As many of you know, I’ve lost about 120 pounds since last February, thanks to the lap-band surgery I had in March (Brief status update – I’ve plateaued for a little while, due mainly to my high levels of stress, but I’ll start making progress again soon). The lap band prevents me from eating more than four ounces of food at a time, although if you drink liquids while you eat or eat very slippery foods (aka those with ranch/mayo/etc), you can eat a little more. Tonight, I’m at home, watching “Man v. Food” and thinking “I could do that show.” Well, I could have. It would be hard to eat the largest steak in Colorado or the largest burrito in Texas now! That got me thinking . . .
The things I miss:
- Eating an appetizer, bread, a huge entree, and dessert.
- Enjoying a big bite of a burger.
- That feeling of satisfaction of cleaning a plate of food.
- Getting to actually eat Thanksgiving dinner.
- Never worrying about vomiting or having trouble swallowing
The things I don’t miss:
- Not being able to sit in a booth or in a chair with restrictive arms.
- Acid reflux and heartburn.
- Difficulty doing anything strenuous like walking more than 100 yards.
- Always being hot.
- Never feeling comfortable in public.
- Worrying if a chair would hold me.
- Hating every photo taken of me.
- Only shopping at a Big and Tall store.
- Being unable to buckle my seatbelt without effort.
- Worrying about being dead by 40.
I guess it’s not such a big deal after all if I can’t do what he can do on Man v. Food.
And in other Avitanews:
- If you asked a question a few days ago, or if you’re curious, go here to see the 50 or so questions that I was asked, along with answers.
- Today’s the last day to vote for a Room of Your Own for BlogHer, so if you haven’t already, please do so. Click here for my room and here for Faiqa’s.
I hate puking
The people at Tijuana Flats at 8 PM on Valentine’s Day
I am fat
Twitter: Amanda234
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I deal with about half of those “things I don’t miss” and I’m fairly thin. I think I may be too neurotic.
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@Amanda, yeah, I guess not all of those have to do with weight as much as they do with self confidence and a desire to be around people.
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Twitter: perpstu
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I think missing those few little things is way worth it for the progress you’ve made. I’m struggling with about 30 pounds and I give you mad props for doing as well as you’ve done. You look fantastic, keep up the good work!
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@Karin, definitely worth it, without a doubt.
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Twitter: poppycede
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So, being lighter makes you want to be in public?
Hmm, that didn’t work for me.
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@Poppy, it really has. It makes me more interested in going out because my confidence is much higher.
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Twitter: ellemmes
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I’m so happy for you! The second list WAY outweighs the first. I hope to have a things I don’t miss list about being fat list soon.
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@Lisa, well, I’m still fat. Wayyyy fat. But I’m getting there!
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You didn’t include “Being unable to see my penis without a mirror” in things you don’t miss. Or was that never your problem, senior tripod?
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@Grant, oh, that’s one too.
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I can relate to so many of those things, especially about the chairs. I always hate going to new restaurants or places with outside patios because I worry that the chairs will squish my hips and I won’t fit in properly. It’s so embarrassing
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@Breigh, outside patio chairs at restaurants always gave me problems. I would have to squish in them and then my nuts would fall asleep. Really!
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I had no idea that you had self-confidence issues like the photographs, being uncomfortable in public, etc. before your surgery. You really hid those well — though I suppose you wouldn’t exactly make a post of those on your blog, would you?
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@Lin, I protected myself much more carefully online at that point. In the post I linked to where I originally talked about it, I finally came clean about my insecurities.
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I have discovered that, although I am not a great value at a buffet, it is my favorite venue to eat, for one of the reasons you describe.
I have not had surgery. I just have a really small capacity for food, in the sense that if I overeat, I feel sick.
However, I like one of the experiences you described as missing from your life: the bread, the appetizer, the entree, the dessert – but it’s the flavors and the differences of texture I really want, not necessarily the capacity.
That’s where the buffet comes into play. I have a small spoonful of each of these things, I have had the experience and I am not stuffed.
