Posted on 01/13/2010 4:22:25 PM PST by SandRat
1/13/2010 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Mike Porter is about half the man he used to be.
His weight reduction is due in large part to an Air Force bariatric surgery program, plus eating healthy, weightlifting and running. Surgery changed the retired master sergeant's life.
"I'd been trying to lose weight for about four years," said Mr. Porter, who's shrunk from a peak of 334 pounds and a 46-inch waist down to 198 pounds with a 34-inch waist. "Nothing was working. I'd lose five pounds, just to gain back 10."
He was doing aerobic exercises, but his diet, the missing link, was killing the 12th Force Support Squadron assistant lodging manager. He thought he could eat whatever he wanted, workout and lose the weight.
"I was just spinning my wheels," he said. "My eating habits were the worst. I'd eat a nine-piece bucket of fried chicken and drink eight sodas a day. I was too heavy to run."
He asked for help, after a Sunday school session in which he told classmates his lack of self-discipline was hurting him.
"I used to think when I walked down the street, people would view me as fat and disapprove of my appearance. That's the image of myself that I had in my mind," he said. "So, I got frustrated. I asked myself, 'Does God really care?' And I went to church and discussed my battle with my weight with others in the group."
The next day, he found a pamphlet concerning the Air Force's bariatric surgery program on his desk, and later watched a movie about the surgery. The movie described two prerequisites for the program were the prohibition of caffeine and soda.
"I drank my last Coke that day," Mr. Porter said.
Up next was a psychological test and a physical, where he found out his heart was ok. But his blood pressure read hypertension, his cholesterol numbers were high and Type II diabetes was about to set in. His physicians studied his sleep patterns and diagnosed him with sleep apnea.
With all of those weight-induced issues, it was no surprise to Mr. Porter that he was approved for the bariatric surgery at Wilford Hall Medical Center located nearby at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
"My doctors told me that a gastric bypass couldn't be used as a total solution for weight loss," Mr. Porter said. "Instead, it would merely be a tool to help me jump-start my weight loss. In the meantime, I had to learn how to eat healthy, fist-sized portioned meals five times a day, run and lift weights."
"The procedure requires a lot of work-up prior to the surgery," said Maj. (Dr.) Richard Peterson, the WHMC chief of bariatric and advanced laparoscopic surgery. "Patients are required to have attempted, at minimum, six months of a supervised weight loss program. All patients undergo extensive testing, including sleep studies, cardiac risk stratification, psychological evaluation, laboratory studies and evaluation by the treating surgeon. Once patients complete this, they are explained all the risks of surgery and undergo a two-week high-protein, low-carbohydrate liquid diet before their surgical procedure."
Doctor Peterson said in 99 percent of patients, the surgery is done laparoscopically, with small incisions and a camera. Patients are required to then stay in the hospital for two days before returning home where they recuperate for two weeks.
"Two weeks after my surgery, I picked up running at the Rambler Fitness Center, building up to run the Carraba's Half-Marathon," Mr. Porter said. "I did it in 2:38. Now I'm running 10 minute, 30 second miles. I told my boss, Terrye Heagerty, my goal was to do the Rambler 120 in 2009. I did it.
"So many people don't recognize me," he continued. "I feel better, have more confidence and am validated more by others."
Today, Mr. Porter's cholesterol numbers are down to 151. The days of eating fried chicken and chocolate candy are no longer options. He meets with a support group for bariatric surgery patients and eats boneless, skinless chicken breasts and tuna.
"All told, I eat about 90 grams of protein a day," Mr. Porter said.
"I have no regrets; none at all," Mr. Porter said. "I've been given a second chance at health and I don't want to blow it. I'm 54 years old and can't wait to get to the gym. Sometimes I have so much energy, it's unbelievable."
His doctor has noticed the changes too.
