MGB Update 2015

Howdy!! Yes, it has been a while and I am now just updating the site after a long time.. I am happy to report that all is fantastic and I am still keeping the weight off. As of my last update in the summer of 2013 I have gained approx 4 lbs and am now 175. The energy levels are good and I am enjoying my new life as a thinner person. NONE of this was or would have been possible without DR. ROBERT RUTLEDGE and his amazing talents that are obviously a gift from God. Thank God for Dr. Rutledge. While I may not update this site I am constantly reminded of how my life is different than it had been for approx 40yrs up until my MGB surgery. If anyone needs any information about my journey I suggest you read my web site and either ask me via email or contact Dr. Rutledge to get your life back.

Thank you Dr. Rutledge.. My family thinks of you more often than you will ever know and I call you only a fraction of the time to say hello and thank you.

MGB Update 2013

Its Summertime again and time for another long overdue web site update.  I had my MGB with Dr. Robert Rutledge in March of 2009.  I weighed 350lbs then and have been able to maintain my weight loss fairly well.  This amazing and simple procedure has given me a current weight of 171 and (more importantly) the ability to enjoy life as an active, healthy person.  Since the surgery I have gotten married and now have two children.  If you are interested in my story please checkout this web site going back to early 2009 and ask me any questions you have.  It was the best health decision I have ever made.  Thank You Dr. Robert Rutledge!

I will be travelling to Nevada in August and will update this site again soon.

Ciao!

MGB Chicago 2011

My wife surprised me with a trip to visit Chicago for my birthday. We had a great time and spend much of it walking and getting used to the subway system.  It is something I have never experienced before and we had a very good time. 

It is summertime and more than a few months since my last post. I am doing great and have been enjoying life as a thinner person. Over two years later and I am still under 169lbs which means I have lost more than 180lbs and have kept the weight off. I have found myself splurging as you can see in the photo here.. my daughter and I are having an ice cream picnic at Sonic. I can't eat lots of ice cream or I may feel just a tad uncomfortable.. not many foods make me feel this way. My wife would say I have been testing all of them :)

As far as the summer heat goes I find it is not uncomfortable as a slim person.. it was horrible at 350lbs.

To the person(s) reading this blog who are thinking of weight loss surgery I say to you: This can be one of the most important decisions you may make in your life. It could mean years or even decades of extra time with your loved ones. It can also mean you spend this time absolutely ecstatic! amazed and thrilled that you have a new life. This all happened to me and I am very blessed. YOU must do your homework and study what surgery you should have for your particular weight problem. Some methods just don't work "as advertised" and it seems many insurance covered methods are not great choices but people pick them anyhow because of the coverage. Investigate the MGB at www.clos.net. This is not time to pick the 2nd best procedure with the 3rd best doctor closest to where you live. You are not buying a car and selecting a dealership! In my expert opinion I picked the #1 procedure and the #1 doctor: Dr. Robert Rutledge because of his experience and track record of the MGB. Any doctor with over 5,000 surgeries and the data to back it up is who I put my faith in... I bet many people could say "Going to Nevada in March 2009 was a big LOSS for me.." Well, I was not gambling in Vegas, It was not even a gamble. My payout was an 180lb weight loss.. Don't gamble with your weight loss surgery.. Study and learn.

Good luck to you!

Now you know why I SCREAM: MGB!

Wow.. it has been a while since I updated the site and I wanted to update my web site with my current status. I am doing really well and have bounced between 166 and 171 pounds in the last 6 months. I have a good amount of energy and I am still amazed at the progress I have made since March 2009. I can't believe the change and am still looking in the mirror wondering who this new person is staring back at me.

My family and I spent Christmas in some cold weather and I noticed that now that I am 180+ lbs lighter I get colder quicker than I used to be.. I always remember skinny people complaining about the cold and now I see why :)

I hope God blesses you and your family as he has chose to do so in my life. I thank Dr. Rutledge and his great staff for their amazing gift and I look forward to all that this new lease on a new life has in store for me.

