Earl was in denial about his weight. A high school track and football star, he injured his back during his second tour with the U.S. Army.

“Due to the lack of exercise, mobility and flexibility I used to have, I found myself gaining weight, and just kept putting the pounds on,” said Earl, 46, who eventually ballooned up to 320 pounds. “I ignored it like it wasn’t even happening.”

His family physician finally shocked him back to reality with a warning: change your ways, the doctor said, or you won’t live to see your teenage daughter graduate high school.

Earl, a senior distribution designer for Duke Energy, says he was a “stress eater” who used food for protection.

“If I was down or feeling blue, the first thing I wanted to do was eat – because it was comfort. It made me feel good. And when I did eat, I ate fast and I ate large amounts. And I would eat any time of the day or night. It almost seemed like I was always hungry.”

The doctor’s news made him think about how he had been approaching his relationship with his wife of 27 years and their daughter, now 14. Earl said that by ignoring the problem, he was being selfish.

“The first thing I thought of was my immediate family — what I’d been putting them through, and what I could possibly be putting them through if I succumbed to my weight and was no longer around for them.”

With his physician’s advice, Earl sought a solution. From a co-worker who had surgery at the Weight Loss Institute of Columbus Regional Health, he knew the amazing results she’d experienced.

After attending an information session and one-on-one meetings with staff, plus doing his own research, Earl realized bariatric surgery was the answer for him. Any anxiety about the procedure was allayed by the doctors and nurses at the Weight Loss Institute.

“They treat you like you’re the only one there. You feel like they’re all concentrating on you. They give you that sense of comfort.”

Earl initially considered bariatric bypass surgery, but a test revealed two ulcers in his stomach. At that time, the center was just coming on board with the new sleeve procedure. After discussions and tests, it was determined to be a perfect fit for him.

Four days before Christmas 2010, Earl underwent the procedure, becoming the first patient at the Weight Loss Institute to undergo the bariatric sleeve surgery.

After a couple of months of recovery and adjustment, and following the diet and exercise regimen given to him at the Center, the pounds started falling off. A year and a half later, Earl is within five to eight pounds of his maximum goal.

A big part of the reason for his success, Earl said, is the encouragement and positive reinforcement he gets from the Weight Loss Institute staff and his friends and family. The comfort he receives from them has replaced the feeling he used to get from food.

Earl is out doing more activities with loved ones; and even is training for his first 5k run since the Army. He said his relationships with family members have been strengthened by the whole experience.

“My wife told me I have a twinkle back in my eye,” Earl said. “It’s a fantastic transformation, both mentally and physically.”