Author: Leslie Toldo
Last year, after a lifetime struggling with his weight, Randy Cragg became more motivated than ever to finally be free.
“For years I tried different weight loss plans, but I couldn’t seem to stick with anything,” Randy said.
His inspiration? Love. Randy wanted to be here to watch his then 4-year-old daughter grow up.
“I was just 30. I struggled walking up the stairs. I went to Cedar Point and couldn’t fit on some of the rides,” Randy said. “I realized I might miss out on things in my daughter’s life. I wanted to do things with her.”
After talking with his doctor, Randy began to think weight loss surgery could be the answer, but it was not an easy decision to make.
“I prayed about it. I was nervous. I felt apprehension to bring it up to my wife, but she was very supportive,” Randy said. “Still, I felt embarrassed that I couldn’t control my weight on my own, and I was worried about what other people would think.”
Ultimately, Randy decided to go through with surgery. He made an appointment with the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at McLaren Flint.
“When I got there, I quicky learned the surgery would not be a fix-all. It was going to be a long process,” Randy said.
One of the first steps in that process was counseling sessions. They turned out to be game-changing for him.
“I had two or three counseling sessions. One was three or four hours. I learned about how food makes me feel,” Randy said. “I was able to realize many of my unhealthy eating habits stem from my childhood, and I was able to address those. The mindset that you have to finish your plate is an unhealthy thing. Forcing yourself to finish a plate of food when you aren’t hungry is not healthy.”
It was eye-opening for Randy to learn that his weight was more than a physical issue, that our relationships with food start in our minds.
“People often want to try different exercise and eating plans without really looking at why they eat the way they do,” said Randy’s surgeon, Dr. Michael Kia. “Until you can truly resolve those core issues, it is not likely you will have long-term success with weight loss.”
While he learned to work through changing his mindset, Randy had another important thing to do before he could have surgery. He had to lose one to two pounds a month for six months. Once surgery was done, Randy also had to stay on top of diet and exercise- something surgery cannot do for any patient.
“Surgery changes the chemistry of how people feel hunger so people can develop healthy eating behaviors that can last a lifetime,” Dr. Kia said.
When Randy first met with Dr. Kia and the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at McLaren Flint team, he weighed in at 335 pounds. On the morning of his surgery, Randy weighed 289. Today, he is down to 170.
“The doctors set expectations for me to get down to 220,” Randy said. “In my mind that wasn’t good enough. I wanted to go further. I wanted to go harder.”
After surgery, along with making big changes in his diet, Randy began walking regularly. Before long, he was running. Randy has participated in numerous road races and has even won in his age category.
“Looking back at pictures, I was giant. I can’t believe that was my life. I never realized how big and out of shape I was, and I never want to get back to that point,” Randy said. “Staying competitive in these races helps me stay focused.”
Randy’s daughter just recently participated in a race with him. He is hoping to pass along the healthy habits he is learning to her.
While he has his daughter to thank for launching him into this whole process, Randy says he could not have made it through without the team he had behind him.
“It was absolutely remarkable. The McLaren team is not only friendly and attentive, I feel like they know and encourage me,” Randy said. “I like to think I am a success story, and they make me think that I am. “
To learn more about the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at McLaren Flint, click here.