God Bless..
MGB Mike


Happy 4th of July! What can i say.. I feel great.. Last year at this time I was 120lbs lost so I have lost approx 65lbs in the last year. THe weight loss has slowed to a crawl and that is great with me since I am now able to fit in MEDIUM SHIRTS and size 31/32 waist pants. Oh Joy!


Here is another before/after pic from June 2010. The after pic is not that great but it was taken at the Rainforest Cafe in Galveston, TX. We spent the weekend at the beach and I had no problems with worrying about my weight to take my shirt off to go for a swim. The last time I went to Galveston was about 10 years ago and a totally different experience.

The water was better than normal but it was no Kauai! We enjoyed being with our little one and she had a blast.



ALOHA! off to Kauai for our honeymoon and my wife has huge plans for our stay.. Each day has an event and I am up for the challenge like no time else in my life.

We hiked 10 miles, went scuba diving to 40ft, snorkled, rode in an airplane, ZIP lined, swam, ate lots of great food (and Sushi) and got in and out of our Mustang Convertable rental car a billion times. Each step (pun intended) of the way I kept thinking how NONE of this would be possible at 350lbs. Most of the things we did asked for weight and I would have been denied. Each time I had to show my 350lb drivers license to Airport security I would get an amazed "HOLY GEEZ, is this you" and my wife would say proudly.. Yes..

Again. thank you Dr. Rutledge! Kauai was amazing..



MGB Wedding


What a difference it makes to be 180lbs lighter for your wedding day! How many people would love to lose weight before they get married.. probably everyone and I was granted the best gift ever. My MGB from March 2009 allowed me to have an amazing wedding with dancing and kneeling and jumping.. It may sound strange to say this but as a 350lbs person these experiences would be totally different.

My wife is amazing.. the best friend.. the best companion. She has been with me at 350 and now at 170. She is one of the reasons I decided to have the MGB and I am thankful to God that I made the decision to have it done.

Honeymoon here we come!


What a year... Again I find myself thinking of how amazing it has been and how Dr. Rutledge has saved my live and then made it better than I ever thought it could be.. I have lost an amazing 178lbs and feel fantastic. I have had no complications other than I seem to like nice clothes now and enjoy shopping for clothes! Nothing I could write here can express what transformation I have had.. I am able to do everything I could not before, my eating is now second nature and I am able to enjoy all kinds of food I never thought I would be able to eat again.. just smaller portions and I am staying away from a few foods that dont agree with me.. Heavy sugar foods (cake and such) and fried foods are still not my favorite.

I am looking forward to getting married in April and will do my best to keep this site updated. I see now why some MGB patients dissapear online because they find a LIFE out there that is now AMAZING as a thinner person..

If you or someone you know is considering weight loss surgery I would highly recommend doing your due dilligence and then contacting Dr. Robert Rutledge. You will not regret the changes your life will have but you may regret not taking the plunge. Visit them online: www.clos.net

11 Months... 173 lbs lost. 1 Year Anniversary in less than 30 days.

Yes, staggering to say the least. I believed but never imagined I would lose so much weight and now I feel fantastic.

2 more pounds and I will have lost 1/2 of my self.. 50% gone is absolutely amazing.. The weight loss has slowed quite a bit but I think 2lbs is possible at this point.

Food Report: I can eat whatever I want without any problems. I do not like fried foods anymore and try to stay away from the foods Dr. Rutledge says to avoid (coffee, alcohol, etc) but I can and do eat anything else.

Scroll down for pictures from December 2009. I have lost 13lbs since then so new pics are coming soon.

My wedding is coming up so this will be exciting times.

This part should be on every post I make:

A Special Humongous Thank you.. goes to God thru the hands of Dr. Rutledge and his staff Jennifer, Trish and Sandy. I would do it all over again and still look back and think how amazing their whole procedure is to me. I can't wait to see them again to thank them in person..




