wjoegreen
Restoring Past Posts; My History
Sep 25, 2009
Life After Elections 08 [Edit Post]
on November 18, 2008 8:46 am
OK, I got elected to City Council in my home town Nov 8. Weight is holding steady at 250 without jogging. My final campaign fundraiser, a brunswick stew (making and selling) overlapped with my scheduled first half marathon Nov 15, so I will undertake that challenge another day. Campaigning is now closed and over and life is gearing up for the holidays and transition from School Board to City Council effective Jan 1 09. My life has changed so much since the weight loss. I enjoy helping others that come to me for advice on if they should have gastric bypass and its dangers and blessings. I currently have 2 close friends and 1 relative ready to make the choice in their lives. It is exciting to be a part of.
Do something good for yourself, so you can do more for those you love.
Protein, water, vitamins, and exercise.
Oct 08 Update [Edit Post]
on October 13, 2008 6:09 am
I have given up being the facilitator of the local WLS Support Group I attended. Running for local City Council campaign has completely upset my training for a half marathon on Nov 15. I have walked for hours at a time doing door to door campaigning and putting out yard signs, etc. but it not the same as jogging. My weight has crept up from 238 to 243 to now 250 as my jogging has tapered to nothing. So I am trying to hold on and get jogging again 1 month before the half and 3 weeks before elections. At 25 months out, I am honestly at the stage where the magic losing is gone and I have to implement the wisdom of post-op nutrition training; how much, what , and when to eat is my choice. I still fill quickly and sugar and fat make me sick. I still have a very limited menu as red meat and chicken still give me a lot of trouble. So, its up to me to right the ship and maintain my accomplishments. I am still an advocate of nothing tastes as good as being thin.
Just an Update [Edit Post]
on July 24, 2008 9:03 am
Taken up golf as of Sept 07 and play on a local golf team. It takes 1.5 to 2 hours to play 9 holes usually and I am enjoying the fellowship and activity. I got a used hand-cart to walk rather than ride for additional exercise. I am still training also for my first half marathon Nov 15 (A little intimidated but determined to accomplish that personal goal), and to not get bored, I am running for local City Council with elections Nov 4 (8 candidates are running for 4 seats; should be fun). My weight is relatively stable at 238, up from my lowest last Fall of 224 but still the same 40" waist size. I am still hoping to get a bit tighter in the waist a lighter on my feet with my level of activity and running. I am tweaking my diet and routine to improve my performance in both areas. Will keep you posted; film at 11.
2nd UKROPS 10K; First Event Anniversary [Edit Post]
on April 7, 2008 7:25 pm
My second UKROPS 10K, the anniversary of my first running event a year ago. 1:34 in 07, 1:05 in 08. Missed my personal goals of weighin 200 or less and finishing in 60 minutes or less but it is still progress and I am still getting stronger and healthier and am a far more active and able person than before WLS. Today i also registered to run the Suntrust Half Marathon (13 miles) in
18 Mth Report [Edit Post]
on March 6, 2008 12:28 pm
I had been training for my 1st anniversary 10K on April 5 and had gotten up to 8 and even 1 10 mi jogging routes. I decided to join an OH friend at the Shamrock 8K Mar 15 in Va Beach for her first running event, as a warm up and motivation to get going for my Apr 5 10K. Keep the faith; protein, water, & move; repeat. Shamrock Results: 8K/5 mi 52:49,...lost my breath after 3 miles but still managed a respectable finish.
on October 13, 2007 7:05 pm
Ran my second 10K. I ran my first 10K in March 2007 in 1:34. Today I ran 1:07,..so 27 minutes faster. I am pretty happy about that but man,....I came in 241 of 310 starters and 276 finishers, 16th of 18 age 50-59. Pretty sad overall. I ran a 5K the weekend before and finished in 27 minutes, so I hoped to finish closer to 1 hour today. There were 2 major hills but I felt descent afterwards and recovered pretty quickly. My next event is the April 08 UKROPS Monument Ave 10K in
Just for My Records [Edit Post]
on June 21, 2007 8:45 am
I am starting to lose track of the weight loss as I've tried to back off on weighing daily; for sanity if nothing else. I sooo enjoy looking at the decreasing numbers but they bounce around so much it can be quite frustrating. So I am posting the dreaded weight-loss summary. Hope it entertains or benefits someone besides me.
