Well, I was always a fat kid growing up. It helped because I was always super tall. When I was seventeen and in high school I weighed 400 pounds. I saw a girl in a red tank top wearing corduroys, playing hacky sack and smoking a Red. I said to my friend, you see that girl? I am gonna marry her one day. I went home, got a hair cut and bought some new clothes. I purposely got kicked out of my high school homeroom so I had to be moved. By luck I was placed in her class. I sat next to her and said "hey, do you wanna play tick tac toe?" the rest is history. Over the next six months I had lost 145 pounds and finally convinced her to go out with me. ( making a best fiend in the process).

Over the next six years we dated. In 2007 we decided to get married. I WAS 450 POUNDS!!! Thats right she married me when I was 450. Bare in mind she was the best looking girl in my high school. I felt horrible. I was working as a head chef in a private club in dallas. Bam! She was Pregnant!!! So I quit my job and started working for a linen company on a truck in 100 degree weather. Everyone thought I would die on the truck. Over the next 4 years I lost 142 pounds fluctuating by 40 pounds or so depending on the time of year.

This year my Yia Yia got cancer and died. Hit my family hard. I started gaining a lot of weight. i went to lunch with a coworker who had had a lap band. He said you know the company will pay for a lap band. I decided to look into it. I decided to go with the sleeve. So i had a four month approval process and no fear. I ate everything and I had a blast. I even went to 3 Diners, Drive In's and Dives restaurant in 2 days. I did the pre op diet but not too very strictly. I still lost 20 pounds. I went into surgery I had no fear, no nervousness.

I went back to work after three Days off. I hated the gas pains and I had to start taking ambien. I lost 27 pounds the first 5 days. 6th and 7th day I didn't lose anything. I decide to stop weighing my self. it is about to my two weeks since surgery. I joined a gym and am having my first session with a personal trainer tomorrow at 9am. I am really thankful for this website. It really makes me excited for the future. I find myself cheering all you guys on as I read your posts. I just felt like I needed to tell a cliff notes version of my story. I want to succeed in my journey anybody I can on the way. I notice there aren't many guys on this site. I think its because women are more courageous about talking openly. Enough Macho bullshit. i am proud of all of y'all. It is not a easy decision to have a stranger cut you up.

Thanks