See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

These before/after photos can be a bit scary and this one is no exception. 160lbs later and I look like a different person. I dont know if you have ever seen the commercial where the dog walks by the mirror then stops and goes back to look again? Well I do this all the time now because it is hard to believe. I thank God for such great success with this journey.. I know I say it here all the time but it is like a gift that keeps giving every single day. I know that someday I will be used to the difference and the little things will no longer be so incredible but I have not made it there yet and I am in no rush to get there.. It is Still Amazing!

I don't know if Dr. Robert Rutledge is able to checkout this web site much as I am sure he is busy saving peoples lives but I hope he knows how much I appreciate him along with his girls: Sandy, Trish and Jennifer.

This is my good friend Paul and he says he is still blown away at the changes in the last 9 months. Paul has been a good friend and support person and I am happy to have him on my web site.

Merry Christmas Everyone! Last year I was unable to help the real Santa Claus at a local Christmas party because i could not fit into the Santa Suit. Let me repeat that.. I could not fit into the Santa Suit. I must admit, I was very large and the suit was not what I would call a larger Santa suit so there you go. This year was different as I was able to suit up and help Santa deliver joy to the children. Here you see me and I am pretty jolly about my new size. Next year I hope to have Carol as Mrs. Santa Claus too!

Whoa Nelly...

Coming up on 9 Months out! My eating ability has increased and my weight loss has slowed down but this week I surged another few pounds to get to the magical 190! From here I believe we may be getting close to the bottom as I do not think there is much else that can be lost without doing some extreme sports. After the first of the year that is the plan. Until then, I am enjoying all kinds of new clothes and a Christmas season to remember. I have an airplane flight coming up and this one will be the most drastic change yet so watch the blog for live up-to-date coverage of My First MGB Christmas! No more extended seat belts or uncomfortable airplane seats.. I may even be able to use my LAPtop computer in my new LAP. imagine that!

God bless to all and thank you for being such a great support system for me.. I want to tell everyone who is very overweight to look into the MGB because it is like having a new life.. I cannot imagine living @ 350lbs any more than I did.. 190 is fine by me.

This is the first before/after photo I have posted to this web site. The after was taken in September 2009 so the timeframe here is 7 months post-op.

I have not got the guts (no pun intended) to post my doctor's before photos but I may someday. It has been an amazing journey that I would hope my web site helps someone make if they are looking into weight loss surgery.

Thanks go to God, my family and friends and of course Dr. Rutledge at www.clos.net

The good Doc said my GOAL WEIGHT was 195lbs and I was a bit skeptical.. I knew I would lose weight but never thought I would bypass this in less than 8 months. I now weight 194lbs which reflects an incredible 156lb loss.

The photo below is of Carol, Camila and me in September for Camila's 3rd birthday party. I have lost about 10lbs since this pic so I will need to take more recent photos to upload.

My jeans are now size 33 but 34 is more roomy.. I have been eating like crazy and have experienced little problems experimenting with new foods.

I would have never thought this would ever happen to me even with the surgery but I have just joined the Under 200lbs club at 198lbs!

Yes, I have now lost an incredible 152lbs and feel amazing.. I feel so good about my weight now it is enjoyable posting my ACTUAL weight (198) as well as my weight lost (152) right on this site! I am now closing in on the the size I was in high school and this is getting crazy! I am a little embarrassed to say that I saved much of my clothes over the last 20 years and now have RETRO clothes from the 80's that are back in style again.. Heck, Polo shirts and jackets never go out of style! I am now a size LARGE instead of 4X LARGE so I am enjoying the clothes without the costs!

Now that I have hit this MGB Moment Milestone I will be doing a NEW "After II" photo soon so keep watching for it.

It is now time to update my blog for what I am now calling the Food and Clothing Report.

