gmanbat

If you have ever skipped flat stones at a tranquil lake you get a perfect picture of our low information populous. Despite the vast pool of knowledge available most people just skim the surface. Hence they touch down only when they have to, refuse to research, ask the same inane questions and vote like morons.

I have this at home. I complain. My wife complains about my complaining. I complain about her complaining about my complaining. On it goes. I have learned that I'd better stop the train before she gets out the iron fry pan.

I was disgusted by the slack bellies after surgery. I pictured Jaba the Hut slamming frogs down his big mouth. I guess the view is different after you get out of the hog pen and sit up on the fence watching the other oinkers. I am at peace now. The world is not me and I am not them. I don't run their lives and they certainly don't run mine. I do not envy them from my slim body and niether do they disgust me.

I went to work for my nephew who has a Deck and Dock business here in Tampa, Florida. He needed help packing Water retainers in 2 backyards. The job consisted of a dump truck dropping a huge mound of dirt in the driveway, the dirt being shoveled into heavy wheel barrows and wheeled to the backyard and dumped into the form, and then tamped down with a heavy tamper....all day. I worked 6-7 hours a day, Monday- Wednesday with 2 guys in their 20's in 93 degree humid Florida air. My young fellow workers complained the whole time and took frequent breaks, even took off to McDonalds to "go to the bathroom". Old Gman just kept plodding along only stopping for water and a Peanut Butter sandwich. I told them stories of my long life and had great fun with them. It's been a year and a half since my surgery. I have lost 85 pounds since then, 115 all together. Before the surgery I could barely walk up the stairs. I have been working out for the last year, stepping up the intensity every chance I could. I didn't know if I could do this job, working out is quite different from working all day in blazing hot sunlight and stifling humidity. I stood the test. I am 64.

If you like the outdoors but don't like sweating, Florida is not for you. I don't mind heat, sweating, daily rains, and mucho sunshine. Endless summer here for me.

I worked again for my nephew, this time wheelbarrowing the mountain of dirt through tall Florida amazon grass down to the pier to fill in the sea wall he built for his client. It was rainy and humid and very hot. I worked by myself for an hour and then my nephew sent a young helper. He worked pretty good for about an hour and then started taking breaks sitting in his car with the air on saying, "I've been up since 7:30". I thought that was a funny excuse. Later 2 more youngsters came to help. One exempted himself from the wheelbarrow but the other one was a good worker. I don't want to cast aspersions on the younger generation but what kind of lillies are we raising? They know they are working with an old man who is making them look sick and it doesn't seem to matter to them. Oh, well. I did find out that there is a harder job than moving dirt; moving a household. I loaded up a 26' U-haul, moved it to Kissimmee, Florida, unloaded it, drove back, loaded it up again, drove it to Zephyrhills, unloaded it, drove it back to Kissimmee. I was more tired and sore after that than with the dirt moving.

Thank you! Chelenka, you are doing so good! Congratulations!

Thanks, everyone! I lifted weights off and on all my life and in my 20's I was in pretty good shape but wasn't real careful about what I ate and how much. I am super careful now so I just may be in better shape despite going through cancer treatment and the passing of many years.

Sounds like you are moving along. It gets better....much better.

http://www.gastricsleeve.us/gastric-sleeve-vs-gastric-bypass.html You are on a sleeve forum so most of these people will recommend the bypass. Wait, that doesn't sound right.

You have already started.You are repairing yourself. You are already new inside, it is just a matter of time before the outside catches up. I say that because you see what you've done wrong and are mad about it. You have divorced yourself from your former behavior. Now you need to make a clean break and forgive yourself and move on. Leave the old you behind, you are too busy to kick your own butt over the past, you have a new life to make happen. As time goes on you will learn to love yourself more and more. You will enjoy being in your skin. Your self respect will draw respect from others. Your air of confidence will draw admiration. You will be less needy but more wanted. You deserve it.

Good golly, Ms Molly! Way to go! Great frame of mind. You did your research and it shows. Keep a rockin and a rollin !

You've learned many things. Those lessons will not leave you with the fat. They are stored in your mind and heart. The real you is not the fat. Fat is excess storage. It contains no personality. You may have relied on your big size to give you space in social circumstances. I used mine to intimidate at times. You will have to find your power in the force of your personality. Your empathy remains, your compassion as well. The fat did not give it to you. Your heart did. Now you will have a greater capacity to express your love with your new vibrancy. You can do more for more people because you are free from the drag down that fat was, you are stronger. Your self image will change but your identity will remain the same. You will adjust to the sleek version.

100 pounds of muscle weighs the same as 100 pounds of goose down but takes up bit less space. However, down makes a better coat filler.

Help an old guy across the street here. What are guys talking about?

I also didn't give a rat's ass. If you have stock in the rat's ass industry I suggest you divest. People are giving them a lot less these days.

Wow! What are the folks around you saying?

If you tell or you don't tell you are OK. There are about an equal number of people here on both sides I think. Some change their mind and switch to telling. Some tell just close friends and relatives. Then there are characters like me who tell folks for fun just to watch them struggle. It's the mean little boy in me.

Just leave out the surgery part. Tell em what you eat, how often, vitamins, water, etc. You are not lying just giving an incomplete picture. Pretend like you're in the government.

You hit the little arrow, choose My Settings, on the page that comes up you scroll down, hopefully you will see what is in the picture where I have typed "your hippy uncle". Another forumite can't find it either. Maybe I'm privileged.

I know just how you feel. I was worried about losing my image as an old looking, heavy breathing, jolly fat guy. Now I am a not so old looking, easy breathing, happy but not jolly skinny guy. Image, meh. I always hated playing Santa anyway, and I hated being asked.

I think catheters were invented for interrogating spies.

You showed it who's boss!

http://www.duodenals.../procedure.html Interesting article on the switch. Dr. Hess was metioned in the article. He didn't do my operation but he was, (now retired), one of the doctors at Bowling Green, Ohio, Wood County Hospital, a Center of Excellence, and the first to do the procedure. I got my sleeve there from Dr. Peter Lalor. http://www.duodenals...s_brochure.html

Wow, you've been through it! If anything the sleeve is effective. If you did well with the band odds are that you will do great with the sleeve.