The Greater Fool

About 21 years ago I weighed over 700 pounds when I decided to have surgery at 43. The writing was on the wall: By 50 I would be dead or wishing I was. With surgery I had solid chance at losing enough of my weight to live a more active, healthy, happy, and longer life.
Because of my weight and health issues, Doc said I had a 1 in 20 chance of dying on the table. I had a 100% chance of dying in too few years.
I didn't even have to think about it.
Surgery went fine. I'm told I didn't die. I followed my plan. I worked on my mental health. It took about 3 years to lose just over 500 pounds. I am healthier, happier, and ridiculously more active beyond anything I imagined.
Life is still full of ups and downs. Some ups and downs are the same, some are vastly different. The current ups and downs are better. Much better.
Good luck,
Tek

It's your body, you can count whatever you d*** well please.
You are on your own track. No one else has ever been on your track.
If your medical team has an idea of "on track" then they are comparing your track to everyone else's tracks. That's their issue, not yours.
Comparison sucks the joy from life.
Good luck,
Tek

It's your body, you can count whatever you d*** well please.
You are on your own track. No one else has ever been on your track.
If your medical team has an idea of "on track" then they are comparing your track to everyone else's tracks. That's their issue, not yours.
Comparison sucks the joy from life.
Good luck,
Tek

About 21 years ago I weighed over 700 pounds when I decided to have surgery at 43. The writing was on the wall: By 50 I would be dead or wishing I was. With surgery I had solid chance at losing enough of my weight to live a more active, healthy, happy, and longer life.
Because of my weight and health issues, Doc said I had a 1 in 20 chance of dying on the table. I had a 100% chance of dying in too few years.
I didn't even have to think about it.
Surgery went fine. I'm told I didn't die. I followed my plan. I worked on my mental health. It took about 3 years to lose just over 500 pounds. I am healthier, happier, and ridiculously more active beyond anything I imagined.
Life is still full of ups and downs. Some ups and downs are the same, some are vastly different. The current ups and downs are better. Much better.
Good luck,
Tek

It's your body, you can count whatever you d*** well please.
You are on your own track. No one else has ever been on your track.
If your medical team has an idea of "on track" then they are comparing your track to everyone else's tracks. That's their issue, not yours.
Comparison sucks the joy from life.
Good luck,
Tek

It's your body, you can count whatever you d*** well please.
You are on your own track. No one else has ever been on your track.
If your medical team has an idea of "on track" then they are comparing your track to everyone else's tracks. That's their issue, not yours.
Comparison sucks the joy from life.
Good luck,
Tek

It's your body, you can count whatever you d*** well please.
You are on your own track. No one else has ever been on your track.
If your medical team has an idea of "on track" then they are comparing your track to everyone else's tracks. That's their issue, not yours.
Comparison sucks the joy from life.
Good luck,
Tek

About 21 years ago I weighed over 700 pounds when I decided to have surgery at 43. The writing was on the wall: By 50 I would be dead or wishing I was. With surgery I had solid chance at losing enough of my weight to live a more active, healthy, happy, and longer life.
Because of my weight and health issues, Doc said I had a 1 in 20 chance of dying on the table. I had a 100% chance of dying in too few years.
I didn't even have to think about it.
Surgery went fine. I'm told I didn't die. I followed my plan. I worked on my mental health. It took about 3 years to lose just over 500 pounds. I am healthier, happier, and ridiculously more active beyond anything I imagined.
Life is still full of ups and downs. Some ups and downs are the same, some are vastly different. The current ups and downs are better. Much better.
Good luck,
Tek

It's your body, you can count whatever you d*** well please.
You are on your own track. No one else has ever been on your track.
If your medical team has an idea of "on track" then they are comparing your track to everyone else's tracks. That's their issue, not yours.
Comparison sucks the joy from life.
Good luck,
Tek

About 21 years ago I weighed over 700 pounds when I decided to have surgery at 43. The writing was on the wall: By 50 I would be dead or wishing I was. With surgery I had solid chance at losing enough of my weight to live a more active, healthy, happy, and longer life.
Because of my weight and health issues, Doc said I had a 1 in 20 chance of dying on the table. I had a 100% chance of dying in too few years.
I didn't even have to think about it.
Surgery went fine. I'm told I didn't die. I followed my plan. I worked on my mental health. It took about 3 years to lose just over 500 pounds. I am healthier, happier, and ridiculously more active beyond anything I imagined.
Life is still full of ups and downs. Some ups and downs are the same, some are vastly different. The current ups and downs are better. Much better.
Good luck,
Tek

