Paying it forward...

     Hey Y'all, thanks for reading.  I am thinking this is gonna be a fairly short post, not a whole lot to report this week.

I am in the choir at the church April and I attend.  The last few years they have done a special men's choir for Father's Day.  I have been in it the last two years.  This year the dress code for the services was a single color button down shirt and jeans.  I love being put in a position to have to buy new clothes and this was one of those times.  I had to get a new shirt because I had long since shrunk out of all my button down shirts.  I know I still have a long way to go but compared to what I used to look like in dressier shirts I gotta admit I looked pretty good.  The men's choir at church along with bar-b-ques with the family made for a really great first Father's Day for me.

Saturday morning I took part in the panel of patients who had already had the surgery at Dr. Snyder's info seminar for those considering surgery.  There were seven of us, I was the second most recent surgery and I was still the largest among the group but I also had by far the highest starting weight among them.  It was fun to be there, show off a little bit to the staff, remember when I had been there sitting in the audience (A day I remember VERY clearly).  It was neat to hear some of Dr Snyder's updated stats a year later.  The national average for deaths per surgery for gastric bypass is around 1 in 200, Dr Snyder's current rate is 1 out of 3800 (that one was actually not due to surgery but happened within his six week statistical window so he still counts it).

It was also neat hearing the testimonial of the others on the panel.  They all got pretty good reactions, especially those that brought pants that were now way too big to show off.  I think I got the strongest reaction though just because my situation be somewhat unique with becoming a parent 3 months after having the surgery.

I told them about me researching and considering surgery for over ten years but how stuff just seemed to get in the way or didn't work out.  We all have lives and sometimes they can be complicated but that shouldn't deter them from going thru with the surgery and if I can get thru it with 2 huge life changes so close together then they most likely could handle the surgery and whatever else life decided to send their way.

So this week I am down to 294 pounds, another 4 pounds this week (4 pounds a week seems to be sort of the norm for me it seems).  That makes my total 121 pounds lost, which of course means more comparison pictures.  I continue to be amazed when I look at the pictures and can see the changes that even 20 pounds can make.

And of course I couldn't post new pictures here without posting some of my Son Evren.  Hope y'all enjoy.
That about does it for this week.  Thanks for reading and of course thanks for the thoughts, prayers and support.

The plateau that almost was...

Hi y’all.  Sorry I didn’t get a post up last week, I was really tired and somewhat frustrated (more on that later) and it didn’t get done.

I put on a little fashion show for my wife the other day... no, not that kind of fashion show.  I decided it  was time to go through a lot of my clothes and clean out anything that didn't fit. I let my wife have the final say on "Should (it) stay or should (it) go?" (one of the best song by The Clash) I am getting to the point where my closet is noticeably emptier. Now if I could just remember to actually take the huge pile of discarded clothes to the thrift store, the pile is almost as tall as my wife.  I am also experiencing an interesting phenomenon of looking at clothes, having a mental ruler in my head of how big my clothes are supposed to appear, thinking to myself this will never fit, trying it on anyway and having it fit me perfectly. 

For a few decades I have been in a mindset of knowing I wanted to lose weight but until now it hasn’t truly happened but because I knew I wanted to I would save clothes that became too small for me but were still in good shape.  Some eventually got tossed as I would move or do some spring cleaning but I still ended up with some smaller clothes to work back in to my wardrobe.  I am now fitting into some clothes I haven’t worn since college (I graduated in 2000).  Granted, some of which I don’t really want to wear now due to changes in fashion and taste but some still look good and/or current.


As I mentioned, one of the reasons I didn't post last week was frustration, my weight last week was 302 pounds, if you are keeping track that means I didn't loose anything last week and I really thought I had hit another of the dreaded plateaus.  I know they are just a part of the process and that eventually I will hit another one but even knowing this it is still really frustrating when they happen.


The good news is that it doesn't appear to be a plateau, just a bad week.  I think it was just my body adjusting to the huge change our family is going through, my wife thinks it's because I have been cheating more recently.  Actually, I am sure both are factors, my wife is right and I asked her to help me out getting back in the groove by holding me accountable and calling me on it if I try and cheat.


This week I am down to 298 pounds (UNDER 300, YAY!!!) I now have less than a hundred pounds to go.  Assuming all goes well I should pas 295 this week so I should have some new pictures next week (I'll have some new pics of Evren too, what can I say I'm a proud papa).


