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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> scarbrd lost 150+ lbs!!!!!!
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09/18/2012 02:21:45 PM · #1
Hey everyone,

I posted this to my Facebook page which several DPCers are friends. Sorry for the duplication FB peeps!

Dec 2011 - 332 lbs
Sept 2012 - 180 lbs



I've lost 152 pounds in the last 9 months.

People that have known me for a while know that I've always struggled with my weight. Back in 2006 I lost most the weight and ran the Houston Marathon only to gain it all back within a couple of years.

I had lost significant weight 3 or 4 other times in my life.

Growing tired of the ups and down, and after a lot of research and the support of my family, I decided to have a procedure called a "Gastric Sleeve." It's not a lapband or a gastric bypass. Basically, it is a procedure that removes 75% to 80% of the stomach - permanently. This allowed me to eat significantly less food and calories without getting desperately hungry.

It worked as advertised.

It was rough going for the first month after the procedure. I was on all an all liquid diet for 2 weeks prior and 4 weeks after the surgery.

Since then I've been able to add solid foods back into the diet. The cool thing about a gastric sleeve is that eventually you can eat the foods you like, I just can't eat near as much as I used to.

I am not recommending this procedure for everyone. It is a major life changing decision.

I am no longer on any medication for blood pressure, diabetes, or anything else.

I am back to jogging 3-5 miles a day and I feel great. Bought a whole bunch of new clothes, too.

I was able to go on a comping trip to Bryce Canyon with friends, including DrAchoo and keep up with them on the long steep hikes (and that was 45 pounds ago!). I also took the family to Zion National Park and we took several strenuous hikes throughout the park I would not have been able to do any of this a year ago.

I am at my original goal weight and will go into a maintenance mode soon.

I am not declaring success just yet. The real measure of success is 2 years from now when I'm at the same weight I am now!

If anyone wants to know more about the experience or the procedure, just let me know. I am happy to share more details.

Thanks to signal2noise for taking the photos.
09/18/2012 02:25:04 PM · #2
Originally posted by scarbrd:

I am no longer on any medication for blood pressure, diabetes, or anything else.

This is fantastic -- congratulations! I think you've also significantly lowered your risk for needing knee or hip replacement surgery ... :-)
09/18/2012 02:26:57 PM · #3
great job!
09/18/2012 02:30:00 PM · #4
Hey wow! You must feel GREAT!
09/18/2012 02:39:06 PM · #5
flippin awesome! keep it up!!
09/18/2012 02:42:37 PM · #6
Wow! That's fantastic.
Congrats on reaching your goal weight. Hope you have success on the maintenance.
09/18/2012 02:55:27 PM · #7
At first I thought you'd gotten a divorce (lol)....congrats on even making it to your goal... THAT is HUGE all by itself!! What a great feeling!!!
09/18/2012 02:58:48 PM · #8
What an amazing transformation - well done!
09/18/2012 03:01:24 PM · #9
Originally posted by Skip:

flippin awesome! keep it up!!


NOOOOOOO. If he keeps it up he will disappear! Halving your weight is enough. Stop now, we need to keep you around.
09/18/2012 03:07:52 PM · #10
Wow. I thought I'd lost a lot of weight with 77 pounds in a year and a half. Nice going!
09/18/2012 03:12:31 PM · #11
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Wow. I thought I'd lost a lot of weight with 77 pounds in a year and a half. Nice going!

To me, Spiff, you are both big losers. ;-) Congrats to you both on the achievement!
09/18/2012 03:17:50 PM · #12
Wow, that's awesome... How tall are you? Just wondering.
09/18/2012 03:22:33 PM · #13
Originally posted by slickchik:

Wow, that's awesome... How tall are you? Just wondering.


5' 11"

An interesting thing on that. In the stats graphic you'll see that my BMI is 25.1. BMI is a function of height and weight. "Normal" is a BMI between 20 and 25, so technically I am still "overweight" ;-)

I have gone from Morbidly Obese, Obese, Overweight, to almost Normal.

Message edited by author 2012-09-18 15:23:00.
09/18/2012 03:28:21 PM · #14
Originally posted by scarbrd:

Originally posted by slickchik:

Wow, that's awesome... How tall are you? Just wondering.


5' 11"

If you measure yourself first thing when you get up in the morning, before your intervertbral disks have a chance to compress, you may gain that extra 1/4" you need to shave that tenth-point off your BMI ... ;-)
09/18/2012 03:39:03 PM · #15
Whoa, that's some serious trimming there! Congrats!
09/18/2012 04:16:04 PM · #16
Originally posted by Ja-9:

At first I thought you'd gotten a divorce (lol)....congrats on even making it to your goal... THAT is HUGE all by itself!! What a great feeling!!!


hehe, that is 30 lbs more than my wife weighs. She says it's like sleeping with a new husband. The spooning technique has had to be adjusted! ;-)
09/18/2012 04:22:29 PM · #17
CONGRATULATIONS! What a fantastic accomplishment.

09/18/2012 04:27:27 PM · #18
Wow - you look great. Congrats! And best wishes for continued success.
09/18/2012 04:47:17 PM · #19
Yes, congratulations on your success. I wish you well on your continued success and goal to maintain what you have accomplished.

"I am no longer on any medication for blood pressure, diabetes, or anything else."

I think this ^^^ is the most significant benefit to your accomplishment. That is great!

Leo
09/18/2012 04:55:10 PM · #20
Originally posted by scarbrd:

An interesting thing on that. In the stats graphic you'll see that my BMI is 25.1. BMI is a function of height and weight. "Normal" is a BMI between 20 and 25, so technically I am still "overweight" ;-)

You may be like myself.I have short legs and more height in my upper body. The upper body weighs more for that height. In this photo from 1985, I was on the Air Forces fat boy (weight control) program at the time. I rode my bike 100km that day. I don't think I was fat, but their charts said I was.


Edited for spelling.

Message edited by author 2012-09-18 16:56:31.
09/18/2012 05:12:45 PM · #21
Now that I have recovered from the shock of seeing "a David that I had never seen before", I am beginning to comprehend the full scope of your accomplishments. I think I had last seen you in Jan or Feb when you and Rodney came to the studio for a shoot. So Saturday, while we were shooting these images, my brain and ears knew it was you, but my eyes just couldn't compute this new visual persona. Again, congrats!
09/18/2012 05:24:40 PM · #22
Wow. Just wow. That is a tremendous accomplishment. I've lost 1/10th of that in about the same timeframe, and it's been a battle.
09/18/2012 05:28:32 PM · #23
Congrats, David!
I'm so impressed.

Good job on the photography, Tommy!
09/18/2012 05:39:03 PM · #24
Congratulations.
09/18/2012 09:29:05 PM · #25
My legs seem to be getting longer. I was a 30" length pants before, now I wear a 32" length.

I'm sure there's some shift in the position of the waistline with the weight loss.

100k a day, that's impressive.

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Originally posted by scarbrd:

An interesting thing on that. In the stats graphic you'll see that my BMI is 25.1. BMI is a function of height and weight. "Normal" is a BMI between 20 and 25, so technically I am still "overweight" ;-)

You may be like myself.I have short legs and more height in my upper body. The upper body weighs more for that height. In this photo from 1985, I was on the Air Forces fat boy (weight control) program at the time. I rode my bike 100km that day. I don't think I was fat, but their charts said I was.


Edited for spelling.
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