Mark has lost 100 pounds (and counting!) following gastric sleeve surgery with Nicholson Clinic. This is his story.
Life Before Surgery
“Before my surgery I was 381 pounds, wore a 5XL shirt, 48 pants and 3XL shorts. After walking from one end of my house to the other I would have to catch my breath. I couldn’t go to the gun range, my favorite hobby, for more than a few minutes without my back hurting. Unable to sit in a booth at a restaurant, snorkeling and scuba diving were impossible. Embarrassed to be in pictures and ashamed of how I had let myself get this out of control and I was fed up with how limited I was.
“At this time I was considered a diabetic with a 5.9 A1C, high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol and an enlarged liver. My fiancé suggested weight loss surgery and we found the Nicholson Clinic. Dr. Nicholson told me this was the opportunity to push the reset button on my life and get back to where I wanted to be. So I made the decision to turn my life around and went through with gastric sleeve surgery. All for my family, friends, children, soon to be spouse and most importantly myself.
“On June 22, 2020, I started the pre-op diet at 381 pounds. Following the diet to the letter I lost 30 pounds in the two weeks leading up to surgery. It wasn’t fun but my will to get healthy pushed me through. After surgery I was not hurting as bad as I thought I would be. Pain lasted a few days at the most and by Friday, after surgery on Monday, I was working from home again without pain and I was loosing multiple pounds per day.”
Life After Surgery
“Post surgery I have followed the diet to loose an additional 70+ pounds. In November 2020 I hit the 100 pound lost milestone, a mere five months since deciding to loose weight. Three days a week I meet with a personal trainer for an hour a day of weight lifting. The transformation my body has gone through has exceeded my wildest expectations. I never thought I could loose this much but I now have arms, forming a chest, glutes and legs. Going to the gym is something I now look forward to as I see the results. My back doesn’t hurt, I can spend hours at the gun range, helped move firewood across my parents acre property all without breathing heavy or breaking a sweat.
“I’m excited about all the activities I can do now. I can buy clothes in a regular store vs a big and tall only. I have confidence in my being. My family and friends can see it in my face and demeanor. I feel SO much better, not just medical but mentally. My A1C is now a 4.9! My cholesterol is normal and my blood pressure medicine has been cut in HALF. Now I am currently in a 2XLT shirt, 42 pants and 1XL shorts quickly moving to lower sizes with my weight in the upper 270’s.
“The hardest part is the mental. Once you have mentally made up your mind to change, the rest is easy. I’m not hungry, I eat five times or so per day with a heavy protein diet. If I can do it, anyone can. The Nicholson Clinic has been a dream come true.”
