Mike and Debbi Stern said I do....and also for better or for worse March 16th, 1996.
15 years later.....it was hard to recognize them.
"I can't believe we ever let ourselves go that far. We were happy though. It just didn't matter. We were happy and I guess we just didn't see ourselves."
"I had gained about 115 pounds."
Debbi had gained 150....so after years and years of failed diets.....they decided to take action.
"We had lost weight and we would gain it back and usually when you gain it back you gain a little more than previous lost. Thats when we decided we need to look for a permanent solution."
Within months apart....they both underwent gastric bypasses.
"I was the guinea pig."
This is Mike today....a shadow of his former self....he's lost 135 pounds. Take a look at Debbi....she's down 105 pounds....just 30 away from her goal. The decision to go under the knife wasn't an easy one.
"There's always the risk with any surgery you have, but the risk of being as overweight as we were outweighed how much the risk of the surgery was."
"If I want to grow up and watch my children grow up and be around and be healthy for them......it needed to be done."
GBMC Bariatric Surgeon Dr. Babak Moeinolmolki performed both surgeries.
"They are a family motivated to change their lifestyle. They have proven to be successful and supportive for each other.
"What’s in here is filled with 100 calorie packs."
In their cabinets their portions are smaller....in the fridge their food is healthier, and they eat out less than they did in their heavier lives.
"If we're gonna eat a meal together, we're gonna eat a healthy meal together."
"We choose our foods based on what we both like."
The couple underwent six months of counseling to make sure they were psychologically prepared for their new lifestyle. Dr. Moeinolmolki says that’s a major factor for success.
"It’s a change in not just the surgery. It’s a change in philosophy of the surgery that has caused a new surge in bariatric procedures."
"The education that goes into bariatric surgery how has really turned around the complication rates."
It’s been more than a year for Mike and 10 months for Debbi.
They've both been free of complications.
In addition to eating together....they also walk and work out together today several times a week.
The success they've achieved didn't come easily...and they take offense when others imply surgery was a quick fix.
"Just like any other diet in order for it to work you have to make that complete change in your diet and exercise, in the words that Debbi used its just a tool to help you, its a permanent tool."
A tool that’s helped them chisel away more than 240 pounds.
