Flab to Four Pack
Updated: Sep 3, 2020
“You enjoy something so much more if you work for it.”
To say Mark has worked hard for where he is now is an understatement. Somehow, it has been one year mark since his gastric sleeve procedure. As a way to congratulate Mark, we are sharing the milestones he’s achieved since his surgery. You can read about the first few months of Mark’s journey here.
This is a snapshot of Mark’s statistics at the time of his surgery:
Age: 42
Weight: 250 lbs.
Height: 5’8”
BMI: 37.5
Surgery date: Dec 19, 2017
As of March 2019, these are Mark’s new statistics:
Weight: 160 lbs.
BMI: 24
After experiencing weight issues for the majority of his adult life where Mark would try to yo-yo diet only to fall off the wagon, his total weight loss of 90 pounds is an incredible accomplishment. Once wearing a size XXL t-shirt, Mark now wears a size Small. He proudly admits to having “baby abs,” a hard earned four-pack. It’s no surprise that the once unconfident, emotionally hidden man has transformed into a happy person who can walk with his head held high.
Mark’s rediscovery of happiness is due to working hard in the three areas critical to long-term weight loss success: diet, exercise, and emotional health. And he takes his vitamins.
Diet
Food does not control Mark anymore. He flipped that script. Instead of following a crazy food plan, he decided to keep it simple stupid, where no guesswork would be involved. He researched different aspects of nutrition and figured out a plan that works for him, and sticks to it. Mark follows what he describes as a “keto-ish” lifestyle. This includes keeping his carb count down to 20-50 grams per day and closely monitoring his sugar intake eliminating sweets and fruit. As a result of his diet change, Mark doesn’t crave the sweets and sugar as he used to. With his “keto-ish” lifestyle, Mark is still able to have fun. He stays on track with low-carb ginger beer from Whole Foods to use for Moscow Mules and low-carb wines. Everything in moderation. In addition to a diet overhaul, Mark also eats mindfully - he only eats when he is hungry, and stops when he starts to feel full.
Eating cleanly is not something Mark even thinks about anymore. “I just do it,” he says. Like everyone, Mark will occasionally deviate from his diet plan. However, he doesn’t allow it to turn into a downward spiral. “If I have a couple slices of pizza for lunch, I just make sure I go back to having healthy foods the rest of the day.”
What Mark was not prepared for were comments from people such as “Go eat a sandwich.” However, instead of internalizing these comments and letting them make him feel down, Mark realizes comments like these come from people’s own insecurities. “Be prepared for when you lose weight that people will make comments you need to block out,” Mark wants new weight loss surgery patients to know.