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Yay! We made it to the last day of my “everybody get off your butt and be healthy” rant.
Today though, I don’t want to talk about anything I’ve learned in my journey to get healthy. I want to expound on Tuesday’s post and confess to having slipped away from that thinking in a major sort of way last month.
Like I mentioned on Tuesday, I’m still trying to learn that the journey to health is not something that’ll happen overnight. With my old and still very real body image issues, along with my past eating disorders, I still get sucked into dangerous ways of thinking from time to time.
I’m not the skinniest I’ve ever been in my life, but right now I’m definitely the healthiest. Most days I love looking in the mirror and seeing the progress I’m making. Some days, I look in the mirror and see only disgustingly fat hideousness.
I just figured that was part of the process and that I’d always get over it. Certainly seemed to be the case any time it happened. But then one day in May, I looked in the mirror and for some reason got so discouraged that my body wasn’t “there” yet, that I called and setup a consultation appointment at a local liposuction clinic that was selling state of the art fat-sucking for a really “good deal!”
Just my lats, I told myself. For years, I have been very self-conscious of my flabby lats, which I feel are constant reminders of my days as a larger man. Even at my skinniest, my lat-wings were there, taunting me with their permanency.
On top of that, I have a good medical reason to get my lats sucked out. The fat pushes into my armpits at night and cuts off the blood flow to my arms. Several times every night I wake up with dead arms, and without fail it’s because of my lat fat. Too much information, I know.
Just know that I had a lot of ways to rationalize a little lipo, and those were the two biggest.
A day later I was convinced it wasn’t just a good thing to do, it was a necessary thing to do, and I couldn’t wait for the appointment.
By the next day, I was starting to find rationalizations for why my gut needed to be sucked out as well.
By the next day I had added my chest to the mix.
By the next day, I was worried about looking disproportionate, so I decided I needed to have my back and lower abdomen done as well.
The next day my chin and neck entered the picture.
And, wondering just what it would take to get it all done, I called the clinic. “Oh yes, we can do all that in one afternoon.” They then gave me a price that was pretty reasonable.
And I got more attached to it. A week later when I went for my appointment, it wasn’t a question of “if.” It was a question of “when.” And if the “when” could have been that day, I would have said “let’s go for it.”
In one week’s time I had gone from feeling pretty great about my progress, to feeling like I had to have every ounce of fat sucked out of me RIGHT THEN AND THERE, NO THINKING REQUIRED.
And as I sat across the desk from the lady telling me why it would be the best thing I could ever do, I suddenly panicked.
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Liposuction really brings great improvement on the treated part. It removes the fat and improve the looks. My friend did it from Oakland (http://www.josephtogbamd.com/) on her cheeks and her looks improved a lot.
It is so much difficult to loss weight naturally by following strict daily routine of exercise or keep limit on diet. So there i tried to find alternative and glad to meet youngerlook dr for liposuction orange county on which he has specialties and can do best liposuction
It's almost impossible to look perfect after a long lasting weight loss process. I had this problem a few years ago, and even if I asked for professional advice, eating healthy and exercises were not enough...I don't know the reason because I wasn't doing anything wrong...maybe just my metabolism....
Finally I searched for the best clinic to have Liposuction in Toronto and luckily found http://www.edelsteincosmetic.com/ It's very very important to find a real professional with experience because such procedures are not so easy.
