Welcome to my Fatboy series. This is a chronicle of my journey after weight loss surgery in January at the University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery.

First, my apologies for the gaps between posts. I took some vacation time and then got busy with the municipal elections. I promise to make it up to you all with three posts this week.

As the headline suggests, I am once again a customer of Southwest Airlines. How regular a customer I'll be is yet to be seen.

I had boycotted the Dallas-based carrier for the past six years in large part because of how overweight people were treated and, in particular, how this fat boy was treated.

As reported elsewhere — including during my time at KHOU-TV — Southwest has a reputation of being more aggressive about its policy of requiring overweight people to buy an extra seat. The airline has been quoted as saying the policy is for the comfort of other passengers on their planes.

To be honest, I actually understand and agree with the policy in general. If a passenger takes up more than one seat and makes the person(s) in the adjacent seat(s) uncomfortable, then steps should be taken to accommodate. If that requires a second seat, that may be an option.

In my case, I rarely travel alone. The reason is so that I have someone who is OK with sitting next to me on the plane for a few hours without being uncomfortable.

That is where Southwest Airlines and I got crossways — twice.

During one trip to Las Vegas with my parents for Christmas six years ago, the Southwest Airlines gate worker pulled me from the line in front of everyone to ask me how much I weighed. She then held her hands out near my waist as if to measure me.

She explained that I may be too big to fit into a single seat and I needed to buy an additional seat. When I explained I was flying with two other people who would not be bothered, it didn’t matter.

This took place about four feet from the line. I was pretty embarrassed that I was being measured in front of the group.

It wasn’t until I turned to my folks and said (pretty loud for the whole line to hear) that the airline thought I was too fat to fly. That’s when other passengers chimed in and the gate worker relented, but warned that if anyone complained I would have to buy another seat.

Since I was sitting next to my mother and her husband, no one complained.

I experienced a similar incident six months later on a trip to Orlando, except my attempts at public pressure didn’t work. The gate worker at least walked me into the jet way to take her eyeball measurement.

She informed me I would have to buy an extra seat. “So you will be more comfortable,” she said. I like how it was for my comfort this time. When I explained I didn’t want to spend $200 for an extra seat, it didn’t much matter.

Either buy the seat or skip the flight, I was told. I bought the seat. Imagine my surprise when my co-worker and I got on the plane and it wasn’t even half full.

I went to the lead flight attendant and complained that I was forced to buy an extra seat when there wasn’t the need. She was little help. When we landed in Orlando, I complained to customer service and three hours later was offered a refund.

That was the last straw for me.

I dumped Southwest and started flying Continental (now United) Ailrlines. But not before I did some research.

Continental had a similar too-big-for-the-seat policy. I spoke with several representatives in customer service who explained the policy was only used when no other accommodations could be made.

Since on Continental flights you select your seat, I would — when I could — pick seats at an exit row or the front near the door. I also found that because they couldn’t recline, seats on the very back row had more room.

I also found the flight crews to be more proactive about finding accommodations before complaints came up.

On a very full flight to Vegas, I really felt bad for a young Marine who found himself wedged between my friend and me. I went to the flight attendant and sought another seat for myself. The only seat available was in First Class. She offered it to me, but instead I asked that the Marine get it. Man, was he happy.

So, on my latest trip to Vegas, having lost so much weight since my weight loss surgery at UTMB’s Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery, I decided to give Southwest Airlines another try.

I did get the once over from the gate crew at Hobby Airport, and again on the return from Las Vegas. Because I was in the last boarding group on the flight out, passengers didn’t want to make eye contact with me as I walked down the aisle.

I found a middle seat between a MMA fan from Houston and a golfer from Las Vegas. After I sat down, I asked both if I would make them uncomfortable and offered to move. Both said it was fine. Just to make sure, I asked again.

Same answer. I still bought each a drink as a thank you.


A bit snug, but I fit between the armrests and the tray tops on my flight to Vegas.

For the first time in a long while, I fit between the armrests and didn’t flood over into the seat next to me. That was good. I also found that I was more comfortable on the flight and able to reach for items a lot better.


