"I was Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired": Chris’ Incredible Weight Loss Journey

April 2026

“I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.” That profound sentiment echoed in Chris Browning’s mind for years. There wasn’t one single “aha!” moment that snapped him into action to lose weight. Instead, it was a painful culmination of "rock bottoms" – airplane seatbelts fitting tightly, daily fatigue, escalating health issues, the crushing disappointment of not fitting into amusement park rides. His weight gain wasn't sudden. 

"It was a slow journey. I couldn’t see it happening day to day," Chris recalls. "But I just let myself go." 

After he retired from the Navy, he became sedentary, and it took a significant toll on him. At his heaviest, Chris weighed 368 lbs.

He’d tried every fad diet imaginable to lose the weight. For fleeting periods, the diets seemed to work, and offered a glimmer of hope, showing temporary results, but the weight would always creep back up. 

"I felt desperate and lost," he admits. "I tried everything you could possibly try. I would revert back to old habits and gain it all back."

Eventually, Chris made an appointment with his primary care physician. The conversation was sobering, and made it clear he needed a sustainable change to better his health. He was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, needed to take blood pressure medication, and suffered from sleep apnea. Every night, he'd wake up gasping for air. Daily tasks felt harder. The reflection in the mirror felt like a stranger.

"Seeing myself at that size was horrible,” he said. “For a long time, I was the definition of insanity, doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result. I needed to make a change."

Chris initially explored medication, starting a GLP-1 in hopes of a less invasive solution to weight loss. "I didn’t see any results,” he shares, disappointed. He felt awful, and after months taking the medication and feeling unceasingly sick, only a few pounds had budged. It was disheartening because he had heard so many success stories. He thought taking a GLP-1 was going to make a difference for him. Chris desperately needed a different strategy, something that promised a life-altering change, so he pivoted.

In 2023, Chris made the decision to meet with the Weight Management team at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) in Silverdale. VMFH’s Center for Weight Management offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to weight management. Their team includes bariatric surgeons, obesity medicine specialists, and registered dietitians. Together, they craft individualized care plans focused not just on weight reduction, but on fundamentally improving the health and wellbeing of patients. For those who can benefit from surgery, the program boasts exceptional expertise, with VMFH bariatric surgeons performing over 1,000 procedures annually using advanced minimally invasive and robotic-assisted techniques.

Initially, Chris was apprehensive about surgery. It felt too permanent, too overwhelming. But after extensive discussions with the VMFH care team, exploring various surgical approaches and understanding the minimally invasive surgical options, he decided to move forward with gastric bypass.

Then, a moment of doubt. When the time came to select a surgery date, Chris halted the process. He had a change of heart, wanting to try one last time to lose the weight without surgical intervention. He hoped his perseverance would pay off, and he could lose the weight without surgery, so he tried again a more traditional way – with diet. But by April 2024, Chris reached a definitive point, ‘enough is enough' he said. He needed something that would keep him accountable and disciplined. It was time for surgery, and he was all in.

"I have no regrets," he says today, a smile in his voice. "I was scared, but I look back now with complete success. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m so thankful I did it, and I’m grateful for my care team. If I wouldn’t have had a compassionate, engaged care team by my side, I probably would have stepped away."

Chris’ surgery was a resounding success. Today, he has lost an incredible 150 lbs, and he’s kept it off.

He hopes his story will inspire others and help dismantle the misconception that weight loss surgery is "the easy way out."

“It’s a life-long plan,” Chris emphasizes. “The care team prepares you through the surgery, but the journey doesn’t end there. It truly begins once you lose the weight.”

Chris has embraced a new way of living. He exercises regularly, adheres to a healthy diet, and has given up alcohol. He understands this is a daily maintenance plan – a lifelong commitment.

"For the first time in my life I feel confident,” he shares. “I’ve always been hard on myself. I haven’t been one to give myself grace. But now, I find pride in small moments and decisions, and I’m genuinely proud of myself. When the weight comes off and you feel like a new person, you are still you, just in a smaller frame. This change hasn’t just been physical; it’s been about seeing myself in a new, empowered way.”

Without the comprehensive Weight Management Program at VMFH, Chris reflects, “I don’t know if I’d be sitting here today.”

He points to the program’s robust support group as one of its most beneficial components. Care doesn’t cease after surgery; it evolves. Chris is profoundly thankful for a community built through a shared experience – a space where individuals can openly discuss recipes, shared struggles, and celebrate successes.

Keriann Dunning, Bariatric Program Coordinator at St. Michael Medical Center, helps run the patient support group, which meets every second Wednesday of the month. She says it’s incredibly rewarding to witness so many patients thriving. "Everyone shares and learns from each other's experiences," Chris explains. "I always leave feeling reinvigorated, remotivated, and simply better."

“It's been an absolute honor to be a part of Chris' journey,” Keriann said. “Whenever he shares his thoughts in the support group, the room listens. I think because we know we're hearing someone who struggles like all of us but who is relentless in his drive to change his long-term health. He's changed his own life and is actively helping change others as well. We're so lucky to know him.”

Chris speaks glowingly of Keriann as well. “I find her so valuable and helpful,” he says. “Keriann is gravitational. She draws people in. She’s known me for three years now, and she’s like a friend. She’s been so supportive of me and she cares about my journey beyond being a bariatric surgery patient. I can’t say enough about her. She’s the heart and soul of that program without a doubt.”

Keriann notes the reality of weight management. “There isn't a magic cure in the treatment of obesity. Having a team to lean on and support you is paramount. Small limitations that once held Chris back are a thing of the past and he looks to his future with a new sense of hope. I want to acknowledge that one of the hardest parts of seeking care for obesity treatment is taking the first step. Choose a team that supports you, listens to you and will be part of your whole medical team for the long haul,” Keriann said.