Mark L. Smolik, MD

I went to a weight loss class 8 years ago and the only thing available was bypass and lap band. I said Nevermind. I can do it on my own. Fast forward 8 years. Add in 60 pounds, high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep issues and I had to do something. 8 weeks out from my pre surgery diet 6 weeks out from surgery and I'm down 70 pounds. I feel great. Best decision ever. Started out 330. Dr said I will end up 200 pounds. Can't wait.

Updated on 12 Jun 2015:
I am free of 3 max doses of blood pressure meds, diabetic meds done, cpap done. I feel great. 70 pounds down feels amazing. 2 clothing sizes down. I bike and weight train now with better energy than before.

Updated on 14 Jun 2015:
My trip to our amusement park went better this spring. Last year I could barely fit in the rides. It was embarrassing and painful. This year it was amazing. I was worried because I am only 2 months out from gastric sleeve. No pain on rides. Everything went great. No cravings for bad fried foods. It was a great day.

Updated on 27 Jun 2015:
Food choices are challenging on vacation. I did pretty good but I had Chicago style pizza. One small piece. Also had half of a Portellos Italian beef sandwich. That's the only bad stuff in 3 days of vacation. No scale to weigh myself. I'll see the damage tomorrow.

Updated on 29 Jun 2015:
Slowly moving the right direction. Surgery day seems so long ago. I was a different person then. It was only April 28th. Today is June 29th. Crazy fast. I run half a mile daily. Lift weights. Bike. Kick box. And have energy to spare. I eat only 10% of what I did 3 months ago.

Updated on 2 Jul 2015:
The most common thing I hear is. Oh... I didn't even recognize you. It's like a weird alternate reality. A dream. This can't be me they are talking to. People treat you differently. Better. You are smarter. Cuter. People smile more at you. I'm still trying to get accustomed to being treated better by people just because I lost 80 pounds. I don't think I will look at other overweight people the same again.

Updated on 12 Jul 2015:
I've been eating sugar and sweets. I'm down 83 pounds and I'm happy but I weigh myself daily cause I'm scared to gain it back. I workout 6 days a week but the more I workout the more I eat. The last few days I've been around 1300 calories. Way to high. I need some encouragement to get back on track. I have 30-40 more pounds to go. I see more muscle growth because of my workouts but I am eating way too much. Thinking of going back to little exercise and lower calories. Any ideas?

Updated on 17 Jul 2015:
Past my stall. Really pushing up my workout. Kickboxing 3 days a week, biking 5 days a week. Weight lifting 5 days a week. Calories at 800-1000 a day. Just ordered a fit bit from Amazon. Hoping to get an accurate amount on calories I'm burning. Guessing 2500 or so a day between workouts and regular activity. I walk 5-6 miles a day in my 40 hour job. Trying to get a calorie deficit of 500-1000 calories daily. I need to lose 45 more pounds to my goal. I'm down 85 points. End weight will be 200 pounds. Any idea on how to caluculate accurately the calories I'm burning?

Updated on 30 Jul 2015:
When my doctor sat down with me before my surgery he gave me a goal. 200 pounds. I was 330 pounds. I was like. Eh... I'm thinking that's unrealistic. If I hit 240 I'll be happy maybe 230. Flash forward 3 months and I had my fallow up appointment with my surgeon. He said I'm on pace to hit the goal we set. 200 pounds. I'm 238 now and I realize that I don't have to stop now. Why not finish what I started. People say ... Don't lose anymore. You're getting skinny. Better not keep losing. I see my belly and my fat still remaining. I see a picture that is looking good but isn't close to being finished. I'm going to hit my goal. 200 pounds. I'm doing 2 triathlons next year and RAGBRI a bike ride from one side of Iowa to the other. I am going from a 330 pound morbidly obese diabetic, man with high blood pressure, sleep apnea and fatty liver. By next summer I will be a 2 time triathlete and road cyclist who is 200 pounds of muscle. A complete change. I can't wait and I'm taking this dream and not stopping half way.

Updated on 23 Aug 2015:
Well it's been a crazy ride! April 28 wasn't that long ago. I still look in the mirror and can't believe it's me. I'm 230 pounds so my goal of 200 is still a ways away. I have been ahead of my goal every step along the way. I hoped to be 230 by October or November. It's August 23rd 2015. I hope to be 200 by spring but at my current rate of loss and training I will be there by December. I still bike 8-10 miles 5 days a week. I do kick boxing and weight lifting 5 days a week. I eat 1200 to 1600 calories a day. I have a fit bit HR and it showed 3500 calories burned daily between workouts and everyday activity. I think that's a little high but even if it's high.., I'm running a calorie deficit. That is what's alowing me to lose weight still. I'm a little nervous about my winter. Biking has been one of my main sources of cardio but I will just do a spin class. Just not as fun as riding on the road but better than losing all of my endurance and leg gains. I'll also be adding swimming and more running so I'm sure I'll be ok on my cardio.
I have had some short term memory issues. They are usually caused by shortages of B1 and B12. My test results from last week came back ok so I'm kinda at a loss. Hopefully it gets better. I am really focused on doing a good job of never missing my vitamins. I think I'm going to switch to a B12 shot instead of pills. I want to make sure I get the full amount in my body. I know we don't absorb vitamins well after Weightloss surgery. And advice on vitamins would be appreciated.

Updated on 7 Sep 2015:
I've had some pretty killer heartburn. The kind that makes you think your stomach has ruptured or that you are having a heart attack. I've had it three times. I've been trying to figure out why it's been happening. The only two things I can figure out. It happens when I eat lots of chocolate. The other part is I never had it until I stopped taking my perscription Omeprazole. I know some people can go off of it but I'm thinking I may be one of those that needs it for the rest of my life. Any others have any word on dealing with really bad heartburn?

