The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Nancy]

Read this only if you can tolerate it....


I met a lady in Baltimore that is a mortician....

she told me that obese people take several more days to be cremated than thin people...sometimes the fat actually spits and sputters like a barbecue grill...

she said that there are more and more obese people dying at younger ages...

...it costs a LOT more to bury obese people - sometimes they need TWO plots in which to be buried and the cost of larger caskets is outta sight...

sad commentary but this is some of the nitty gritty of real life.

[hawaiiwhatnot]

Nancy,

Yes, this is a morbid subject, but obesity is a major cause of death in this country. We live near one of the oldest cemeteries on Hawaii, and have heard the story of a man who was so horribly obese, when he was cremated, the entire building caught fire. Reminds me of the movie "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" .

Saw a program today that said not until the 1990's, adult onset diabetes NEVER showed up in children but now it is an epidemic with children's artery walls showing heavy build up causing high blood pressure, etc. We're just eating too much food with too little nutritional value! That's why I chose MF - it really makes me feel healthy while I'm losing.

Camille

[Nancy]

Hi, Camille ~

Thank you for your comments regarding diabetes and children.

Here's the latest: 40% of African American children born today will have diabetes by the time they are 21; 50% of Hispanic children born today will have diabtes by the time they are 21; and 60% of Native American children born today will have diabetes by the time they are 21.

Life expectancy tables are beginning to show a down-ward trend.

We ARE what we eat. How do we get others to understand this, too?
For years I ate all that garbage. I thought that I DESERVED to have a little treat here and thee. Those little treats did not make the issues of daily living go away. Those little treats compounded every aspect of my daily living- my life style and my very life were affected.

I now understand the value of eating healthy, of BEING healthy.

All I know is this, it's not gonna take 12 pall bearers to carry my casket, I won't take up two cemetary plots and it will not take DAYS to cremate my remains because I shall not become obese again.

[LongWay2go]

I met a lady in Baltimore that is a mortician....

she told me that obese people take several more days to be cremated than thin people...sometimes the fat actually spits and sputters like a barbecue grill...

I can believe that! I know some of my fat experiences have been so frustrating. I had an apendectomy a few years back. Most people get about a 1 or 2 inch scar from an apendectomy. In my case, because of my size, they had to split me open from my right side to my belly button. Most people are up and about the same day as the surgery and return to work soon. I darned near died and it was months before I was better.

Traveling is an exercise in futility as well. I have to buy two seats on an airplane at FULL PRICE. My suitcases are heavier because my clothes are so much larger than most folks. I can't fit in a bathroom on a cruise ship or airplane, for goodness sake! I have to take a handicap room on cruise ships to be able to fit in the bathroom and just have to "hold it" on flights. This is no way to live!

That's why I'm doing this. I want to be normal. I don't want people to stare and snicker anymore. I don't want to turn side-ways to go through a door. I want to be able to go to the bathroom where ever I please! I want to lose the nickname "Big G". And I will...

Gerald

[Nancy]

Dear, dear Gerald ~

[LongWay2go]

Many thanks to you, Nancy! I "lurked" on the board for a few weeks, trying to decide whether to go for it or not, then started talking to Mike via email. That did it for me! I'm here and determined and willing to share in the heavy (no pun intended) support of every one here.

You are just awesome, and I look forward to many "conversations" in the long road ahead!

- Gerald

[Nancy]

Gerald ~

We look forward to your HEAVY involvement on the Forum! There are a lot of lurkers out there and once they read about your success, perhaps they'll join us on our journey to Thindom via Thinsville! There's room on the Train for more!

All aboard!

[LongWay2go]

You can count on it, I'm in this for the long haul and plan to give at least as much as I get! (I just hope this train has over-sized bathrooms, cause I'm peeing a lot these days!)

[Simmshe]

Gerald,

I'm feeling everything that you wrote! Six years ago I topped the scales at 390lbs (I'm 5'5), and life sure is a lot different being 400lbs versus 300lbs, and I'm sure even more challenging being close to 500lbs. Just getting dressed sometimes was like an aerobic workout--I would need to use my Asthma inhaler sometimes after this! I was pretty much housebound for almost a year--and I was only 24 years old, so I experienced the worse depression of my life, which only exacerbated my weight problem and eating.

