Well I had surgery on the 25th of October 2011. I was 360+ pounds going into this wonderful journey, Today I am a solid 197 ish. Would I do it all again? YOU DAMN RIGHT I WOULD!! But.... It truly is what YOU as a person make it to be. The hard work, determination and tenacity MUST be there to reach your goals. God bless you all.

Feel free to check out my before and after photos. But be kind;)

Happy Banniversary! Congratulations on WL! You look awesome!

Thanks for the inspiration to us newbies!

Happy Health Anniversary!! Congratulations!!!

Wow you have a great job. Happy band annivery.

Wow well done, that is a huge loss in 1 year.

I know you have to register those guns! Wow!

Thanks everyone!

Wow, if I wasn't married and much older...

you look awesome!!! congrats

Ha! If I wasn't married and I was a lot younger...lol

Wow! Thanks ladies

Just one question because I used to run 15 miles a week and be as disciplined as you back in college:

Where did that level of drive come from to aid you in the disciplined habits that you have now? It had to come from somewhere? I'm jealous (in a good way) of the focus and drive you have now as I used to have it. It is a mindset that comes from within.

Unfortunately, back in college, that extreme level of drive came from Illegal substances (i.e. steroids) that I took 10 weeks at a time (once a year over a 3 year period). As un-proud as I am to admit this...it is the truth. Now at the age of 38 (married and older) there is not even a chance I would even consider that again.

The only thing I can think of (i.e. where you drive is coming from) is you must have been overweight your entire life.......and once you got the lapband.....A SWITCH OUT OF NOWHERE was the trigger that explains your level of drive, discipline and focus.

P.S. 9 days post-op, I've lost 9lbs so far and have noticed an energy decrease in the morning. And many others have experienced an energy decrease since banding.

So Please do tell us how your focus, disciplined has evolved since you have been banded. Did you notice the drive and focus had increased when the weight came off or did you always have it from Day 1? Any little subtle insights would greatly be appreciated.

Continued Success Joel,

MD

U look awesome ! Congrats !!! My surgery is Monday I hope a year from now I will be much lighter !!!

Thank you Huntersgirl Just keep your focus and you will have great success!

@marketing dude.

To be 100% honest, I was not always over weight. I was very athletic in middle and highschool, played football all my years. Once I started the work life, I started eating unhealthy due to it being easier to get fast food, and I became heavily addicted to it, almost like a drug. My wife is an amazing cook, and she always has dinner for me and my kiddos on the table each night, for the most part she always tried to get me to eat healthy as she is a very healthy woman. I myself just could not change my thought process, I tried and tried, and food always beat me in the end. I looked forward to eating, it excited me. But as time went on, I ballooned to 360+ pounds, developed severe sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. I tried the gym about 20 times, but never had the patience it truly took to see any major changes, got burnt out each time a failed over and over, only to go back to indulging myself with food. So here I was 28 years old, obese, unhealthy and unhappy. I had 2 beautiful baby girls and a woman I loved dearly basically watching me slowly kill myself. So I decided I needed to do something different and I looked at surgery. The lapband was my choice obviously, but I was denied by my insurance. So I left it alone and forgot about it for the next 9 months. Then out the blue, My grandmother came to me and said I had a bank account with 20k sitting in if for me for my surgery. I was stunned. I could not believe it. I am so blessed for the opportunity my grandmother gave me and I made a promise to myself to not waste what she gave me. So I said i will get to my goal in under a year. From 360 pounds to 180, exactly half my starting weight. I did it in under 8 months, one month I actually lost 33 pounds alone and it was the month of december 2011 even with all the holiday foods! My doctors and surgeons are still stunned to this day on my progress and I have been asked to come speak for them. My goal consumed me, I focused on it day and night. My wife was extremely supportive. I woke up every day at 315 am, went and walked at first then began to run 1 mile a day, rain, snow, sleet, hail, brimstone, it did not matter. Then I hit the gym directly after that lifting weights. At lunch time at work, I changed my lunch into exersize, instead of eating i walked 2 miles 5 days a week. My caloric goal was 1200. 600 was Protein Shakes alone, My meals were 2 ounces each, i would eat 3 times a day. I am not going to lie, it was hard. Very hard. There were days when i was very sluggish due to lack of calories, I got light headed at times, but pushed through.

