Today at the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Rex Ryan, head coach of the New York Jets, spoke about his own experiences with weight loss surgery. Announcing that he’s lost 100 pounds, Ryan told the audience his goal is to lose another 25 pounds. His ‘lucky vest’ which used to be a 4X, is now an XL.
Emphasizing the importance of making lifestyle changes in addition to having surgery, Ryan talked about his love of food. With his Lap Band he still can eat most of the things he loves, but in much smaller portions. His before-surgery count of 12 tacos in one meal, is now just 1 taco. “I eat like a human,” he said. Like many obese individuals, prior to surgery Ryan said he had both high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Now, both are in the normal range. Are there downsides to the surgery? Ryan says yes – “nothing fits except my socks”.
Seeing Ryan’s success, his twin brother has now also undergone the gastric banding procedure. He has lost 50 pounds so far. Dr. George Fielding, Ryan’s surgeon, told us that: “Weight loss after bariatric surgery is a journey. It’s not a race. It’s not what happens in game one, it’s whether you get to the superbowl, and whether you are still there the next year fighting for the next one.It’s completely expected that a large man like Rex will lose about 120-130 lbs, then keep it off. He’s on track to do this.”
You can learn more about the operation Ryan had here.
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