Gastric Bypass for Geocachers

[+The GeoGadgets Team]

I hope this isn't OT.

My family and I started Geocaching in 2001, and instantly became addicted. Back then I was 42 years old, with two small kids (oh, and Steak... he might as well be a kid). I also weighed nearly 500 lbs. I saw Geocaching as a way to get out and move, hopefully to lose weight. Unfortunately, much of the time found me sitting in the car giving directions to the others who were out caching because I couldn't do anything more strenuous than a 1.5 on terrain.

 

Way back then I was trying to talk my Drs. and insurance Co. to let me have Gastric Bypass surgery. They kept telling me, 'no, you need to eat less and exercise more'. As much as I loved Geocaching, hiking 2 miles to a cache carrying a camera, a backpack with trade items and all of the weight I was packing just did more damage... but I was having fun!

 

Finally I found a group of Drs. who would help me, and I had the surgery in May of 2005. I weighed 470 lbs. Now, a little over a year later, I weigh 290 lbs. (and still losing!), cache every chance I get, I'm the first one out of the car and down the trail, I'm walking from 2 to 5 miles daily, and I've completed Geocaches rated at 3.5 on terrain because of the strenuous hike up mountains to the cache site. I even placed a cache to celebrate the first one hundred pounds that I lost (Hundred Down), with an explanation as to why.

 

Since then, I've met and talked with other Geocachers who have since gone out and had the surgery. At our Third Annual Cool Coastal Retreat Event in July, there was another Geocacher there who'd had the surgery (and looked great!), and another who'd actually been thinking about having it done, and came to the event to meet with me and talk about it.

 

I'm sure there must be other Geocachers out there who've had it done or are considering it. Yes, this post may be a blatant trolling for praise, and some of you may even think I took the easy way out... if having a six-hour procedure to rearrange your digestive tract and recovering with a ten-inch incision down the middle of your abdomen is 'easy', then you can think what you will. But I did something to change my condition, and I am changing every day. My 13- and 9-year olds struggle to catch up to me on hikes, and the older kid is in track.

 

GB patients, speak up! I'm thrilled with my new condition and hope to meet other Geocachers out there who want to use this fun sport as an additional tool to improve their physical condition.

 

RedwoodRed (now 180 lbs. lighter)

[+denali7]

Congratulations! That is truely an awesome achievement.

 

My mother just had this surgery in late June, I know how hard it all is. How do you handle the hiking with a decreased ability to drink? I'm always encouraging her to walk more, but I worry about that. I've wondered if her capacity to take in fluids will increase in time. It sure gets hot and humid around here in the summer--do you get out in the summer well?

[+The GeoGadgets Team]

Congratulations! That is truely an awesome achievement.

 

My mother just had this surgery in late June, I know how hard it all is. How do you handle the hiking with a decreased ability to drink? I'm always encouraging her to walk more, but I worry about that. I've wondered if her capacity to take in fluids will increase in time. It sure gets hot and humid around here in the summer--do you get out in the summer well?

 

Tell your Mother I said "Congratulations!" Good for her!

I actually drink a gallon and a half of water a day. Most people find that hard to believe, but I have water with me constantly. I don't go anywhere without a 1-liter bottle. Tell your Mom to sip, constantly sip. It still hurts if I gulp water, so just be cautious.

 

And no, I don't go to the bathroom constantly. Amazingly enough, I spent more time going to the bathroom when I drank two cups of coffee a day than I do drinking 120 oz. of water. Caffiene dehydrates, and according to my Surgeon, for every 8 ounces of coffee I drink I have to add another 16 ounces of water to my daily intake in order to wash out the negative effects of the caffiene!

[+CYBret]

Caffiene dehydrates, and according to my Surgeon, for every 8 ounces of coffee I drink I have to add another 16 ounces of water to my daily intake in order to wash out the negative effects of the caffiene!

 

Doin the math.......oh great...looks like I better get down to the lake!

 

Congrats, Red! And, might I add, it's great to see you in the forums more!

 

I think I've managed to drop 20...maybe 30 pounds since taking up caching. At the very least I know I've held off a lot of weight I would have put on if I hadn't been caching.

