Thoughts from the Happy Fat Guy

Other than when I was a small child I don’t recall ever being small. As a freshman in high school I was 6’02” and 225lbs. I was always fortunate to be tall and large framed. There was always the built-in excuse that I didn’t look heavy for my height. Comments like, “You don’t weigh that much, do you?” have been a part of my life for over 20 years. That was always just enough to make me feel that my weight wasn’t that big of an issue. Obviously, I was wrong. Even once I knew I was grossly overweight, people would say, “Yeah, but your tall”, as if this somehow made me less fat.

For over fifteen years, I have been trying different things to lose my weight. The list is long and intensive. As I sit here and reflect on these attempts, I can’t tell you the frustration, disappointment and shame that I feel. I have learned a few valuable lessons though. Those diet shakes are great, especially if you drink a couple to get you through that pesky downtime between meals. The four food group’s diet doesn’t work either. I know this because those tacos on the Taco Bell diet had all four food groups at once and I still gained weight. Also, the exercise benefit of walking is usually negated by what you take out of the fridge when you get up and walk to it.

The realities of the risk factors in my life are frightening as well. My dad has been overweight most of my life. He had a stroke before he was 60. Three of his brothers and sisters have died of heart disease prematurely. I watched my mother have quadruple heart bypass eleven years ago before she was 55. She also has been overweight most of my life. When you look at my family history, it amazes me that our cat and dog lived as long as they did. As for my own risk factors and symptoms, there are the obvious ones. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, severe sleep apnea. One of the not so common ones is chronic kidney stones that are aggravated by my weight and diet. To say that my weight adds stress and anxiety to our family is an understatement.

Most importantly, my obesity affects the everyday events of my life. I am a father of three young children. There are games I can’t play with them. My weight constantly interferes with my daily activities with my family. In future weeks I will talk honestly and openly about my weight. More importantly, I will discuss my journey as I walk towards bariatric surgery. I am not a medical expert. I offer no medical diagnosis or answers. What I will offer is honest discussion and views of a man who has struggled with his weight for a lifetime and is now beginning the process of doing something about it.

As I chronicle my journey, please feel free to leave me your thoughts through the feedback link below each post. I won't be able to answer all comments, but I will answer some and the comments will help me with ideas on this blog.