New Jeans Report: I am now wearing 34's and will be looking at buying some 32's very soon as the 34's are kinda loose. For shirts I am now a LARGE or XL. It was very good that I did not purchase too many size 36 jeans as they are now almost unwearable especially without a belt. Speaking of my belt it now has 4 new holes and I the end of my belt wraps all the way around the back of me.. This is too fantastic!! Now my problems deal with clothes that are TOO BIG to wear. I can live with this problem for sure.

The Food Report: I hope Dr. Rutledge is not reading this part of the post but lately I have been eating anything at all.. even the stuff I am supposed to stay away from. I have had Wings N More which has yummy buffalo style wings and I have been eating lots of other amazing foods like pasta and rice. I am still staying away from breads because they fill me up faster than I would like and then I can't partake in other foods. The quantity of food I can eat has increased 2x in the last 2 months so I am surprised that I am still losing weight..

While this is not related to food I thought it important to include a section on Pain Meds: In case you did not know, Dr. Rutledge highly suggests NOT having any Acetaminophen, Aspirin or Motrin (Ibuprofen) due to the new stomach and such. The old me worried about this because I took this stuff occasionally and did not know how I could deal with not having them when needed. The good news is I can honestly say I have not had any of this stuff since I left Henderson Nevada in March. I just don't have headaches like I used to have prior to surgery. As far as muscle pain is concerned, I do have more since I am using my muscles more than I used to but I stay away from these items to follow the good Doctor's advice. If I were to quote my Dad the muscle pain now is more of a "Good Hurt" because I am using my muscles instead of an exhausted and worn out hurt when I was overweight.

6 Months Out.. here I am at 143lbs lost. WOW is the word I say the most these days when I get on the scale. It sure beats the other words I used to say when I would happen to meet up with a scale at the doctor's office.. I belive "Oh, Man!" or "Really?" would be at the top of the list..

New Jeans Report.. I know I keep teasing the subject on new jeans but I still have not gone to the store yet so I will stop making predictions on when this will occur. I think part of me wants to bypass the size "36" and go straight to the "34"s.

The Food... I am pleased to report I have been able to eat more different kinds of foods that I have not been real comfortable eating in the past which is good. I still eat small portions and watch the fat intake and I am not really into breads. The fried foods are still not anything I desire. More on food soon..

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

MGB Labor Day

Labor day weekend was amazing and Carol and I spent it doing some DIY upgrading the house.. We had Hardie siding installed all over the house and it looks amazing. We then got exhausted removing both of the old decks (probably 700 sqft) ourselves in preparation for the new super-sized deck that is now under construction.

My new journey is now at almost 6 months and what a live change it has been. My limitations are no longer based upon what I can do because of my weight.. I am up on the roof, sledge hammering the old deck and moving trailers full of deck boards and support beams where they need to be installed.

The photo above is of Carol and me holding old wood siding that came off the house. The ones below are during the deck demolition.



Holy Cow.. Here I am again.. my web updates are going slow as I find myself with lots to do as a skinnier person. I am pleased as punch to report that my 6 Month anniversary is in ten days and my total weight loss is an amazing: 139lbs! ShaZAMM!

New Jeans Report.. I never bought the new jeans and have been having fun with people telling me I "seriously need new jeans". The 38's are so baggy I must wear a belt or risk having the "garbage man incident" again.

Labor day weekend is coming up so the updates should kick up a bit.. Ciao!

This part should be on every post I make:

A Special Humongous Thank you.. goes to God thru the hands of Dr. Rutledge and his staff Jennifer, Trish and Sandy. I would do it all over again and still look back and think how amazing their whole procedure is to me. I can't wait to see them again at my 1 year anniversary.


See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

My Puppies

This post is off-topic but too cute to pass up.. I breed Boxer puppies and have a litter right now and wanted to report on my puppy assistant.. Her name is Camila and she is almost 3 years old. I may be biased but I think this photo is adorable so I had to post it here. Camila helps feed and pet the puppies so they are happy when they go to their new families..

Camila's Mom and I are very proud of her and she never gets tired of playing house with them. Her favorites are "Lucky" and any of the little girl puppies.

