gmanbat

On the button, Fiddleman. I used to go the gym before I had the cancer battle and work out heavy duty. I told myself, "There is a real muscular guy under that layer of fat." I had strength but I didn't have health. I considered myself like a sumo wrestler I guess. 80/20 is about right. Exercise and a smart nutrition program compliment and bolster each other like 2 mountain climbers that take turns pulling each other up. One gets lazy and the other has to carry a double load. If they both get lazy....ahhhhhhhhhhh..spat!

I would give someone a phone call. Every 10 minutes is ok when you have nothing else to do and when you are early on but it is no way to live a life.

I sat at a gourmet meal recently at which it ran through my mind how I wished had ol' stretcher belly back so more could go down my neck. Then reasoning took over. I looked down and saw my belt buckle rather than just assuming that it was there. My mind went back over the many times I advised folks on this forum that consuming vast quantities was not the only way to enjoy a meal, slow chewing and savoring are more important and far less lethal to the health. So I smiled and enjoyed life which I had victoriously made about more than food volume.

When I read your characterization of women I was trying to think of instances when men were rude about weight to other men. Maybe my 64 years have not yielded me enough experience but the only times I can think of when a man brings up the weight of another man maliciously to his face is when he trying to provoke a fist fight. Otherwise, who gives a crap? I have heard men say...yo mama is so fat....she has to..blah, blah, blah,,,,which is more a battle of insult skill and imagination..

I am forcing myself to accept my new size. Today I shopped for a shirt, picked up a large instead of an XXXL which was my old size. My wife asked me if I wanted to take an XL back with me to the try-on room just in case. "Nope, the large is all I need", I said. It was.

I gain and lose 2-4 pounds all the time. It's like waves coming and going. If I go up 5-10 pounds in a short period I get concerned. So far it has not happened. Many factors: exercise, sodium/potassium levels, water consumption, stress, phase of the moon, (ok, not the phase of the moon, that has more to do with beard growth ), contribute to the scale report. The scale is a superficial observer, never delving into the heart, probably like many of the slime guys you ladies have known.

That's 6.7 pounds a week since surgery, almost a pound a day. Not too fast at this stage I don't think. Keep trying on the food, it will get easier. Make sure you eat extra slow.

L'il praying coming up!

Interesting, Changing B4YourEyes. I have felt strange shopping in "normal" areas myself. I have awoke feeling my ribs and wondering what happened to my body. Sometimes people who lose limbs still feel the limbs. It is called phantom pain. I am wondering if we who have lost part of our stomach don't still perceive it being there in some way. But more than that, emotionally attachment to the fat image that was a big part of our lives for so long could be still haunting us. We need to detach it from our identity and accept that reality has us skinny now. We never cry when we throw our cut off hair in the trash. Why do we mourn for fat or hang on to how it made us feel? I think humans need time to adjust to just about everything that occurs to them. My mother never could fully adjust to the fact that I was an adult. I was still that helpless kid to her, she was amazed when I could function on my own. Now I have a wife to amaze.

Before my surgery I went to Macy's and looked at the beautiful and way too small suits and told them, "I'll be back and you'll be mine!" That day has come. My size is not only on the rack now, it is down the rack to the smaller sizes! I'm a minister, I need a good black suit for marrying and burying and for special services. Now my size is the one I had when I married my first couple when I was in my 20's, the groom bought me a Johnny Carson suit. I loved that suit, I wore it out. Macy's has Donald Trump, Micheal Kors, and Kenneth Cole suits that look good. I don't know what I'll get but I know it's going to be fun. Knowing me, I will probably tell the salesperson the story. God has indeed smiled on me, with His help I've dumped hated burdens and gained many great friends here in this forum. I'll post pics when I can.

I got some pretty sweet looks from wife when I got home and put them on for her. Turned out to be a real good day.To thank my sleeve and celebrate I ate good stuff and not too much. My celebrations have changed. Pigging out and self-destruction are not on the agenda.

My love and prayers go out to you!!!!!

Calvin Klein suit and tie, Kenneth Cole shirt. From a 56 long to a 44 long. I also bought: Michael Kors Navy Blazer, Alfani tie, Perry Ellis pants, Kenneth Cole shirt Leaned on the plastic pretty hard today...I ate sensible though.. Here's a pic of me about 5 years ago when I was not at my heaviest, I had just married my niece and her husband. No, they are not Hobbits, I'm just kinda big. This pic was when I first preached after cancer treatment in 2009, 335 pounds:

Purchases made, was great fun as expected. My daughter and granddaughter went with me. They had to make sure I didn't fuddy-duddy it up. I have company tonight and am taking a long bathroom break so I can hit the forum. I will get on the pics as soon as possible. I will tell you I got a bit wild with the credit card.