At that moment I thought that's it, I will never have to worry about excessive fat, but I forgot something: eating healthy and exercise at least 3 times a week it's vital if you want to maintain the results after liposuction:)
I don't say it's bad but sometimes when I'm not in the mood to exercise only the fear of having problems again gives me the strength to get up from bed and go for a walk or something:)
Dan! found your blog recently. Great stuff! Until last month I was a single dad and appreciated your perspectives and insights. Your recent posts on weight loss are very familiar to me. I am sure you have researched and had a million different suggestions as to weight loss and fitness. If you don't mind I would like to offer my success story. My journey was painful, confusing and discouraging. As a teenager I was always fit and strong. Then in my first married I gained ~70 lbs topping out at 250 lbs. I was getting fatter even though I was working out 1-3 hour almost everyday and portion controlling my food. I was determined and committed. But even after 2 years of this "healthy" behavior I had to stop because I was hurting my knees and back from all the running and biking and elliptical I was doing. It wasn't until I found something called Crossfit that changed my life. With workout lasting between 5-30 min each day and completely changing my eating habits... NOT DIETING... in just months I lost 50 lbs. and now at the fittest point in my life. The best part is the community of "family" that the Crossfit environment offers. It is the most positive and motivating gym I have ever been apart of. My now wife who swore off gyms and the intimidating, sometime creepy and testosterone environment that go with them. Now loves to workout again. We now both enjoy the journey and RESULTS! Each week we saw improvement. We continue to see improvement as our bodies become not only trimmer but, faster and stronger. I wish you the BEST on your journey, its tough I understand. But don't let up.
Recently, every time I've been clothes shopping, and especially bra shopping, I've been finding myself thinking about getting implants - and I can't believe that I've entertained the thought seriously for even a moment! Unnecessary surgery for the sake of vanity... What the hell?! At the same time, it would be helpful if manufacturers were a little more understanding that we don't all fall into need categories. It's easy enough to get sleeves or trouser legs altered, but not so easy with bras... I ended up with some that looked great in the store, but as the day goes on, they seem to fit less and less well and I feel freakish all over again. And back those thoughts come. :(
@Angela Lahman I agree!
I appreciate your honesty. I think it is important to value the journey to a healthier you, and to truly embrace it for all of its ups and downs. Learning more about yourself and developing a healthy relationship with body movement and food is a lengthy process, challenging at times, but overall extremely rewarding, especially if you have grappled with an eating disorder in the past. I myself have had to explore my body image issues in addition to my disordered eating behaviors. Luckily, the dietetics program at CSU Chico introduced concepts of mindful eating and health at every size (HAES). If you are ever looking for additional help during your journey, two books that I found to be extremely effective and informative were "Intuitive Eating" written by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, and "Health at Every Size" by Linda Bacon (yes that is her REAL name). These books support personal growth and provide a kind, non-judgemental approach to health. Thanks for sharing the insanity that is sometimes our reality!
Wow, good for you! I have had similar debates with myself regarding a reduction of a certain prominent area of my body. Supposedly it will do wonders for my back and posture (and make me look much thinner in pictures).....but I just can't do anything surgically unless I have done EVERYTHING physically that I can do first. Besides, I want my entire body to be in balance and that takes more than a few visits with a surgeon.
New research is showing that liposuction does not work. In fact your body will reaccumulate the fat elsewhere where u really don't want it. The research suggests that certain fat deposits are endocrine glands that help regulate metabolism.
Don't do it it will scar you for the rest of your life and leave weird bulges were you do not want them!!!!!!!
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Regardless of what approach you opt to have, your first concern when thinking about liposuction is selecting a trustworthy surgeon. And a lot of people wishes to get a liposuction but are afraid of the down time after it. Choosing the right surgeon will give you peace of mind before and after the surgery. Cheers! Read my related post here: http://www.esteemstudio.com.au/blog/liposuction/tips-to-help-you-prepare-for-liposuction.html
Well this is a timely post as I was just discussing the topic of (ahem) "body sculpting" with my husband yesterday. He and I have been on a journey to get healthier and with that has come the awesome side effect of weight loss. Of course as you state, it also brings with it the not so awesomness of loose skin and hangy bits. Boo! I Like you, I've looked at those ads with the pictures of gorgeous trim bodies. They shine like beacons set out to save those of us that are drowning in the deep waters (or folds of skin as the case might be...). I've been tempted to swim (at a breakneck speed) towards them more than a few times! My husband made me promise to him that I would wait a year until after I have reached a healthy weight to look into the matter seriously. The assumption being that if it aint tightened up after a year, gravity has probably won. Your post just strengthens the reasoning - thank you for that ;)
Wow.. great job! Proud of you for stopping and really thinking about the root of what you were doing. Who knows..could have disfigured you even more. Just stick with the healthy and natural way handsome. :)
Good for you! I gained 20kgs (44ish pounds?) in 5 years with my partner, then he proposed. I cried when the engagement photo's went up on facebook. I didn't even recognise myself. Post teenage eating disorder I was really concerned about how I could go about loosing weight without it becoming an obsession.
