150lbs Down & Rediscovering Life

Born in the UK and raised in Australia, 55-year-old Alan Pryde struggled with excess weight his entire life.

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About Bariatric Surgery

I had always been overweight; I was over 200lbs in junior high and high school, struggling with self-confidence and low self-esteem. It affected my self-image, my relationships, and my overall quality of life.”

- Alan Pryde

Alan relocated to Florida in the 80s, to live out his passion as a registered nurse. His job is extremely active and physically demanding, and he began to notice his weight affecting not only his mobility and energy, but his life outside of work. He struggled to play golf, walk, and noticed the fatigue increase as he took care of his mother. He recalls even driving in a golf cart caused pain and discomfort.

He always knew his weight would restrict him, but as time went by, he began to question his quality of life. His mental health was suffering as he battled with depression and anxiety. He began to notice patterns in his eating- he would eat as a coping mechanism, to bring him comfort. It was time to face this lifestyle. He opened up to his doctor to see how he could begin a new chapter of life.

“As years went on, my weight steadily increased. I was up to 340 lbs. I was getting tired a lot and my attempts at fad diets, like Keto and Weight Watchers failed; I would lose and gain it all back. When speaking with my physician, we looked to the future and imagined what my life would look like when I was 70 if I kept living this way. I knew then that I wanted a change.”

In November 2021, Alan met with Dr. Sanjiv Gray, one of Lakeland Regional Health’s bariatric surgeons at the Institute for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and Medicine. The first meeting with Dr. Gray was an initial consultation to determine that Alan was a candidate for bariatric surgery.

Once the decision was made to go on this journey, Alan would begin preparing for his procedure in Spring 2022. He met with our psychiatrist and dietician, to ensure he was physically and mentally ready for the coming lifestyle changes. He then worked to lose 20lbs before his surgery with portion control and exercise.

“I knew I would need to lose weight before my surgery, but I also wanted to prove to myself that I could do this. I changed my eating habits, began exercising, and prepared myself for the lifestyle modifications I would have for the rest of my life. When I lost those 20lbs, I knew I could not only have this surgery, but I could maintain this lifestyle.”

Alan had his Gastric Sleeve surgery in Spring 2022, he immediately felt a change and knew he made the right decision. Not only this, but his recovery was easier than he thought. With only 4 small incisions, no big scar, and no adverse side effects, he was able to drive the afternoon he left the hospital.

“Honestly, it will change your life and your health; it’s wonderful. Recovery was pain free in my experience and less than a year since surgery, I am down over 150 lbs. Weight is but a number though. This experience changed my life for the better. I have a lot more energy to take 4-5 flights of stairs without losing my breath and I can enjoy exercises like golfing and walking in a whole new way. I hope to help someone reading this who is feeling the same as I did.”

Approximately 42% of all US adults struggle with obesity. Obesity can not only affect your health, but your mental well-being. Alan dealt with anxiety and depression for the majority of his life, and continues to work on his confidence even after losing weight. Alan had a goal to weigh in at 199 since weighing under 200 seemed unthinkable just a year ago. He recently weighed in at 190-extremely happy with this number!

“Confidence is something that will take time, but it will come. It’s a journey. I have accomplished more than I ever thought I could, getting under 200 was an amazing feeling. I used to be a 46 size and now I am a size 32. I have more variety in my clothing now, where before I had limited choices; it’s pretty cool.”

Life these days for Alan is more active, more grateful, and more motivated than before. He takes time to notice the little things that mean so much to him in his daily life; things that he was unable to do before surgery.

“Just being able to do simple things that I couldn’t do before, like bending over and tie my shoelaces, makes me stop and think and be glad that I took this life changing journey.”

Your after starts now.

Interested in learning more about how you can achieve your weight-loss and health goals like Alan did?