male only Male Before and After Pictures

[Stevehud 1,790]

for me the veg/vegan thing is a non issue. WOnt go there, dont like it at all. first reason? SUGAR, vegetables are loaded with sugar, sugar is the enemy, vegetables are loaded with carbs and sugar, yes it not processed sugar but that is irrelevant. if i eat more veg, Instant stall. Now that being said some vegetables are wonderful, like broccoli, but its hard to eat such fibrous vegetables and fit in my normal caloric intake. Vegan/vegetarianism relies on a lot of sauces which are typically created with oils etc. also not great for you. Everyone has a flavor of the month in weight loss, and i avoid fads an populrity contests. For me personally i advocate turkey chicken fish and much less beef. Also staying away from starchy vegetables like rice and potatoes, which are two huge staples of the vegan/veg diets.

Oh and fyi i know a couple of very obese vegan/vegetarians.

[BigViffer 3,544]

OK, I finally uploaded a couple pictures. I still don't think I am to the "After" stage, but I am pretty damn close. Here is a picture from me that has to be at my highest weight. I didn't weigh myself back then so I am guessing that I was over 330 lbs:

It's funny, sometimes when I look in the mirror I don't recognize myself. But when I saw this picture, I literally asked who it was! I guess I am getting used to being this guy:

[fly-high 84]

Wow! You look great! Definitely a new you!

[NoMoBand 278]

Way to go BigViffer!! I started out at 345 lbs. and your before pic reminds me of me. We were both hefty guys. You look like a completely different younger person! Excellent!

[dmedic72 130]

I had body fat testing with my personal trainer today and he took a progress pic. I figured I would share.

So, I'm at 8.47% body fat and 210lbs that's down from 17.23% and 266 lbs in July. My sleeve was on 10/15.

I'm still trying hard to preserve and build muscle. I'm feeling great! Cheers!

[Sinclairj75 76]

What a journey!!! I just passed my one year anniversary on 12/15. My starting weight was 377 and I'm now down to 185!!

Best. Decision. Ever.

[defibvt 348]

Congrats @@Sinclairj75

[Dub 9,922]

I can do a before and "during" pic or two. The "after" is a ways down the road.......having fun getting there, too.

First pic was taken on my very first visit to the bariatric center. It is located in the same hospital campus where my son was born 16 years earlier.

I stopped beneath the room he was born in when I took the picture. I had a strong and compelling feeling that I was on the right path.....finally. Being close to that delivery room was a powerful feeling.

Home from that first appointment and my son getting home from his buddy's house. He'd asked me how the appointment when and told me he was proud of me. This really pumped me up. I knew then.....for certain that I was making the right decision.

Pre-op dieting had begun by this pic.....coming home from work and feeling better than I had in a while......in the program.

This pic was taken the morning before my surgery. The umbilical hernia looked like it was about to 'splode at any moment. Those are 4x Under Armour pants and that is a 6XLT t-shirt.

Life is good, brothers........life is good. The good Lord above has blessed me. He let me get to the point where I was finally teachable......and then he put some outstanding teachers in my path to coach me and get me seeing things clearly.

I've been blessed in so many ways. In the last 12 months I've been in the care of a wound care surgeon, spine surgeon, family doctor, pain management doctor who I referred to as Dr. juice as he shot my spine up with wonder drugs, vein surgeon and my general practitioner........the man who took me on as a patient 13 months ago and who pushed me to pursue the further treatments of the above listed professionals.

Our very first visit was a 90 minute session and he opened up the conversation about bariatric surgery.

Each of the outstanding doctors he sent me to each had the weight loss surgery discussion with me......especially the wound surgeon. We had long conversations twice a week as he was digging and scraping and cleaning up the leg wound I'd developed after scraping it on a boat trailer.....wouldn't heal due to the swelling in my legs. Oddly enough....this doc was soon to be retiring and used to repair hernias daily. He looked at mine and suggested I get it repaired at the same time they did the VSG or bypass. It was an eye opening conversation.

The spine doc told me in my very first visit after the MRI results that he could certainly operate and repair what I'd done.......but my weight would simply wreck his repair and that a bariatric surgeon could do more for me than he could.....and if I lost the weight my back would heal over time.

Then......then there was my VSG surgeon. Amazing guy.....tremendous talent. He took care of the hernia.....performed his magic on the sleeve and has coached me up well.

I am so very grateful and could only laugh when I received a letter in the mail from the wonderful general practitioner last week. In the letter he went on to say that he is leaving private practice and will be working with veterans over on the local Army Fort. I owe this guy so much praise and thanks and am a better man for knowing him these past few months. He helped me change my life. I'm glad to know that he is going on to do good things for our soldiers. They are far more deserving of his help than I was.

I have my life back. My family is healthy. I feel a great deal better. The road ahead will be an adventure.............

Here is a pic from last week.....9 weeks out from the sleeve surgery......6 months out from the initial dieting. Long way to go....but it's going well.

These rapidly snapped pics taken yesterday. 2XL Under Armour pants and a 3XL t-shirt. Long way to go....but damn if I don't feel better about everything.

[Dub 9,922]

OK, I finally uploaded a couple pictures. I still don't think I am to the "After" stage, but I am pretty damn close. Here is a picture from me that has to be at my highest weight. I didn't weigh myself back then so I am guessing that I was over 330 lbs:

It's funny, sometimes when I look in the mirror I don't recognize myself. But when I saw this picture, I literally asked who it was! I guess I am getting used to being this guy:

Man, that is super impressive.

