I was overweight from a young age. By 10 I was already having to wear XL shirts. By 21 I was 384 pounds and had constant back and knee pain. I decided to make a change, so on July 23rd, 2018 I had the gastric sleeve procedure. I now, 14 months later, have reached my goal weight of 180 pounds, with a total weight loss of 204 pounds. It certainly wasn’t easy, but it was definitely worth it! I no longer have the back and knee pain which severely limited me, and as a result I now enjoy being much more physically active! I went from wearing 4XL shirts and having a waist size of 56 inches to wearing mediums and a 34 inch waist! I have a new found confidence that I never had before. My advice to those considering this is that if you want to maximize your results, dedicate yourself to making some serious lifestyle changes. The sleeve is a tool that requires you to put in work, not just something thing you can do and expect to have long lasting results while still eating the same stuff and not being active.