Look folks. More leg room.

Getting the tray table down is still a no-go and I still need a seat-belt extender. But it was nice to return to the airline love built. It’s cheaper (thanks to no charges for checked bags) and the trip to Hobby is so much more convenient than Bush Intercontinental.


This doesn't show how my weight loss has helped. I just wanted to show off my Vegas hat.

I asked the lead flight attendant if the rule had been changed. She informed me no, but did admit that given the bad publicity the airline got from incidents with movie director Kevin Smith and a couple of stories elsewhere, flight crews now look for ways to accommodate first before implementing the buy the extra seat policy.

Welcome to my Fatboy series. This is a chronicle of my journey after weight loss surgery in January at the University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery.

I love the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo. I've been going out to Jack Brooks Park for years to enjoy all the fair has to offer.

In year’s past, a visit to the fairgrounds meant a stop at the funnel cake stand or the corn dog stand. Then I would always make myself available to judge in the barbecue cook off.

Well, that’s all changed.

Before anyone thinks you can’t have anything to eat at the fair, think again. Even for those of us who have had weight loss surgery, you can still enjoy everything the fair food vendors have to offer.

There’s just one key thing to remember: Moderation.

Sukwan Jolley, the dietitian at UTMB’s Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery, surprised me when I asked if there was anything I could eat while attending the fair.

“The idea of rodeo food is that it’s fun and you enjoy it,” she said.

She warned to stay away from the deep fried stuff, but enjoy the turkey legs.


Turkey legs are good for those who have had weight loss surgery. Remember to pull off the skin.

“Turkey legs are a good source of protein,” she said. “And turkey is good for you.”

For those who have had surgery, Jolley notes that dark meat is actually easier to digest because it is not as dry. Of course, a leg of a turkey is dark meat. Peel the skin off and don’t eat the whole thing.

And, yes, you can have funnel cake and even corn dogs. Just share. Jolley suggests that with your friends you each order one of the tasty treats and share while eating in moderation. The idea, she said, was that it’s OK to treat yourself. Just be mindful to not overdo it.

Another great suggestion (and I did this Thursday night).


Just remember: MODERATION

“Eat sensibly before going to the rodeo, that way you don’t gorge on rodeo food,” she said. “You can then just enjoy a taste.”

That’s really what people are craving, the deep fried goodness of funnel cake with powdered sugar on top. Jolley said the powdered sugar is actually better for you than say icing. I found that interesting.

Beer is OK, too. Again, moderation, which is a good idea even beyond weight maintenance. Stick to light beer when you can.

Also, consider offsetting any eating of funnel cake by making sure you walk a lot while visiting the fair. Stroll over to the animal barn or the rodeo arena.



Or do what I did, which was dance a lot to the Spazmatics (who performed Thursday night.)

And this final piece of advice: DRINK WATER. Lots of water. Hydration, as I have learned, is key to any healthy living plan.

Jolley didn’t know what to tell me should be I asked to judge the barbecue cook off. Unless I can judge the food visually, she suggested I retire from barbecue judging.

Welcome to my Fatboy series. This is a chronicle of my journey after weight loss surgery in January at the University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery.

You’d think losing 85 pounds and counting, and having to buy clothes that are five sizes smaller than what I was wearing four months ago, would be reason to be happy-go-lucky all of the time. Right?

Those who know me best will tell you I am, for the most part, usually in a good mood.

Sure, I get stressed at work and uncooperative sources get me frustrated. But, all in all, I am a chipper guy.

I had warnings from my doctors and literature on the subject suggested I would experience bouts of depression. I guess I figured it would not happen to me, but I've found I get rather down in the dumps at times.

There have been occasions when I’ve actually started crying for no direct reason.

What the heck?

You’d think with all the positive feedback I’ve received since my surgery, especially from those who read this blog, that I would have nothing really to be depressed about.

During my visit Monday with the folks at UTMB’s Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery, nutritionists Sukwon Jolley asked my how I was handling the psychological aspects of my weight loss program. When I explained to her what I just told you all, she told me that wasn’t unexpected.

