Getting Ready For A New Beginning

[EcuaTrucho 10]

Hi everyone I finally had the nerve and time to post a little bit about my story and how to I got to where I am today. Currently I am 6 weeks away from my Sleeve. My name is Carlos im 32 years old and married with a 7 month old baby boy. I am a stay at home Dad and a full time student.

So I have always been a heavy guy as a teen and adult, I always weighed around 350. I was a big boy but very active, I worked out and was on my feet all day at work. I was an audio video installer and had been in the field for some years before I was injured. In October of 2008 I had a spnal injury on the job and have been off ever since. During that time I put on 200 more lbs. yup... I maxed out at 550.. The firt time I got on the scale and had seen tose numbers I couldnt believe it and then it sank in and I cried. The first two years after my injury I was on painkillers like clockwork and didn't even leave the house let alone leave my bedroom. I started to notice a change in my health and in those three and a half years I had issues with severe sleep apnea, chest pains, arthritis in both my knees, high blood pressure and thyroid issues. When I found out my wife was pregnant in march of 2011 something in me changed and I was determined to be healthy for myself and my family. I decided to finally finish college after all this time and was even able to stay home full time with my son and do my courses online from city college. I am determined to ge myhealth back and to find myself again, my wife has been by me through all my health issues and I know I get short tempered with her and it's only because I'm physically frustrated. I have a closet full of clothes I can't even fit. Oh...BTW my wife got pregnant after we both had done Weight watchers and I had lost 50 lbs. and she lost 25 lbs. we had been trying to have a Baby for about 4 years.

So I'm now finally approved by both my insurance companies and I'm due for surgery July 25 th in San Jose, CA about an hour drive from San Francisco.

I am so nervous and scared at the same time. I just started my liquid diet today and will be doing it for 6 weeks, I currently Weigh 516 and my goal is 480 by surgery day. My doc wanted metro do a long liquid diet because of my size and also becaue the hospital policy says I have to be under 500 for them to do surgery on me..

Thanks for reading my posting.....Good luck all you sleevers out there

[jazzyjay 33]

congrats on getting approved and for making a change for you and your family. I wish you the best of luck on your journey.

[Almostthere34 128]

Congrats Carlos! I know you will reach and likely surpass your goal. I look forward to watching your journey.

[chitowngirl 886]

Congrats on your decision to get healthy, 6 weeks on a liquid diet is going to be challenging, but you can do it. It is very important that you shrink your liver. There are people who went under the knife and have not been able to have the procedure because their liver was to big, I'm not telling you this to scare you, I'm telling you this so every time you get tempted to cheat you can think about that, and hopefully that will help you stay on track. Best of luck.

[Nate 292]

I know exactly what you're going through my friend. I just have my surgery last Tuesday at 505lbs. Nine months before that I weighed 570lbs and had to loose weight just to get the surgery done. It was hard, but I wouldn't change a thing. In the short time since my surgery I'm already down 15lbs. You'll be dropping the pounds in no time also, just keep at the liquid diet and don't get discouraged!

[cr354 15]

Good luck guys. Us men folk need to stick together. This is a tough issue for a lot of guys to deal with, myself included. It is hard to admit that I am a failure at weightloss and that I can not do this without surgical intervention. I have told very few people and I am truely embarassed that it has come to this. But, I have learned so much about myself on this journey already. About how I handle stress, eating was the way I did, and about some better ways to deal with that. For me having to two young kids really made me put on a lot of weight. I did not get good sleep which meant I was always tired so I ate more. Plus, it was stressful for me. But, I too am blessed with an awesome wife who has stayed by my side through out this entire struggle.

Here is hoping insurnace goes fast.

Best of luck to you guys. Stay in touch and let me know how things go for y'all.

CR

[newnin 3]

congratulations Carlos. You are very inspiring. You have taken your life and turned it around in so many ways. You will succeed. Good Luck, stay the course. I cannot wait to follow your journey.

[sarsar 824]

Carlos, what a wonderful story, thanks for sharing! You can do this and you will do great. I have no doubt you will be under 500 by the time you have surgery. It won't take long at all to get there on a liquid diet. Hang in there, the next few months will be the hardest but I can tell by your post you are strong and determined to get through this and live a healthy life. Congratulations on starting your journey.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

I am determined to be healthy for myself and my family.

Carlos

Your determination is terrific and needed for this new and exciting way of life you are starting.

Sounds like your wife is a great support system. Having your amazing little boy around too, is great also.

Of course health is so important now. You will slowly but surely start to feel better for you and yours. This is such an amazing feeling.

I know you will work hard as you are crossing into your new life.

Yes, men stick together, but us women are also here holding your hand too, through this wonderful new juorney - hmmmmm, hope your wife understands

best of luck from your new sleeve family

kathy

[traceyinflorida 499]

Congratulations on your decision, Carlos! I found the liquid diet to be easier after getting through the first few days. The first couple of days I was really tired, hungry and had a headache as I was no longer getting carbs and sugar. Once that was over, things got much easier. Once the carbs were no longer in my system, I stopped craving them and Protein Shakes became more satisfying. Stay the course and keep your eye on your goal to have a healthy, safe surgery. The best part is that after surgery you will no longer be hungry!! Good luck to you! I look forward to hearing about your journey!

[EcuaTrucho 10]

congrats on getting approved and for making a change for you and your family. I wish you the best of luck on your journey.

Thanks Jazzy Jay

Congrats Carlos! I know you will reach and likely surpass your goal. I look forward to watching your journey.