See more here: http://www.bonaboxers.com/

Yet again.. I am happy to report that I have now lost another 8lbs. My 5 Month anniversary is today and my total weight loss is an amazing: 128lbs!

I will be celebrating 5 months with buying some new jeans. While some may not get so excited about clothes shopping and new pairs of jeans.. I am happy to report that the infamous "size 36 waist" is the next level down and appears to be very possible since the 38's are now baggy. Once size 36 is acheived I will post the news on the site so stay tuned in the next few days.

Helping Others... One of the main goals of this site was to help others who are trying to make a decision about which weight loss surgery to have. If it were not for those who have helped me I would not be doing as well as I am now. I am happy to say I have had a few requests for information lately from people who are looking into the MGB. I hope more people ask me about the MGB because I will talk your ear off.. It has been an amazing 5 months and I have nothing to regret.

Another Huge Thank you.. goes to God thru the hands of Dr. Rutledge and his staff Jenifer, Trish and Sandy. I would do it all over again and still look back and think how amazing their whole process is to me. Why would anyone have a lap-band with a doctor who has done 300+ of them when you could have a much superior weight loss surgery (The MGB) from Dr. Rutledge who has done over 4500+ surgeries. If my success was not enough of a no brainer this info takes the cake.. (no pun intended).

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

This MGB Moment is the most amazing event that has happened to me since I had surgery and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

The best way to describe what happened is to let you click on the link below to visit my other web site where you will find more info..

I would like to say that Carol has been by my side for some amazing times.. she was there when I was known as "Big Mike" and has been a great co-pilot in the amazing journey as "MGB Mike". Carol, along with my parents, were the supporters I most relied upon as my quest for surgery started and eventually met with great success. I have many family and friends who also provided the much needed support needed before I made the plunge. They all had to see me at my worst and now I feel like a million dollars. When I think about the event you are about to witness I must say it would have been possible as "Big Mike" but so much more enjoyable as "MGB Mike". Way to go Dr. Rutledge!

If you have some time I invite you to see the following site:

www.carolandmichael.com

I have had an exciting few weeks since returning to Texas and have done a poor job of keeping this site updated. I have always heard MGB'ers say they keep up with updates and then when they "get a new life" from the loss of their weight they tend to be too busy having fun instead of posting updates.. I will try harder.. life is just so good!

Today my weight loss is at a staggering 120lbs. I am now in size 38 jeans and they are baggy loose to the point where I may need to go to get one size 36 to see if I should just wait for size 34. I don't want to buy too many or they will be too big when I finally hit the mark.

As if this was not exciting enough I have some even more exciting news that I will share with you all soon.. I am in the process of updating this site with the announcement so stay tuned in the next few days.

Every day I think how amazing Dr. Rutledge is and how this procedure has changed my life.. every aspect.. in every way.. Each time I see someone who could benefit from this surgery I want to run up to them and tell them my story... Nobody should have to live like that. There is a way to be thin and feel great without the risk of failure. Go for it!

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

My vacation to California last week was very nice and filled with MGB moments as you can read below. My family was incredibly excited to see me at 100lbs less than I saw them at my surgery date just over 3 months ago.

I am now back in Texas and have had nice weight loss this week while I have also been increasing the amount of food I am able to eat. Today I am 107lbs down and on my way to my goal weight.

How EXCITING is this? VERY!


See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.


My Brother and I took our ladies to the Beach House Restaurant in San Diego. I had the Seafood Salad and was able to eat most of it before I got really full. I then made everyone else happy by sharing my dinner so they could taste the delicious crab, lobster, scallops, squid and shrimp that was in my salad.

Afterwards we went down to seal beach located in La Jolla and took some photos. It was very overcast but the view was still pretty nice. Climbing on the rocks and going up and down stairs was not a problem even though I think I am a little sore from the Disneyland adventure. I have unoffically lost another 3 lbs since arriving in California. I believe this will be the first time ever that I have lost weight while on vacation. Stay tuned for the official MGB weigh in when I return to Texas.

