weight loss surgery

Hunter Croteau is still familiar with his new body. After all, recently a 20-year-old boy has undergone one of the most remarkable physical and mental transformations a human being can make: in just eight months. He lost an astonishing 170 pounds with the help of weight loss surgery.

Croteau grew up in a duplex style with his parents on one side and his grandfather Joseph and grandmother on the other. Because his parents worked many jobs to support the family, Croteau spent most of his time with his grandparents.

“They took me to the doctor as a child,” Croteau said of his time with his grandparents. “The doctor said I was a little underweight. and said they needed to start putting rice in my jar once a day. They didn’t hear the ‘once a day’ part so they gave me rice all the time. And I ended up gaining a lot of weight.”

weight loss surgery

Hunter’s weight gain started when he was young and continued through his teenage years.

while his parents were working Croto explained that his relationship with Joseph blossomed. and he became like But spending time with Grandma and Joseph Both of them are overweight. This means that Croto will spend most of his time eating as well.

“[Joseph] feel very depressed as I know later That’s his problem,” Croto said. Those mental health challenges were attributed to Joseph, who died of suicide when Croteau was a freshman in high school. For Croteau, that was the beginning of his descent. Steep to the bottom of his own food

weight loss surgery

in high school Hunter has a problem with overeating.

“It got to the point where I was eating 6,000 calories a night,” he said. “Eat heavy, take $30 takeout, eat it all up.”

After graduation, measure at 360 pounds.

weight loss surgery

Photos of Hunter before his weight loss

After he graduated, Croteau decided this was his year to be in good health. But as anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight will tell you. It wasn’t always that easy. Croteau gave up time and time again. until fate stepped in

More precisely, it is An elderly woman rolls up to the grocery checkout where Croteau is working on packing duties.

“She said her daughter had this surgery. So it planted a seed in my brain.”

“I had this customer walk past an electric wheelchair to buy a bunch of diet drinks. I talked to her a little and helped her get to her car,” he said. And the woman described her husband as obese. And her daughter was too.

“Before she left, she was like, ‘Listen, I’m not going to talk about this to anyone. But I can tell you that your weight really bothers you,’” Croteau recalls. “She said her daughter had the surgery. So it planted a seed in my brain.”

weight loss surgery

Photos of Hunter before his weight loss

undergo weight loss surgery

At just 19 years old, Croteau took herself to the doctor. walk through the options he has and decided to change his life to receive sleeve gastric surgerySurgery usually removes about 80 percent of the stomach, which prohibits a person from overeating and can trigger hormonal changes to help further weight loss. Mayo Clinic.

Total 228,000 people in the United States. underwent bariatric surgery in 2017Nearly 60 percent of recipients chose a sleeve. For those who are suitable for surgery, it may be a good choice for people with a BMI of 40 or higher, or those with serious weight-related health problems “such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood pressure.” pressure or severe sleep apnea,” says the Mayo Clinic.

Abdominal fat reduction surgery results in 1/4 of the stomach removed.

On average, patients are treated 55% weight loss after five years.

“We found that three weeks after the procedure, There is a profound shift in the way the brain responds to food and appetite,” Dr. Erik Dutson, associate professor and bariatric surgeon at UCLA Medical Center, previously told MensHealth.com. Armband gastrectomy procedure – as with other weight loss surgeries – click here.)

weight loss surgery

Hunter underwent sleeve gastric bypass surgery. which reduced the size of his stomach by about 80%

Before he embarked on the Croteau knife — like most patients undergoing any form of bariatric surgery — both physically and mentally psychiatric careFor Croteau, that meant going to a therapist and finding out where his diet problems came from in the first place. Join a nutritionist to learn how they can eat more healthful foods in the future. “Doing the whole procedure can help you too,” Croteau says. “It really sets me up for surgery.”

After six months of work leading up to surgery, Croteau underwent sleeve surgery. But his journey did not end with the scalpel. Instead, he downloaded the MyFitnessPal app, studied a new lesson from his nutritionist. and changed every aspect of his daily life.

weight loss surgery

A picture of Hunter after his weight loss.

Now, instead of all take-out meals, He makes things like homemade oatmeal with canned pumpkin, cinnamon, walnuts, and splenda for breakfast. This is followed by a high-protein lunch and dinner each day. to ensure that he remains calorie deficient to continue to lose weight.

So far, he’s lost weight from 360 to 190 pounds.

weight loss surgery

A picture of Hunter after his weight loss.

Croteau has also started hitting the gym five days a week with a friend in the rain or the sun to keep him on track.

“One of the luckiest things that happened to me was that one of my best friends was very skinny,” he said. Because we started going to the gym together in January. A month after my surgery Since then we have been going five days a week every week.”

weight loss surgery

Hunter and friends exercise five days a week.

At the gym, both of them rotate between their chests and triceps. back and biceps and legs and shoulders

“We’re making some progress right now,” he said. “Right now I love going to the gym. I feel like I’d be lost without it.” (If you need a little help with the routine, read our . A 3-Week Beginner’s Guide to Getting in Shape.)

weight loss surgery

image of hunter floating on water

As for what he would tell people in the same position where he started?

“You’re going to make a mistake in your diet,” he said. “You’re reading the wrong label. You’ll be eating more calories than you think. Some days you have to start learn from mistakes then move on and if you don’t It will never happen.”

The 20-year-old Croteau also emphasizes that you shouldn’t focus on the changes that happen to your exterior.

“You have to be able to be honest with yourself. Find out what your problem is. And what hurts you the most about yourself,” he said. “If you want to fix it, you have to do it, take steps – even baby steps.”