Story By: Juan Fenandez Mayes,  Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency:  Newsflash

These are the amazing before and after pictures of a man who lost an incredible 533 lbs in 17 months after gastric bypass surgery and was at 884 lbs at his worst.

Spanish man Teofilo Rodriguez, 36, who simply calls himself Teo, made headlines when he was transported by a moving truck to the Manises Hospital located in the city of Valencia in the autonomous community with the same name in the summer of 2018.

Rodriguez told Newsflash he decided to go through with the gastric bypass after Dr Ballesta Laparoscopic Centre Director Doctor Carlos Ballesta “contacted his sister” and assured the family he “was going to be under his care and not to worry because he is not going to die”.

A gastric bypass surgery divides the stomach into two pouches, one small one above a much larger one which are both connected to the small intestine.

It alters the stomach’s functional volume which alters people’s response to food resulting in weight loss. Put simply, they eat less.

Rodriguez added it was either “move forward or die” after he spent four months in hospital due to health complications from his weight which was caused by thyroid issues.

Rodriguez underwent the gastric bypass surgery 17 months ago and has lost a whopping 242 kg (533 lbs) according to a statement by the HLA Inmaculada Hospital after conducting tests to monitor his development yesterday (Thursday).

The images show Rodriguez’s transformation as he is seen sofa-ridden when weighing 401 kg (884 lbs) while he was at his worst.

The 36-year-old is seen posing at the hospital where he got his check-up and even enjoying some time at the beach with an electric scooter showing his current look.

Rodriguez said “this is a dream he never wants to wake up from” because he “thought he was going to be obese his whole life” and “owes everything to Dr Ballesta, his team and the hospital”.

Moving forward, he said he “wants to continue the treatment and wants to work” and would “love to go to Great Britain” and other places fulfilling one of his lifelong dreams of air travel.

Rodriguez now just wants to “enjoy life” and “travel a little bit” once the “COVID-19 situation goes down”.

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