DADisThin

Thanks for the kind words a Melissa. Wow 100lbs. In 6 months! That's wonderful and encouraging to us all. I'm only 2 weeks out, but down 18 lbs.

Hi all, my name is Frank and I’m 38 years old. I had VSG surgery on July 8th, 2013. Here’s my story... I've had a weight problem ever since I was 8 years old. Even so, I was always an active kid who loved to play outside, play most sports and probably took PE class way too seriouslyJ. I played organized football, baseball, basketball & soccer. I was always a little bigger, stronger and taller than most kids my age, so football became one of my strongest sports. As most of you know, there are weight limits in Pop Warner football and every season, I had to cut weight just to make the team. First year it was 5 lbs., next it was 10, then 20. I always succeeded in losing the weight, but it began a vicious weight-cycling pattern for me at a very young age. My last season of Pop Warner, I weighed approx. 170lbs. age 13. After that season, I never had to step on a scale again to play football! My freshman year of football was great…I just played without the anxiety of stepping on the scale to make weight. Unfortunately after the season, things really got out of control for me. I packed on a tremendous amount of weight over a very short period of time. By the time I was 15 years old, I weighed 275 lbs., which meant that I gained over 100 lbs. over 2 years! I was so depressed. I spent most of my early teens inside my room, eating my troubles away. I stopped playing football 10th & 11th grade because I was so out of shape; I isolated myself from friends, avoided family/social gatherings and missed a lot of school. I was pitifully depressed, ashamed and missing out on some of the most important years of my life. Then, by the grace of God, something happened to me toward the end of 11th grade. I literally woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and couldn’t believe my eyes! I said, “How could you let yourself go like this?” Something inside of me just “snapped” and I vowed to lose the weight and get my life back! Through intense dieting and working out 6 days/week, I lost 40 lbs. that summer and got back into football my senior year. I played at 225-230 lbs., not worrying too much about losing more weight since having mass helped me as an offensive lineman. That was a huge accomplishment that truly changed my life. Following the season I was so proud I wasn’t going to stop there. I continued my dieting and exercise routine even more intensely. Time flew by my senior year. My friends and I headed to the Jersey Shore following the Prom and I was now 199lbs.!! NO MORE 200’s!! When I finally graduated that June, I was all the way down to 180Lbs., 32” waist and felt like I was on top of the world! I took this life-changing experience and decided that I wanted career working in some aspect of health and wellness. I went to college to become a Certified Athletic Trainer (AT) and continued my education in Graduate school to become a Health & PE Teacher; I am presently working in both careers to this day. So what happened? I gained all of the weight back and more by age 26. I’ve been up and down from 305-270 for 10 years. Not the best feeling when you are working with young, healthy individual’s where your job is to teach them how to be healthy! See the thing is, even though I conquered my biggest obstacle as a teenager, I never really learned how to manage stress without abusing food. In my world, food is my “heroin”... Some people drink alcohol, some do drugs; I do FOOD. Through all of the trials and tribulations, I managed to succeed in other aspect of life. I’m happily married for eight years, my wife and I have been blessed with three beautiful children. Our oldest son is 5, our daughter 4, and baby boy is 1 month old; he was born June 12, 2013. I had VSG 25 days after his birth, so my son and I will be sharing meals at some point of this journeyJ. My choice to have VSG surgery was not an easy one, but what finalized my decision was simple.… “I have too much to lose” and I’m NOT talking about weight! I have so much to be happy and proud of that I’m not going to jeopardize these fortunes anymore…WE deserve better! A thinner, healthier and happier man will slowly emerge; having been trapped inside of this obese body for much, much too long. So from now on, I will march forward with my chin up, shoulders back, eyes set on my VSG goal……..life-long health and happiness for me and my family! Best Wishes to All, Frank

With all the different and acceptable post-op dietary guidelines out there, one could easily second-guess if they are eating the right foods at the right stage. My advice, don’t worry so much about what others are allowed to eat at what stage because everyBODY is different. Just stick to what your Surgeon and Dietician have instructed you to eat/drink. Don’t veer from this too much because these instructions are specific to you and their program, no matter what others on the forums are allowed or restricted to eat. Just my 2 cents! I have my 2-week post-op appointment tomorrow where I will be visiting with the surgeon and program dietician. I’m really looking forward to the appointment.

Hi LuvYou2Forever, hope you're feeling better. I was VSGed on July 8th and im still riding that emotional roller coaster. I believe it is completely common and normal to feel crummy especially in the beginning. I get angry and frustrated easily and I know its because my mind wants to eat, even if my stomach doesn't or can't. Hang in there.

Hi guys, just my two cents for July VSGers who are concerned there're not loosing weight to their satisfaction or fast enough, have more patience. Easier said than done, I know but trust me...you're fine. It took a long time to put the excessive weigh on, you need ample time to take it off. Were in a weght-loss marathon, not a 100 meter dash. Keep focused and positive. Sometimes you have forget the scale. A better indicator that your moving in the right direction could be how well your clothes fit or increased mobility.

Hi all, VSG surgery on 7/8/13. Doing well.

Dr Beth Schrope, Columbia University/NY Presbyterian; Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, NJ. I'm 6 days post-op. Can't say enough great things about Dr. Schrope and her affiliates. The pre-operative support and guidance was phenomenal. There is so much more to having a positive outcome other than finding a renowned surgeon like Dr. Schrope. It's the entire program! The group is professional, compassionate and thorough. Start with who takes your insurance, then compare the pre and post-operative support and you will be headed in the right direction. Highly recommended! Best of luck