Alek Robbins Weight Loss Skin Removal
My name is Alek Robbins and I am 25 years old. I have been overweight most of my life going all the way back to when I was 8 years old. Food was my savior through tough times, especially when being bullied. I was bullied all throughout schooling for my weight and it pushed me further and further down a dark and destructive path. I kept turning to food for comfort. When I graduated high school I then entered into the workforce pretty quickly. When faced with challenges and stressful situation I was so used to turning to food that the negative spiral continued. I hit my heaviest weight at 23 weighing in at 492lbs. I was lost, scared, depressed, anxious, alone, suicidal, and just so unsure of life itself. In June of 2019 I met with a new primary care doctor that was the most blunt medical professional I have ever met And I was weighing in at over 440lbs. She walked in and said hi my name is Dr. X, removing her name for privacy reasons, and you’re on a destructive path and may die of lung or heart failure within the next 5 years if you don’t make changes. I was dumbfounded with how blunt she was but that’s what I needed. Little did she know she helped change my life. I took her words to heart and started looking into various options as well as meeting with a dietician. I went to a weight loss surgery seminar and learned about the various procedures available to me. I still was unsure of it all because I’ve tried losing weight so many times and still failed. That’s when I met Lauren and Michael McAlister of McAlister training in San Luis Obispo, California (Mcalistertraining.com) and they helped change my life. They helped me find my passion for fitness and wellness. They showed me how not to be afraid of a workout and to get out of my own head about being looked at funny during a workout. I Truly found my passion and started working out 3-5 times per week at their studio. During all of these changes I also started going to therapy and met with a therapist that worked with bariatric patients. That is another thing that changed my life. It showed me i was in control it food and it wasn’t in control of me. I made many life changes that helped me on my journey and prepared me for my next step. In November of 2019 I weighed in at 408lbs and decided i was ready to have bariatric surgery. My surgery was November 25, 2019 and my life changed even more. I am now 248lbs and loving life. I’m 6’5 and now at a healthy weight, have my body fat percentage in a normalish range and am at such a positive mental state as a whole. This is the first time I have felt truly happy in almost every aspect of my life. The parts I still struggle with are the body dysmorphic thoughts because of my excess skin and the way I look when standing in front of a mirror. I know the skin is part of my story but it still is holding me back from my full potential. That is why I have started consulting with a plastic surgeon to remove my excess skin and to do a body makeover. I truly feel this will help me overcome that body dysmorphia and continue to grow in a positive way. Unfortunately these procedures are very costly and not covered by insurance... so here I am reaching out for help and raising money to help me reach that final goal of mine. I currently have an estimated 15lbs of extra skin which would put me right at my desired weight when it is removed. The procedures cost upwards of $40,0000 and I am unable to afford that. I know these are challenging times and everyone is struggling in various ways, if you aren’t able to contribute I completely understand but if you wouldn’t mind sharing the fundraiser with others I would greatly appreciate it! I know this is just the beginning of my journey as it’s a life long process but I have my health, my happiness, my friends and my family to help me along the way while cheering me on to reach my final goal.
Mental health is super important to me and I’ve struggled with it for most of my life. Suicide is a real struggle for so many. This is why Any additional funds raised and not used for the procedure will be donated to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention which is neat and dear to my heart.