In the end I found a kind of compromise - I cut any processed food out of my diet, which means I automatically ended up eating largely fresh produce with very little in the way of carbohydrates but I don't do anything beyond that to monitor my diet. And I got a personal trainer to set me up with a programme that I could complete in 30minutes at the gym. My partner picks me up after 30mins to make sure I don't over do it, we eat dinner in 3 courses (healthiest first, then protein, then a little something sweet) and we took the batteries out of the scales to make sure I didn't watch the numbers every day. I won't loose weight quickly like this, but it will happen in time, and its safe for me which is the most important thing. There's no point having a healthy body if to get it you have to compromise on having a healthy mind to get there.
I totally understand the struggle and I salute you for making the decision to stick at the long term goal and not cut corners. It will be worth it in the end!
I think this is such a good lesson for everyone! A "quick fix" is never usually the best answer whether you are talking weight loss, relationships, divorce, college, jobs, kids, etc. Sure, you can quit your job, divorce your spouse, buy your kids a new toy, get surgery, move, but it won't change the core problem that you aren't happy about yourself the way you are right this second. We all want change immediately and the pain to stop immediately! If you cut off your arm and the doctor gives you a shot to stop the pain, it won't change the fact you don't have an arm and will most likely have to learn to do things differently to compensate. Even if you had all the fat sucked off your body (scary to even imagine) you will still be the same wonderful Dan we know with all his issues to deal with. Proud of you for not taking the quick way and giving all of us that struggle with issues a role model for hard work! Lats schmats! You can hug me anytime with your big beefy arm fat Bud! LOL
Keep going! I'm working on losing the baby weight too and I'm not worried about my stretch marks or love handles because I have a wonderful husband and 2 beautiful sons who love me. Noah loves you very much the way you are too. No one around you needs you to change to ''deserve'' their love. Stay focused and keep practicing what you preach. You are a wonderful human being, you don't need to be ''perfect''. Once you reach your goal by slowly changing your habits, it wil be easier to keep the weight off. You can do it!!! (http://www.queen-of-my-castle.com/)
Sounds like you made the right decision. Keep up the good work!
I have been having the IDENTICAL discussion with myself over the last few months...after losing 50 pounds and 8 inches of pant size...still not fast enough! Grr. But somehow it's nice to know someone else thinks the same thing once in a while. Don't know why it's seems difficult to think about how far I've come instead of how far I have to go. :-/
Tracy, will update later this afternoon on that but yeah. Looking promising.
I struggle with similar things...sometimes I forget that I had 2 pregnancies that resulted in beautiful babies but killed my abs. Those 20 months of being pregnant really stretched and tore my abs apart (not that I ever had a six pack but I think I looked good). So 2 babies and probably 4 years of not eating my best and I'm expecting results over night. I know it doesn't make sense. But looking in the mirror, trying on my old clothes that I'd love to wear again, not to mention the scale that's not wavering this week and the easy way out seems, so easy. But what would I learn? Would I really be healthier? Nope. So tonight it's a long walk with my family and back to the gym in the morning. I got this.
my favorite line: I drove away from the clinic and made myself a promise to fall in love with the journey again.
Err....Unless I missed a post....I take it your parents and their home are ok?!
I'm proud of you. I know it's hard. No matter what weight you're at, and how much you want to lose. It takes a lot of mental commitment to stay on track. Don't beat yourself up over your goal. My trainer gave me very good advice. "Make a small goal, and achieve it. Then make another small goal, and achieve it." If you start off thinking "I need to lose 25 lbs." it might happen, but more than likely you'll quit at 10lbs. Make a goal to lose 2 pounds next week. Then do it. Then do it again. And again and again. That way you know it will stay off. =)
I like your honesty, it's a tough subject to be totally honest about, especially with so many on their high horses about it. I admitted in a "safe" mother's group the other day my desire to for liposuction, and they thought I was nuts. I have been the road of health for years and their are places, like you that just won't go away....It's personal and can be medically necessary too. However, like you, I will continue to work on it, give it more time, make sure it's LONG term, buy my 5D first, some L glass, and then in a few more years, take care of the problem. Keep it up the work. Thanks for being real, there are many people out there in the same place, with similar disorders in the past, and it's great to have it out there.
