My name is Jack Houghton and the picture on the left shows me in October 2017.  Yup, I am making pancakes, all for me, and ultimately loaded with butter and maple syrup.  So how did I get end up 100+ pounds overweight?  Well, life got busy.  I work a full time job and own a business.  Not enough time in the day (or so I thought).  In addition, I developed plantar fasciitis which made exercise difficult.  No excuses though.  The bottom line is that my health was not a priority. 

Fast forward to August 2019.  The picture on the right shows me opening a can of tuna, a whole lifestyle change later, and 130 pounds lighter.  How did I do this? I had gastric sleeve surgery on September 24th, 2018. Before you think that I “cheated”, a reaction I commonly get from those who don’t understand the lifestyle change and commitment that gastric sleeve surgery requires in order to be successful, let me assure you, it is work.  Hard work. The sleeve is just a tool, and when used properly it can support weight loss and positive health changes.  But you have to change your eating habits, follow the dietary plan, (protein and fiber first!) and commit to exercise.  I happen to love exercise and I also love having something to strive for.  I tend to set hefty goals that I know will require determination and perseverance to achieve.  I have run and completed the New York City Marathon and was scheduled to run Boston, Chicago and New York City in 2020 until COVID cancelled all of the races. I am running the 2020 Boston Virtual and the Chicago Virtual Marathon in 2020.  This web site documents my journey.  I tell it like it is.  I will talk about the good times and the not so good times as they relate to gastric sleeve and turning my life around.  I will share the challenges I encounter while training for a marathon, and hopefully the glorious feeling of achievement when I pass the finish line.  So please, feel free to follow along.

I am running the 2020 Virtual Boston Marathon, the 2020 Virtual Chicago Marathon, the 2021 Boston Marathon and the 2021 Chicago Marathon on behalf of the Jeffrey Coombs Memorial Foundation (http://www.jeffcoombsfund.org). Please consider donating here: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/2021-boston-marathon-jeffrey-coombs-memorial-foundation

NOTE: This web site is not intended to advise or provide recommendations as to what other individuals should do. I am not a doctor, and any topic that includes medical content is simply to share the story of my own personal journey. Hopefully it may inspire you to create yours.