"Mike is one of our star patients and his success is well deserved," Doctor Peterson said. "What stands out about him is his determination, motivation and adherence to the principles of a post bariatric lifestyle. By virtue of his success, he's one of our best recruiting assets and is an educator for all bariatric patients. It's because he knows the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed after surgery."
I applaud his success, but the way he achieved it reminds me of these new-age detective stories, where the stupid perp leaves his DNA at the crime scene and the only real work done by the detectives is to forward the sample to the lab and pick him up when the results come back.
I lost 140 pounds through diet and exercise, and a lot of prayer. The diet is the hard part.
** 95% of people who lose weight gain it all back and **more**!
** The type of diet has absolutely no relationship with whether or not a person is able to keep that weight off. No matter what the diet or exercise program 95% of the people gain the weight back and **more**!
**Some of the studies reported that people who do lose weight suffer hunger. They even dream about food and the sensation of hunger is nearly continuous and every minute of their day is a battle to overcome hunger.
** The only thing that works is surgery. Why? Because surgery has significant effects on the levels of the more than 15 hunger hormones that drive people to eat.
Ok...Now for my personal experience:
I lost 85 lbs about 4 years ago. I have gained 15 lbs back. Every minute of every day is a living hell with hunger. If there are food issues in heaven I am LEAVING. Hell couldn't be worse.
I eat 1,200 calories a day. I ski 5 days a week. During the summer I go to the gym, mountain bike, or hike every day.
And..No!...I don't want to hear about your “magic” diet. I have tried it already. None work. None reduce or take away the constant hunger.
my sister had that surgery and suffered the remainder of her life because of it. when they did the surgery, she almost died from a blood clot. there were times becasue of complications where she could only chew the food to get whatever nutrition she could and then had to spit it out. she gained quite a bit of her weight back later in life in spite of the surgery.
do you think you might be insulin resistant? i have heard that if you take a drug like metformin, it alleviates the hunger and cravings and enables your body to better handle the insulin again.
We lost F.R. member “Texas Flower” a few years back, from complications from gastric bypass. I still miss her.
I have done a lot without surgery. I was at 315, I am now at 250, working on 240, goal of 220. I eat mostly fruits, veggies, and lean meat. Cholesterol is now at 143, Triglicerides at 160, blood sugar getting under control. I am 55 years old. I walk between 12 and 15 miles a week, and I bike ride when it isn’t raining (about three days a year in Seattle:>)
Personally, I think you are starving yourself. That much activity requires more calories, otherwise you stay in a STARVED mode. I eat between 2500 and 3000 calories a day, and still losing weight. I lose about 1/2 pound to 1 pound a week.
When I go above 1600 to 1800 calories a day I see it the very next day on the scale. It is immediate, and it takes weeks of effort to get rid of it.
My doctor was in the same situation. He strived HARD to keep his weight at a certain level... to the same extent you are. Later, he gained a little weight (about 10 pounds), and said that he never felt better, that he had more energy and stamina, and he actually looked better (He didn’t look like Skelator anymore).
I don’t know if you are male or female, weigh 98 pounds or 260, but you need to find a weight that your body accepts. For most of us, that may be higher than society accepts. I would rather be happy than starving.
There are methods that will allow you to determine how many calories you burn a day. Try several and use an average. According to my weight, I burn an average of 3000 calories a day BEFORE exercising, so when I eat right and exercise, I still lose weight. The secret is in changing your eating habits to accomodate the calories you burn.
That is sad about Texas Flower. I was in the hospital once in a bed next to a woman who had gastric bypass surgery. She had no visitors nor advocates. She suffered terribly and they would not answer her calls. I couldn’t get out of bed to help her and she was moaning in pain. It was horrible.
So when my teen son came to visit me after school I asked him to wait on her and chase nurses down. At one point after being ignored by nurses, he went into the corridor and shouted: “I’m calling channel 7 if you don’t help Beth within the next five minutes!” Beth laughed so hard - and laughing hurt like hell! But two nurses came running in and it got better for Beth after that.
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