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Introduction Text My name is Paul. I have been a Spark People member for many years. I have bounced up and down most of that time. I am now confined to a wheelchair due to chronic pain and chronic back and knee issues. I decided about two months ago to go to a weight loss seminar. I have to tell you, I have been very skeptical of weight loss surgery for many years. I have seen friends and family members who have had it done that lost incredible amounts of weight and looked amazing.... only to stretch out their pouches and gain all their weight back plus some. If that happened to them, what would be my chances of being successful? But like everything else in life, if you believe that it will work, and you stay committed to it in your mind, then you will be successful. However, if you do it just to lose weight but your mind set is not that it is a permanent lifestyle change and you are not committed to it, then it is going to fail 99% of the time. Going into this seminar. I was looking for something that would help me make the necessary lifestyle changes that would be a permanent solution, One that would help me be as healthy as I can living in a wheelchair. And maybe... just maybe after I lose the weight, the chronic conditions will subside to a point that I could learn to walk again. When the seminar started, the weight loss surgery they were talking about that day was one I had never heard of, the Bariatric Sleeve. The more I listened, the more I knew I had found what I was looking for. Then the doctor started explaining the procedure, the benefits, all the good things I was looking for and he also talked about how to make it successful. I realized I had a lot of the techniques in place, they needed to be fine tuned.... but I also knew I needed the extra assistance..... and this procedure was actually very exciting to me. Still a little unsure, the doctor came over to me and sat down and proceeded to have a personal conversation with me, answering all my questions. Then I watched as he did the same thing for anybody who wanted to talk. He has an amazing personality and i clicked with him. My wife set up an appointment and we went to have out initial visit. By then, there was not one doubt in my mind, I WANTED to have this procedure. I have now had all the blood work and testing done. Yesterday we met with the Nutritionist. Now everything is being submitted to my insurance for approval for a mid June surgery. I AM SO EXCITED!! I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to have found everything that clicks into place for me to finally make all the lifestyle changes to make me the healthiest that I have ever been in my life... as I have been overweight since the age of 5. My highest weight ever was 475!! My lowest weight since I first joined Spark was 310. I will be overjoyed to share with all of you my journey, including successes and roadblocks, and to reach my goal weight which I know is obtainable with this lifestyle change and surgery, I hope you will join me on my journey. If you have any questions about the procedure, the changes during the weight loss, I will gladly let you know how it all goes. My beautiful wife determined_me will also be able to reach her goals as she will be joining me in every aspect of this journey except the surgery at this point, hopefully she won't have to have the surgery. Thanks for reading and have a healthy day!! I REACHED MY GOAL WEIGHT IN LESS THAN A YEAR ON 5/25/2017!!!!

My ultimate weight loss goal is 199 [x ]340- [x ]330-. [x]320- [x]310- 7-22-16 [x ]300- 8/11-16 [x ]290- 9/1/16 [X ]280- 9/22/16 [X ]270- 10/13/16 [X ]260- 11/3/16 [X]250- 11/24/16 [X ]240- 12/16/16 [X ]230- 1/6/17 [X ]220- 2/9/17 [X]210- 3/22/17 [X]200- 4/26/17 [X]GOAL 185-195 - 5/25/2017 in less than a year!!!!!!

1) 1250-1500 calories per day is all i can eat with a much smaller stomach. Proteins and greens 2) To support my wife on our journey 3 )Be able to get out of my wheelchair and learn to walk again

I'm an 80's music eficianado as well as oldies and country I am married to Determined_Me, a father of 4 children ages 27, 25, 14 and 9 and a grandfather of 2 boys, one that is 6 years old and one that is 4 1/2 years old I have lived in Washington for 22+ years but am a true blue Texas boy.

Who's better than you??? NOBODY!!!!!

Add a Link I am the healthiest I have ever been in my life! I have more energy than i know what to do with at times. I can't believe that I was on the brink of death, living in a wheelchair unable to do things for myself. Surgery saved my life!
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