My Brother's Boxer, Rocco and I went for walk this morning to the park near my parent's house. He is very well trained and does amazing on the leash. We went about a mile or two and it sure feels good to be lighter on my feet.

I gave Rocco to my nephews last year and he has his own web site featuring his adventures. My two Boxers: Vito and Carmella are his parents and are very proud of him.

Here are some web sites:
www.bonaboxers.com
www.roccoadventures.com

Disneyland was a blast.. we spent the entire day going on rides, shows and taking in the wonderful So Cal weather. 100lbs ago I would get tired walking through a grocery store.. NOW, a much lighter me at 250lbs means I am able to go all day long walking through the park and taking in all the rides. That does not mean I was not tired... We all were pretty exhausted but we did go non-stop for about 10hrs.

MGB Notes about the food at Disneyland.. Most of the food is not that great for you (burgers, pizza, fries..etc..) BUT I was happy to see that they had fruit trays available and they were very good and filling. Mine had watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, pineapple, honeydew melon, strawberries and apples. I made sure I had my salt and drank lots of liquids.

As a sidenote: If you plan on going to Disneyland and want to save a bundle$ on tickets send me an email and I will share a ticket secret with you. We saved over $250 on our six tickets!

Here is our photo with Minnie Mouse:

Definitely the highlight and reason for my trip to California.. was to see my Parents and my Brother's family.

Here I am surprising my Parents at the door when I told them to look for a UPS package that should be waiting for them at their front door. The package turned out to not be from UPS but from Texas. Mom and Dad were definitely surprised and were amazed at the more than 100lb weight loss since I had not seen them since the surgery.

Our last stop before meeting up with my Brother was to Hollywood where we visited the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. While there we took many photos of the famous foot & hand prints left there over the years by famous actors as well as stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The prints below belong to Al Pacino from 1997. I also got pics of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sophia Loren, Sly Stallone, Will Smith and of course Donald Duck. We saw the stars of Mickey Mouse, Robin Williams and William Shatner. Engage!

After we landed we decided to see some sights before we met up with my Brother to continue on to our Parent's house. The pier at Santa Monica was beautiful and we walked all over taking in the amazing California weather (about 65 degrees and sunny). The pier had many shops and people sight-seeing. The view up the coast was nice and the beach had the kind of sand you do not find in Texas.

Next stop is Hollywood!

MGB Moments here we come.. This moment was brought to you by the seatbelts on American Airlines flight to LAX. How comfy and spacious they are now that I have lost over 100lbs. No more seat belt extenders here. The flight was great and I can tell there will be plenty more MGB Mike updates on this trip so stay tuned!

ps. My parents have no idea I am coming to see them.. What a cool surprise!


Drumroll Please...

I celebrated a huge MGB milestone this week by entering triple digits with my weight loss. Yes, after only three months since surgery, I have now lost 100lbs. Coincidentially, I am travelled to California this week to visit my Parents and Brother's family. We will be going to Disneyland and I can try out my new 100lb weight loss while exploring the park. Feet don't fail me now!


See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

I am almost into TRIPLE DIGITS with the pounds lost and I am still amazed.  Now 92 lbs down I feel great.  To recap..  I have eaten pretty well in the last week, spent some time swimming and have worked out a few times with my trainer.


The magic 100 lbs is only 8 lbs away.

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

For those that did not see yesterdays post (but should read below) Carol & I went to the L' Auberge Du Lac Casino in Lake Charles Louisiana last weekend. This trip had many MGB moments so this is the second part in the series of "MGB to Go!" blog updates..

On Sunday morning the sun was out, the weather was nice and it was time for some brunch. I did not know what to expect or where we were going (Carol was in charge). Not being hungry much anymore I no longer wake up and think "what can I eat!?". We ended up going to the Le Beaucoup Buffet at the casino.

