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Manatee

LAP-BAND Patients
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Everything posted by Manatee

  1. Manatee

    That final push

    24 Almost 2 weeks to lose a pound.
  2. Manatee

    What is "support" to you?

    For myself, this site is mainly for informational purposes. I don't really need emotional support, and if I did it wouldn't come from here. What I do need is feedback on the "what the hell??!" moments and some explanations as to what is next on the journey. The Drama Threads don't really interest me, I have other outlets for that kind of stuff
  3. Manatee

    Exercise before and after.

    I weight train 3-5 times a week with a personal trainer. Not a fancy place, just a bunch of metal to move and a place to shower. Works for me. Pretty expensive, really, but a new body is worth more to me than a new car.
  4. Manatee

    Exercise before and after.

    Two things: First, I really couldn't move well enough to exercise. I didn't start really aggressive exercising until I was 4 months post-op and down 50 lbs. Second, I paid WAY TOO MUCH, even with insurance, to let this thing go to waste.
  5. Heh. Chick fights are the best, especially when they're not close enough to actually slap each other. Yammer yammer yammer. :)
  6. Manatee

    A thread for Single Bandsters

    Tifferoni, I'd rather be 22 again Key West it is, reservations made and everything
  7. Manatee

    A thread for Single Bandsters

    Dead thread? I'm planning on some sort of tropical trip over New Years (agent's still working on details). Any tips/tricks for the single traveler? Looks like Key West or Cabo right now.
  8. Manatee

    Drinking and the band

    Beers are out for me, as the carbonation gives me problems. When I drink, it's usually screwdrivers or some sort of diet pseudo juice and rum. Beware the lowered tolerance. Losing (almost) a third of me REALLY affected the blood alcohol levels.
  9. Manatee

    You've lost enough weight...

    That's your answer right there. I weight train aggressively, and do watch my calories (although not so much here during the holidays)
  10. Manatee

    May 2007 Banders

    So, I've managed to drop back to my low of 190 from 198 in early Dec after I was loosened. Hopefully I'll break into the 180s next week. In the meantime, I'm scheduled for a very small fill on the 20th. I like where I'm at for a maintenance point, and I'll have the doc record my current fill amount for later use. Frankly, making it through Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years without gaining 20 lbs will be a massive victory. 2 holidays down already.
  11. Manatee

    Skinny people ignoring your fatness

    You know what? The 25 lbs that I still have to lose loom as large for me as the 90+ that I've already lost. If I had never been BIG, then pushing "almost 200" at 5'9" would certainly be grounds for complaining. I'm sure that's how they see it, and they may not see themselves as "skinny people". In other words, never attribute to malice what can be attributed to inattention and ignorance
  12. My answer changes depending on how they're asking. If it's just a general off-the-cuff inquiry, I give them the "portion control and exercise" answer -- which is true. If I think the person is really struggling with their weight, then I explain the band and the experience I've had with it. Some people at work know, some don't, and I don't care if some people think of it as a shortcut.
  13. Manatee

    You've lost enough weight...

    I get this too (at 30+ lbs overweight still!), but I choose to accept it in the sense they're giving it. It's a compliment. I think it's important to remember that everyone's sense of 'normal' is getting skewed as the general population gets more obese. I'm still officially overweight by BMI, but most people would consider me an average looking guy these days.
  14. Manatee

    Am I crazy for doing this so soon?

    Like everyone else said, if you're ready and you think you know what you're getting into (you don't, but that's OK -- you'll understand later), then go for it. For me, the whole process from "hmm?" to "done" was right at 30 days, and that was with the insurance paying.
  15. Manatee

    Were you sure it wouldn't work?

    Hmmm. Well, I didn't tell folks because frankly, it's none of their business. Is that a cop-out? Regarding the original question, I'm STILL not convinced this will work. I'm eating right(er) and working out aggressively, but I still fear that I'll lose focus and slide back into the 280s. I've lost this much weight before, multiple times, and it was all back when I decided to do this. I know logically that it's not likely to happen, but emotionally, this is still all temporary.
  16. Manatee

    May 2007 Banders

    I have a personal trainer and have been doing heavy weight training since September. He knows what my goals are, and varies the workouts accordingly. Thanks for the encouragement.
  17. Manatee

    May 2007 Banders

    So, back on the liquids for a few weeks. It's self-prescribed, I've been stalled for WAY too long now and in fact have gained 3 lbs in the past 2 weeks. Atkins shakes, water and broth -- yum! Still, it has to be done, the alternative is to go get the band REALLY cranked down, and that didn't work so well last time.
  18. Manatee

