Hello all!

In 2010 my life was turned upside down due to the passing of my grandpa. A year later, I woke up at 485 pounds and realized that the best way to honor my grandpa would be by spoiling my eventual grandchildren the way he spoiled me.
There are not 485-pound grandparents.
Since then, I have dedicated my life to fitness and have lost 225 pounds. What I have lost in weight, I have gained in life. Over the course of this journey I have accomplished a lifelong goal to start performing stand-up comedy and am actually now a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness at Fort Worth-Horne.
I have gained tons of confidence, except when it comes to trying on swim suits.
The only downside of losing this much weight is that you are probably going to have loose skin. That's my current issue. I visited a plastic surgeon this week and he approved me for the skin removal surgery around my chest and stomach. A process that would take me from looking like a wax figure under a heat lamp to a normal, athletic guy.
I suffered immediate sticker shock when they said it would cost $16,000 to get me to that normal body I've strived for the last five years.
I'm reluctant to ask for help because I don't want to owe my friends, but so many of my facebook friends, many of whom I rarely get the chance to speak with anymore, suggested I create this page. I figured it can't hurt to try this and every little bit helps, so whatever you can do to help me reach my dream of simply wearing swim trunks without a t-shirt is greately appreciated. 
I'll add some pics of my current, shirtless state if you're interested. I don't know if that's something people really want to see or not though.

Thanks!