Kelowna woman overcomes obesity without surgery

Many people want to lose excessive weight, but few are able to find the formula for long term success without the help of surgery.

For Deanna Salituro from Kelowna, it was a combination of inspiration, perseverance and the will to live.

Salituro’s life changed six years ago, after she persuaded BC singer/ songwriter Sarah McLachlan to attend a charity event. Salituro realized that anything is possible and made one of the most important decisions of her life: to lose hundreds of pounds.

"I thought, do I want to live a full life or not? And that was it," says 31-year-old Salituro.

Instead of hiring a personal trainer or undergoing surgical procedures, Salituro created a personal training program.

At 340lbs, she began walking the steep road of Knox Mountain. It took eight months of hard work for Salituro to finally walk to the summit of the mountain and back down.

Salituro has lost more than 200lbs since beginning her journey 6 years ago. Similarly to reaching the top of Knox Mountain, maintaining her weight is a continuous challenge. However, she is motivated to continue.

"I feel like I’m alive," says Salituro. "I feel like I wasn’t living before. I feel like I really devalued myself. Stopped myself from doing a lot of things that I always really wanted to do."

Last month, Salituro was reunited with Sarah McLachlan and showed her pictures that were taken at the charity benefit six years ago.

"She certainly remembered the event," says Salituro, but says McLachlan didn’t recognize her as the same person. "That’s you? What? She couldn’t believe it!"

Although Salituro’s life changed after her initial meeting with the Canadian star, she insists that weight loss can be achieved by anyone who is committed to live a better life.