It's your body, you can count whatever you d*** well please.
You are on your own track. No one else has ever been on your track.
If your medical team has an idea of "on track" then they are comparing your track to everyone else's tracks. That's their issue, not yours.
Comparison sucks the joy from life.
Good luck,
Tek

It's your body, you can count whatever you d*** well please.
You are on your own track. No one else has ever been on your track.
If your medical team has an idea of "on track" then they are comparing your track to everyone else's tracks. That's their issue, not yours.
Comparison sucks the joy from life.
Good luck,
Tek

About 21 years ago I weighed over 700 pounds when I decided to have surgery at 43. The writing was on the wall: By 50 I would be dead or wishing I was. With surgery I had solid chance at losing enough of my weight to live a more active, healthy, happy, and longer life.
Because of my weight and health issues, Doc said I had a 1 in 20 chance of dying on the table. I had a 100% chance of dying in too few years.
I didn't even have to think about it.
Surgery went fine. I'm told I didn't die. I followed my plan. I worked on my mental health. It took about 3 years to lose just over 500 pounds. I am healthier, happier, and ridiculously more active beyond anything I imagined.
Life is still full of ups and downs. Some ups and downs are the same, some are vastly different. The current ups and downs are better. Much better.
Good luck,
Tek

About 21 years ago I weighed over 700 pounds when I decided to have surgery at 43. The writing was on the wall: By 50 I would be dead or wishing I was. With surgery I had solid chance at losing enough of my weight to live a more active, healthy, happy, and longer life.
Because of my weight and health issues, Doc said I had a 1 in 20 chance of dying on the table. I had a 100% chance of dying in too few years.
I didn't even have to think about it.
Surgery went fine. I'm told I didn't die. I followed my plan. I worked on my mental health. It took about 3 years to lose just over 500 pounds. I am healthier, happier, and ridiculously more active beyond anything I imagined.
Life is still full of ups and downs. Some ups and downs are the same, some are vastly different. The current ups and downs are better. Much better.
Good luck,
Tek

When it comes to virtually any human behavior or endeavor there are people that from the very first exposure love it more than life itself and those that believe it is the worst thing in existence and can't grasp the appeal. Many of the former simply can't understand the latter's aversion and vice versa. There are people that take up behaviors or endeavors they hate in order to fit in just as there people that avoid behaviors or endeavors to fit in. And those that do or don't do things to not fit in.
We all only have the actual experience of what is going on in our heads. We have no experience of what other people experience in their heads. This is a major stumbling point of being human. If another person seems to love a behavior or experience as much as I do I still can't know their experience. Nor can I experience their hate or disgust. We are each stuck in our own heads.
Empathy can only get us so far. Empathy allows us to intellectually understand that people have reasons for doing things just as I have reasons for doing similar or analogous things. Empathy doesn't cause me to experience what another person experiences.
So, while I intellectually understand there are different strokes for different folks, I will never experience those different strokes the same as different folks.
People are freaks. Well, not me of course.
Good luck,
Tek

Hello Christine and congratulations on your retirement. Nice to run into fellow traveler that had the full cut, though my team called it 'open.' For me the full cut / open surgery with accompanying staples were the worst part of the whole process. Once the staples came out I was a happy camper.
Since we're in Rants and Raves, I'll dip my toe into rants...
I somewhat agree with your frustration with the changes in nutrition and supplements over the years. So much of what we're told more and more is pulled out of thin air, or from studies taken out of context, or study results that are exaggerated beyond reason, or just conflicting information that people just didn't think through.
We're bombarded with all this 'new', 'critical' information that is neither new or critical. It's just the same old stuff packed in a way that will get clicks. People are still looking the buy or sell a new magic bullet to solve their weight and other problems they didn't know they had. It's the same old mundane nothing that does not match up to the hype.
First world problems.
Good luck on your repairs.
Tek

Why don't you like all the foods and drinks I like? I can't see how you don't like something I find so enjoyable.
Different strokes for different folks.
Good luck,
Tek

Why don't you like all the foods and drinks I like? I can't see how you don't like something I find so enjoyable.
Different strokes for different folks.
Good luck,
Tek

