I would like to take all the credit but I had lapband surgery on 08-10-09. The band is a tool and does not do the work for you, I still have to follow a diet and spend a hour plus in the gym 6 days a week. The first pic is the last weekend in July 2009. The second was taken tonight in the same clothes. I fell like a different person. I still have a long way to go, another 150lbs or so but it will come.





Jerry

Awesome job, Jerry! Keep up the great work!

That's a hell of an achievement Jerry! Good on ya!

That's outstanding Jerry! Congratulations and well done!

OUTSTANDING!

Keep up the good work Jerry!

-Skater

Great job Jerry.. Looking forward to future updates!

Congrats!

Keep up the good work mate.

You look like a different man Jerry!

Great job. You have defied the odds.....

Great job, and all the best going forward!

Awesome, keep up the good work!

That's amazing. Really great job with sticking to it.

Awesome! Great going there!

Well done !

Awesome! I'm looking to lose a few pounds myself, hoping to get rid of the gut and get back a flat abs and maybe strengthen my back muscles as well; I've been having back pains recently, though it may be due to stress more than work.

Tell me, did you have someone plan your gym/workout routine, or did you just do it yourself?

that is awesome, keep up the great work. You must feel so much better!

Superb effort!

Keep up the good work!

good job bro. i have also been on a quest to lose weight. i'm down 9lbs and keepin on truckin!

you're about halfway there, and you did it damned quickly. keep going!! good job buddy!

but save money for all the new clothing you'll have to buy, man is that a pain in the ass! i have a rack full of pants i can't wear anymore without looking like an urban thug with pants around my knees

Way to go, man! Looking good...

Friggin' AWESOME.

WTG Jerry! Keep up the good work.

Outstanding SpongeBob!

BZ

Cool Spongebob. Good work! As someone trying to lose weight and get fitter this is highly motivating to see.

WTG Spongebob.


Wheels

How much did you pay for the lapband? My father is seriously obese. I'm desperately trying to get him the surgery.

Wait a minute. You mean *the* lapband? As in lapband.com?

I built that site!

Congratulations on your progress too!

One in the same Corsair!

PM inbound Timothy.

You know, I sort of wondered if all the testimonials were real or bs, and now at least I know someone where it's worked.

You gotta work with it. If you eat the wrong foods and dont exercise its ont gonna work. I know if I had done that to begin with I would be in this shape. I have last weight in the past but is always creeps back. I think I am GTG this time. Went to a "support group" tonight, woman had surgery month before me and is gaining weight but she admitted to eating the wrong foods and using liquids to "wash" food through so she could eat more. It was right for me and I credit it for saving my marriage and my life. My career too would be my guess.

Jerry

Sounds like a bunch of good reasons. Great that you recognized it early enough to be proactive about it.. We are proud of ya' man..!

Besides I looked at all of your adventure pics and they looked like fun Beach

Very inspiring!! Great job man!

Well I spent the first week of Feb at a all inclusive resort in mexico. I was worried that I gained weight as good food a drink were everywhere. I also never managed to find the gym at the resort, I did find all six resturants along with all four of the bars they offer! So I bit the bullet and went to weigh today, down another there to 341 for a total of 109 lost! I guess short breaks are ok as long as they don't turn into long breaks! And another result I got some routine blood work back my triglycerides are down to 190, they were 439 in June Still need to come down but that is progress.

Jerry

P.S. Probably still to big to fly Southwest airlines though.

That's great Jerry. The great thing about weight-loss is that it can be somewhat self-sustaining once you get on the program and STAY with the program. You build muscle, which eats calories at all hours, and your metabolism increases and that can help you coast through the periods when you blow it out...

Keep up the good work!

You lost more than my wife weighs!

Truly fantastic; keep up the good work.

excellent work,

Look at that smile you oughta be proud of yourself.

I lost 35 lbs before I got married, and gained it ALL back lol

Congrats Spongebob.
Keep up the good work.


Wheels

My nutritionist sent me some pics she took in July


and one my wife took tonight



05-23-10


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

side



and side tonight



05-23-10



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Last weighed last week and I was down 111 lbs, will weigh again friday.

And THIS is what it is all for, this is from the zoo monday. Its great to be able to take him again!



Jerry

Really man,

Congratulations and keep up the good work.

Peter.

Eventually you'll have to change your nick to Squidward, though.



Fantastic effort!

That's just freaking great!!!!

Good work there Jerry!

