Rrivers
October 2007 and I have just met a new friend. He tells me that he works out often and has been looking for someone to go to th gym with him. It was at that moment, a simple blink of an eye, that I was done with staying the way I was. It wasn't "rock bottom" but it was that moment in time where it was harder for me to sit back and watch my life deteriorate around me becasue I was making poor health choices than it was to do something about it. I asked my recently met friend if he would help me and teach me what he knew. I need more information than I had to become better about my health and he was glad to offer it. He suggested to me that I should go with him to the gym. I hesitated becasue i didnt want to be the object of ridicule around all those people at the gym who were in shape or just skinny already and burning of energy. I have said since that first day at the gym, it was the hardest part of everything I have done. I went and was greeted warmly by the staff at CV Fitness. They embraced me from the start and made me feel at ease. I was fortunate, becasue I know not all places can give you this experience. My friend Josh was there with me and showed me little things to do that would get me moving and not hurt me. It is important when you are 450 pounds and completely out of shape to be very very careful about what you do for exercise when you first get started. It doesnt end there though. The next step after the gym was getting educated about what I was putting into my body. We went over Protein (1gram = 4 calories), Carbs (1gram = 4 calories), Fat (1gram = 9 calories). We set a calorie count based on my weight x 8.5 (this formula gives you a sutained count for your calories that if followed will allow a weight loss of 1 pound per week by reducing total calories needed for your body weight by 500 per day = 3500 calories in a week and there are 3500 calories in 1 pound of fat). I used that information and much more that we discovered together to radically change my life to include healthier eating. I was still eating things I liked but I was alos eating them in more moderation than I ever had before. October 2008 I weighed in about 410 pounds from my previous 450 pound self. I had lost 40 pounds and I was pretty darn happy about it. I was keeping it off and my life didnt hurt a bit for being healthier. I had been to an information seminar in the summer of '08 for the Bariatric surgery at prompting from my PCP. I found it informational but still didnt think it was for me, after all, I was successful at loosing weight without it. That thinking changed as I got more information relating to time and how much I really didnt have when it comes to complications from weight on the body. I decided that I would start the Bariatric program at Adirondack Medical Center, but was still skeptical about whether the surgery was right for me. All of the Dr.'s and staff were helpful and informative and as I found out more, I changed my mind and decided to have the surgery. The weight loss was handled by my motivation toward a goal, information that gave me the tools for changing my life and support from family, friends and Dr.'s. The 9 Days of shakes before surgery sucked, but well worth the effort. My surgery was Sept 15th 2009. I was in the hospital for 5 days. I wouldnt trade a minute of discomfort for the feeling of freedom I have at this very moment. At the writing of this I am at 291 pounds and can look back and say that all the effort is worth it. It was no effort at all to be fat and the best things in life are earned. I earned my life back and all the good things that go with it.