Heaviest: 408 02/10/06
Surgeon Visit: 394 06/ /06
Surgery: 374 09/26/06 Open RNY
6 wks: 337 11/08/06
13 wks/3 mth: 294 01/04/07 (1st plateau 5 wks- nothing)
18 wks: 280 02/01/07 (2nd plateau; 6 wks - nothing)
26 wks/6 mth: 266 03/31/07 (1st 10K; UKROPS - time 1:34:01)
29 wks: 255 04/18/07 (3rd plateau; 4 wks - nothing)
33 wks: 246 05/13/07 (4th plateau; 5 wks - nothing)
38 wks/9 mth: 236 06/21/07 (5th plateau; 4 weeks nothing)
42 wks/10 mth: 232 07/17/07 (6th plateau)
50 wks: 224 09/11/07 (Radford 5K - time: 27 mins)
12 mth: 224 09/26/07 19% body fat 1 year surgiversary
13 mth: 225 10/13/07 (Amerifamily 10K - time: 1:07:38)
14 mth : 230 11/26/07
17 mth: 243 02/26/08
18 mth: 238 03/26/08 (Shamrock 8K 3/15/08 (5 mi) 52:49)
19 mth: 238 04/05/08 (UKROPS 10K - 01:05:42)
weight (goal 200): time (goal 1:00:00 or less)
22 mth: 238 07/24/08 (training for 13 mi Half marathon Nov 15)
on May 13, 2007 6:40 pm
May 12, 50th Birthday, stopped and got some new pants on the way to daughters dance recital. Went in wearing 46 jeans, left wearing 42. Pretty exciting! Scales at 246, slow but dropping (249 last week). Noted price for the pants was $14.99 for sizes 30-42,...44 and up was $19.99. That was pretty cool,...not paying for extra size.
3rd Plateau Busted [Edit Post]
on April 18, 2007 6:37 am
Hello World!
I am at 6.5 months RNY post-op and have been thru 3 weight loss plateaus since my 3 month followup Jan 4, at 294 lbs. This latest one began 17 March 07. I got all excited when I dropped to 263 for one day but leveled off at 266-268 and stayed there for 4 weeks. The losing started again on 13 April when I weighed 262, followed by next morning weigh-in of 258. By 18 April, it was 255 and I am seeing some more bagginess in the butt and waistline of my recently acquired 46 pants. I also just down-sized shirts, buying some XL and 17shirts, then giving away my collection of 3X, 2X, and 19-20 dress shirts this last weekend. I am noticing the new XL shirts have a comfortable amount of looseness already. This is all still pretty exciting to me as I dream of weighing 200 and possibly wearing a 36 pants again, last accomplished after losing 60 lbs in 1976 and maintained thru 1984. And Oh YEAH,..I forgot all about being taken off the 2nd of 3 blood pressure meds I use to take at my 6 month followup on April 4. One BP med left to defeat. Thanks for reading and sharing in my accomplishment. I am really glad I did this and being able to be an active participate in life again.
My First 10K; 31 March 2007 [Edit Post]
on April 2, 2007 8:05 am
I did it! My first 10K (
I walked/jogged at the invitation of my brother who did it 2 years ago.
I had a personal goal to finish in 90 mins and took 94,a little bummed about that (I felt so good and jogged so much of the second 3 miles I thought I had a better time). I had a first 5K split of 51:12 which means I did the 2nd 5K leg in 43:11. I felt really good about that and even better I wasn't crippled afterwards. The fact I did this is beyond my belief after where I was health-wise a year ago (408 and bearly able to walk). Overall, I registered as a walker and was in the last wave to start; waves A-Q left before us. I finished:
- 7700 out of 8567 guys
- 750 out of 847 in Class J (guys ages 45-49; runners and walkers)
- 16,106 out of 20,588 participants that finished, 25,023 registered
I am pretty stoked about how good I felt during the race. Already talking about doing it again next year. My weight that morning was 266; 3 lbs heavier than two weeks ago but I have been using creatine for muslce recovery and that causes some water retention. I also had to increase my protein and carb intake for the 10K training I have been doing, so I'm not thrilled about the weight but am OK with it. I have my 6 month followup on April 5 and am curious to see my weigh-in and blood work since training and doing this 10K. I've posted race pictures. Happy Easter!!!
on March 18, 2007 8:22 pm
New Pics posted. Weight down to 264. Danced with my middle daughter at her Jr Ring Dance. It was sure nice to not be the big ball of sweaty fat I had been before WLS. Man was I happy.
