My 10 month, 240 lb WEIGHT LOSS Journey

Having just turned 30, with a wife and 3 year old son, I managed to double my weight to 450 lbs since college and after failing to lose and maintain significant weight loss for the past 10 years I made the decision to get serious and have Gastric Bypass surgery on Jan, 7, 2008. The following day I had the worst complication (often deadly); a leak. Many other things went wrong after that and it was touch and go for nearly 3 weeks in a coma, on a ventilator, in respiratory / kidney failure. But even though I very nearly died, I have no regrets other than not researching my surgeon well enough. Even so, I would do it all over again because now I've got my health and my life back and I'm a better father and husband!

For anyone looking at having Bariatric Surgery you should be aware of these few important facts and tips that I've learned through my own experience, conversations with others at support group meetings, online support forums, etc....First and foremost, this surgery is ONLY A TOOL, not a miracle cure. There is a very significant instance of weight regain which usually starts around the 2-3 year range. For many people, like me, 1-2 yrs down the road your restriction is nowhere near what it used to be. It's a known fact that your new stomach pouch WILL accomodate more food the further out you are and many people also have to deal with a stretched stoma (opening from your stomach to your intestines....this allows your food to move quickly through your stomach which allows you to eat again shortly after a meal (obviously, not good if you don't have control). Also, by year 2 / 3 your body adjusts so that your inestines begin, once again, absorbing nearly 100% of the calories you eat. So if you don't follow the instructions of your surgeon and nutritionist and most importantly make a PERMANENT change to your lifestyle, there is a very high chance you will regain at least some of the weight (sometimes all or more). You MUST change your eating habits and increase activity, plain and simple. For the first year, you're pretty much almost guaranteed to lose weight quickly, the weight will seem to just fall off. But again, 2-3 years down the line is a different story, so you MUST use the first year or so to not only get off the majority of your excess weight, but to create the habits that will sustain your health for the rest of your life. Every food that goes into your mouth must serve a purpose. Don't get me wrong I still love to eat, but I know I have to make the proper choices which sometimes means getting creative. You must avoid sugars (natural are ok) and fried foods, like they are the plague. Do not "test the waters" to see if something does (not) make you sick, you don't need to know...if it's on the NO-NO list, stay away! As for exercise, I'm far from a gym rat but now that I've regained my health I stay fit by doing things I enjoy, like biking, swimming, playing sports, etc....at least 3 times a week and I go for walks/jogs if I don't have any activities planned for the day. That's pretty much it, not rocket science, but it's also not as simple as it sounds because many people who have had to go to the extreme of having bariatric surgery are dealing with emotional issues that put the weight on them in the first place. So if you don't fix the brain, you can't truly fix the problem. That said, Gastric Bypass is the best thing I've done for myself in my adult life, by far.... I have no regrets even though I nearly lost my life in the beginning...

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[ramonswls]

I love the video.. That is amazing.. You are the man..

[ahansen77]

Thank you to you and everyone else, for the kind comments.

[thegrayce]

Man, I just cried and cried.. I am very very happy for you. I am beginning my own journey as well. The coma thing scares me to death...I am so glad you are okay, better than ok now.

[ahansen77]

My complications are quite rare. As long as you've researched and are confident in the skills / experience of your surgeon you will be fine. Even with what happened to me I can't have any regrets because I probably wouldnt have made it to 40 otherwise.

[Atheon1]

Awesome! Just awesome.

Do you mind sharing your work out regiment and eating habits. I've read through some of your previous comments, but I fail to see the details about those topics. Let me know...

Good job guy!

[ahansen77]

A typical day goes like this and yields about 2500-3000 calories, 70-80 gm fat, 150-200 gm protein:

7AM Breakfast- 1 serving of Quaker Oatmeal mixed w/ 2 tbsp Organic Peanut Butter, 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder & 1/2 a banana.

10AM Snack- Usually some Cheese & whole grain crackers.

1PM Lunch- Leftovers from last nights dinner (4-6oz lean meat, veggies and maybe a little starch)

4PM Snack- Same as Breakfast above.

7PM Dinner- 4-8oz lean meat, veggies and maybe a little starch

[kokohawk]

Wow! Absolutely amazing!

[Plumpynuter]

Congrats. I am only starting out. Good vid.

[TyneBridge56]

I had my op 13 days ago... so far so good with no pain or complications... well done on all you have atchieved :-)

[Kingtunice]

dude i know your wife is happy

[08021988sb]

great work, dude ....nice guy

[2pacmjkilluminati]

i have noticed that if you replace soda with reg tea and equal it works wonders, god bless you my friend you rock n roll wow wow wow ..............................­....

[Lasareath]

Wow Adam Congrats!!!!

That was an amzing transformation!!!!

I'm SkinnySal on ObesityHelp

Lasareath

[jlmcwj]

totally different

[MewFushisDad]

Great Video.

You are an exemplary human being.

Good Job.

[jeremygentles]

Congrats! It is always impressive and inspiring to see stories such as yours. Keep it up.