COLUMBUS, Ohio --
"I honestly thought I was going to die," said 41-year-old Bill Arrundale, who hit a high weight of 603 pounds last year.
Arrundale said he had always been overweight, even as a child, but struggled to take off the pounds, especially after a knee injury kept him off his feet.
"A year ago I couldn't walk 100 feet without crutches and then last month I walked my first 5k," said Arrundale with a big smile on his face after losing 277 pounds.
How did he do it? Arrundale had gastric bypass surgery last year.
"It's not easy. The hardest part is learning the lifestyle. It's not a magic bullet. It's a tool and you have to use that, but you have to be vigilant every single day," said Arrundale who says he eats a high protein, low fat diet of small meals and works out everyday.
He wants to lose more weight, but feels great and his health has improved with lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
"As long as I'm not breaking furniture anymore I'm really OK with whatever weight that is," said Arrundale.
Weight loss surgery isn't for everyone, but doctors say it is now mainstream and the prescription many doctors are writing for obese patients.
"For morbid obesity, the most effective treatment that is available, unquestionably is surgery," said Dr. Pat Choban, a bariatric surgeon at Mount Carmel West Hospital.
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Weight Loss Surgery: Drop Hundreds Of Pounds
