I've gotten serious.

Hello everyone.

This is my first time visiting the forums here.

I've been using MFP for about a week now. I started using it to help ensure that I take my vitamins & supplements, but it has become so much more now.

I've been overweight for quite some time. In fact, right before my daughter was born I weighed a nice 199 lbs. at 6'4". Then, right after she was born I got up to 250 lbs.

Sympathy pregnancy weight gain, I guess. Well, that and family genes. All the men in my family pack on weight in their 20's, and if they don't keep extremely active....well, they get heavy.

I carried that weight for a while. 250 wasn't so bad. But then, in '97 I had an accident. A year later I developed some issues that complicated my life. They caused me to become more sedentary. So I put on more weight. I got up to around 300 lbs.

Fast forward several more years. Those complications get worse/return. My life grinds to a halt and I pack on even more weight. At that point I'm somewhere between 425 and 450. I didn't know the exact weight because I couldn't find a scale that would go high enough.....even at my doctor's office.

I finally couldn't take it anymore. I was wearing 6XLTs and my pants were 56".

Between my neurologist and my best friends I had finally decided on having a Gastric Sleeve done. (Unfortunately, due to my condition I cannot do rigorous exercise. So even most aerobics is out of the question for me.) Now, even before deciding on doing this, I had been making some changes in my life - I changed:

• How I was preparing my foods (less frying, more grilling)
• My portions (making the smaller)
• What ingredients I used (olive oil instead butter, making my own dishes instead of boxed meals (like Rice-A-Roni), etc.)

So, before I even went to see a doctor about having this procedure done, I had lost about 70 pounds all on my own!

Then I went to see a doctor/surgeon about having a gastric procedure done. I chose the Gastric Sleeve, and he agreed with my choice. It suited my needs - I simply needed to loose weight and manage it. So an appointment was scheduled.

Well, my family lives about 200 miles away from me and I can't drive. So before my surgery I take a train trip to go visit them...well, because "just in case." And what do you know? I come back home and I get bronchitis. The surgery is delayed. For 3 months.

So I reschedule. Once again, I go to visit my family....because "just in case." And guess what? I get home and I have a double ear infection in both ears. The surgery is delayed again for another 3 months.

I came to the conclusion that my family makes me sick.

Told my surgeon what was happening, he rescheduled my surgery and then forbade me from visiting my family....hehe.

By the time I had my surgery I had lost about another 30 lbs! Granted, I was sick for 6 months, but hey, I was loosing weight.

After I had the surgery I followed the instructions they gave me to the 'T.' I still do. In fact, I was told that in the first month after the surgery the average person loses approximately 20 lbs. I lost 26 lbs....in the first week! They called me an over-achiever.

The day before my surgery I weighed 358 lbs. That was in September of this year. A little over a week ago I was weighed in at my doctor's office for a regular check up. With my jeans and a t-shirt on I came in at 247 lbs. Oh, and I'm now 6'1". Yeah, I've lost 3" over the last couple of decades. But I'll take that with the weight loss.

Now that I'm here, I'm using MFP to track what I'm eating. At first I was just using it to help ensure I would take my vitamins and supplements. But soon I'm going to be purchasing a fitness tracker and integrating that into my routine. (I'm looking at the Microsoft Band and Jawbone Up3. I'm leaning towards the Band - from what I understand it has a better Sleep Tracking function than the Up3, which is important for me.)

For exercise, right now I'm using Disney's Fantasia: Music Evolved on the Xbox One to get some stretching exercise in. I'm treating it like Tai Chi, and it is giving me a pretty good work out for what I'm able to do. Tomorrow evening I'll be going to a local martial arts studio that may have some Tai Chi classes. If they do, I'll see if I can sign up for them.

As far as my condition goes, I haven't been able to work in almost 10 years. But I've recently contacted the Dept. of Rehabilitation in my state and I'm looking at going back to college, hopefully this fall. (My fingers are crossed.) If I do go back (I actually should say when), I'll pick up a swimming class so I can get some low impact exercise going that will work me out. And with that I'll probably pick up a Misfit Flash to integrate with MFP as well. (I'll just have to make sure that the step counters between the two trackers don't cross over each other...if I can. Anyone have an idea on that?)

As far as my goals go....I've actually hit my personally goal. I wanted to get below 250 lbs and I have. When I set that goal I said anything past that would be "gravy." My doctor said he wanted me between 225 and 200, and I said "that's too thin, I'll be happy at 250."

Now that I'm here....I want to be at 200 - 225.