1 February 07 Update [Edit Post]
on January 31, 2007 7:06 pm
Feb 26 is my 5 month mark. According to my Christmas present digital scales, I am at 280, 128 down 100 more to go. I have been holding steady for two weeks plus at a time, then all of a sudden the scales drop (just before I hang myself from frustration!!). It happened from 296 to 284 then from 284 to 280. I had an endoscopy on Jan 17 and the opening into the pouch was just about closed which explained alot of the food loss I'd been experiencing. They stretched it and life was good for 4-5 days but things are pretty much back that way until today. Today I was able to eat some normal food and didn't lose it. It was still small quantity of course but it was enjoyable to get in 5 or 6 forks full before getting the to-go container. I am very pleased overall and even let my brother talk me into registering to do a 10K on March 31 (UKROPS Monument Ave 10K) with him; walking, not jogging,....yet. So I am in training and hoping, weather permitting for training,...to get down around 250 by race day. Film at 11! Watch for my time in the obituary column.
Happy 2007!! [Edit Post]
on January 4, 2007 7:43 pm
I was a bit bummed this morning because I was only down to 291 and that was stripped down for showering, not likely to happen quite that way at weigh-in with the doctor and not my goal of 288. However, I was plesantly surprised when the nurse said 33 more pounds gone, plus the 66.5 previous, equals 99.5 which rounds to 100 lbs. She was counting from 1st visit in June when I was 393 instead of 388 and order was restored to the laws of mathematics. The CNP told me 100 lbs in 3 months (14 weeks actually) was fast and that it needed to slow down and I needed to be OK with it when it did. So, I weighed in at 294; 114 from heaviest, 99.5/100 from first visit, 80 from 374 day of surgery, 114 more to go to goal of 180. One new pic added showing before and current (I ain't at after yet !)Comments are welcome.
Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!
Merry Christmas [Edit Post]
on December 26, 2006 8:05 pm
My wife got me a digital scale that goes to 330 pounds. My 3 month follow-up visit is scheduled for Jan 4, 07 and I am really hoping to get below 300. I was 327 on Nov 16, at my third and last 2 week visit. So Christmas Day, before going to the annual family Dinner gathering, I gave it a try. 296,...I did it three more times to see if it was right. It kept saying 296. I felt numb. I haven't been under 300 in like forever. Now I want to get to 288 in the 10 days between Christmas and my Jan 4 appoinment. Then I will have lost 100 lbs since the surgeon saw me the first time at 388. So my new goal is 8 pounds in 10 days. 8 lbs, 10 days. And after that, my next hurdle is getting to 250.
Merry Christmas everyone!!
Highest/First Surgeon Visit/Pre-op/Current/Goal/ Total Lost to date
408 / 388 / 374 / 296 / 180 / 112
I like looking at those numbers,...I can't believe they are mine.
2 new pics added at the new weight.
Thanksgiving 2006 [Edit Post]
posted on 11/23/06 6:07 pm
I got up and got dressed to work on my daughter's car; put on my jeans and they seemed bagger a week ago. I pulled the belt to clasp it and I was about an inch below the last set of extra holes I had already cut. That felt good! Silent happy dance. Later,... trying to figure what to wear (there's a problem I haven't had in like forever!!) to my family gathering, I retired 6 pairs of pants as they were too BIG!!! HA!! I sure felt pretty good about going from a 60 to a 50 in 8 weeks! And to cap it all off, I ate a plate of food I carefully selected by item and portion. I ate with everyone else over a 40 min period. No one commented on the lack of food on my plate or pressed me to eat more. I got it down and no belching, foaming, or other discomfort or unpleasant side effects. I was quite happy.
