Al Taylor

Hi, I'm Alex. I've recently made the life-changing decision to seek bariatric surgery to help with weight loss. I'm 36 and live with my wife Danielle and cat Queenie in Nashville, TN. My starting weight is 560 lbs at 6’1", and my goal weight is 280 lbs. I've been heavy my entire life and I would say my obesity started in middle school. I hovered between 260 and 300 lbs throughout high school and was 383 lbs at the end of college. I was able to get down to 290 lbs within a year, then was hospitalized with an infected gallbladder. My weight post-op went up to 375 lbs where it stayed most of my 20s. My first time passing 400 lbs was after my 30th birthday, and I stayed there until I went from an active job to a desk position, quickly followed by the pandemic. Within a year, my weight increased by 150 lbs, and I was hospitalized in December 2020 with Covid-induced pneumonia. In the last 18 months, I have kicked a daily marijuana habit and adopted a lacto- ovo- vegetarian diet, as well as actively going to therapy. My back and stamina issues due to my weight have made it severely difficult to be consistent with an exercise routine, and my diet still consists of high-fat, salt, and sugar foods and beverages. The reason I set my goal weight to 280 lbs is that when I was at that weight in my early 20s, it was the strongest and fittest I had ever felt. With my 6'1" broad-shouldered frame, it would be a realistic weight to maintain. The decision to pursue bariatric surgery is an offer I got from my Grandmother-in-law, who would assist in covering costs if I decided this is the route I wanted to go down. There is so much in my life that I want to see and do, like travel internationally, walk around comfortably, kayak, and bike. Along with having a longer life expectancy to enjoy many more years with my wife, Danielle, we would like to start a family in the near future, and I want to be an active dad. That's what I got so far. If you would like to reach out to chat or share your story, I would love to connect.