420 pounds gone forever! This is my journey...

[Justin Wiseman 62]

My name is Justin Wiseman. I would love to share my story with you. I have been bigger than everyone around me for as long as I can remember. I have my report card from kindergarten and there in black ink under my weight is 100 lbs. Wow, 100 lbs at 5? All the doctors my mom took me to said I would grow out of it, but the only thing I grew out of was my pants. Well actually jogging pants because that was the only thing my mother could find to fit me. food was my world, it was my everything. It made me happy and took all the pain away. By the time I was in middle school I was over 250 pounds, and when I graduated high school I was over 400 pounds. After high school I pretty much stayed home. I hated leaving my house. After everything that I had been through I never wanted to feel humiliated again. By 25 I topped the scale at a massive 600 pounds, and at the age of 26 I was given only months to live. I was suffering from severe complications of cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. As I began planning my own funeral I had the ultimate “aha” moment and finally realized exactly what I was doing to myself. Desperate for one day of complete freedom before I died I began looking for options to shed the pounds. Being too big to be operated on I was left fighting the battle on my own until I was healthy enough to be cleared for surgery. Over six months I lost 130 pounds, and was actually healthy enough to be taken off several medications. I then had gastric sleeve surgery and over the course of two years I lost a total of 420 pounds. In the midst of the battle I made what I call my “Live IT List” kind of like a bucket list but my focus was on what I wanted to live for, not do before I died. With that my “Live IT List” was born and my desire to live was unstoppable. I got my one day of freedom plus a whole lifetime more. My focus has now shifted to helping others in similar situations along with doing my best to help eradicate childhood obesity. I was a child in the 80’s and the epidemic keeps growing. My story was extreme, but there are so many out there facing an even worse fate….death. I am the perfect example of what childhood obesity actually turns in to, and I have made it my mission to put a face on the cause. We hear a lot of statistics but people tend to overlook them, but if people asctually see what it turns into the impact is so much more. I feel like everything I went through was for a reason and if I can help save someone's life it was so worth it. I spend my days helping as many people as I can find their freedom and I really hope I one day get a chance to share my story with the world and throughout the schools. If you want to hear more of my story my blog is theliveitlist.tumblr.com my public page www.facebook.com/theliveitlist my personal page is www.facebook.com/justinwiseman13 and follow me at twitter.com/theliveitlist

[4everbeautiful 61]

Great share! Thanks & CONGRATS!

[Flygirl123 150]

Your story is inspiring! Thank you for sharing.

[melhach 18]

I teared up reading this, people don't always realize that sometimes weight issues are out of our hands and can't just be fixed by eating less! I'm going to check out your FB page to see your pictures can't wait

[Essence46 493]

Wow! What am amazing story! Thanks for sharing!

[mldavis1969 8]

Awesome story.

[heynowkc 329]

Wow what an amazing story and amazing transformation. I just had my surgery about two weeks ago and am so excited for the year to come. Reading stories like yours makes me even MORE optimistic! Thank you for sharing.

[nbw1220 58]

Amazing! Thanks for sharing!

[Lifeafter40 89]

Wow!!!!!!!!amazing!!!!!!

[LadyK44 263]

That is a great story. Thank you for sharing!