Ernesto

I've been fat most of my life.  Not "Oh no, I'm a size 12 fat" but "Oh Fuck, I'm a size 28" fat.  Yes, I tried every diet out there.  Yes, I tried exercising and calories counting; Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig; I joined a gym, quit, then joined again; I did Atkins, South Beach, and the 6 Week Body Makeover.  After every single one of them, I was still fat.

For a number of reasons which I will get into later, I had WLS (Weight Loss Surgery) on May 7, 2012.  I got a gastric adjustable band, also called a lapband, also known as the Realize Band.  For simplicity, I got banded.

This choice was a long time in the making, and it was not something I took lightly.  I had studied and researched all areas of WLS for several years (about 7) before coming to my decision.  I read books and magazine articles, read reports online and watched actual surgeries on Youtube, and spoke with people who had gone through with both the banding and the gastric bypass.  I talked with three different doctors about it.  I signed up for an information seminar through my local hospital's Bariatric Surgery Program and chickened out twice over the years before I finally went to it and started the process.  I definitely put time and thought and energy into making sure this was the right choice for me.

It's not the right choice for everyone, but it was for me.

I tell you this because a large majority of the blog will be about my life with Ernesto (the name I gave my band).  I have a lot of weight to lose, and it's going to take a very long time, and the only way I'm going to do it will by Getting Up Off the Couch...