This journey I am on really got started July 7th of last year when I went to Dr Snyder's information seminar.  This weekend, 3 weeks short of a year I get to go again but this time as a participant in the panel of those who have had the surgery.  I am really excited about this, as you know I am really passionate about this and I can't wait to share my story with more people.  I am sure I will talk about this more in next weeks post.


That brings me to the other update I almost always give and that is my son Evren.  I can't put into word how much I am loving being a parent.  Yes I am tired but it is so worth it.  He is finally gaining weight at a decent rate and as of last week was up to 6lb, 8 oz, still tiny but up a nearly a pound in 9 days.  I love  being able to see changes in him (physically and behaviorally) on a daily basis.  Yesterday I noticed that it seemed like he was able to focus better and track better with his eyes, the way he was using them just seemed different.  I have Been told that as far as parents of newborns go we are actually pretty lucky because we are able to feed him before bed, he will sleep for 4 or 5 hours, and go right back down for another  4 hours after feeding and changing.


I think that about does it for this week.  Thanks for reading, and as always thanks for the thoughts, prayers, support and encouragement, they really do mean a lot.

A life in flux...

     Hi y'all I'm back...well most of me, some more of me has disappeared forever.  I am thinking I shouldn't have a problem getting back on my weekly schedule.

The last 14 days have been a whirlwind and the diet has taken some interesting turns but the scale has continued to move in the right direction.

I find that I do pretty well as far as water intake is concerned during the week (or at least when I am in a structured work environment).  I didn't do so well when My wife and I were staying in the hospital for Evren's birth.  The sad part is that it should have been easy, I was being sent down to get apple juice for April every few hours and I could have been grabbing water for me (I did some times, just didn't drink as much as I should).  Now that I am back at work I am doing far better, especially on workout days where I sometimes approach 100oz of water in a day.

One of the top questions I get asked is "Don't you get hungry with those small meals?", going into that I wondered if I would as well.  I had heard from several people that had gastric bypass that not only did they not get hungry but they sometimes had to set an alarm to remember to eat because they never feel hungry at all.  The morning of Evren's birth I had 2 turkey breakfast sausage links at about 6:30 in the morning.  I was so distracted for the day and the events that around 3:00 I realized I hadn't had anything else to eat.  I was just starting to feel hungry, mostly because I finally had a chance to sit and relax and reflect for a little bit.

I continue to shrink out of my clothing, I also continue to be a big customer of Savers, especially this last weekend when everything was 50% off their already dirt cheap prices.  I have lost a foot in jean sizes (from a whopping 58" waist down to a 46" waist).  Most of my shirts are still 3x's but most of them are starting to get really baggy and I am getting more and more 2x shirts into my wardrobe and they are fitting me pretty well.  I have a few 'small' 2x's that are a bit tight but I should be fitting into them in a few weeks.

I find it weird how different parts of my body will start to shrink and then stop at different times.  Early on it was my head and fingers, a few weeks ago it was my feet, and at one time my wife noticed my back.  Recently I have been seeing the changes in my legs, especially just above the knee.

So, as i mentioned earlier the scale is still moving in the right direction.  Last week was a big jump, I went from 314 pounds to 306 pounds... that's right, I lost 8 pounds in a week.  This week has been a little less dramatic I dropped another 4 pounds  down to 302.  So as you can see I should cross one of those BIG DEAL milestones this week and that is the 300 pound mark. and I should be pretty close to 295 so I will probably have some more pics in probably 2 weeks.

I do have a few pictures that I will put up tonight, One being another comparison pic, a couple of others are just some event pics that show my progress in a different context...and of course I will put some pictures of our little boy Evren.

Which of course brings me to his birth.  I am sure most of y'all already know but my son Evren Ryder was born Wednesday, May 16th at 10:57 am.  He was 5 lbs, 14 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long.  Mommy, Baby and Daddy are all doing well other than being really tired.  I knew I would, but I am absolutely loving fatherhood, it's not exactly what I expected (actually wasn't sure what to expect) but it is wonderful.

With that it is time to draw this to an end.  Thanks for reading and as always thanks for the prayers, thoughts and encouragement, they really mean a lot.

Preparing for a new challenge...

Hi y'all, this is definitely going to be a short one tonight.

As I mentioned last week I am wanting to start doing some competitions and races as I get more fit and had specifically mentioned sprint triathlons.  I know I am going to need a lot more training specifically in running and swimming.  I decided to start on that this week, and got a pretty good idea of just how far I have to go, and that is a long ways (and boy was I sore over the last few days).  Luckily I have 3 and a half months to prepare and am confident I will be able to handle the race come race day.

