Jeff's story

So far this year, I’ve run seven 5K races, and my first mini-triathlon. It’s no longer an issue of if I’m too fat; I know that I can do this. It has become a whole new mindset for me. ~Jeff

I’ve always been a big man. I’m 6 feet, 3 inches, and even at my heaviest, I carried my weight well. In high school, I played football and weighed in at a healthy 250 pounds. But, as soon as I graduated and stopped playing sports, my weight shot up to 300 pounds.

I play softball in the summer, and was having trouble with knee pain. It turned out to be arthritis in both knees. I knew I needed to exercise and lose weight to feel better, but my knees were so sore that I couldn’t work out. It quickly got out of hand, and suddenly I weighed 380 pounds. Very few people ever guessed I weighed that much, and because people never saw me that way, it was easier for me to fool myself. Eventually it got to the point where I knew I needed to do something about it.

I had been considering bariatric surgery for a while, but it didn’t become a serious possibility until I went to Park Nicollet Clinic for an unrelated visit. I asked my doctor what he thought about Lap-Band, and he said I would be a perfect candidate for the procedure.

I basically looked at the surgery as a second chance for me. I never looked at it as a cure-all, but as a tool to help. I’m now back to my high school weight, and am planning to lose about five more pounds.

My wife has played a huge part in my success. She makes sure that I’m able to follow my schedule of 4:30 a.m. workouts, and picks up our 6-year-old daughter after work so I can lift weights. She has made it possible for me to do the things I need to do to be successful. She’ll make sure we’re eating a healthier menu. She also does the grocery shopping for plenty of healthy foods so we don’t have to go out for fast-food dinners.

So far this year, I’ve run seven 5K races, and my first mini-triathlon. Before, I’d see it on TV and thought there was no way I could ever do it. It’s not easy for me, but it’s doable. It’s no longer an issue of if I’m too fat; I know that I can do this. It’s become a whole new mindset for me.

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