I am in a weight loss process as well. I started about 2 months ago and have been eating alot less, and alot better. No more fried food, no more mexican (which is hard in San Antonio!) and alot more fruites and veggis. I want to get back to 160-170. I started out at 247 and this morning I weighed in at 224. 23 lbs lost!!! In fact, this morning I am wearing slacks I have never been able to wear because the wife bought me the wrong size. Boy does it feel good! And what started me off was this thread! Thanks for the encouragement!

Excellent! I work in endocrinology and we are always reading papers about the benefits of weight reduction on metabolic diseases. Keep up the good work! I am sure it is hard, but you are a SimHQ member and that makes you ready for any challenge!!

Wow, nothing like time-lapse to drive the point home, eh?
Bloody fantastic Sponge.

Congrats, SpongeBob55.

About two years ago I weighed in at a little over 260 lbs., it took me ~14 mths. to get down to my lowest at 180 lbs. Last August my wife and I went on a cruise to celebrate her job transfer (getting us back "home") and my weight loss. I actually lost 2 more lbs. on the cruise (amazing what willpower you have when, eh...romance becomes more important to you than food! )! Also, that cruise was the first time I took my shirt off in public since Pensacola, 1988! Still had a slight bit of flab on the sides but hell I'm 42 so I'm allowed a little, right?

Unfortunately, coming home from that cruise has been a different story. The past six months or so has completely thrown off our routine (my wife and I use to run every morning...when we had paved roads and a paved driveway, also we worked out with weights together 3x a week). With moving to another state and selling and buying a house, we've been living out of suitcases and eating for convenience. We've also had to kennel the dogs a lot, not only has this been depressing but I was missing the daily exercise.

I've put 30 of those pounds back on and it SUCKS! I can't even look at those cruise pics, and I've even been avoiding this thread until now, not wanting to think about it. But that's not right, not to congratulate others just because I'm in a bad way right now.

We are settling down and at least my eating is back to being healthy. I've stopped the damage at 210 lbs. and now I’m slowly taking it down (meant to stop it a 199 lbs. but it's like a freight train, it doesn’t just stop overnight). Fortunately my wife only gained back about 2 lbs. of the 20 lbs. or so she lost (she only wants to lose 5 more, she's naturally thin at ~115 lbs.).

I never reached my goal of a 32" waist and now I'm having to backtrack ~30 lbs. before continuing, but my eating is back to being healthy now and after we finish unpacking and getting the house in order we'll get back to our workouts.

Keep it up, SpongeBob55! Never give up the fight! I felt what it was like to be thin (almost) if for a short time and it's a constant high, just the way the Mrs. looks at you across the table as if she hardly recoginzes you from the person you were. It's such a freggin' rush feeling that you have control of your life! And one more thing…working out with your significant other, it's hard and sometimes painful but is SUCH a turn on! It's like being in the ultimate support group, doing it together helps to push you to your limits.

Jerry, what do you to curb your appetite?

The Bayou is a hard place to eat healthy, especially now that we live near family who love to eat. At home I'm ok, but away from home it's tough. I use bananas, even taking them with me (wife will stash some in her purse). I'll eat a banana or two (often in the car) ~30 min. before I eat with a group or at someone's house. Not that I love bananas but I do like them and they're filling. So if the meal is crap (in an unhealthy way), at least I don't eat as much.

Also, the most convenient fast food to our house is Taco Bell, about 20 min. away. I'll usually get two $.99 chicken soft tacos to go. If I ate them there (which I have been doing until recently) I'd need at least four to fill up, but at home I only need two. I stuff them suckers with diced tomato, black olives, avocado slices and a little fat-free sour cream. I double their size but with good stuff.

Same with a BK $.99 Double Cheeseburger, I only need one to fill up at home. I add lettuce, couple slices of tomatoes, onion, big pickle and sometimes even sautéed mushrooms.

That's WHEN I do fast food which I try to avoid, and it's worked for me.

What's your tricks?

++++++++++

EDIT: I found one of my old threads with many food pics...

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ub...tml#Post2718167

That's what I'm trying to get back to 100%.

Changing your username might help.

To curb my appetite between meals I drink water, alot of water. I drink 4 liters a day now. I have not had fastfood, even subway since July and plan to never again. Go to their web sites and look at the nutrition info, its all bad. BK $.99 Double Cheese Burger One thing I have done is to get out of the "going on a diet" mindset. If you go on a diet you will go off a diet, at least I will. I have changed the way I live entirely, I had too. I honestly dont miss the "good" food at all. I eat a max of 1200 cal a day now(That will make you frown at a Shiner Bock ). I work out everyday, no excuses unless my wife is at work and I am watching our son then we go to the park and walk weather permitting. That being said I know what you guys are saying. Thanks for the support, support is the key. Mark, Ripper keep fighting.