I'm definitely on the same page with you as far as wanting to be "normal" and not limited. And looking better is always a perk, but for me, the discomfort and humiliation of being so obese is a bigger motivator for me to change, and wanting to live free of self-imposed physical limitations is what really fires me up. Oh, I left out improved long-term health (thankfully, I don't have any obesity-related illnesses now), and improved self-esteem .

Although it's been some years since I topped out at that high weight, and I don't feel as limited as I did then (everything hurt--my knees and back had just given out almost), I can relate to how you feel.

As I've said before and will keep on saying--I'm breaking out of prison once and for all , and taking no prisoners ... unless they wanna ride shotgun in my getaway car !

We are doing this all the way !

Sheryl

[LongWay2go]

Hi Sheryl,

You bet we're going all the way! I call shotgun!

My life has been a perfect example of what NOT to do. Fat runs in my family. My favorite breakfast growing up was chocolate gravy and biscuits in the morning! I thought I was good to go, staying around 300 pounds most of my adult life, but then came the surgery and a switch to a sedentary job and THEN my joints began to go. First were the knees, then the hips, then I had two rotator cuff tears and finally, carpal tunnel in both wrists.

By then I had "sat" my way to a high of 523 pounds. My doctor said I would die before I made 50, and I was 42 at the time. I'm about to turn 45 soon! I was in a bad situation. I couldn't exercise. Can't walk with bad hips. Can't cycle with bad knees. Can do the gym with torn rotator cuffs and carpal. Can't do a thing, except diet! So I did the OptiFast thing for a while. I've posted a bit on that. Short story is I lost 90 pounds, but got bored and left the program. That was in December '02.

December 19, 2003 I fell on the ice in my driveway trying to negotiate getting from the car to my wheelchair. I'm still not fully recovered from that fall. I couldn't walk AT ALL for 2 months and was on heavy pain medication for months and months. Slowly I'm getting back to what I like to call "Gerald's version of normal". But there were many days in Jan.-Feb. that I was praying to die because I didn't think I could make it back and the pain was just HORRIBLE.

I'm finally driving again and walking - with a cane and slowly - but walking. I'm feeling stronger every day. I know that another fall like that one will kill me and I'm not ready to go. That can mean only one thing. It's up to me to save my own life, and that's why I'm here.

So yes, I'm here to stay "for life". If I can help one person avoid what I have experienced, it will be worth everything I have gone through. I'm very strong in my resolve this time and my attitude is great.

Most of all, I'm here for anyone reading this. Learn from my experiences and don't let it happen to you. I'm one of the lucky ones. My lifelong friend, Mike Smith, died from weight-related illness. I still remember him turning a salt box upside down over his favorite snack - a large bag of potato chips. I'm also doing this for him. And I'm doing it for all of you too, because if I can do it...you MOST CERTAINLY CAN TOO!!!

Gerald

[Nancy]

Bless your heart, Gerald! Your writings are giving me goosebumps and it is nearly 95 degrees here!

I want to see you reach your goal weight, too. Together is how ya do it. One day at a time.

Go, Gerald, Go!


So thankful you joined the MakeMeThinner Team Your success is our success and Mike Smith's, too

[Simmshe]

Wow Gerald, you have been through so much--I so much admire your strength and perseverance--thanks for sharing so much with us . Ditto to what Nancy said--very glad to have you here! I'm here for the long run, too.

You know, out of all my siblings (five of us), I'm the only one to take after my mother and inherit fat genes (my father is as skinny as they come ... oh well, at least I got his attractive nose ). She is 53 years old and weighs 365lbs. I've encouraged her to follow MF. She started when I started, too, but she hasn't been compliant yet . It sure is a waaayy uphill battle for those of us who inherit fat genes--gotta work twice or three times as hard as others to lose weight and maintain our new slim bodies, but we're no strangers to hard work--we'll do it .

Looking forward to talking to you more and seeing you drop weight like a madman--I know it's coming ! Your success is our success, as Nancy said, and I'm sure you will inspire and encourage many folks here .

Sheryl

[LongWay2go]

Thank you Nancy and Simmshe, so much! Just knowing I have all this support is an incredible motivator! So sorry (Nancy) that I managed to monopolize the original topic here, but thank you for helping keep me on my path!

- Gerald