I guess those pre-surgery visit with the folks in UTMB’s Psychology program had a purpose after all. I read up on the subject and found the mental processes within my body are changing in addition to the physical changes.

My body got so used to being fed with junk: Sodas, fried foods, candy, etc. It's now upset because that has all stopped. It’s having to get used to the new lifestyle, too. Changing 25 years of bad habits isn’t easy.

I admit as well, I’m still having body issues. I see the progress on the scale. I hear it from everyone who sees me and, for sure, my clothing is loose fitting. But when I look in the mirror or hang out at the pool, I don’t see the “skinny” T.J.

I still see a fat guy.

I’ve lost 85 pounds, but I am still way overweight. Somehow, maybe, I think I had convinced myself subconsciously that I would already be at my goal weight, which is probably about eight months off.

While I am not really struggling with losing weight or following the program, the mental aspect of this journey is at times — not often — depressing.

That’s a big reason Sukwon wants me to start attending the support group sessions. Thus far, I’ve gone it alone. Well, sort of alone. You all have been giving me a lot of feedback.

I’m not usually good with support groups. I don’t mind telling other people’s stories. But I am, believe it or not, shy when talking about myself.

Anything to prevent tearing up again.

Inspiration of the week

This week’s inspiration of the week isn’t a person; it’s a Facebook page.



Nutritionist Sukwon Jolley is the administrator of the Facebook page for UTMB’s Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery. The poor thing had only 124 Likes when I visited it the other day.

I am encouraging my friends and readers to go to Facebook and “Like” it. There’s a lot of useful information there to help you lead a healthier lifestyle. There’s a post today about an upcoming cooking class that caught my attention.

I promised Sukwon I’d get her more than 1,000 likes. I may have been a bit overconfident. If you get a chance, please visit the page and “Like” away.

Welcome to my Fatboy series. This is a chronicle of my journey after weight loss surgery in January at the University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery.

I’ve written about how important maintaining a healthy diet is to any weight loss plan, even when you take the surgical route as I did. With that in mind, I do find myself cutting certain foods out and adding others in that in the past would have never seen my plate.

Recently, I decided to give veggie burgers a try. After all, my vegan friends always brag how much better they feel and how good the food really is.

It should be noted I am a carnivore. I like green foods, but red meat is always on the menu. So 44 years of acquiring a taste for red meat is hard to shake.

Knowing this, I set out with an open mind as I sought my first ever veggie burger.

At the recommendation of business reporter and Coast editor Laura Elder, I gave the veggie burger at Oasis Juice Bar and Market, 409 25th Street in Galveston, a try.

Let me be up front here: I love Oasis juice mixes and smoothies. I am also a very big fan of the carrot ginger soup.

What I couldn’t stomach was the actual burger. The texture just wasn’t right for me and the taste left a lot to be desired.

It had a very “earthy” taste on my pallet. If I had not had a healthy dose of mustard, I would not have eaten the 1/4 of the burger that I did.

Laura Elder loves and raves about it, so this is just my opinion. The last straw for me was getting a seed stuck in my teeth from eating the “burger” patty.


At left, the veggie burger from Oasis. At right, the veggie burger from Yaga's.

Not to be discouraged by my first veggie burger experience, Daily News Editor Heber Taylor picked up a veggie burger from Yaga’s, 2314 Strand in Galveston, for me. The base for this burger is eggplant.

I figured it was worth another try. Wrong.

Again, mustard was needed to stomach what I could eat and that was just two bites. The eggplant made the burger slimy. There’s plenty at Yaga’s I love to eat, but the veggie burger is not on my menu.

After sharing my negative experiences with friends about veggie burgers, I have been encouraged to give it one more shot. A black bean burger is the way to go, I am told.

In these parts, The Sport on the seawall supposedly has a very good black bean veggie burger. I’m still waiting for the taste of the first two to go away before I stop in on Dennis Byrd to give the burger a try.

I’m starting to sound like Goldilocks. “This one was too earthy, this one was too slimy and this one was..."

