came back twice as much. I won’t hide it: because of my overweight, I suffered all my life.

 – What did the surgeon do to you?

 – No, my stomach was not tied, although most people think so. I underwent a gastric bypass – during which a smaller stomach was formed, which was disconnected from the large one. I now have about 10 percent of the stomach I had. Just no stomach! (Laughs). But I also have that big one in my body, only, of course, it is not used.

 – Before being laid on the operating table, you “googled”, what can be waiting for you?

 – Of course. I sent a very good friend of mine on it first, he lost 52 kilos in 10 months after surgery. Without hesitation, I decided to do it. It was the best decision of my life (smiles).

 – And what did your relatives, especially your mother and life partner, say when you were informed that you would be operated on?

 – Everyone supported me! My friend Ernest himself took me to the clinic in Kaunas for the operation. He went to all the consultations together because he was really worried. Naturally, he had expressed doubts about the necessity of the operation, but after consultations, he also switched to my side – do it!

 – What did the surgeon warn you about before the operation?

 – They warned that new clothes would be needed (laughs). Seriously, I asked the surgeon myself if I could get my stomach back if I ever wanted to. They told me: “Yes, it is possible.” It’s just sewn and stored – not in the refrigerator, in my body. I don’t think I’ll ever want all of it.

 – Didn’t the psychologist consult you?

 – I went to him myself. He diagnosed me with an eating disorder.

 “Are you sure you didn’t experience any side effects?”

 – No. Only at the beginning, I still wanted to take bigger bites, but it was bad right away – my eyes are still hungry, and my body doesn’t accept that much (food).

 – What is the biggest change in your well-being after the operation?

 – Unspeakable lightness, good mood, desire to enjoy all life. Now I can walk fast, exercise for fun without stepping on the scale. When I compare my photos before (the surgery) and now, it even makes me go, “Wow!” I used to wear baggy clothes, and now they’re two sizes smaller. And I see that they should be one size smaller! (Smiles). This is the greatest pleasure for me. I got rid of those clothes bags during one party – I gave them to my friends (laughs). The closet was empty after him (laughs). Among other things, I did a photo shoot after the operation – so lightly dressed. I liked myself! A great feeling. That’s the most important. In the past, I used to see things in photographs that constantly spoiled my oops. After the operation, I started to live a new life – I fell in love with myself!

 – Are you looking at food now?

 – No, I have no desire to eat. That’s the most important. And… the strangest thing. I am full from very little food.

 – Do girls and women struggling with overweight contact you now? You even shared photos of your surgery on your Facebook.

 “Oh, God, yes!” Many  girls and women write and call me – asking for advice or encouragement. I gave them all advices and shared my story. Some of them have already followed in my footsteps – they have undergone operations. For women who have failed to get rid of excess weight in other ways, I would even encourage such an operation – it frees you from your own prison.

 – How much did the operation cost you?

 – Five thousand two hundred euros. But people who have a high body mass index can also expect state compensation for such an operation. I didn’t get it because my index was lower.

 – What would you say to all women, especially young girls, for whom overweight is a problem?

 – I really wouldn’t encourage them to run to cut and be thin. First of all, you must definitely try other measures: sports and a healthy diet. I don’t hide it – I resorted to extremes because it didn’t work for me. In my experience, all overweight problems begin in childhood and adolescence, when you don’t yet know what healthy eating means.

 – What are the stories of your friends of fate, with whom you lay in the same ward of the clinic while waiting for the operation?

 – Another girl from my ward and I became friends – we correspond, share results. It’s important to me. Like me, she has struggled with being overweight since she was a teenager, gaining a lot of weight especially after giving birth.

 – Was it easy to choose the right clinic for the operation?

 – It was not difficult, because there are not many such clinics in Lithuania. I chose mine based on a recommendation. I am very grateful to my abdominal and obesity surgery doctor Antanas Mickevičius, who operated on me at the NEWMAN clinic in Kaunas.

 – But after the operation, your chest volume also decreased, didn’t it?

 – (Smiling). Yes. This is inevitable. If I ever decide to increase them, I won’t tell anyone so widely (laughs).

 – Did you get wrinkles on your waist after losing 40 kilograms?

 – Even I’m surprised: I didn’t find them. Maybe because I went to lymphatic drainage massages two months after the surgery?

 – You really don’t want to lose weight anymore?

 – Well, except for a couple of kilograms. Others are already telling me: “Listen, maybe enough is enough.” I think I will fall a little. The clinic explained to me that it falls in stages throughout the year, then (weight loss) stops, increases by a few kilograms and remains at that limit.

 – Maybe you will fix something else in yourself?

 – I don’t think I need to fix anything else, as you say (smiles). I am happy now. REALLY!