I am down to 314 pounds this week, that is another 4 pounds this week.  That brings my total to 101 pounds, which of course means pictures. Head on over to my pictures page to check those out.  I may get creative and do some comparison picture compilations later this week but for now I am just going to put up the new pictures.

Now, of course to the baby.  April and I are scheduled for a Cesarean tomorrow at 9:30 in the morning.  I am a little bit nervous but more than anything I am excited, I can't wait to actually meet my son Evren.

Once we notify family and put something out on facebook I will try and come here and put some sort of post.

Thanks again for reading, and as always thanks for the thoughts, prayers and support.

Old habits die hard....

   This  weekend was interesting and a bit of a step backwards for me.  I found myself in two challenging situations and  could have handled them far better.  The first one was a 'couples' baby shower for April and me (that is to say that it was intended to be a couples shower and only one 'couple' actually attended and that was April and me), the second was a get-together  with our bible study group.

The problem was the same at both events and that is 'grazing'. At both events there was an abundance of snack and finger food and while I behaved myself as far as what I ate I didn't behave myself as far as how much I ate.  The problem being that since it was over a long period of time  my pouch was able to empty some of the food so I never got to that point of feeling full so I just absentmindedly kept snacking until April finally rescued me and moved the food out of my reach.

I have wanted to loose weight for a very long time and have tried many times, and it is so exciting to finally be seeing success and in a big way.  As some of you might recall from earlier posts I started gaining weight around 4th grade so I have been overweight for roughly 27 years.  I have said before that I don't want to get to a point of just not being fat but I actually want to reach a point of being fit.

Towards that end I have been thinking about some sort of fitness challenge or competition to get involved.  I have come up with two that I think look exciting and fun. The first is sprint triathlons.  Sprint triathlons have the same 3 parts as normal triathlons except shorter distances, usually a 750 to 1000 meter swim, 12 to 15 mile bike ride and a 5k run (Which is significantly easier than the Ironman  Triathlons that my friend and fellow gastric bypass patient, Richard, now does).  The other event that I think looks really fun is an event called the Rugged Maniac 5K obstacle race.  It is exactly what it sounds like, it is a 5k race with obstacles that were actually designed with the help of Navy Seals (crawling thru mud under wires, swinging over holes filled with water, etc) along the way.  My wife thinks I am nuts but I think it looks like a blast.

Now to the numbers, I am somewhat bummed to announce that the pictures will have to wait another week but I am down under 320 to 318.  Which for those of you keeping track is a total of 97 pounds or 63 since surgery.

That of course brings me to the baby front.  As I mentioned last week Evren was in a butt down breach position and we has an appointment to try and manually manipulate him into the correct position.  As my wife would attest this attempt to move him was neither a pleasant thing to experience or for me to watch, and unfortunately the attempt was unsuccessful, his butt was just too stuck in the pelvis an they couldn't get him to move at all.  So now we have a Cesarean scheduled for next Wednesday the 16th.  Of course he could still turn on his own (the OB doesn't think this  is likely) or April could go into labor before then.  In any case I will be a new daddy by this time next week.  Am I Excited, you better believe it, am I nervous, not really although the reality of it is starting to sink in a little more now.

Given our plans for next week I will try an get a blog post up Tuesday night (with new pics) but I hope y'all will forgive me if I don't get anything posted next week  other that a 2 line post announcing the event.

So I thing that wraps it  up for this week, thanks for reading, and as always thanks for the thoughts, prayers and support.

Adjusting to the changes…

Hello all, I know I am a few days later than normal but at least it is this week.

One of the neatest things about losing this much weight is that you lose weight in parts of your body that you never pictured as fat or had thought of as a place to lose weight.  I mentioned a few weeks back about having to get a spacer for my wedding ring because my fingers were getting to skinny.  I also mentioned that the side of my head, just above the ears seems to be thinner now.  Well this week I have noticed that my feet are shrinking.  I had read about that happening and knew it eventually would but now watching it happen is strange. 

I find I have to re-tie my laces and tighten them down more every few days and for some reason they seem to be coming untied more than normal right now, not sure why.  Luckily I have lost enough that bending over to retie them isn’t as much as a chore as it used to be (that’s right, I was so fat that tying my shoes without sitting down to do it used to be challenging).