Let's just be certain about one point: I won't be going vegetarian anytime soon.

Inspiration of the week

Jim Levesque is the assistant news editor for The Daily News. I was fortunate to be the one to hire Jim when I was managing editor of The Texas City Sun. He’s been with our company for many years.

At 6 foot 7 inches tall, Jim is a BIG guy, no doubt. But even he thought he was too big when his weight topped 319 pounds.


Jim Levesque at 300-plus pounds

“I had been heavy, but the last three years I could tell I was gaining weight steadily,” he said.

Jim has dropped about 100 pounds since January 2011. He started off by purchasing the P90X fitness DVDs and stayed with that program for three months. P90X is more than an intense workout system. It also incorporates a very strict diet.


Jim a year after P90X and changing his diet.

“The biggest thing for me was following the nutritional plan,” Levesque said. “It was just learning how to eat better.”

Within three months, Levesque was down 50 pounds. By August of 2011, he had dropped 100 pounds and has kept the weight off.

Levesque, who is also a standup comic and will be headed to New York next month to perform, said he feels better, has more energy and is enjoying life a hell of a lot more.

He admits it’s been a struggle.

“It’s a lot easier to gain the pounds the older you get,” Levesque, 33, said.

Welcome to my Fatboy series. This is a chronicle of my journey after weight loss surgery in January at the University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery.

One of the things my weight loss surgeon warned me about was to take it easy when I return to drinking alcohol.

Of course, less is better because of the empty calories contained in alcohol. But Dr. Obos Ekhaese warned me to take it easy. Even after one drink, I could be a sloppy drunk.

These days, I am not much of a heavy drinker. In my younger days, sure, but age and the fear of a DWI or doing something else stupid while under the influence changed that for me many years ago.

Still, I like to have a beer while watching sports or a glass of bourbon while hanging out with friends and smoking a cigar. And I like to have wine with dinner.

Mardi Gras is when I see old friends and toss back a few before the start of Lent. This year, it was water, water, water and fruit juices.

I have gone without a drink since Nov. 2. I'm not bragging nor lamenting the lack of alcohol in my diet, just pointing out the fact.

I admit, I didn’t miss it.

Recently, I got first-hand knowledge of what effect drinking alcohol would have on my new body. I was working on a story about blending wines at D’Vine Winery on The Strand in Galveston.

Going in, I warned my photographer and the winery manager I would need to take it slow and easy. I had a total is six very small tasting sips while doing the story.

I figured I drank less than 4 ounces of wine.

I got plastered!

OK, maybe not plastered, but buzzed at the very least.

I had to down two bottles of water and sit in my truck for about an hour before I was confident in my ability to drive back to the office.

I have set April 7 (when I host my birthday party) as the date I will start drinking again. If my wine-tasting experience was any indication, I’m going to be a real cheap date from here on out.

Welcome to my Fatboy series. This is a chronicle of my journey after weight loss surgery in January at the University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery.

Any weight loss plan, including those that involve surgery, requires two things: Eat well and have some sort of workout routine.

While I’ve made solid progress in weight loss, the surgery will not do it alone. I have kept the workout routine so far rather light by walking each day. I do other small acts such as taking the stairs when I can.

Making sure I take time to workout is harder than making sure I don’t cheat on my diet. I blame my work schedule and claim I’m too tired. Working out is too boring.

I am sure I can find hundreds of excuses, but the fact is making working out a part of the daily routine is important. Many people will sign up for a gym membership. Others will buy workout DVDs. Some will get a treadmill or spin bike for the house.

My best course was to sign up for use of the College of the Mainland gym. It’s probably one of the best values around at $40 a semester for anyone who lives with the college’s taxing district.

I get access to all the workout equipment. If I decide I want to sign up fro a class or hire out a trainer, I can do that as well. I’m not ready for a trainer yet and want to spend time doing things at my own pace.

Before checking out an expensive gym membership, check what municipal options you may have available. Texas City’s Lowry Center is an example. Employees of the University of Texas Medical Branch have inexpensive options, too.