 

Bret

[+Skillet68]

Congrats on the weight loss Red. I didn't have the GB surgery but did go through a life style change just over a year ago. I was knocking on (more like walking through) the door of 400 lbs in Feb. of '05 and was a 2 pack a day smoker. Really didn't like where I was in my life. Quit smoking cold turkey in Feb of '05 and then quit for real in Oct of '05. Went on a drug called Meridia in May of that year. I have been tobacco free since Oct of '05 and as of last week weighed in at 268. Started walking 1 mile a day, then 2 miles, then 3 miles. After awhile I was up to 4 miles a day and often that would be in a State Forest on trails meant for mountain biking. Then I came across Geocaching! Haven't looked back. Geocaching has taken me to more places then I ever would have gotten too on my own. (State parks and such)

Not looking for any glory with my story. It takes a lot of guts for someone to even open up a thread about weight issues so I give all the praise on this thread to Red. But it also allows others to express their achievements and even disappointments.

Great job Red and keep it up!

[+2qwerqE]

OK, you asked for it. I didn't do the surgery, but after a dire diagnosis in Dec 02, I knew I had to lose the weight. I had no end of trouble sticking to excercise of any kind. Bored my socks off! Until I found geocaching. Now, more than 70lbs later and a surgery of a different type (breast reduction, because no matter how much weight I lost, those EEE's weren't going anywhere.) Yes, I too started out with one or two cache hunts, proud when I would top 1 mile in one day. Now I stay out down to dusk, stop counting the miles after 7/day, and am happier and healthier than ever before in my life. At 174 lbs, I'll never be skinny, but I'll take it.

 

One problem: I am addicted to long green hikes, and when I can't get out in the woods for more than a week, even with concrete walks nightly, I start jonesing in a serious way. Must hike! Must be in the woods! I'm even considering seeking a job in the park service and dumping my desk job. But I like my job. Last wekend I had a 5 day weekend, spent 4 of the 5 days in 2 different forests in 2 states. Nirvana. The 5th day was spent shopping for new boots; I wore my Merrells out.

 

Here's my before and after:

 

[+egami]

I'm sure there must be other Geocachers out there who've had it done or are considering it. Yes, this post may be a blatant trolling for praise, and some of you may even think I took the easy way out... if having a six-hour procedure to rearrange your digestive tract and recovering with a ten-inch incision down the middle of your abdomen is 'easy', then you can think what you will. But I did something to change my condition, and I am changing every day. My 13- and 9-year olds struggle to catch up to me on hikes, and the older kid is in track.

 

I am not a big fan of GB, personally. I do commend you on your action though and willingness to make a change that you knew was needed. I certainly don't criticize your action...it's just I wish there were less failures with the procedure. I am thankful to hear yours was a success.

 

Keep Geocaching!

[+supertbone]

I had the GB in January of 2005 and I took up hiking afterwards. I later got into geocaching as an extension of my interest in hiking. I am glad I lost the weight, and now I have a hobby that helps me keep active. I prefer hiking and dodging rattlesnakes than sitting on my arse watching TV.

Edited September 7, 2006 by supertbone

[+denali7]

Thanks for the info, and congrats to everyone--your stories are very inspiring. GREAT pictures, 2Q, congrats!

[+TheManInStripes]

I hope you all will oblige me sharing my story.

 

I am a 35 year old father of 8. I was a normal sized kid in high school and all, and even through the early years of my marriage I was still under 200 lbs. Then I became rather sedentary in my lifestyle, and the pounds started to pack on. To be honest with ya, I never really tracked the rate at which I put the pounds on, but they started adding up. This despite the fact that I got out and refereed basketball during the winter months. Part of my problem was, I liked to eat, and if there was still food on the table, I was gonna eat it. Anyhow, there came a point finally in my life a few years ago when I decided it was time to do something about my weight.

 