But Mike.. A food buffet? what are you thinking!!

I thought the same thing but wanted to be a team player. "Be strong" I told myself.. You see, this is another MGB Moment as I have not been to a buffet since well before surgery for many reasons as you can imagine. The dining portion of their web site speaks of the buffet thusly, "If variety is the spice of life, get ready to live large" and I find that very amusing... I don't want to live large!

Now on to my MGB Experience.. the food was as plentiful as it was amazing.. I can tell how much I have been re-food-programmed because I no longer bee-lined to the Chicken Fried Steak or anything that resembled fried or greasy foods. I amazingly stuck to the salads, fruit, fish, crab legs, shrimp, veggies and more.. I ate tiny portions of lots of stuff and chewed real well. I may have gone overboard a little and felt "semi-uncomfortable" for about 15min afterwards but I definitely outdid myself with the healthier side of buffet eating. Desert was watermelon and some pudding. I wonder what my weight will be later this week? Those of you who are following closely may be surprised.


Overall MGB Mike Report from L' Auberge Du Lac
1) The pool = thumbs up!
2) The buffet = thumbs up!

This past weekend Carol & I went to the L' Auberge Du Lac Casino in Lake Charles Louisiana. This trip had many MGB moments so this will be part 1 in a multi-part blog update.

This is a first in the series of "MGB to Go!" blog updates.. To start with, this is the first time I left the State of Texas since my surgery. It was about a 3.5hr drive but did not seem that long.

The hotel was beautiful and I enjoyed the pool the best. I have always loved swimming, and because of my weight, I rarely felt comfortable going swimming in public pools. My new found confidence due to losing almost 90lbs had me out at the pool swimming all afternoon. It was awesome.. They have a lazy river you can float down in a tube that was pretty relaxing.

MGB Moment: My big beach towel now fits all the way around me! It is the little things that are such a big deal. Swimming in a pool and a beach towel that fits and I am a happy camper. Stay tuned for more MGB to Go! updates.

Here is a pic of the pool..

Normally pants falling down is not a good thing but lately I have not minded much as it has become a normal occurrence with losing 88lbs.

I did recently have an incident that made me think about adding additional belt holes to keep my pants up.

On Memorial Day, I did not realize that the garbage truck would be making the normal rounds.. I figured they had the day off too! So, as I heard the truck come down the street and I quickly rolled my trash can to the curb I realized that my pants were down at my knees. I was halfway down the driveway in plain view. My first thought was that the garbage truck was stopping to let me get my can to the curb (how thoughtful) and then, as i neared the curb, I thought they may be stopping to laugh at my situation. With one hand on the trash can and the other on my pants, I eventually hobbled to the curb with the trash and without my pride. Hey, at least my trash was gone and I bet they had a story to tell when they got done that day.

Now that you have the background story here is today’s MGB Lesson: How to add extra holes in your belt. I found that the best way to make extra belt holes is to use a drill. Be careful to put something under your belt when you punch your hole through. A phonebook or piece of wood works well. You don't want extra holes in your kitchen countertop so please stop and ask for help if you are not power-tool authorized. I hope that helps anyone out there that needs to make a few holes in their belt..

I wish you new holes in your belts for making your belt smaller not larger! ciao!

Holy cow! I blew way past 80 lbs lost on Memorial Day and I am even more "loose in the jeans" than before... more on that later. I am now 88 lbs down and I still feel fantastic and I have had zero issues related to my weight loss. I spent Memorial Day weekend doing many things I used to have trouble attempting including but not limited to mowing my entire yard in 95+ degree high-humidity (2+ hrs) and I did not have to stop once. I had my "Doctor Ordered" Gatorade ready to keep my salt and electrolytes at their proper levels. The magic 100 lbs is only 12 lbs away which is amazing. Stay tuned for updates as I am now more than 1/2 way to my goal weight. Every day I think of how amazing Dr. Robert Rutledge is for giving me a whole new life.

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

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