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Twitter: Faiqa
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I’m so happy that you’re where you are, now. Those empty plates and appetizers pale in comparison to the progress that you’ve made as a human being. Congratulations and keep it up, you’re almost there!
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Twitter: s_csr
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If I had to choose between eating all of the bread in the basket or the entree at a restaurant, I’d choose the bread. Every time.
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I don’t think always being hot is something to miss. Having the ladies always think your hot is not a bad thing. Mostly.
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Twitter: hellohahanarf
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i am so thankful you are happier and have a higher self confidence. yay, you!
and hey, just think of how much money you can save by just ordering an appetizer instead of appetizer, meal, dessert…gotta get that credit card bill lower somehow.
p.s. that living past 30 thing makes me happy. we need you around a long time!
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Or, you could be like me last night, and drink your dinner.
Maybe not – the hangover sucks.
(I am glad you’re gonna be around past 40. You’re too important not to be!!)
xo
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Twitter: elizabethbarone
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Glad that you’re more confident now. It’s so hard to do anything without confidence. I’m finally at a place in my life where I’m confident, too! (:
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Twitter: Jayman3768
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The never feeling comfortable in public thing really sucks. And having to specify a table and not a booth at restaurants. That’s always embarrassing.
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Twitter: blondefabulous
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OK, I was watching Man vs Food too, and some of those challenges just seem painful. Not so much the over eating parts, but like the ones where he’s eating the hottest foods on earth. Hell, he lost here in Sarasota to some devilishly hot chicken wings from our local 420 Cafe. You just gotta know he doesn’t have an asshole any more. I mean, if it was that fucking hot going down his gullet, it had to be on fire going out the other end!!!
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Wow 120 pounds, I had no idea. You are amazing.
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Twitter: themuskrat
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I think it’s awesome and took a lot of courage to so drastically change your life. Congrats. I asked a couple questions about it, because, as you may recall, my mom’s doing the same procedure, and progress seems to be really slow. Last I saw her, though, she said it doesn’t really start to be noticeable until they do the first adjustment/tightening…sound right to you? Can’t wait to see the new Avitable in a few weeks…
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That is a HUGE accomplishment. That’s like losing a small person… That is INCREDIBLE, man. Good job and congratulations and I hope you enjoy the good stuff more than you miss the other stuff.
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I’m glad the Don’t Miss list is longer than the Miss list… that’s a good sign!
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holy shit, adam! 120lbs is a lot to be proud of.
and i’m sure losing the weight is worth more than the things you miss- plus you don’t get the feeling of regret i get when i look down at my plate and wonder where the hell my big mac went in under 20 seconds.
oh yeah, MY ASS.
sigh.
either way, congratulations!
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Twitter: daksmom
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This post really spoke to me. I am with you on both the things I miss and the things I don’t miss….oh and my husband has more fun now, because 120lbs lighter, I am way more flexible
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Twitter: rachael1013
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Just… awesome. I was working at losing weight before I got knocked up, and will hopefully end my pregnancy 40 lbs lighter than my starting weight. I still have a ways to go (50+lbs), but when I look at people who have done it, it reminds me WHY.
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Twitter: fandpinlv
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I’m really proud of what you’ve done. It’s one thing to have taken the steps and entirely another to talk about the struggle. I’m 8.5 bs down with about 10 more to go. Steve’s down 35 with about another 20 left. We’re all gonna be some hawt ass muthafukas.
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Will you be able to do some of the things you miss again? Like Thanksgiving?
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Congrats on the weight loss!
One of the things I liked most about being smaller was being able to buy jeans at Target. I’m far too lazy to put any real time into shopping.
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I am so happy for you. I think I told you before that my husband lost over 100 pounds years ago and I was just so proud of him. I am proud of you too. I always thought you were hot, but losing weight and being more healthy is pretty awesome.
I weigh less than 120 so you have lost an entire me worth of weight. Pretty cool, congratulations!
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Love this post. So cool to read the miss and don’t miss list. Congrats.
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