Joe W. has always been active at work, and he stays busy with his wife and three sons. But excess weight affected his energy levels and well-being.
In his early 40s, Joe was determined to make a change — and he did. With the help of a nutritionist and weight-loss medications, Joe lost 120 pounds.
“I was in great shape,” he says. “But then I had a hernia with complications. I gained all the weight back due to work and stress.”
That’s what led Joe to Temple — and the help he needed to make a lasting change.
Comprehensive care
Joe didn’t come to Temple for bariatric surgery. Instead, he made an appointment with Rohit Soans, MD, to discuss hernia repair.
“He said he couldn’t do the surgery unless I lost a substantial amount of weight,” Joe says.
But Dr. Soans didn’t send Joe off to tackle this task on his own. The team at the Temple Bariatric Program partnered with Joe to manage his weight.
Testing showed that he was a good candidate for bariatric surgery. Joe began to work with a Temple nutritionist to establish healthy habits before the procedure.
He lost about 80 pounds prior to having gastric sleeve surgery in April 2023.
“I was down to 300 after surgery, but I wasn’t eating the right way,” Joe says. “I gained 15 pounds back.”
Joe realized something had to change. And words from Dr. Soans rang in his head.
“He told me, ‘Someone your size, your body is telling you that unless you 100% change how you live, you’ll put this weight back on.’”
Joe took this guidance to heart, and he took charge.
“I changed my lifestyle, changed my way of eating and focused on fitness,” he says. “Now, I’m down 170 pounds. My highest was 399. Now I’m at 230.”
Lasting habits bring new joys
Guidance from Dr. Soans, nutritionists and the care team at the Temple Bariatric Program has helped Joe make big changes and stick with them.