When I was finally serious about doing something about it, in October 2004, I went out and bought a scale. This after attending a banquet and eating a rather large serving if prime rib with all the fixings. When I got home that night, and broke out the scale, I was a whopping 273 lbs. (I'm 5'10" tall). Basketball season was just starting and I thought that getting out and running games a few nights a week would do the trick. By late December, I had lost 10 lbs and wanted to drop the weight faster. The basketball reffing was helping, but wasn't enough. So I went out and bought a treadmill. The saddest part of this was, I went and bought it, got it home, and as I got ready to open the box, I saw a line on the box that said that that particular model shouldn't be used by anyone over 250 LBS. I was still 262. I decided that wasn't going to stop me. 12 extra lbs wasn't going to break the treadmill. I began walking on it for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week, in addition to refereeing. By the time basketball season ended in April, I was down to about 240. I knew I had to do something to keep going. I went out and bought a bicycle and began biking regularly. Having kids, they were always eager to go for evening bike rides. But that wasn't enough, so I also had my wife start driving me to work a few times a week and then I would ride home , 11 miles. By the end of the summer, I was even riding both ways sometimes. When football season started in August 2005, I was down to 223 -- 50 lbs below my starting weight. I also referee football, and this helped the weight continue to come off, along with continuing to bicycle. I had gotten bored with the treadmill by now, so I often found my self bicycling to and from football games. (You don't get as much exercise during a football double header as you do in basketball games). By the end of football season, I was down to 210. and I got down to 200 by the end of December 2005. That is where I am today. For me, it was really a matter of deciding it was what I wanted to do, and then doing it. "Eat less and exercise more" was my mantra. While that may not work for someone such as the OP, I knew it could work for me. Once I had started losing consistently and keeping it off, I let my wife know what I was doing, and she was always understanding when we'd sit down for dinner and I'd eat one serving and then get up before I could fill my plate again.

 

One other thing I did was cut out soda pop. I used to drink a couple of cases a week -- I could easily come home and drink 3-4 a night some nights. I rarely buy a case of it anymore unless I'm going camping or something like that, and when I do, it's Diet A&W Rootbeer -- the only Diet soda I've found that doesn't lose it's flavor in the diet format.

 

It can be done. And what A good feeling it is. It's also nice to hear comments from people, as they do notice when you lose that much weight. Many of them wondered what diet plan I was on -- but diet was a word I refused to use. I kept eating the same things I always had, I just didn't eat as much of them.

[+The GeoGadgets Team]

It is so cool to read about the successful weight loss of others who've used Geocaching as an inspirational way to lose pounds and get conditioned.

 

I thank you all for your responses! 2Q inspired me to post my before and after image:

 

 

The 'after' was taken in June of 2006, and since then I'm down to 290, so I've lost more. Steak (my S.O.) says that I picked the wrong shirt to wear, but it is hard to find things that fit for more than a week or two.

 

I really hope that more people will pick up this thread, but it is great to know that I'm not alone. Actually, I'm glad to be back! I'm hoping to get down to my pre-injury (in 1991) weight of 165 lbs, when I looked like this:

 

 

I wish all of you luck, and hope you will continue to wish it for me! Actually, just wish me the continued energy and enthusiasm to cache! That seems to be working!

 

RedwoodRed

[nobby.nobbs]

excellent work.... i use it for the exact opposite, due to illness and injury i was suffering from chronic fatigue and large weight loss.

 

now getting fitter and putting weight on....

 

it's all down to balancing exercise with calories input. eat healthily and get out and enjoy life.

[+The GeoGadgets Team]

promotional bump

[+ThreeRushkateers]

Great thread! You are all so inspiring! I haven't lost weight caching, but I definitely have more endurance than I used to have and I'm enjoying life more! For me, having a geocaching obsession has helped me obsess less about work, which makes me happier and more fun for the family to be around! For weight loss I need to work on eating less. At the Indiana fall picnic last weekend, I ate like a piggie and even with all the hiking, I came home weighing more than when I left. I think I better go cache some more now!!

[+madmike8]

Well, I didn't do the GB either... Two years ago I was 562lbs+... I was at a point where I couldn't really exercise due to my weight... So, I started the Atkins thing and dropped 100lbs... that got enough weight off me that I could begin to exercise... So, I joined the Gym with some friends and began to walk... We walk 5 nights a week and between 3-4 miles a night... In June, my friend introduced me to Geocaching... It sounded like a great way to get outdoors and get exercise... plus it appealed to my geek side... I've been hooked ever since... I really like getting out and seeing the scenery that caching takes you to... Plus all the new friends I've met since we started... This past month I passed my 200lb lost mark... I feel better than ever... I wish I had found Geocaching a long time ago... The friend I walk with writes up a blog on our geocaching trips every week... It's basically the tales of four fat folks geocaching... http://geoadventures.blogspot.com/

 

Mike

Edited September 12, 2006 by madmike8

[+BubbleDragon]

Congratulations everyone!

 

I just wanted to make a quick note that the "fact" that caffeine actually dehydrates you (thus requiring you to take in MORE water - that is, would have a negative liquid intake) is a MYTH. Here is a decent link about it: http://www.ific.org/foodinsight/2002/ja/caffdehydnbfi402.cfm

 

The only liquid I know of that would have a negative fluid intake would be alcohol. So teas and coffees are ok. Just watch the extra sugar that can creep in along with them! *grin*

 

(Edited to say: I know you got the tip from a doctor, but doctors can be wrong - my husband's grandfather had a doctor tell him that he didn't think he needed to quit smoking, because he didn't believe it actually caused cancer.)