Another route I'm considering is taking advantage of living on the water. I have several friends who love the workout you get from taking a kayak out for a spin. That has really intrigued me. Anyone out there like kayaking? I’d be interested in hearing what you consider the pros and cons.

Bottom line, its time to get moving.

Inspiration of the week

People look to lose weight for various reasons. Some to feel better about their body image. Others to improve health. Others who want to appeal to the opposite sex.

For some, it’s all of the above.

Casey Radicioni, who works for the University of Texas Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery, has been a real big influence during my time at the center. After getting the surgery 23 months ago, she's lost more than 90 pounds.


Casey Radicioni shows her before and after photos

I talk to her more than the rest of the medical staff. She’s blunt about what’s she’s been through and doesn’t pull any punches when talking about what to expect when going through a weight loss surgery program.

When you walk into the center, Casey’s before and after photos are among those you see first. She went with gastric bypass as her best alternative.

Her reason for going the weight loss surgery route? None of the reasons listed above.

She wanted to get pregnant.

“My husband and I had tried for a while and were unsuccessful,” she said. "I did this for one reason mainly and that's so we could one day have a baby."

The weight loss surgery was a key achieving that dream, Radicioni told me. Casey recently offered up a bit of great news. She is indeed pregnant (11 weeks along) and a baby bump is visible.

Casey’s been through a lot to reach this goal. Good health is important and feeling good about yourself is important, but bringing another life into the world — that’s just plain inspirational.

Welcome to the third installment of my Fatboy series. This is a chronicle of my journey after weight loss surgery in January at the University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery.

There’s something my mother, my ex-girlfriends and my doctors all agree.

I don’t listen too well.

After my surgery, Dr. Obos Ekhaese — my weight loss surgeon from UTMB’s Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery — warned me never to overeat or overfill my now much smaller stomach.

I was also under orders to not eat and drink at the same sitting.

In fact, I am supposed to stop drinking 15 minutes before eating and after a meal I am not supposed to drink for about an hour. As my dietician Sukwan Jolley will tell you, the whole “don’t drink and eat thing” has been the hardest thing for me to make part of my routine.

For the most part I strictly obeyed those orders for about two months. Then came Sunday, the day before I was to switch from what I affectionately called the Baby Poo (puree) diet to soft foods.

I had just finished off a 10-ounce protein shake and a few minutes later scrambled an egg. I took two bites of the scrambled egg and my body let me know right away something was up.

But no. It was only a slight discomfort, so I took another bite and then the final bite of the scrambled egg.

CODE RED. CODE RED.

You would have thought I had just overstuffed myself on 18 pounds of turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving.

We are talking 10 ounces of liquid and maybe an ounce of food.

Luckily, nothing came back up, but it was a close call.

As I laid down to let things settle I heard Dr. Ekhaese and Sukwan’s voices remind me over and over what not to do.

My ears may not listen well, but my stomach sure does now.

Inspiration of the week

It’s one thing to go through one weight loss surgery, but two?

That’s what Tami Thomas, a nurse at UTMB who lives in Texas City, went through.

“I started out in 1988 with a gastric stapling procedure,” Tami said. “At that time it was the only kind of surgical weight loss procedure and Horace Robbins in Nassau Bay and his wife ran the clinic and the support group.

“I lost about 80 pounds but eventually gained it all back, plus. Around 1996-97 I walked off 100 pounds and was doing very well. Got pregnant and gained some back.”

An auto accident prevented Tami from walking for a while and she gained more weight.

She never thought about going in for a revision or some other weight loss surgery even as techniques and technology advanced way beyond what she had done in 1988.

Then as it turns out there was a complication with the previous surgery no one was aware of until she went to visit the staff at UTMB’s Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery.

“No one knew at the time that a clip that had been placed during my surgery in 1988 had perforated my stomach and was surrounded by scar tissue until my endoscopy,” she said. “Then it was more of a matter of removing the clip and the scar tissue which resulted in my having to have a radical partial gastrectomy, and since they were going that far, I also had a revision Roux-en-Y gastric bypass performed by Dr. Guillermo Gomez.”