My Story [ Edit ]
I started this journey at my heaviest in Feb 06 at 408 lbs with a BMI of 55. I weighed-in in at 393 on my first visit to Commonwealth Surgeons. I weighed 388 two weeks before surgery. After being on the Liver-reducing diet for 13 days prior to surgery, I weighed in for surgery on 9/26/06 at 374 lbs.
As of my second post-op follow-up visit, week 5, I weighed-in at 337 lbs.; 56 lbs lost since seeing the surgeon and a toal of 71 lbs from my heaviest. My personal goal is to get down to 180-200 lbs by journey's end and maintain there. I married in 1981 at 220 with a 36 inch waist. Boy would that be an accomplishment to regain.
After week 6 I am on phase II of the post-op diet plan. I have graduated from liquids and soft foods to boiled/broiled/baked white fish, tuna, chicken, and imitation crab. It is not going down well but I guess I am learning to digest solid food again. I am also just starting to be tempted by the assorted junk lying around the house; pizza, halloween candy, chocolate chip cookies, and assorted leftovers. This has not been a problem until this week. Let the emotional games begin I guess.
PRE-OP: I developed high blood pressure when I turned 42 years old. It had been controlled with diet and medicine until Tuesday, 29 Dec 2005. I got sick at work; thought I was having a heart attack. The Rescue Squad carried me out to the hospital. My blood pressure dropped extremely low but they released me that evening to go home. Since then, every 2 or 3 months, my blood pressure would starting spiking into the 180’s while the diastolic number would drop to the 40s.
On Friday, 10 Feb 06, I went to see a new family doctor. He took my blood pressure, examined my swollen feet and ankles, did an EKG, then called the rescue squad to carry me to the hospital. It took three days to get my blood pressure down and I also began having heart arrhythmias. After being released, I met with a cardiologist in March 2006. He had me wear a halter monitor. It showed I had 443 arrhythmias in the 24-hour period, 55% too fast and 45% too slow. He told me I would have a stroke or heart attack within 6 months. His recommendation was to have gastric bypass surgery to rapidly lose significant weight faster than dieting could provide. If I waited and survived a stroke or heart attack, I would not liking be healthy enough to be a candidate for gastric bypass.
My quest to have gastric bypass with gall bladder removal began. After checking with my Aetna Insurance, I had two choices of surgeons in the
I scheduled with one and had to wait a month to attend an informational seminar then another two weeks to have a actual office visit. It turns out they preferred to do lap-band without gall bladder removal so I called Commonwealth Surgeons and had to attend their informational seminar before I could be seen on the office. I got scheduled and worked to provide every bit of information they sought as quickly as possible. I was relieved to find that Dr. Hutcher and his staff have a national reputation of quality and that he only performs Open RNY because of his personal preferences and procedures to ensure the best possible results to minimize complications normally associated with this surgery.
With the six month medically supervised diet and exercise program required by
Of course my blood pressure began spiking up again, so my family doctor worked with me by increasing my medications three times from August to Sept 26 to keep it low enough to not prevent me from having the surgery.
Day of Surgery (9/26/06): I was prepped, rolled in to OR, and put too sleep. The next thing I was aware of was waking-up in the Recovery room; in pain which was quickly subdued. I went to the Pulmonary Cardiovascular Unit and felt pretty good. I remember thinking this is going to be a walk-in-the-park if this is as bad as it gets. An occasional chunk of ice to melt in my mouth and I was very comfortable.
Wednesday, 8 Nov 2006:
As of the second follow-up visit, I was down to 337. I returned to work after 4 weeks. It was too soon. This is week 6 and even now, I still lack the stamina I need to get back to work full-fledged, and its is a desk job! I am now on diet phase III; white fish, chicken, tuna, shrimp, and imitation crab. Two to four ounces fill me up and that is if I take 20 to 30 minutes to eat it. It is not like drinking a 16 oz bottle water in 45 minutes. The chicken is the worst. It just sits there for 2 to 3 hours before I can even drink or it starts trying to come back. Overall, I feel better and can see some weight loss I could not see before now, even though the pants went from a 60 to a 54 in the first 3 weeks. At this 6 week mark, the 54 pants are just starting to get a bit loose.
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About Me
Before & After
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