ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
As a single mom, Amy Lujan works as an admissions supervisor at Liberal’s Southwest Medical Center.
However, she has struggled with her weight her whole life.
“My heaviest weight was 696,” she said. “I’ve always been overweight.”
Lujan said she never thought her weight was going to bother her when she got older, but now at 40 years old, she said it has become a problem.
“I began to feel it a lot about eight years ago,” she said. “It started being a burden on me.”
Lujan went through an unsuccessful surgery about seven years ago, and in March 2024, she underwent what is known as a sleeve surgery that saw her lose about 250 pounds.
In December, Lujan underwent another surgery in hopes of taking off more weight, and she recently went back to work following her recovery.
Lujan said being overweight has brought big challenges to her work, home and personal life.
“I had to always plan ahead to see if there were accommodations for me,” she said. “I had a lot of anxiety because I was scared.”
Lujan said her fears included anxiety about fitting into chairs, being able to go into stores, having adequate seating arrangements and being able to walk long distances.
“I could walk not even five minutes, and I had to sit down,” she said. “I couldn’t drive anymore. It was a struggle being that weight.”
Challenges for Lujan came too with her daughter, Victoria, who assisted her mother at a young age with many duties at home, even something as simple as putting on shoes.
Lujan said the 2024 surgery has brought a major change to her life, though.
“I’m able to walk now,” she said. “My anxiety has gone away. I feel I’m more helpful now at home and work. I’m able to do a lot more things. I’m happier. My mental health is way better. It helps strive to keep doing.”
Lujan said her December surgery helped her even more.
“I plan on doing more things,” she said.
Lujan has a big following on social media, and she feels she has inspired many people.
“There are actually people who have gotten the surgery because of me,” she said. “They tell me, ‘If she’s able to do it, we can do it too.’”
Lujan said she is thankful she has inspired people, and if she can continue to do so, she would gladly do it.
“I know the struggles,” she said. “I know what if feels like to be 700 pounds. A lot of people are bedridden at that weight, but I had to keep going. I have a daughter to take care of. I have to do whatever I need to do to survive.”
Still, Lujan said there was a time in her life when she did want to give up.
“I felt I couldn’t continue anymore,” she said. “It was scary because I wanted to give up. I felt I was useless. That was a very dark time in my life. At 700 pounds, I wanted to give up. Thankfully, everything changed, and now, we’re here.”
Lujan said she has been seeking surgical help since she was about 30.
“I felt a lot of people were getting it done, and I’d seen major changes in their lives,” she said. “Just like I inspire other people, I felt I was inspired by others as well.”
Initially, though, surgery was not an option for Lujan due to financial issues.
“It’s costly to do those surgeries, but thankfully, with the help of my friends and family, they all came together and helped me,” she said. “We were able to pay for the surgery. It wasn’t successful. That was a major downfall for me.”
At 600 pounds at the time, Lujan would gain an additional 100 pounds after the initial attempt at surgery.
“I was my doctor’s first patient he wasn’t able to do the surgery on,” she said. “He took it pretty hard too, but I felt I had to go back. I had to do something.”
Prior to the December surgery, Lujan weighed 447 pounds, and she said she wanted to initiated another 200 pound weight loss if the surgery was successful.
“I’m not promising anything,” she said.
Lujan estimated she has about another year and a half to go on her weight loss journey.
“I’m going to hit it hard,” she said. “I’m going to see how much I can lose, and after the year and a half, I will be able to do skin removal.”
As part of her journey, Lujan appeared on the TLC reality show, “Obesity Med,” and she said producers with the show reached out to her because of the initial unsuccessful surgery. Her doctor likewise appeared on the show, and Lujan said she reached out to him again to schedule another surgery, a request the doctor took quite well.
“He told me, ‘I was so happy to see you on my roster. I thought I was never going to see you again,’” she said. “He thought if I don’t do anything about my weight loss, I was going to die. I did feel like that at one point.”
Lujan said Victoria is her primary motivation to continuing her weight loss journey.
“She’s seen all my struggles, and I feel by showing her you’re able to do changes in your life and do better things, she will continue to do the same,” she said. “She motivates me. I’ve taken trips in this whole year. I took my daughter to a Kansas City Royals game. I went to LA. I took her to Universal Studios. I just went to Vegas.”
The Las Vegas trip, in particular, was one Lujan thought she would never make.
“Those are major accomplishments for me, and I want to let everybody know you don’t ever give up,” she said. “You can always start over. We have 365 days, and out of those days, you can always start over.”
As Lujan’s weight decrease, her confidence increases.
“Even as a big person, I have confidence,” she said. “I feel everybody can be beautiful, and you have to think that way. Now that I’ve lost a lot of weight, I feel it’s boosted my confidence even
more because it’s a major change. Now, I’m able to fit into clothes. I’m able to shop at different stores now instead of just one. It gives me the motivation to keep going, to be able to fit into other clothes I have never worn in my life.”
Lujan said she is very excited to see what becomes of what remains of her weight loss journey.
“I feel I have a lot of potential, and I feel being at my heaviest has held me back from a lot of things,” she said. “I’m excited to see what this brings me. I want to be more active in the community. I want to be able to help the community. I want to do a lot of things. I could do it now, but I feel I still need to get over this little business. I’m halfway to my goal. We’ll get there.”
With Christmas in the near past, Lujan said she is thankful for her family, friends and two jobs she has, including her work at SWMC.
“Even at 700 pounds, I’ve always had two to three jobs,” she said. “I’m very thankful for them accommodating me when I needed it. I’m thankful to be loved by so many people. A lot of people follow me. A lot of people care about me. I hadn’t realized that until now. A lot of people support me. There’s a lot of people don’t, but it’s okay. It just motivates me to do better.”
Lujan said she is sharing her weight loss journey not because it was easy, but because it was necessary.
“There was a time when my health limited my mobility and kept me from fully showing up for my life and for my daughter,” she said. “Choosing this path wasn’t just about losing weight. It was about gaining my life back. If my story helps even one person believe change is possible, even after setbacks or fear, then it’s worth sharing. You don’t have to be perfect to start. You just have to believe you deserve better.”