I can’t put into words how great I feel (and I know it will only get better as I continue to lose).  However I recently have been given reminders by my body that I am still big and fat and out of shape.  I have been working out a lot recently and while most of me feels great after a good workout (I don’t even really get sore much after a good lifting workout). My ankles, However, which have been under massive amounts of stress for years, seem to always be sore from the added stress of a lot of walking, jogging and working on elipticals.  I am working on strengthening my ankles and I know they will get better as I continue to lose but right now having just this one part continually feeling achy when everything else feels great is really frustrating.

I am finally at the point where I am experiencing the inevitable “problem” that all successful gastric bypass patients eventually experience, that being that I am running out of some categories of clothes.  In this case it is dress pants and jeans.  The thing is that I need to get new pants but don’t want to buy (or pay) for “new” when it will also not fit in just a few months.  So the other day we to the first of what  I am sure will be many trips to Savers and found a good pair of dress pants and a good pair of jeans (I would have been set if I had a 29 inch inseam). 

My closet continues to empty out.  I also continue to add some smaller clothes that I bought a few years back when I tried a traditional diet, lost some, bought clothes I figured I would be shrinking into and then gained weight back before fitting into.

The scale continues to move in the right direction (although I know I will have to deal with another plateau at some point) and I am down to 322, another 4 pounds gone forever. I am thinking I should hit 315 in the next week or so which will be 100 pounds lost (can't believe I have nearly lost a hundred pounds), which of course means more pictures so be looking for those shortly.

I said I would try and update this blog every week and I do intend to try.  However, as I am sure you can imagine, becoming a parent for the first time could mess that up a bit. So I will try and stay current but hope y’all understand and don’t miss me too much if I miss a week or two in the next few weeks.

Which of course, brings me to the pregnancy update.  Mother and baby seem to be doing ok and Evren is still moving a lot.  One complication is that Evren is currently in a butt down breach position.  They are going to try and manually manipulate him into a head down position on Friday and if they can’t they will schedule us for a cesarean the following week. 

That brings this post to an end.  Thanks for reading, and of course, thanks for the prayers, thoughts and support.

Where did all this energy come from…

So, I got to help my brother Matthew on a very exciting day this weekend.  My brother and his family are the deserving recipients of a Habitat for Humanity home.  This Saturday was move in day.  I have helped my brother and his family move a bunch (some might think that moving was Rachel’s favorite pastime).  In the past I would try to help out as much as I could but would get winded after a few boxes and I would try and avoid any heavy lifting of furniture or appliances if I could help it.  Frankly I was slightly more than worthless when it came to helping someone move.  I tried; I just didn’t have the stamina.

Saturday was different.  My brother and his family have accumulated a lot of stuff.  We filled his U-Haul twice, a pickup truck twice and four minivans worth (and they still have some to move).  I was energetic most of the day handling my fair share of boxes and doing my share of the heavy lifting as well.  I also helped set up some of the furniture.  Granted at the end of the day I was really beat, but it was one of those rewarding tired feelings.

My stack of clothes that I have shrunk out of continues to grow and even though I have some smaller clothes that are starting to fit I am fast approaching the point where I am going to have to buy some new clothes, especially for work.  I am hoping I can find some stuff at a thrift store that will work; I really don’t want to spend the money on new threads just to shrink out of them after a few months.

The pounds are still falling off of me at an impressive rate; I am down to 326 this week, which is another 5 pounds in a week. I am quickly approaching the 100 pounds lost milestone, closely followed by my halfway point in this journey at 110 pounds lost and the 300 pound barrier. I already have gone from having a 4 as my first digit to a 3 and I can’t wait to see a 2 as the first digit.

I have really enjoyed doing this blog.  At first I just figured I would have just a few people read it here and there but that it would mostly be a journal for me to just have a record of my journey.  I have been amazed by the response I have received from doing this.  I have had several people tell me how inspiring my story has been to them in them deciding to try and lose some weight.  One thing I am really excited about is that there are two of my coworkers have actually decided to go to the informational seminar my surgeon does and are seriously contemplating having the surgery themselves (good luck Dennis and Ursula). 

Now to my wife and soon arriving son.  April is doing better now that she is off work.  Her blood pressure still spikes from time to time when she does too much but it quickly comes back down as soon as she rests. We are one day short of 36 weeks, 4 weeks to go to the official due date but based on family history Evren could decide to show up at any time (in any case I want him to be healthy but can’t wait for him  to get here).

That about does it for this week, thanks for reading, and as always thanks for the prayers, thoughts and support.