I am noting the same things you are about focus and sleep. My energy level is up I believe. I find myself looking forward to my morning green blast. I feel an addiction coming on,... this shall continue.

It seems that once the fat starts coming off and the strength and wind increase this thing has a momentum of it's own. You like where you are going and don't want to put the brakes on with crappy eating. You are building yourself like you would build a fancy custom house and only want good materials to go into it. Mixed metaphors but you catch my drift.

Beautiful post, Fiddleman. Sounds like great country there. Could be that the deer sense your kindness, or that you look less like a bear. I couldn't get near them, they would sense my deer meat craving.

I know exactly how you feel. On top of all the reasons you gave for misgivings about the operation I was worried that I would faint all the time from lack of food. My mind was referring back to a time when I dieted and exercised hard and got light headed a lot. It did not turn out like I worried. I was flabbergasted by how well I felt with so little food. No fainting. As the pounds came off my strength and wind elevated. Now at 64 I am exercising like I did in my 20's. Food is good because it gives you fuel and it tastes good. It is not necessary to stuff your gut with mass quantities to enjoy it. I chew slow, savor the taste, and use the energy. I naturally gravitate to good food because I only have so much room and junk is a waste of space. I feel much more masculine now. I have power in reserve. I am no longer helpless; no more getting my granddaughters to tie my shoes. No more being pushed in a wheelchair. Now they have a hard time keeping up with grampa. I feel like I have defeated a disability.

I'll have you know that those shocking wraps really did work. But I wasn't going for fat loss, I was going for that attractive burned spot look. I reluctantly sent them away for a refund after the class action lawsuit.

I hated the thing they put on your legs that inflates and deflates all night, I'm a light sleeper.. I signed a release for one stay in the hospital, ( not my sleeving), so I wouldn't have to wear it. Knowing what I know now it was a stupid move.

Good point! It seems they didn't include that in the info I copied and pasted.

I have given mine up for about a year. I don't have the insurance or bucks to get a sleep study but I believe I am through with it. I am doing well with my exercise program and I am stronger than I have been for a long time. I do take an afternoon nap but I am 64, we do that.

Sorry for the multiple posts, folks. I just felt that this subject needed to be addressed due to the high anxiety level about it. Anyone else feel free to post what you can find and make observations. Not to minimise any of this but all operations carry the risk of blot clots, especially hip replacements and ones that make you sedentary after the operation.

http://www.webmd.com...ht-loss-surgery Blood clots to the lungs, called pulmonary emboli, occur less than 1% of the time. They are the most common cause of death after weight loss surgery. Blood clots can usually be prevented with blood thinning drugs and frequent activity. http://www.caring.com/blogs/caring-currents/blood-clots-after-surgery Here's a quick summary of the risk factors that make it more likely you or your family member could develop a dangerous blood clot during or after surgery: • Age: Over 50 • Have varicose veins • A smoker or former smoker • Taking estrogen • Have diabetes • History of stroke • History of heart attack • History of cancer ( I had 5 out of 8 of these: over 50, diabetes, former smoker, varicose viens, history of cancer. I also took lupron which is nearly like taking estrogen) Here are the preventive measures hospitals can take: 1) They can have the patient wear graded compression elastic stockings. 2) They can use an external pneumatic compression device starting soon after the patient is admitted. This is usually an inflatable cuff or bootie that's inflated and deflated to apply intermittent pressure. 3) Nurses and physical therapists can begin movement and rehabilitation the first day after surgery; outpatient movement and physical therapy can also continue for several months. 4) They can administer an anti-clotting drug, also called anticoagulant therapy. You take Heparin or another clotting drug intravenously the night before surgery; you can continue taking the clotting drug after discharge until the doctor says you're out of risk. A number of big studies have shown that when hospitals use these four steps prior to and after surgery, they cut the rate of DVT and embolism way down. The bottom line: Fewer patients die during or after surgery. Yet studies also show that many hospitals still aren't routinely offering these treatments. When you sit down with your doctor to discuss any type of surgery, go over the risk factors that could put you or a family member at risk for blood clots and ask that preventive measures be used to protect against DVT and pulmonary embolism. This is a definite case when "better safe than sorry" should be our motto.