Onederland!

[smaller_Alex 13]

Let me start off by saying i've been lurking on this site for over a year now (since I decided to get sleeved). The site and all the helpful people on it have been an invaluable resource for encouragement and information.

That said, I got on the scale this morning and was below 200lbs for the first time in about 16 years!!! 199.5. It's almost difficult to even comprehend this number is my actual weight. When i was at 372 lbs, I felt completely hopeless and had almost resigned myself to the idea that I would probably die of a heart attack or stroke in the not-too-distant future. My blood pressure and cholesterol were high. My resting heart rate was 95bpm. I had sleep apnea. I was on medication for my problems and had to sleep with a cpap machine to help me breathe. I had severe back pain ALL the time. My ankles, knees, and hips were always aching. It was hard to get out of bed, very hard to get off the sofa, and almost impossible to get off the floor. I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without getting severely winded. I couldn't play with my kids (16months and 4 years old at the time) the way i wanted to. I never went out and didn't want people to come to my house since I was so ashamed. I was physically addicted to food and no matter how hard I tried, I just could not lose weight. I'm sure many of you can relate.

I lost 20 lbs before my surgery on a 3 week liquid diet. I was 350 lbs exactly on the day of the surgery (12/19/2013). I've now lost 172 lbs total and my entire life is 200% different. Sleep Apnea is gone. No more body aches and pains. I'm out of the house more in the past 6 months than I have been in the previous 5 years. My relationship with my wife and kids is much improved. Our quality of life has gone from poor to amazing. My wife has also lost 50 lbs since my surgery and she has about another 30 to go.

I'm posting this in hopes of inspiring others the way I have been inspired over the past year on this site. If you are reading this and aren't sure about getting the surgery, just go for it. I have absolutely zero regrets about it. The changes it has made in my life and my family's lives cannot be measured. If you are stuck in a stall, don't get down on yourself. We all go through it. It WILL pass.

A huge thanks to all the wonderful and positive folks on this forum who have shared their experiences and troubles. Some of the things I learned from you folks have really helped me through a lot of dark moments over the past year.

[Comeflywithme 402]

C O N G R A T S !!!!! That's quite an achievement and THANK YOU for sharing. It's soooo exciting to see the scale below 200!!!!! Your post is truly inspirational and I can soooooo relate to it!! Keep up the good work, never give up and BEST of luck in achieving our goals soon!!! XOXO

[haleytrim 244]

Awesome post Alex! So Encouraging. Thanks and Congratulations.