You gotta be loving the new body and feeling great.

Well done.

I had body fat testing with my personal trainer today and he took a progress pic. I figured I would share.

So, I'm at 8.47% body fat and 210lbs that's down from 17.23% and 266 lbs in July. My sleeve was on 10/15.

I'm still trying hard to preserve and build muscle. I'm feeling great! Cheers!

Hell yes !!!!!!

8%......you gotta be kidding me. That is some hardcore gym work, my friend. Much respect.

What a journey!!! I just passed my one year anniversary on 12/15. My starting weight was 377 and I'm now down to 185!!

Best. Decision. Ever.

Outstanding change.

I agree....the decision to do wls was the best I've made, too.

[dmedic72 130]

I can do a before and "during" pic or two. The "after" is a ways down the road.......having fun getting there, too.

First pic was taken on my very first visit to the bariatric center. It is located in the same hospital campus where my son was born 16 years earlier.

I stopped beneath the room he was born in when I took the picture. I had a strong and compelling feeling that I was on the right path.....finally. Being close to that delivery room was a powerful feeling.

Home from that first appointment and my son getting home from his buddy's house. He'd asked me how the appointment when and told me he was proud of me. This really pumped me up. I knew then.....for certain that I was making the right decision.

Pre-op dieting had begun by this pic.....coming home from work and feeling better than I had in a while......in the program.

This pic was taken the morning before my surgery. The umbilical hernia looked like it was about to 'splode at any moment. Those are 4x Under Armour pants and that is a 6XLT t-shirt.

Life is good, brothers........life is good. The good Lord above has blessed me. He let me get to the point where I was finally teachable......and then he put some outstanding teachers in my path to coach me and get me seeing things clearly.

I've been blessed in so many ways. In the last 12 months I've been in the care of a wound care surgeon, spine surgeon, family doctor, pain management doctor who I referred to as Dr. juice as he shot my spine up with wonder drugs, vein surgeon and my general practitioner........the man who took me on as a patient 13 months ago and who pushed me to pursue the further treatments of the above listed professionals.

Our very first visit was a 90 minute session and he opened up the conversation about bariatric surgery.

Each of the outstanding doctors he sent me to each had the weight loss surgery discussion with me......especially the wound surgeon. We had long conversations twice a week as he was digging and scraping and cleaning up the leg wound I'd developed after scraping it on a boat trailer.....wouldn't heal due to the swelling in my legs. Oddly enough....this doc was soon to be retiring and used to repair hernias daily. He looked at mine and suggested I get it repaired at the same time they did the VSG or bypass. It was an eye opening conversation.

The spine doc told me in my very first visit after the MRI results that he could certainly operate and repair what I'd done.......but my weight would simply wreck his repair and that a bariatric surgeon could do more for me than he could.....and if I lost the weight my back would heal over time.

Then......then there was my VSG surgeon. Amazing guy.....tremendous talent. He took care of the hernia.....performed his magic on the sleeve and has coached me up well.

I am so very grateful and could only laugh when I received a letter in the mail from the wonderful general practitioner last week. In the letter he went on to say that he is leaving private practice and will be working with veterans over on the local Army Fort. I owe this guy so much praise and thanks and am a better man for knowing him these past few months. He helped me change my life. I'm glad to know that he is going on to do good things for our soldiers. They are far more deserving of his help than I was.

I have my life back. My family is healthy. I feel a great deal better. The road ahead will be an adventure.............

Here is a pic from last week.....9 weeks out from the sleeve surgery......6 months out from the initial dieting. Long way to go....but it's going well.

These rapidly snapped pics taken yesterday. 2XL Under Armour pants and a 3XL t-shirt. Long way to go....but damn if I don't feel better about everything.

Awesome! Looking great!

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

[fernandfj 469]

What an inspiration thread! Congrats to everyone for the great success and God Speed for the future

I am a week short of five months out form my surgery and my life has changed. I can move, I am off meds. I feel better than I have in years. I am down from a 50 waist to a 38; 2XL (snug) to L (fits loose) in shirts; 100 lbs overall! The journey has had its ups and down, and I am blessed to be supported by a wonderful and (very tolerant) wife! It has been so worth everything!

here go the pics:

Before - Nov 2014, 350+ lbs

Dec 2015 - 247 lbs

[fernandfj 469]

@@Dub - great post! How do you post pictures!

[Dub 9,922]

@@Dub - great post! How do you post pictures!

Awesome progress, sir. Awesome.

Up until a week or so ago, I'd take pics using my iPhone.

Then I'd open up the imgur app and upload them to my imgur account.

I'd then copy the url link of the pic (all provide once you upload the pic to imgur) and paste in the thread.

For some reason the iPhone app isn't letting me log in and I have to do so from my macbook instead. I simply access the imgur.com full site.

It is very, very easy to set up the account and you'll get a lot of space for free. The paid upgrades are low cost and one time deals.

There are other sites like photobucket.com and such.

[RedWolf 11]

Great Forum. I'll post once I have a dramatic enough change. I had DS on 12/7/15. Ive lost 33 lbs in 22 days!

[BigViffer 3,544]

@@Dub Thanks for the compliment! It's been hard work, but it is definitely paying dividends. And yes, I am liking the increase in overall health since losing so much weight!