Updated on 14 Sep 2015:
I was an XXXL just got that sweat shirt I'm wearing and its a Large. Pants went from a tight 42 to a 34. I'm 6 foot and 41 years old. I had to hold my breath to tie my shoes. I was starting to get tingling in my legs and toes. I was on 4 different blood pressure medications. I was also diabetic. All gone now and health. Best decision of my life. I'm not a perfect eater either. The gastric sleeve just limits how much you can eat at one time. Still have 25 pounds till my goal.

Updated on 14 Sep 2015:
I was an XXXL just got that sweat shirt I'm wearing and its a Large. Pants went from a tight 42 to a 34. I'm 6 foot and 41 years old. I had to hold my breath to tie my shoes. I was starting to get tingling in my legs and toes. I was on 4 different blood pressure medications. I was also diabetic. All gone now and health. Best decision of my life. I'm not a perfect eater either. The gastric sleeve just limits how much you can eat at one time. Still have 25 pounds till my goal.

Updated on 29 Sep 2015:
You can lose weight without exercise but long term you have a better chance of it stating off with exercise. I have friends that had surgery when I did and have had little or no success. One common thing is clear. If you're lazy you will fail. If you don't work hard you will fail. If you think gastric sleeve is a magic pill you will fail. Don't be fooled. Move your butt and make yourself a new you.

Updated on 1 Oct 2015:
I could only hold this for 20 seconds but my body held it for 10-15 years. I tried to walk with it but I couldn't. Crazy to feel it again.

Updated on 28 Oct 2015:
Ok. I'm sick of hearing you are too skinny. Kinda weird to be complaining about it but I'm just saying. I'm 220 pounds. That's not skinny. I'm 6 foot. I do have high muscle but when I look at myself all I see is my belly. I just got pants and they are a size 32. That's awesome. I am thankful for my loss but just trying to hit my goal I set with my doctor. I had a coworker say today" you're too skinny! You look sick!" Seriously. It's bugging me. I'm training for a triathlon. I eat 1200 to 1600 calories a day. Lots of protien. I bike, swim and kickbox. Just want to be in optimal shape by May to swim and run the triathlon. Any words of advice?

Updated on 14 Nov 2015:
200 pounds is the goal. 20 more pounds to go. Thanks for the support.

Updated on 26 Nov 2015:
Just catching up with a new before and after pic. 330 pounds to 218 pounds in 7 months

Updated on 8 Dec 2015:
Another before and after.

Updated on 2 Feb 2016:
Still training for my triathlon. Spin class, running and swimming. It's way easier to run down 110 pounds. My knees feel way better. I try to remember how it was and not forget. I also weight my self daily so I don't go back. I works for me so I don't head down the wrong path.

Updated on 31 Mar 2016:
It's been a crazy year. I lost almost all of my weight in 5 months. I got down to 218 then crept up to 234 now I'm 217. Been working out 2-3 hours a day 4-5 times a week. I keep my heart rate in the 140-165 range for 60-70% of that. I enjoy life. I vacation and just live. I have a small amount of skin left over so I'm considering skin reduction but I want to wait 1-2 years out before I do that to make sure I'm where I want to be weight wise. I'm just happy to be alive and healthy. I eat mostly protein. Some fruits and veggies. No pop, caffeine or juices.

Updated on 31 May 2016:
Well... Just over one year and I've gone from 330 to 212. Morbid obesity to just over weight. lol. I feel amazing. Dr said my muscle is up. Weight is down. Kidney function is perfect. No diabetes. No joint pain. If you're thinking about it... Just do it. It works. Be advised. If you don't wanna exercise and eat less you will fail. You have to go outside your comfort zone. That said it was the best decision of my life.

Updated on 28 Feb 2021:
I am 235 pounds. My max was 330. My low was 212. I feel good and healthy. It is a constant struggle but I’m so happy I did this surgery. I have noticed most others in my weight loss surgery class have gained back their weight plus extra. I have one friend like me that is still down. If I were giving words of advice I would say gastric sleeve surgery is not a magic bullet. It takes work to stay down. After year 1 you’re thinking this is easy. After year 5 you’re like this is serious work. If you aren’t ready to make real change and exercise then you will fail. Zero doubt.

Updated on 26 Jul 2021:
Still working to keep it off. I’ve been as high as 265 ( Covid high )in the past year. I’m 240 today. Would like to get back in the 220’s. I’m one week into whole 30. I’ve done it before and lost 20 pounds so hoping to kick it into gear. I talk to many people who had gastric sleeve and 5 years out most have gained it back. I’m in the minority to be anywhere around 100 pounds down still. It’s a fight but I’m not giving up. For me the big positive is you can’t binge eat a whole pizza or something. You can however drink your calories or slowly graze 5000 calories so you need to be vigilant still a great decision. I got married 2 weeks ago. I’ll share some pics.

Updated on 9 Mar 2024:
It’s been a fight but finally hit 200 pounds. I’ve lost 50 pounds in 7 months. I also had skin reduction surgery on my chest and abdomen. That surgery is more difficult than anyone tells you. The past 3 months since surgery have been a killer.

Updated on 1 Apr 2024:
It’s been difficult to keep the weight off even with the advantages of a gastric sleeve. The past year I’ve had great luck with the help of an amazing wife. I also had skin reduction surgery in December. Keep fighting the good fight. 195 pounds now from my high if 230 pounds before Bariatric surgery.

Updated on 30 Oct 2024:
Down to 190 pounds and doing regular exercise. It’s great to have a partner that is committed to the same journey. GLP-1 medication has made a difference on the last 60 pounds of weight loss. All of my test results are normal now. Keep fighting you guys.