ardbeg
Date____Lbs_Chng_Cum_Fat%
2/13/07 375.0 ----- ----- 56.0 (highest measured weight)
3/26/07 350.0 -25 -25.0 52.0 (surgery date)
4/02/07 339.0 -11 -36.0 50.2
4/09/07 331.6 -7.4 -43.4 48.0
4/16/07 325.4 -6.2 -49.6 46.8
4/23/07 317.2 -8.2 -57.8 46.0
4/30/07 313.0 -4.2 -62.0 44.4
5/06/07 306.8 -6.2 -68.2 43.2
5/13/07 306.0 -0.8 -69.0 43.0
5/20/07 299.2 -6.8 -75.8 42.0
5/27/07 296.4 -2.8 -78.6 41.0
6/03/07 294.0 -2.4 -81.0 40.6
6/10/07 288.0 -6.0 -87.0 39.4
6/17/07 287.4 -0.6 -87.6 39.0
6/24/07 287.0 -0.4 -88.0 38.0
7/01/07 282.0 -5.0 -93.0 38.9
7/08/07 282.0 -0.0 -93.0 38.0
7/15/07 273.6 -8.4 -101.4 36.8
7/22/07 274.0 +0.4 -101.0 35.9
7/29/07 271.0 -3.0 -104.0 35.5
8/5/07 270.0 -1.0 -105.0 33.8
8/12/07 266.6 -3.4 -108.4 34.0
8/19/07 259.8 -6.8 -115.2 32.8
8/26/07 258.6 -1.2 -116.4 32.5
9/02/07 255.0 -3.6 -120.0 32.1
9/09/07 250.8 -4.2 -124.2 31.5
9/16/07 248.2 -2.6 -126.8 31.0
9/23/07 243.8 -4.4 -131.2 30.5
9/30/07 242.6 -1.2 -132.4 29.7
10/7/07 236.2 -6.4 -138.8 28.9
10/14/07 232.4 -3.8 -142.6 27.2
10/21/07 230.4 -2.0 -144.6 26.4
10/28/07 228.6 -2.8 -146.4 25.5
11/4/07 230.8 +2.2 -144.2 25.3
11/11/07 226.2 -4.6 -148.8 24.9
11/18/07 227.0 +0.8 -148.0 25.4
11/25/07 223.6 -3.4 -151.4 24.1
12/2/07 222.4 -1.2 -152.6 24.0
12/9/07 218.4 -4.0 -156.6 25.0
12/16/07 221.4 +3.0 -153.6 24.6
12/23/07 222.4 +1.0 -152.6 24.5
12/30/07 223.4 +1.0 -151.6 24.8
1/06/08 223.4 -0.0 -151.6 25.0
1/13/08 223.4 -0.0 -151.6 25.0
1/20/08 223.4 -0.0 -151.6 25.0
1/27/08 223.4 -0.0 -151.6 24.8
2/03/08 221.4 -2.0 -153.6 24.6
2/10/08 217.4 -4.0 -157.6 24.4
2/17/08 214.2 -3.2 -160.8 23.9
2/24/08 212.2 -2.0 -162.8 23.4
3/02/08 213.0 +0.8 -162.0 22.1
3/09/08 211.2 -1.8 -163.8 22.6
3/16/08 210.2 -1.0 -164.8 22.5
3/23/08 208.8 -1.4 -166.2 22.4
My story is that I got really fat and needed surgery. I'm actually pretty good at losing weight on my own. I've lost 70 pounds or more several times, each time with some diet and a lot of exercise. I'm also really good at gaining weight. I once gained over 100 pounds in a calendar year, January to December. Obviously, I don't do New Year's resolutions. And each big loss has been followed by a bigger gain.
I figured my body couldn't take many more of these ups and downs without suffering serious damage, so I needed this time to be permanent. The fear of regain has discouraged me from even trying to lose again for the last few years. I wish I had whatever it takes to do it "on my own" and maintain the loss, but I decided that at some point I had to accept who I am and do my best to be healthier in light of what I can and cannot change. Thus, WLS.
My "theory" of the surgery is that it will assist me in attaining a good body composition and maintaining it for some time. I will work really hard to reach my goals, even if the surgery by itself leaves me a bit short. But I anticipate that I might become complacent again and regain. My hope, then, is that the surgery will restrict the pace of any gain, allowing me time to see and respond to the problem before it becomes daunting. And what I can and will change about myself is how far I will let that slide go before resuming work-mode. At this stage, WLS will allow me to get back to my goals with serious (but not insurmountable) effort, only to start over again. Maybe the swings won't be eliminated, but they will be dampened, and take place at a safer baseline. If I can do this much, as years pass I will work on other aspects of my behavior, which may eventually result in stability.
Some people probably think this theory is a preemptive concession to failure. For some personalities, that might be true. For me, I believe it is a realistic accommodation of who I am and my health needs. I could say now that I plan to lose X pounds "forever" and completely overhaul everything about my habits. That would sound better now. But that wouldn't help me a lot in the likely event that this didn't come to pass. (Honestly, if I was capable of this sort of wholesale transformation, I wouldn't be getting surgery. And I've seen the 5-year and 10-year statistics that suggest WLS doesn't change that.) I am prepared mentally for the obstacles that may come later. So they won't be devastating; they'll just be part of the journey.
To hold myself accountable, I plan to post my progress here every 1-2 weeks until I meet my goals, and then at least bimonthly thereafter, indefinitely. To the extent anyone who reads this takes an interest, you can help. If you see that it's been a while since I've updated, write me and yell at me. Say whatever you want; call me names. I won't hold a grudge. It is appreciated.
I don't have a goal weight or a goal BMI. My goal is 19% or less body fat. Studies suggest this is a better predictor of long term health than BMI, particularly for men, whose muscle mass can vary greatly. Prior weight loss suggests I could get there as high as the 220s, but that is based on a heavy weight lifting routine. My weight may need to be much lower. I will definitely lift weights during the loss phase in order to stave off the significant muscle loss many WLS patients suffer, but I'm not interested in (nor opposed to) being "big." As of May 5, 2007, I am projecting a goal weight of 191.1.