 

(Edited again: I'm stepping all over my own toes here. Of course, the caffeine might have different effects on patients after surgeries like this, so I'd still suggest listening to your own doctors. Heh.)

Edited September 12, 2006 by BubbleDragon

[+robert]

Wow, congrats on the change! Good job!

 

[+blazerfan]

Congrats... of course I already knew how much more you were getting out caching with how many of my caches you found before you moved. Its a shame you live in Maine now as Iseek has promised 15 new caches before his event

[+pdxmarathonman]

Congratulations Redwood Red! That is an amazing accomplishment. Good luck in getting to your ultimate goal weight!

 

Random memory surge of the day:

I remembered a posting that I made in the forums over 4 years ago (I confirmed it be searching my old postings) that we went to different high schools together. Anyone that wants to find out the year we graduated will have to do their own search

[+ke6n]

Wow, this is all very inspiring!

 

I've had two relatives who have had gastric bypass and lost a bunch of weight, but they both had complications. That's not to say it isn't a good thing for some people, of course!

 

I was recently diagnosed type 2 diabetic and made the decision to do a lifestyle change. I was pushing the scale at about 480 when I went in to see the doc. She asked me if I wanted to consider gastric bypass but I told her of my relatives experience with it and indicated that I wanted to lose the weight without the surgery.

 

In the past two months I've lost about 30 lbs by eating for 1 instead of 4 people. I am now listening to my body tell me when it is full and stop eating then rather than stopping when there is no food left to be eaten. I've also obviously cut out the sugar sodas due to the diabetes. I'm on oral medication and am tending toward not enough blood sugar as opposed to too much so I'm juggling around with less meds while still making sure I'm getting sufficient nutrition and the blood sugar is on target.

 

Exercise is also a great help. I've been going out walking in the evenings but I'm now getting to the point where I want to do a little bit more than just walk. I've gotten back into geocaching about a week or so back and I'm itchin' to get to some of those caches I never really felt like walking or hiking to in the past. Sometimes my feet have been hurting me (go figure with 450 lbs crunching down on each foot, every step I take) so I'm going to check out getting my mountain bike back in operating condition so I can ease off the foot strain getting to some of the caches.

 

Anyway, I saw your post and could really identify. I'm just starting out on the lifestyle change so it really is great to review stories from people who have made successful journeys and are well on their way to livin' the good life! Keep up the great work-- you're a great inspiration.

 

(Oh, I also see that you've recently relocated from Northern California to back east and your husband is a ham. I live in Santa Rosa, CA and I am also a ham. My callsign is my geocaching handle.)

 

OK, it's time to check the ol' blood sugar and maybe have a bedtime snack if it is running a little too low... again.

 

Take care,

Ken

Edited September 14, 2006 by n6mhg

[+The GeoGadgets Team]

Wow! Everyone who responded is inspiring me! I'm amazed.

I did try to lose weight on my own, with a diatician, under a doctor's care, etc. and even if I lost some, I'd always gain back more than I lost.

One of the most interesting things that I had to realize when deciding to do this surgery: that the surgery is only a TOOL to speed along the weight-loss. My brain got me into this mess (eating because it made me feel -something- ...comfortable, satisfied, whatever... ) and it is going to take strong brain power to get me to keep losing weight.

I've almost worked my way through what the doctor calls my "honeymoon period", the first 18 months after surgery is when the majority of the weight comes off, and only being down 200 lbs. means I've only come one third of the way of my goal. This means I'll have to work even harder to lose that last 100 lbs.

 

I'm sure not drinking sodas anymore, and only drinking one cup of coffee per day, plus only being able to eat 4 ounces of food at a time will go a long way to make that easier, but I'll still have to work.

 

I live on the third floor now that I live in Maine. Climbing two flights of stairs multiple times per day sure is making a difference... and when it gets too cold to cache (*sigh* is that possible?), going up and down the stairs will be one of my major forms of exercise... but it is still something I couldn't even DO a year ago! Now, if I can just put the refrigerator out in the hanger instead of up here (the hanger is 500 feet from the house), getting a snack would be so much of a challenge that it might be worth the calorie burn just to attempt it... even in three-foot snow drifts!

 

Keep up the great work everybody and Cache On!