Keep plugging away at it Dan! You were right to drive away from lipo. Your fat isn't just a layer, it is an organ! It has structure. Get a little thinner before deciding to rip that organ to pieces in order to get rid of your lat fat, please! And keep eating plenty of fats, as they will keep your skin shrinking as your waistline does! It's carbs that are the real enemy. If you don't cut them out entirely (or nearly), then put them in a "zone" of your day, with other zones that are carb-free. And some very recent research I skimmed pegs protein as good for both satiety and metabolism, truly a "diet food".
@ThomasRoss I appreciate the link you sent me. That was an informative article! I agree that including foods into our diet that are not processed is important, and that over consumption of what I like to call "Frankenstein" foods (foods that during processing have been stripped of nutrients and complex carbohydrates and have loads of sodium and other additives) lead to health problems for most people. What we have been seeing in our food system lately is a lot of overly processed energy (calories) dense foods, as opposed to whole (closest to its original form) foods that are nutrient dense. Consumption of these "Frankenstein" foods could be correlated to the rise in health problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
What I have learned through my nutrition education is that although there are other ways for our body to retrieve fuel (through fat and muscle stores), it is not our body's preferred method, and it can lead to detrimental side effects, such as kidney and liver damage. From what I have learned, I do not think it is safe, or even possible to eat a NO CARB diet. Fruits, vegetables, dairy and whole grains contain carbohydrates. Unless a person is eating only meat, I do not think that a no carb diet can be achieved. (nor should it be!)
Thanks for the discussion! I look forward to hearing more :)
@SummerJoy1 I feel like I have said something twice, and you have gone off-track with it twice, SummerJoy1. My communications skills aren't perfect, sorry about that. Anyway, here is a third try. When I first mentioned carbs being "our enemies", your reply was that carbs are necessary. I won't argue you on that one, they kind of are! So is carbon dioxide, as it serves to regulate our autonomic respiration, so what? It can still kill you in quantity, and even in smallish quantities of a few percent (I think normal levels are about 300ppm) can make you quite sick. SAME FOR CARBS (except that we need more than 300ppm of carbs)! To get down to the point where your complete lack of carb-eating over a long enough period makes you actually sick, would be quite the trick, I think! Probably about as common as dying from water intoxication (drinking too much water).
Upon doing a little googling I found out that the pre-insulin diet regimen was not just severe carb restriction, it restricted fats and overall calories too, leaving the diabetic with just a little protein to eat. And while it worked, it wasn't any kind of a long-term solution, just a slower death.
Another example of an extremely low-carb diet would be that of the Eskimos. Theirs is extra fascinating because they have to eat all the parts of the animals and fish that they hunt in order to get the vitamins that the rest of us get from fruits and vegetables. But they can and do get all their vital nutrients from that bizarre diet they have.
But the carbon dioxide and the diabetics and the Eskimos are red herrings. They're supposed to be examples, not logical rabbit holes to fall into. To recap: SOME carbs are necessary. How many? Less than almost everyone thinks. And more is NOT better, it is worse.
@ThomasRoss I am interested to know where you have learned about carbohydrates. I was under the impression that our bodies need them to fuel activity, in the form of glucose. Shed some light on this :)
@SummerJoy1 That's only one metabolic pathway to provide the body with energy. You can go completely carb-free and still live. In fact, that was how diabetics had to extend their lives before insulin was available.
But what I said was "it's carbs that are the real enemy". Here is a pretty good article explaining what I mean: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/healthy-eating_b_629422.html
@ThomasRoss Yeah, I'm with you.
@ThomasRoss I couldn't have said it better myself!