So in a sense, not wasting my grandmothers gift, was my main push, along with living a better life for not only me, but also my girls. Today I am a healthy 197 pounds, 19-20% body fat, would like to be 15-17% but I am happy and healthy. I am taking in about 2300 calories a day now, all lean meats, veggies fruits, and PEANUT BUTTER! I love Peanut Butter. My new goal is to put on some more solid muscle, I would like to be around 210-215 with 17% body fat, but you have to eat so much to really have big gains in muscle, and we all know what the band does lol, so there is my new consuming goal;) Goals are the entire key, and having the patience to see them come to fruition.

Thank you Huntersgirl Just keep your focus and you will have great success!

@marketing dude.

To be 100% honest, I was not always over weight. I was very athletic in middle and highschool, played football all my years. Once I started the work life, I started eating unhealthy due to it being easier to get fast food, and I became heavily addicted to it, almost like a drug. My wife is an amazing cook, and she always has dinner for me and my kiddos on the table each night, for the most part she always tried to get me to eat healthy as she is a very healthy woman. I myself just could not change my thought process, I tried and tried, and food always beat me in the end. I looked forward to eating, it excited me. But as time went on, I ballooned to 360+ pounds, developed severe sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. I tried the gym about 20 times, but never had the patience it truly took to see any major changes, got burnt out each time a failed over and over, only to go back to indulging myself with food. So here I was 28 years old, obese, unhealthy and unhappy. I had 2 beautiful baby girls and a woman I loved dearly basically watching me slowly kill myself. So I decided I needed to do something different and I looked at surgery. The lapband was my choice obviously, but I was denied by my insurance. So I left it alone and forgot about it for the next 9 months. Then out the blue, My grandmother came to me and said I had a bank account with 20k sitting in if for me for my surgery. I was stunned. I could not believe it. I am so blessed for the opportunity my grandmother gave me and I made a promise to myself to not waste what she gave me. So I said i will get to my goal in under a year. From 360 pounds to 180, exactly half my starting weight. I did it in under 8 months, one month I actually lost 33 pounds alone and it was the month of december 2011 even with all the holiday foods! My doctors and surgeons are still stunned to this day on my progress and I have been asked to come speak for them. My goal consumed me, I focused on it day and night. My wife was extremely supportive. I woke up every day at 315 am, went and walked at first then began to run 1 mile a day, rain, snow, sleet, hail, brimstone, it did not matter. Then I hit the gym directly after that lifting weights. At lunch time at work, I changed my lunch into exersize, instead of eating i walked 2 miles 5 days a week. My caloric goal was 1200. 600 was Protein Shakes alone, My meals were 2 ounces each, i would eat 3 times a day. I am not going to lie, it was hard. Very hard. There were days when i was very sluggish due to lack of calories, I got light headed at times, but pushed through.

So in a sense, not wasting my grandmothers gift, was my main push, along with living a better life for not only me, but also my girls. Today I am a healthy 197 pounds, 19-20% body fat, would like to be 15-17% but I am happy and healthy. I am taking in about 2300 calories a day now, all lean meats, veggies fruits, and PEANUT BUTTER! I love Peanut Butter. My new goal is to put on some more solid muscle, I would like to be around 210-215 with 17% body fat, but you have to eat so much to really have big gains in muscle, and we all know what the band does lol, so there is my new consuming goal;) Goals are the entire key, and having the patience to see them come to fruition.

I love your transparency and detailed insights into what has driven you to be as successful as you are. How old are you now by the way.

Congrats Again !!!

I am 30 going on 31 in december

I know you have to register those guns! Wow!

Yes great job