“Being overweight hinders everything you do,” says Adam.
He tried many diets, but nothing worked well. In high school, he played football. Because he was active, Adam didn’t have to worry too much about his weight. But a serious injury in his junior year — he broke his leg in 14 places — changed everything. He underwent three surgeries.
“I couldn’t walk for six months; that’s when the serious weight gain started.”
Since undergoing gastric bypass surgery at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, the 26-year-old has lost 140 pounds.
Getting His Life Back
By age 24, Adam weighed 440 pounds.
“I can’t tell you how many times I had to stop walking steps because I was out of breath,” says Adam.
He was also diagnosed with sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder that can lead to heart problems and other complications.
Not only did the extra weight make daily activities difficult and jeopardize his health, it also created additional pain in his injured leg.
“Having the weight off has helped. The pain is gone,” he says.
Adam was inspired to lose weight by his mother, who had undergone gastric bypass surgery herself.
“She really encouraged me to do it, and now we support each other.”
He credits the preoperative sessions at UPMC Magee with helping him start the weight loss journey on a positive note.
“The lifestyle classes really helped because I had goals to shoot for every month. They also got me to be more active,” he adds.
With just 50 pounds to go, Adam is closing in on his goal weight of 250 pounds — a goal he is determined to achieve. In addition to following a healthy diet, Adam is committed to keeping his activity level high. He tries to work out every day, even if it means getting in several shorter exercise sessions.
“I feel fantastic,” says Adam. “I’ve never felt better — and I’m not going back.”
Note: This patient's treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
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