That complication is what made her eligible for insurance to cover her procedure, Tami said.

On August 31, 2010 when Tami went in for the surgery she weighed 354 pounds. She has lost 150 pounds since.

“Now when I scuba (dive) I don't look like an orca in my wetsuit,” said Tami, an avid scuba diver. “When I can afford it and have time to take off from work, I hope to be able to have skin removal surgery in order to look better.”


By the look at her before and after photos, I’d say she looks pretty good. What do y’all think?

I have known Tami for a few years and when she ran into me one night at a restaurant after her surgery I did not recognize her. She had told me her story a few times, and it was a big part of my decision making process to go ahead with my surgery.

She was wonderful too when I was in the hospital. During breaks she would make her way to my room to check on me and encourage me.

That’s why I think it is important that if you plan to go through this, have a good network of friends around you.

Welcome to the second installment of my Fatboy series. This is a chronicle of my journey after weight loss surgery in January at the University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery.

As I write this, I am just four days away from ending one of the toughest parts of my post-weight lost surgery program.

When you remove 80 percent of your stomach, there’s bound to be some internal adjustments. My surgeon, Dr. Obos Ekhaese, compared it to a newborn having to adjust his or her system to eventually eating solid foods.

He warned me on my last day in the UTMB surgical wing — which is pretty fancy, I need to point out.

"You will feel like you want to jump back and eat what you did before. Don’t," he said. "Give your body time to adjust." So the diet starts off on a week of "clear liquids."

That’s water, water, more water, broth and sugar-free Jell-O. And did I mention you have to drink water? That wasn’t so bad really. I wasn’t real hungry and the Jello (I do recommend going with the prepackaged Jello and not some off brand) was always a treat.

Along the way, you have to take your vitamins ... VERY IMPORTANT. And having B-12 and calcium pills is also very handy. That was followed by a full liquid diet. Strained soups, smooth yogurt, vegetable juices and pure fruit juices. And, oh, more water.

All throughout, you should be drinking 64 ounces of water a day. I thought that would be easy. It takes a lot to down that much water a day when you don’t normally do that.

You also can treat yourself to sugar free Jell-O pudding. Again, you’re recovering, don’t go cheap with off brand yogurts or puddings. What I found amazing was that the puddings were 60 calories and still tasted awesome. You can also drink a bit of non-fat milk.

I liked the non-fat Promise Land milk. It actually tasted like milk and not water with two drops of milk added for color. Cottage cheese is also part of this diet, but I can’t stand cottage cheese, so it was not an option.

Then came the puree diet. This is what I like to call the baby poop diet.

Gross.

I learned a lesson about how much of our appetite is based on what our eyes see. I would take sirloin soup, blend it and heat it up. Smelled good and tastes OK, but it looked as if someone’s 6-month old had left a present in my bowl.

This is where Facebook came in handy.

A former co-worker from my days in television, Danielle Bailey, went through the same procedure last year. She suggested that I try blending Lean Cuisine or Hormel Compleats meals. But don’t blend everything together like I did at first. That was gross. Each item needs to be blended separately. That helped.

I sure felt stupid when I told my dietician at UTMB, Sukwon Jolley, what I had done. I think when she left the room it wasn’t to see another patient; it was to laugh.

Another winner was blending turkey chili. It still looked like chili when done. One nice part of the puree diet is that scrambled eggs count as puree.

An interesting story: One night after working late, I didn’t feel like cooking. I drove to the IHOP at the San Luis Resort and ordered two scrambled eggs. I only could eat half and was full.

That’s something I have noticed along the way. A few bites and I’m done, which I guess was the point all along.

Inspiration of the week

As part of this blog each week, I want to share the story of someone who reached out to me and told their weight loss success story. This week is Danielle Bailey of Houston.


Danielle Bailey, one year after gastric sleeve surgery

Danielle and I worked together at News 24 Houston. She was a producer and I was the bureau chief. She had gastric sleeve in August 2011 and after six months dropped 90 pounds. On her one year "surgery-versary" on Feb. 9, she was down 125 pounds. That’s just two pounds off her goal weight.

