A busy father needed a weight loss solution that provided quicker results
“I still remember the day I decided to have weight loss surgery,” recalls Adam Pearlman, a married father with three young children.
“I was on vacation with my family when I had some time to relax and think about my life. I realized I was tired of the weight loss/weight gain roller coaster. I needed to get this weight off, and losing one or two pounds a month was just not motivating for me.”
We can certainly relate to Adam’s challenge. After consulting with his wife, they began asking around for bariatric surgeon recommendations.
“One of my children’s teachers had lost a lot of weight and we asked her how she did it,” Adam says. “She had gastric sleeve surgery, performed by Dr. Seun Sowemimo, and highly recommended him and his team.”
After a consultation with Dr. Seun, they mutually agreed the gastric sleeve would be the best surgical option for Adam, age 42, who weighed more than 250 pounds before surgery.
Fortunately, he had no significant medical problems related to his weight, but did suffer from chronic back pain, making it challenging to keep up with his active children.
In mid-2019, the New York City UA Local Union No. 1 Journeyman plumber underwent weight loss surgery with no complications and began losing two to three pounds a week.
He continued visits with Lori Skurbe, Prime Surgicare dietitian, for guidance during his post-op phase and when he transitioned to regular food again.
Today, Adam eats with his health in mind, treating food as both fuel and medicine.
“Honestly, I just followed the guidance Dr. Seun and his team gave me from the start, and it worked.”
Dr. Seun explains Adam’s bariatric weight loss success
“Adam is a results-oriented professional who is willing to put in the work to get there,” says Dr. Seun. “Over the years, he was successful in losing weight on his own, but the process was slow, and eventually the weight came back on, which happens for the vast majority of people.”
Dr. Seun saw Adam’s motivation from the start and had no doubt he would achieve any goal he set for himself.
“Before bariatric surgery, Adam weighed in the mid-200s, so he was able to reach his goal weight quickly,” says Dr. Sowemimo.
“We also began focusing on whole food, plant-based nutrition, which many of our bariatric patients have adopted, and I think it’s a great option for Adam, now that he has achieved a healthy weight.
By the summer of 2020, he had lost 90 pounds and achieved a normal BMI under 25. In comparison, Adam lost 40 pounds after graduating from college, but this effort took four years to achieve.
“For me, weight loss surgery was what I needed to motivate me,” Adam says.
“I literally felt like the extra weight was just falling off me every day.”
Today, Adam maintains his weight under 170 pounds (he is 5’8”) and walks and bikes regularly to keep his metabolism burning calories at his lower weight.
In 2021, when he undergoes his annual physical with Manalapan internist Dr. Eduard Fuzaylov, he looks forward to surprising the doctor with his weight loss, nutrition changes and lifestyle improvement.
“Weight loss surgery helps people with extreme obesity to lose weight,” says Dr. Fuzaylov. “It may be an ideal option if you cannot lose weight through traditional diet and exercise or have serious health problems caused by obesity.”
Adam says he’s looking forward to seeing Dr. Fuzaylov in early 2021 for his yearly physical and comparing his lab test results from last year.
“With the extra weight gone, 2021 is going to be the healthiest year of my life.”
Dr. Eduard Fuzaylov is a US board-certified internal medicine and geriatric specialist at Tovba Care Medical PC in Manalapan. With more than 30 years of clinical expertise, Dr. Fuzaylov graduated from Tajik State Medical University Medical School in 1989. He is affiliated with CentraState Medical Center, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, and NewYork-Presbyterian in New York City. Dr. Fuzaylov is accepting new patients and offers telehealth appointments. Please call (732) 851-6673 or visit Tovbacare.com
Dr. Seun Sowemimo is an obesity medicine specialist and board-certified Bariatric and GI surgeon at Prime Surgicare, with offices in Freehold and Jackson. For telehealth appointments or to learn more about surgical weight loss or treatment for obesity, call (732) 982-2002.