As the title suggests, I have had people say I have taken the easy way out on losing weight. You guessed it, I have had weight loss surgery, gastric bypass to be exact. I am going to go over the last nearly four months fairly quick so pay attention. The half a year leading up to surgery wasn't bad but once a month I visited with a weight loss medical doctor, one who supervises your diet and meds if needed, dietician and a psychologist to be approved by the insurance I had at the time. All leading up to having a one day class with other people having surgery, it was mainly what to expect while in the hospital for your stay and going over nutrition and vitamins you need to take afterwards. Then you have a pre surgery visit to make sure you are a good candidate for surgery, they REALLY don't want you to die on the table.
  Fast foward to Feb 5th 2013 10:00 am. There I am standing in a surgical gown hooked to various fluids and IV's. I weighed 454 lbs, I was so upset at myself because I got to this situation. I, like most people who have this done, came to the realization a long time ago we did this to ourselves. I wanted to actually cry because of how I looked at that moment. I knew it was about to change and I was happy about that, but inside I felt like I had failed myself in how I ate and lived daily. 10:05 started our walk back with the nurse to the OR, left my family in the waiting room to basically... well... wait. I remember lying down on the table and saying it was cold in the room, next thing I know I am hurting like hell waking up in recovery.
  I will not lie to you I woke up in an immense amount of pain, they can not give you pain killers until you are awake. Once I was awake for about ten to 15 minutes they wheeled me up to my room. They found every bump and crack on the way to the room, which josteled everything inside which still hurt. I was allowed to relax for about an hour once in the room. At that point the nurse, who I am sure would have made a good drill instructor in the Army said it was time to go for a walk to help the healing. Its only 2pm, woman do you not know what they did to me?! Are you kidding?! Well, she wasn't and I slowly got out of bed, that took what seemed like ten minutes, but was probably only a minute. I was not allowed any help to stand the first time or at any point, had to be all by myself.
  Now the Pain was not too bad at this point, they had given me pain killers and an anti-inflammatory that helped a lot. I did have trouble staying awake the first day but that was expected. The second day was more of a sore pain not a direct I am dying pain. I was cleared to start "eating" full liquids, soups, cheese, yogurts and SF(sugar free) jello and popsicles. More walking, and walking and walking.
  Now the first month was nothing but full liquids, I am so sick of yogurt right now. You have no idea how much. I dropped weight very quickly, when you only eat 2 ounces (the size of 2 McDonalds ketchup cups) and felt like you had eaten at a buffet for the last five hours. I know I dropped roughly 35 pounds in the first month, I really am not sure I tried to stay off the scale unless I really wanted to know. The second month was when it started to get a little harder, I was back to work and eating soft solids. Ground meats, scrambled eggs and the like not much else. Those first few months its protein al the time no carbs those start coming in slowly in month three when you also start eating three ounces.
  I have had several emotional setbacks, but nothing I wasn't expecting. Like when the rest of the family wanted to go out to eat at my favorite places and I am eating a small piece of chicken. I knew that was going to happen, but you still cannot prepare for it when it does hit you. Needless to say I am closing in on the 100 pound mark. As of this morning I am one pound shy. I am in the gym four to five times a week which is helping. I have support from everyone around me and if they cannot support me then they aren't in my life anymore. This is hard, no lies. There is no easy way in this. I have to take vitamins  daily and drink protein shakes the rest of my life. I get a B-12 shot, which my wife loves to give me, once a month. I have really bad gas all the time, and I am constipated far more than before the surgery. I would not have done it any other way. I am feeling better every day. I have more energy to do the things I like doing. If you read to this point you know, I didn't take an easy way out, if you know me you know it has been a hard trip. It is worth every moment. I have my life back, and I am not looking behind me anymore.