    DFW Doctors

    Dr Mosier in Denton. Fabulous.
  19. So I've done pretty well with this damned snake wrapped around my belly, down some 80 lbs so far. That ain't bad. So, why do I look at myself in the mirror now and see a fatass? I didn't think of myself that way when I was morbidly obese. Surely someone else has been here before, how do I get past this?
  20. Manatee

    A thread for Single Bandsters

    Fair question. Honestly, if I were to date someone in the first place, that means that they fall into the aforementioned "acceptable" range. I wouldn't expect anyone, male or female, to date someone they didn't find mildly to very attractive. This means that if we should break up, it wouldn't be because of physical attractiveness or lack thereof. More likely, it's because we just aren't into each other, emotional disconnect, completely incompatible beliefs, nasty habits, something I did, etc. None of that would change with "hotness", and so those problems would remain. Now -- we all know that weight loss affects personality. Look around this board about all the comments re: improved self esteem, confidence, etc. If someone before was a dull little blob that wouldn't look anyone in the eye, kept to h(im/her)self and basically wasn't interacting, and now they're confident, strutting, fashionable and bubbly, then yeah, they're going to be treated differently by the world. THAT is the part I'm working on now, trying to be more That Guy, and the world really is starting to change for me. Does this mean life's unfair for blobby introverts? Yep. The options are basically (1) live with it (2) whine about it (3) fix yourself. I choose door #3. It's damned hard. The band is a start, working out is a start, and now I have to kill off 39 years of shyness. Still, what I've been doing before now didn't work, so why not join 'em?
  21. Manatee

    A thread for Single Bandsters

    While I can't tell precisely how I will react to someone, I can certainly tell if someone is completely outside my range of attraction. Everyone has certain types that they fall head over heels for, certain types that are "ok" for them (and this area is where the attraction can grow depending on interaction) and those that they just find unattractive for some reason. If someone is simply unappealing to me, then there's no point in continuing to pursue a romantic relationship. Sure, one can keep up the pen pal thing, but remember that the ultimate goal is to find a long term romantic partner that rocks your world. Why should anyone settle? I know that there's people out there who just aren't into my look. That's why I have a detailed profile with multiple photos and a full body shot. That way, those who don't like me don't waste either one of our time. That's also why I don't bother to contact those with no photos, or with the carefully cropped face-only pic. If they're hiding something already, they're not for me. Note: physical attraction doesn't excuse crazy. If a woman is precisely my physical type and is an angry nutjob, I don't need her in my life.
  22. Manatee

    Panic....a little help here

    All I can tell you is that this was the best thing I've done for myself (other than the divorce :girl_hug:). Sure, there are things you'll have to change, but the eating habits you have now are BAD for you. Food is the enemy, you really have to treat this like quitting smoking. Short term pain (physical and mental) for long term victory.
  23. Manatee

    A thread for Single Bandsters

    Welcome to (y)our little corner of cyberspace! I wish I had an answer on the adult dating thing, but I really don't. Seems most things are couple-oriented. Maybe church Singles Classes, if you're into that? Hi there, and welcome. The shy thing and the 'happy with me' thing are intertwined. When you get to the point you think you're the cat's meow, you'll be confident. In the meantime, you might want to look for a ToastMasters chapter. They teach public speaking, and if you can speak to a mass of folks you can speak to one. Welcome to Laura! I look forward to your input. I'll admit straight up that I got banded for vanity/cosmetic reasons. The health benefits are nice too, but really not that important to me. Welcome! When I'm out with friends or on the occasional date, I just make very sure to order things that I am comfortable with. I also avoid social activities for about a week after a fill adjustment, just in case. Glad to see new participants on the thread, please keep posting. More perspectives == a good thing.
  24. Manatee

    A thread for Single Bandsters

    Personality IS important, but so are looks. It's unrealistic to expect someone to want to be in a relationship with somebody to whom they're just not attracted. That doesn't make the man (or woman!) shallow, it's just life. I know that I'm not the best catch out there, and I certainly wasn't before when I weighed almost 100 lbs more. That was MY fault, for letting myself get into that shape. It's MY responsibility to drag myself back into at least reasonably normal shape to appeal to more people. To expect millions of years of human evolutionary wiring to change because I am fat is pretty unrealistic. I can be witty and charming and all that, but frankly, I'm working on buff :girl_hug:
  25. Manatee

    Back from extended absence

    Dave, the trick is to STOP the first time you're full. The restriction is probably fine, but we can all 'beat' the band by grazing all day, or eating soft foods, or liquid calories, or really crunchy stuff. I'm guilty of all that at some time or another. What's helped me recently is setting up one of those online food-tracking accounts and being brutally honest with myself. Turns out the band is fine, but I me myself am sabotaging my progress with crap eating and too many calories.

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