Six Months Out

I had my six-month follow-up appointment this morning. There have been some pretty obvious changes to my appearance, but I thought I'd let you know the less obvious changes as well:

• My blood pressure was in the at-risk range but in is now in the optimal range at 118/70.
• My cholesterol was in the at-risk range. It is now 131 which is well below the normal/optimal of 200.
• I was insulin resistant/pre-diabetic. My fasting blood sugar is now 77 -- perfectly normal.
• I had sleep apnea, snored, stopped breathing, and was supposed to use a machine while sleeping. All of the issues related to apnea have been resolved!
• At my heaviest, I weighed 273 pounds. I am now 160.
• My BMI at the time of surgery was 43.4. I was morbidly obese. My BMI now is 27.5. I am overweight and am within 15 pounds of being in the "healthy weight" range. I used to get annoyed with people who "only" had 15 pounds to lose.
• My body fat percentage at the time of surgery was 53%. My body fat percentage is now 34%.
• I had quite a bit of joint pain especially in my ankles. I now run a 5k at least twice a week and am running in my first 5-mile race this weekend.