When Samuel Martinez decided to change his life, he started with a plan to walk one mile a day. Those first few walks, it took him nearly 45 minutes to complete that single mile. He had to stop and rest along the way.

Now, the 29-year-old runs 10Ks for fun, a transformation he credits to his faith and a single hard look in the mirror.

“I was 25 when my dad died at 50,” Martinez told InMaricopa. “He lost his leg before he passed. That’s not the quality of life I wanted. I looked at myself and thought, ‘If I don’t make changes, I’ll end up the same way.’”

Martinez had battled obesity since childhood, but the weight piled on during the COVID-19 pandemic, when life slowed to a halt. At his heaviest, he weighed 468 pounds. He began walking, slowly at first, and focused on improving his eating habits.

“I started with one-mile walks that nearly broke me,” he said. “Then it became two miles, then five. I went from walking to jogging, and now I can run seven miles without stopping.”

His mother, who had undergone weight loss surgery years earlier, inspired him to seek medical help. After losing more than 100 pounds on his own, Martinez decided to pursue bariatric surgery in 2023, a decision he said he second-guessed up until the day of the operation.

“My faith is super important to me,” the Southern California native said today. “I prayed, ‘God, if this is what you want me to do, remove the barriers.’ I showed up that day and never looked back.”

Martinez underwent something called “duodenal switch surgery” through Dignity Health of Arizona. Dr. Shawn Stevenson, chief of bariatric and foregut surgery, said the procedure, which reduces the stomach size and reroutes part of the intestines, is one of the most effective and durable treatments for severe obesity.

“It’s a safe operation, with a major complication rate of less than 1% when performed by specialists,” Stevenson said. “As long as patients are supported through the process, the safety profile is excellent, and the results can be life changing.”

Before surgery, patients typically go through a four- to six-month preoperative process that includes diet education, medical testing and counseling. Stevenson said that step helps patients prepare for the lifelong commitment required after surgery.

“It’s not something that happens in a week,” Stevenson told InMaricopa. “We make sure patients understand how to eat, exercise and recover. They also meet others who are going through the same challenges, so they know they’re not alone.”

Stevenson said while medications such as GLP-1 agonists (think Ozempic and Wegovy) have helped some people lose weight, they are not a replacement for surgery in those with severe obesity.

“Those drugs have a place for patients with lower BMIs,” he said. “But when your [BMI is] over 35 or 40, surgery is the only intervention proven to provide long-term, sustainable results.”

Following surgery, Martinez said he knew it wasn’t a magic bullet. He focused on the fundamentals: daily movement, consistency and developing a healthier relationship with food. He credits exercise and mindful eating, not just surgery, for sustaining his progress.

“Food isn’t my comfort anymore,” he said. “It’s fuel. It’s a resource — something that supports happiness, not replaces it.”

Stevenson added the most gratifying part of his work is seeing patients like Martinez succeed.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone like Sam change their life,” he said. “This isn’t just weight loss surgery. It’s metabolic surgery. We’re helping people put diabetes into remission and reclaim their health.”

Today, Martinez weighs about 200 pounds. He runs several times a week and dreams of completing a half or full marathon. He continues to meet with health professionals to track his nutrition and wellness.

He said the biggest difference in his life isn’t what he sees in the mirror, it’s how he feels.

“Before, getting out of bed and taking a shower wore me out,” Martinez said. “Now I think, what am I going to do with the 15 or 16 hours of energy I have every day? I feel like I finally get to live.”

For others who may be starting their own health journey, Martinez’s advice is simple: Take it one step at a time.

“It’s a long game,” he said. “It’s imperfect, but it’s progress, every single day.”