Jerry

I have a hard time drinking enough water, it was much easier when I was running and working out. Nice that the weather is turning warmer, that will help.

Jerry, I agree...no formal diet for me either. Although I have the occasional fast food indulgence, I still take it home and fix it up, thus I eat only half of that terrible nutrition info you quoted (vs. doubled or even tripled when I was gaining). Not claming to be Jared, but a lot of my ~80 lbs. weight lost was contributed to Subway's Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki on Honey Oat. Even then I would take it home and add a handful of sliced raw mushrooms (love'um) more tomato and olives. A 6" done my way with a few baked Doritos will fill me up good.

What I've packed back on has been mostly due to eating out, giving in to fried seafood (a delicacy here...fried Oyster PoBoys grow on trees) and not working out (not entirely my fault with our drastic environment change).

I started here (in FL)...



Cropped from this pic...
http://198.65.10.229/DID/P1030139.JPG

And I'm back to this...



That pic was taken at 216 lbs. so I'm a little lighter, although nothing like August when I was 180 lbs. and starting to get buff.

The breakfast in the pic (Cheerios w/sliced banana and strawberry in skim milk) is what I'm having for breakfast lately, it was Original Shredded Wheat this morning. After gaining some weight back I started frying eggs again with instant grits and toast, some bad habits had crept back. Also, we were living at my mother-in-law's while looking for a house and that's what she had. I figured I'd enjoy myself for ~10 lbs. and then get back to work on it, I guess it doesn't work that way as I got out of control and 10 became 30!

Eating-wise (with my wife's help, it's harder that no grocery store is convenient to us anymore) I'm back to what got me to 180. What I'm considering now is growing a garden, adding fresh veggies to labor (a winning combination).

Cheerios are my savior! And Special K with almonds is very good. I had about 200lbs "creep" up on me I just weighed, down another 4 for a total of 115 lost. I am at 335 now my goal is to break 300 by the end of August. We shall see. I cant really eat the bread on sub sandwiches so I dont go there either. I eat whole wheat toasted or whole wheat bagles and tortillias(?sp).

Jerry

PS: The name change threw me man.

Down 118lbs today.

Weighed monday, down 129lbs!!!

Keep it coming! YOu can do, you can do, you're the black kni... errr.... go Jerry!

Keep it up!

Sweet!

Kind of an inspiration.

pfunk

Great job SpongeBob.


Wheels

Congrats man its really a tough thing for many to do a lot like quitting smoking or something. My dad (62yrs) is trying to lose weight since had a knee replacement and my wife and I are expecting, he's lost almost 40lbs in 3 mos.

135lbs lost!

That's amazing. Post another before and after picture if you don't mind.

That's really great!!!!!!

Wow! well done ol' boy!

Good job!

Ok, but will have to wait till the wife gets home.

That's like a whole extra person that you don't have to carry around anymore, it must feel great. Keep up the good work!

Bravo!

Congrats Spongebob!

I just did 3 miles in 44 min in a 96 degree heat index! I know its slow for you runner types but made me happy! Last July/August I had to stop four times to do a third of a mile and was the send button away from calling 911!



Added some more progression pics above in the post.

Thanks
Jerry

Broke the 300 lb mark today!!!!! I'm 298 lbs for a total loss so far of 152 lbs!!!! I may be in speedo shape by next feburarys Mexico trip!!! I kid I kid!!!!!!

Jerry

You look great in that picture above. 152 lbs is amazing work.

How are you feeling physically now?

Like a new man, literally. It's amazing the difference something like........the weight of a person makes!

Here is a range pic from the tenth, 10 or 12 lbs ago.

Right on!

Keep us informed. Not only do I think it is helping you, you are giving inspiration to others. Even if you make a difference for one person, it's worth it because you are affecting someone else in positive manner.

Congrats! Keep up the good work!!

Thanks guys.

That's incredible, way to go SpongeBob.

Great work there Jerry, keep it going!

Damn Jerry, I had to go back and look at the beginning of your thread and look at your progress.
Just fantastic, bet you feel like a new man except for having to buy new clothes again. Keep up
the awesome job.