Forty-five-year-old photographer and IT professional Adrian Z. is serious about his workouts. He runs, does boot camps, and is preparing for his first HYROX race which involves — among other things — running, burpees, broad jumps, and lunges. But less than five years ago he struggled to walk the short distance between his parking garage and apartment. "It was only 88 steps, and I would be drenched in sweat and gasping," he recalls.
"Not a good life"
A former semi-pro football player, Adrian was always a large man, but weight gain in his 30's significantly impacted his well-being.
"I couldn't fit on a plane. I didn't want to be seen by my family because I felt like a burden and was embarrassed to be seen that big. I even missed my best friend's wedding," he says. "I struggled every time I looked at myself. It was not a good life."
He was also unable to fully participate in his IT internship at the Austin airport. "I struggled walking through the terminal, so they left me behind to sit in the office."
An embarrassing moment
In February 2020, an upper respiratory infection landed Adrian in the ER. Tears stream from his eyes as he recounts the experience of being weighed by hospital staff.
"The regular scale didn't work for me, so they put me in a wheelchair, took me to the laundry room, and weighed me on the laundry scale. It said 601. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life."
A dark time
Later in 2020, Adrian lost "a couple of buddies" to Covid. They were his age and approximate weight and, like him, were former football players. He became certain that if he contracted Covid, he too would die.
"I couldn't see myself turning 40 and I was a few months away. I started sleeping with my door unlocked at night to make it easy for my family to find me," he says.
Losing and regaining
On the verge of giving up, Adrian describes a "heart to heart" with himself during which he decided to try "living life instead of just existing." On the day before his 40th birthday, he started a weight-loss program with a friend. "What did I have to lose?" he says. The answer, of course, was weight.
Adrian followed the program, began moving his body, and shared his journey on social media. With time, dedication, and hard work, he reduced his weight to 498 pounds and had over 5,000 followers cheering him on.
Unfortunately, that weight-loss victory was short-lived. Adrian soon began an IT job that required him to work in an office. "There were snacks galore, and I wasn't mentally strong enough to push them away," he says.
Bariatric surgery
In 2022, Austin Regional Clinic's Kian Vui (Eric) Leong, MD, diagnosed Adrian with high-blood pressure and pre-diabetes, and recommended bariatric surgery. Adrian worried that the surgery would change him in a negative way. He felt strongly about staying authentic and humble.
With the support and encouragement of loved ones, Adrian forged ahead and met with Marco Vinicio Medina-Zea, MD, FACS, FASMBS, Director of ARC Bariatric Surgery, who he describes as "positive and encouraging." As prerequisites for surgery, Dr. Medina sent Adrian to get a psychological evaluation and to see a nutritionist.
Adrian continued working out and followed the nutritionist's recommended high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Finally, in December 2023, he was ready for bariatric surgery, which, according to Dr. Medina, would be "complex due to Adrian's BMI."
Hard work and payoff
After surgery, Adrian weighed 520 pounds. There was more work to do. "The surgery was a tool to help me excel," Adrian says. He knew that the rest was up to him. He continued to eat a healthy diet and — when he was cleared for exercise — went back to the gym, joined a running club, and went to Tennessee to "climb a couple of mountains." He continued to lose weight.
"Changed my stars"
When Adrian started dabbling in sports photography, he found — to his delight — that his weight loss allowed him to stand on his feet for hours without tiring.
"I felt like I had changed my stars," Adrian says.
Eventually, a friend introduced Adrian to a vegetarian diet, and it stuck. These days he enjoys eating hummus, black beans, tofu, vegetarian burgers, and plenty of raw vegetables
Keep showing up
According to Dr. Medina, "Adrian is a very positive, strong hard worker who knows what he wants. He put a lot of effort into his weight loss, and it shows in his results."
Adrian remains grateful to Dr. Medina and visits him each year on the anniversary of his surgery. At his current weight of 350 pounds, Adrian feels confident and says that his journey has been about much more than weight loss. "I have grown in mental clarity, strength, and emotional intelligence," he says.
Dr. Medina calls Adrian a "great motivator" because he frequently shares his experiences to help others who are on a weight-loss journey, Adrian's advice? "I tell people that there are ups and downs, wins and losses. You have to keep pushing, keep showing up, keep going."
ARC Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery treats obesity by restarting your physiology. It is a procedure that changes the size of your stomach to assist with weight loss. A smaller stomach leads to altered gut hormones, decreases appetite, less food intake, and boosts metabolism. The overall result is up to 80% of weight loss, long term weight management, increased activity, and resolution to health conditions like type two diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, and arthritis.
"Bariatric surgery isn't just about losing weight — it's about recovering your health," says Dr. Medina. "For many patients, it can dramatically improve or even resolve chronic conditions and help them reclaim energy, mobility, and quality of life."
Is bariatric surgery right for you? If you are interested in learning more or pursuing bariatric surgery, visit our website or call 512-421-4408.