Terry H.

OK, here's one for the books... Last night I was at the grocery store. I was pulling out to leave when the wind blew a cart loose (yup, it was a strong persistent windy rainy day yesterday). I didn't want it to hit any cars, so I put my car in park and ran (ok, slowly but still) after the cart. After retrieving it, another one blew loose and I was able to grab that one too. I got back in my car and realized that before surgery I probably wouldn't have stood a chance of catching the cart - much less two. So it may not sound like much, but I'm definitely getting more confident and active.

OK, here's one for the books... Last night I was at the grocery store. I was pulling out to leave when the wind blew a cart loose (yup, it was a strong persistent windy rainy day yesterday). I didn't want it to hit any cars, so I put my car in park and ran (ok, slowly but still) after the cart. After retrieving it, another one blew loose and I was able to grab that one too. I got back in my car and realized that before surgery I probably wouldn't have stood a chance of catching the cart - much less two. So it may not sound like much, but I'm definitely getting more confident and active.

OK, here's one for the books... Last night I was at the grocery store. I was pulling out to leave when the wind blew a cart loose (yup, it was a strong persistent windy rainy day yesterday). I didn't want it to hit any cars, so I put my car in park and ran (ok, slowly but still) after the cart. After retrieving it, another one blew loose and I was able to grab that one too. I got back in my car and realized that before surgery I probably wouldn't have stood a chance of catching the cart - much less two. So it may not sound like much, but I'm definitely getting more confident and active.

How about, "Me taking the easy way out? What about your short cut to being an idiot with the brainectomy you obviously had?"

How about, "Me taking the easy way out? What about your short cut to being an idiot with the brainectomy you obviously had?"

How about, "Me taking the easy way out? What about your short cut to being an idiot with the brainectomy you obviously had?"

How about, "Me taking the easy way out? What about your short cut to being an idiot with the brainectomy you obviously had?"

How about, "Me taking the easy way out? What about your short cut to being an idiot with the brainectomy you obviously had?"

How about, "Me taking the easy way out? What about your short cut to being an idiot with the brainectomy you obviously had?"

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Love this post, and so looking forward to many of the things you've mentioned, Terry H. Thank you!

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

I'm coming to the end of my 4th week. It is so textbook, but I am having a stall. Losing the inches in the last few days is quite nice though. So far, I'm down a total of 70 lbs total and 19 since my surgery Oct 10. That ain;t hay! :cornut:
I'm not having any trouble with liquids or Protein (still do a lot of shakes). Mushies have gone down well. It still surprises me how I can't eat a single little egg but how satisfying that 3/4 I can eat can be.
My 4 week follow up is next Tuesday and I should be released to soft foods. Every day gets better and feels more "normal". My spirits are high and I think this will be a big success for me.
Best wishes to my fellow Octoberians.

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Great to read your journey thank you!

Thanks so much for sharing your story! It's inspiring.
Best of luck to you in the future!

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.

Two years and counting.
It’s been two years since my gastric sleeve surgery. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long. I’m going to ramble here a bit, but hope you will indulge me on my second birthday
Weight:
I’m hovering right at 180 right now. Down to 177 some days and up to 182 some days. That’s a reasonable range for me and represents about a 240 lb loss. I met with a plastic surgeon who think I’ll lose about 25 lbs of skin during my lower body lift. That would put me in the 155 – 160 range which is solidly in the normal BMI range for my height. In fact, the surgeon said I shouldn’t lose further so that there would be enough subcutaneous fat to make the contours of my body right once I’ve had plastics. So this is where I want to sit for now. I’ve maintained at this weight level since April 20th this year.
Health:
So far so good. I am due to have my vitals checked out but I feel quite well. I seem to be doing well with blood pressure and blood sugars and that’s great. I thought my gout was completely resolved but I have had one flare up. So I’ll have to watch that one. However, I don’t see feel that there is anything that I would hesitate to take on limited by my health for my age. A few weeks ago I had some landscaping rock that needed to be moved quickly. I moved over three yards of rock in a four hour period. I expected to pay for that the next day… however I didn’t. WOW that’s a big change for someone that had a hard time climbing a flight of stairs two years ago. When we say this is life changing….. it is LIFE CHANGING!!!
Lifestyle:
Oh boy… this is the second biggest reason I did this after my health and it has filled the bill in full. Amongst the things I have done since surgery: SCUBA advanced certification and several dives; amusement parks and Water parks (with my nephews and my close friend Jennifer from the boards); Intercontinental travel to the Canary Islands, Europe and India; horseback riding; sailing; walking hours and hours whenever I want; feeling closer to my wife and feeling equal to my friends; less job anxiety and fear of changing jobs if I want… That was a lot of activity and a lot of satisfaction. Additionally, I have developed a bit of a cross addiction to clothes. I expected that to be honest and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m wearing mediums and smalls (mostly smalls) and 32-34 inch waist in my pants. Way down from 5x shirts and 62 (labeled… really much larger pants). I lost a shoe size as well. I love walking into any store (Ralph Lauren this weekend) and just buying stuff and having it work. I’m holding off on the big ticket items (suits specifically) until I have my lower body lift (hopefully in February or March). I can’t wait. So far I have been thrilled with the low cost of clothes and I’m now moving from quantity to quality. In total, I’ve donated more than 15 big bags of clothes over the course of my journey. I’m acting as mentor to some others having surgery and I’m appreciative of my mentors and friends too. I remain in contact and am continuing to work the support system here and at my hospital. I’m so so happy with this aspect of my weight loss. My relationship with my wife is good and she is now planning to have the surgery as well. I won’t say that there haven’t been some tense times. These kinds of lifestyle changes don’t come without complications but I am so looking forward to her joining me after the surgery. She has mentioned, gulp, skydiving… we’ll see.
Relationship with Food:
Overall – pretty happy here. I do miss quantity eating sometimes. - especially when I have something really good sitting right in front of me. So the only quantity item that I eat is lite popcorn. Otherwise, small portions of really good food. Carbs are still not the center of my world as they were before surgery. I focus on Protein rich foods with other items sprinkled in to add variety. I’ve probably had 10 Desserts (just two or three bites) in the past couple of years. That’s no longer compelling to me. That blows my mind as I was a dessert junky before. I probably rely on Protein Bars more than I should, but I’ll take that over my old eating habits. I don’t track as much as I used to but I have a set of habits that keep me on track. I have standby meals that I know by heart (I’m looking at you Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Omelets with egg beaters) and I repeat these meals to keep my intake in check. The sleeve is great for preventing over eating as long as I treat it right and put food into it in the right order. Many thanks to Frisco, Elina, Kairk, and many many others for helping me keep the focus on intake and helping my sleeve work for me.
The Road Ahead:
More of the same please! Maintenance is my biggest fear and I’m going to work hard to keep on top of it. I’ll also have to step up my mentor game as my wife has her sleeve surgery. I’m anxious to have my plastic surgery but honestly a bit worried about whether I’ll ever be completely happy with my body… I went from way to fat – to – way too much extra skin – and now anticipating – now have big scar… So I may have to get help for that. However there is no doubt and I mean NO DOUBT that this has been the greatest decision I’ve made for my health and wellbeing in my entire adult life. It’s the gift that gives every single day. Good luck to everyone and may your journey be as fruitful as mine has been.