So here I am, just a little over 2 years out. To save you reader some time, I started out at 376 glorious pounds of depression and misery. I'm a very "outdoors" minded person. Love to dive, ride motorcycles, lake trips, you name it. Being almost 400 pounds, it took a huge toll on my ability to enjoy what I enjoyed (even if that statement sounds kind of stupid). I'll tell you, if you're considering this surgery as an option, quit considering it and DO IT! It has allowed me to have a life again. And to the people who will tell you "it’s the easy way out," they're so far out if line it’s not even funny. I cannot tell you how many times in the first year I said screw the rules and ate something I shouldn’t have, drank while eating and all the things they tell you not to do, and then spent a half hour or so in absolute misery as my "banana" stomach tried to cope with the crap that I stuffed in it. It ain't easy. The first 6 months is definitely the honeymoon stage. The weight will just fall off no matter what you do. After the first year, it becomes more difficult as the new stomach does stretch a little and it easier to begin to overeat again. My low weight was just about 200 pounds. Unfortunately, I have a very large frame and I looked ridiculous with the flabby skin crap everywhere. Now, this is unavoidable to some extent, and I'm cool with it. Better be healthier with some loose skin and unhealthy with it packed full of fat, right? So, for better or worse, I turned from food addict, to a gym rat. I've put just about 30 pound back on, most all had been muscle since my arms, chest and legs have filled out, but with definition. Now the stomach? Lost cause, lol. Unless I do corrective surgery to remove it, it’s just my baggage I'll carry around in punishment for letting myself become an unhealthy person for the majority of my life. I just did my 2 year follow up, and my surgeon isn’t happy with my current weight, never mind that my BMI is down 25 freakin points. For the record, I hate BMI, I think it is a stupid algorithm made up for some reason I cannot figure out. They say I should be 175 pounds to be in a normal BMI, ppfft on that. To get there I'd have to starve myself. I suppose he's not happy because I imagine, they plug in all of the patients information to see how effective the surgery was, by my numbers, I didn’t do well. I couldn’t be happier with my results, so screw their charts.

I seem to be rambling.......

Anyway, if anyone is still here, thank you for taking time out of your day to read this, hopefully you get some entertainment, insight, or just a few minutes wasted from whatever you're supposed to be doing at work,

Sleeve on people!