I cant wait to see the results in a years time, Thank you...

Congrats on your decision to get healthy, 6 weeks on a liquid diet is going to be challenging, but you can do it. It is very important that you shrink your liver. There are people who went under the knife and have not been able to have the procedure because their liver was to big, I'm not telling you this to scare you, I'm telling you this so every time you get tempted to cheat you can think about that, and hopefully that will help you stay on track. Best of luck.

Thanks Chitowngirl,

I am on my full liquid diet now, the first 4 days were draining and scary at the same time. No real food and watching my 7 month old 9 hours a day while the wife was at work was a true challenge. My son is just learning to crawl...But what I do is think about my birthday a couple of weeks ago when I went to famous Daves to have "THE LAST MEAL" and I over ate and amost got myself sick in the parking lot. That reminded me why im doing this and how badd i feel when I abuse my body by over eating..

[EcuaTrucho 10]

I know exactly what you're going through my friend. I just have my surgery last Tuesday at 505lbs. Nine months before that I weighed 570lbs and had to loose weight just to get the surgery done. It was hard, but I wouldn't change a thing. In the short time since my surgery I'm already down 15lbs. You'll be dropping the pounds in no time also, just keep at the liquid diet and don't get discouraged!

Wow way to go nate, for me it's stories like this that keep me motivated because you are my size and know what it feeld like to be in my shoes. I'm glad we are all here to support each other. I'm down a total of 29 lbs as of this morning and want to lose another 30 before my surgery. How was your recovery from surgery?

Good luck guys. Us men folk need to stick together. This is a tough issue for a lot of guys to deal with, myself included. It is hard to admit that I am a failure at weightloss and that I can not do this without surgical intervention. I have told very few people and I am truely embarassed that it has come to this. But, I have learned so much about myself on this journey already. About how I handle stress, eating was the way I did, and about some better ways to deal with that. For me having to two young kids really made me put on a lot of weight. I did not get good sleep which meant I was always tired so I ate more. Plus, it was stressful for me. But, I too am blessed with an awesome wife who has stayed by my side through out this entire struggle.

Here is hoping insurnace goes fast.

Best of luck to you guys. Stay in touch and let me know how things go for y'all.

CR

Yup we sure do need to stick together. Im in the same boat as you as far as the sleep I hardley ever get a good night sleep. I cant use my Bi-pap machine because im a belly sleeper and I rip off my mask. Now its to the point where my wife sleeps in my sons room on another mattress because I toss and turn all night. But she is sticking it out and soon all those health problems will be gone.

I will definetly stay in touch.

Thanks

congratulations Carlos. You are very inspiring. You have taken your life and turned it around in so many ways. You will succeed. Good Luck, stay the course. I cannot wait to follow your journey.

Thanks, I will be updating my progress and im thinking of starting a Video journal of my progress to help other in my same situation..

[EcuaTrucho 10]

Carlos, what a wonderful story, thanks for sharing! You can do this and you will do great. I have no doubt you will be under 500 by the time you have surgery. It won't take long at all to get there on a liquid diet. Hang in there, the next few months will be the hardest but I can tell by your post you are strong and determined to get through this and live a healthy life. Congratulations on starting your journey.

Thank you, it took for my son to be born for me to finally love myself enough to get help..

Carlos

Your determination is terrific and needed for this new and exciting way of life you are starting.

Sounds like your wife is a great support system. Having your amazing little boy around too, is great also.

Of course health is so important now. You will slowly but surely start to feel better for you and yours. This is such an amazing feeling.

I know you will work hard as you are crossing into your new life.

Yes, men stick together, but us women are also here holding your hand too, through this wonderful new juorney - hmmmmm, hope your wife understands

best of luck from your new sleeve family

kathy

Women are the glue that keep us Men together, i know this first had raised by Women and having only 1 boy cousin and 12 girl cousin. Thank goodness I was blessed with a boy( Just Kidding) In the begining it was hard getting my wife on board she was so agains the surgery and it had me torn, the first consultation was a disaster and I finally got so frustrated I had to find another way to get through to her. Unfortunatly it took for me to remind her of her father that died when she was 16 to get her to realize the seriousness of my weight. He too was over weight and diet due to diabeties. i don't want to leave my wife and son to fend for themselves. i didnt grow up with a father and I was dealing the same fate to my son because of my weight....But that will soon be over...Thanks for the support

Congratulations on your decision, Carlos! I found the liquid diet to be easier after getting through the first few days. The first couple of days I was really tired, hungry and had a headache as I was no longer getting carbs and sugar. Once that was over, things got much easier. Once the carbs were no longer in my system, I stopped craving them and Protein shakes became more satisfying. Stay the course and keep your eye on your goal to have a healthy, safe surgery. The best part is that after surgery you will no longer be hungry!! Good luck to you! I look forward to hearing about your journey!

I think im finally in the clear, im not as moody and my headaches are gone. it was alittle scary there for a minute because I was getiing lightheaded when driving.

Thanks tracy

[EcuaTrucho 10]

So my date got changed to the following week August 1st, the surgeon is going on vacation. This sucks, I fell off my diet for a day got kinda pissed and ate some solids but I just ordered so pre-op food and I'm back on my liquid diet.< /p>

[JTmoas 19]

You got this Carlos, keep hanging in there. I understand the frustration of changing dates. I happened to me twice but I have to say the time has flown by and I am only a week away. Hang in there and it will get here quicker then you think!!!