Hello Christine and congratulations on your retirement. Nice to run into fellow traveler that had the full cut, though my team called it 'open.' For me the full cut / open surgery with accompanying staples were the worst part of the whole process. Once the staples came out I was a happy camper.
Since we're in Rants and Raves, I'll dip my toe into rants...
I somewhat agree with your frustration with the changes in nutrition and supplements over the years. So much of what we're told more and more is pulled out of thin air, or from studies taken out of context, or study results that are exaggerated beyond reason, or just conflicting information that people just didn't think through.
We're bombarded with all this 'new', 'critical' information that is neither new or critical. It's just the same old stuff packed in a way that will get clicks. People are still looking the buy or sell a new magic bullet to solve their weight and other problems they didn't know they had. It's the same old mundane nothing that does not match up to the hype.
First world problems.
Good luck on your repairs.
Tek

Why don't you like all the foods and drinks I like? I can't see how you don't like something I find so enjoyable.
Different strokes for different folks.
Good luck,
Tek

When it comes to virtually any human behavior or endeavor there are people that from the very first exposure love it more than life itself and those that believe it is the worst thing in existence and can't grasp the appeal. Many of the former simply can't understand the latter's aversion and vice versa. There are people that take up behaviors or endeavors they hate in order to fit in just as there people that avoid behaviors or endeavors to fit in. And those that do or don't do things to not fit in.
We all only have the actual experience of what is going on in our heads. We have no experience of what other people experience in their heads. This is a major stumbling point of being human. If another person seems to love a behavior or experience as much as I do I still can't know their experience. Nor can I experience their hate or disgust. We are each stuck in our own heads.
Empathy can only get us so far. Empathy allows us to intellectually understand that people have reasons for doing things just as I have reasons for doing similar or analogous things. Empathy doesn't cause me to experience what another person experiences.
So, while I intellectually understand there are different strokes for different folks, I will never experience those different strokes the same as different folks.
People are freaks. Well, not me of course.
Good luck,
Tek

When it comes to virtually any human behavior or endeavor there are people that from the very first exposure love it more than life itself and those that believe it is the worst thing in existence and can't grasp the appeal. Many of the former simply can't understand the latter's aversion and vice versa. There are people that take up behaviors or endeavors they hate in order to fit in just as there people that avoid behaviors or endeavors to fit in. And those that do or don't do things to not fit in.
We all only have the actual experience of what is going on in our heads. We have no experience of what other people experience in their heads. This is a major stumbling point of being human. If another person seems to love a behavior or experience as much as I do I still can't know their experience. Nor can I experience their hate or disgust. We are each stuck in our own heads.
Empathy can only get us so far. Empathy allows us to intellectually understand that people have reasons for doing things just as I have reasons for doing similar or analogous things. Empathy doesn't cause me to experience what another person experiences.
So, while I intellectually understand there are different strokes for different folks, I will never experience those different strokes the same as different folks.
People are freaks. Well, not me of course.
Good luck,
Tek

I did a lot of walking from a couple weeks after surgery until I was down to about 100 pounds overweight. By then I was walking 6-8 miles 3 days a week, along with non-planned outings.
At about 100 pounds overweight I challenged myself to complete a C25K (Couch to 5K) program that gets you running 5k in 30 minutes in a month. Having completed this, I continued running, increasing distance until I was up to about 90 miles a week. I ultimately ran 5 marathons.
Of the two, I enjoyed running more. I did my running first thing in the mornings, when I could contemplate the day and listen to audio books. Very enjoyable stuff.
Walking and running burns about the same number of calories per mile.
I would recommend doing what you enjoy and can sustain. It's hard to sustain something you dislike.
Good luck,
Tek

When it comes to virtually any human behavior or endeavor there are people that from the very first exposure love it more than life itself and those that believe it is the worst thing in existence and can't grasp the appeal. Many of the former simply can't understand the latter's aversion and vice versa. There are people that take up behaviors or endeavors they hate in order to fit in just as there people that avoid behaviors or endeavors to fit in. And those that do or don't do things to not fit in.
We all only have the actual experience of what is going on in our heads. We have no experience of what other people experience in their heads. This is a major stumbling point of being human. If another person seems to love a behavior or experience as much as I do I still can't know their experience. Nor can I experience their hate or disgust. We are each stuck in our own heads.
Empathy can only get us so far. Empathy allows us to intellectually understand that people have reasons for doing things just as I have reasons for doing similar or analogous things. Empathy doesn't cause me to experience what another person experiences.
So, while I intellectually understand there are different strokes for different folks, I will never experience those different strokes the same as different folks.
People are freaks. Well, not me of course.
Good luck,
Tek

Why don't you like all the foods and drinks I like? I can't see how you don't like something I find so enjoyable.
Different strokes for different folks.
Good luck,
Tek