Hi everyone! My name is Vance. I have really enjoyed looking around in this forum. What a great place of encouragement and comradery and I hope I can add as I go through my journey.

I was very athletic growing up and even played semi-pro baseball. About 20 years ago I started my first sit down desk job, and there began my upsizing. I gained several pounds every year until it reached a point this past summer (2011) where I ballooned up to 330 lbs. With three wonderful children and a beautiful wife, I decided it was time to do something about it before something worse happens. I decided to meet with Dr. David Kim, weight loss surgeon in Dallas, TX. After a great meeting, I decided I wanted to go for it. The sleeve was going to be my surgery and after my insurance approving it, I started my liquid diet. I lost 34.5 lbs in just a few weeks and weighed in at 295.5 on my surgery date, 12/31/2011. Surgery was good with not any difficulty. Today is day 8 and I just moved to Phase 2 of my liquid diet. It's going pretty good. Getting in my Protein and Water and currently down to 281.5 (down 48.5 lbs pre-op / 14 lbs post-op.) I'm a little head hungry, especially when I see pizza or fast food commercials, but I just sip on my water and I am okay.

Anyways, I just wanted to say hi to everyone. When I registered for this site, it suggested I post my story, so there it was. I hope to be an encouragement to others as I have already been encouraged by you all so far.

Thanks!

Vance

I was always athletic too. I do have to say that the desk job combined with my inability to portion control really did me in. Loved your story. i will be sleeved on Wednesday.

Hi Vance and all,

Thank you all for sharing. I'm new to this site and have enjoyed what I find.

I like your comment about "head hunger" I get it and have a lot of it.

I will post about my journey too.

Thanks

Welcome to the group Vance You are at the beginning of your journey. This forum is full of wonderful knowledge that will help you along the way. Keep on posting your success's and dificulties.

Congrats on taking a large step to getting back to a healthier you.

Hello Vance and Welcome Congrats on getting sleeved It seems that you are doing a fantastic job. Almost 50 lbs in so little time,that is amazing!!!!

Hi Everybody,

I'm new too!! Thanks Vance, agree with your thorughts about how encourging this site is . . . I love it. It's nice to know that there are other people out there with some to the same throughts, joys, frustrations and issues I have experienced.

Sleeved 10/26/2011

Starting Weight: 366

Current Weight: 318

Sleeved at: Northside Hospital (Dr. Macik)

Overall goal: 175

Hi Vance,

Congratulations and welcome!

Good Luck Vance, it is incredible that you are doing so well and lost that amount of wait in such a short amount of time. Keep us posted...

Welcome Vance!

I have found this to be a very helpful place with lots of encouraging people. I was recently sleeved so am a newbie as well but hope I can give back to other as I learn through my journey

Welcome, Vance! I'm new myself and I agree that this forum is wonderful. I don't know that I would be AS comfortable getting sleeved if I hadn't found this place. I am confident that I am making the right decision and can't wait to be part of the sleever group. Good luck on your journey!

Thanks everyone! Good luck to all of you new sleevers too!

My stats and yours are very similar. My surgery is tomorrow. I hope I do as well as you have been.

I have been working on head hunger since my liquid diet started. I have been examining my philosophies about eating, too. The recreational part of eating will be nearly non-exsitent. Eating will be to live and be healthy and strong, recreation will be experienced through my interests and activities. I must become the master of my body not a slave to it's urges.

My wife is a lttle over a month post RouyNY sugery and is doing great. We will support each other and never return to overweight misery.

Good luck gmanbat! How are you doing?

Hey Vance! Thanks for posting your journey and I think that's awesome. I hope to hear more on your journey as time goes by.

Welcome.... Im I looking in the mirror.. Wow your journey is sooo like mine.. Ive always been athletic and even ran a 10 mile charity for the hunger last year and felt great.. I always stayed preety active my adult life but my weight always crept up.. At heaviest I was 328 lbs this july when I started the 3 month docs visit I was 318.. I lost 17lbs preop and was 301 the day of surgery january 3rd .. Now 2 weeks out im down to 285lbs... ... Welcome and salute

good for you vance. we are from oklahoma. and we are christians as well. dr. kim is supposed

to be really good. enjoyed your story. my gastric sleeve is in mexico on feb thirteenth. i am self pay.

lots of prayers and careful consideration go into this huge decision. what humility you have to

share. it is not just for us but our patient spouses and children as well. i will not lie im pretty nervous.

this is my first major surgery. i am five ten and 308 lbs. somethings gotta give. i just want to be able

to return to my family. my kids and take care of them. i pray for Gods holy spirit. you take care vance.