I have always been big.  I was a big kid and I was a big teenager. As an adult, the pounds just kept piling on.  I developed diabetes and high blood pressure.  My diabetes was totally out of control.  I was taking the maximum insulin and then other oral diabetic drugs to try to keep it down.  The diabetes was really taking a toll on my body.  I was having retinal neuropathy which was affecting my eyesight. I had severe sleep apnea.  I was having trouble with my legs, knees and feet.  Walking any distance was very difficult.  I was to a point where I sat in the car while my family went shopping, because I couldn’t walk that far.  I had to check what kind of seating a restaurant had before we could go, because I couldn’t fit in a booth.  I couldn’t park too close to another car, because I couldn’t get out or in if they were too close. I couldn’t go to a sporting event because I didn’t fit into the seats. My life was very restricted. My doctor encouraged me to have a gastric bypass to get the diabetes in control.  The weight loss was a side benefit at that time.  I was just trying to save my legs and stay alive.  After the surgery, the weight started coming off, but I knew I needed exercise to maximize the effectiveness of the surgery.  I traded the food addiction for an addiction to the gym. As the weight came off, my health improved.  I no longer take any medication for diabetes and I do not have sleep apnea. People that would avoid eye contact with me when we passed will now talk to me.  As I began my new life journey, the gym staff was there for me all the way. I would go to the gym 6 and sometimes 7 days a week. It was very difficult at first just to do 10 minutes on the treadmill.  It got easier and easier.  My overall weight loss is now over 200 lbs. My shirt size dropped 4 sizes.  I know if I hadn’t started exercising this wouldn’t have happened.  The surgery was just a tool to assist me in a life change. I started a weight loss support group for the Fort Worth area.  It has over a hundred people signed up and usually has around 20 – 30 attending on any given meeting.  In this group I saw how people would have the surgery and expect it to do a “miracle”.   I pointed out that unless they change their life style, the weight would just come back on.  Many of them have found out that changing their eating habits is not enough, they “have” to exercise to keep the weight off.My life has totally changed. The trip to the gym became just part of my daily routine. To be a success at anything, you need to surround yourself with the kind of people that give you inspiration. To me, those are the people working out at the gym. All of the people at the gym, staff and members have been very supportive through my journey.  I feel very accountable to the staff for their patience and time they have spent getting me to where I am. I don’t go to the gym every day now, but I do some type of physical activity every day. I enjoy going on three hour hikes up a mountain in the morning and ready to go again in the afternoon. I have entered several 5K’s and actually won first place in the LMRA 5K walk/run (as a walker) in 2007.  I enjoy playing golf, often walking for the full eighteen holes. My true love is photography and I am physically able to go hiking to places to get that perfect shot that I couldn’t have ever dreamed of going to without my weight loss. My time away from work always has something to do that is physical. I have missed out of so much while I was so overweight, now I feel like I am physically able to do those things.It has now been five years since my journey began. My main goal now is to maintain my healthy lifestyle with exercise and constantly making good choices in my diet. 

About Me
Weatherford, TX
Location
59.6
BMI
RNY
Surgery
11/02/2004
Surgery Date
Sep 16, 2004
Member Since

Friends 30

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