"Life is so different now," Danielle wrote. "I saw (former News 24 co-worker) Ben Johnson today and he was quite surprised by the weight loss. He didn't even see me when I was nearly 300 pounds."

Got a story share? Leave your comments with this blog. Or follow my Fatboy series beginning with Choose to Lose: The chronicles of a fat guy seeking to be skinny again.

For those who didn’t read my original column, Choose to Lose, I have a confession to make: I’m fat. Not hefty. Not chunky. Not big boned. Not portly. Not plump.
 
F-A-T. Fat.
 
This blog and others to follow will chronicle my experience as well as others who have sought out ways to battle the bulge. This isn’t designed to be an all-knowing weight loss management guide.
 
Far from it. I am not the poster boy for fitness. I’m a regular guy who, like you, works long hours, enjoys good food and just plain doesn’t take as good care of myself as I should.
 
It is my hope that from the series of blogs you’ll draw some inspiration and some ideas and will offer your own advice or personal stories of success and challenges.
 
At one point, I weighed in at 421 pounds. I suspect I was at a time heavier than that, but I often shied away from scales.
 
Thanks to a Jan. 9 gastric sleeve procedure at the University of Texas Medical Branch’s Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery, I am down to 361 pounds and still dropping.
 
I had been thinking about weight loss surgery for years. Did plenty of research and came close to pulling the trigger several times, but allowed outside circumstances — including money — to force delay after delay.
 
I would have never gotten to the point to the major lifestyle change had it not been for people I have come across in my life who have offered advice, support and, in general, busted my chops a lot.
 
Of course, it goes without saying that my family has played a huge role. Having a strong family support system — even if it is someone to go get you bottled water when you are too sore to get out of bed after surgery — is a huge difference maker.
 
My father, Jerry Aulds, stepped up with a daddy loan to pay for most of the medical costs when insurance said it wouldn’t pay for the procedure.
 
In one way or another, I drew inspiration from other folks and look to them as I take my journey.

More than a decade ago my friend Kevin Yackly, owner of Grand Prize Barbecue in Texas City, underwent gastric bypass. While he lost a lot of weight, he also had serious problems and — in his own words — nearly died on the operating table. Luckily, he survived. And, as I said, he lost a lot of weight.
 
It was done at a time when gastric bypass was a rare surgery — not as common as these days.
 
Kevin would often talk to me about what he went through. Not to scare me or anything, but he always said he wanted me to be informed so that one day I would make my own decision.
 
Then there’s Rosalind Richard. She’s a New Orleans native who moved to Galveston after Hurricane Katrina. I interviewed Roz in 2009 about her weight loss surgery, which was performed at UTMB as well. In fact, it was her advice that convinced me to give the medical branch a shot at helping me.
 
Roz and I have since become friends. She would often check on me and ask when I was going to get my surgery. As the date neared for my surgery another friend, Peggy Davenport, co-owner of Domac in Texas City, offered advice and has been one of my biggest cheerleaders.
 
Last year, Davenport underwent gastric bypass surgery and has lost a lot of weight and looks great. She has been a constant positive force in my life and often says it was the best thing she’s ever done. She also talked to me a lot about will power.
 
“If I had will power, I wouldn’t need to be getting the surgery,” she told me as a response to a doctor’s question of why she didn’t try to just diet to lose the weight.
 
When she first saw me after my surgery made sure she gave me a big hug.
 
Now maybe the biggest motivators I’ve had are my cigar-smoking buddies. For years, those guys have employed an old fashion motivational tool to get me to make the life change — ball busting. There were times the jokes and chop busting went overboard and I had my feelings hurt, but it was always in good fun and out of genuine concern.
 
Along the way, several of my buds have done their own weight loss programs. Space engineer Troy Hedman has lost 100 pounds in less than a year using Medifast. Trey Boring of League City just started eating better and working out and dropped a lot of weight.
 
They too have been inspiring and have offered me encouragement, just not in front of the other guys. After all, we all have to keep up appearances of being tough guys.
 
All joking aside, this experience is made better by the help from my friends.