I'm not gone! Catching Up with Rob.

Hey my OH family.  Just a quick note to let you know that I have not disappeared completely.  I have a project at work that is close to going live.  I am driving about 800 miles a week back and forth to the customer (YAY .55 cents per mile) and just been really busy.  My weekends at home have been filled with Honey-do projects and home appliance repairs.  He's the creative type and I'm the engineer - guess who gets to rebuild the washing machine when it breaks?  Or the pressure washer?

Maintenance is continuing to go well.  My weight is fluctuating quite a bit on a 7 -14 day cycle.  I recently hit a high weight, that even though it was in my maintenance range I was uncomfortable with (180 - NOT happening!).  I cut my calories bac****il I dropped back to here I wanted to be.  My maintenance range is 177 - 187.  I am only really comfortable when I am at the bottom of that range or below.  I guess that means its not really my maintenance range - right?  I usually aim to keep in the 174-179 area.

I ran my first 10k today.  Not a road race, just the running track in my neighborhood.  Burned up 1200 calories in the process.  I am really tired and know I will be really sore in the morning (I can already feel the tightness in my thighs).  Tired, but proud.  

Another little NSV that I never thought of, I have some really small swim trunks that wear outside to run now that the weather is turning nice.  Before my weight loss whenever I was outside I practically wore a burqa.  I was much too embarrassed by my body to ever show ANY of it.  PFFFAW - Thats all over.  LAst month I splurged and bought me some nice Andrew Christian Swim trunks (These).  Scars, whatever.  I don't care.  

Being on site at this customer has somehow helped me redevelop my body image.  They compliment me quite a bit.  I am "The tall guy who wears the ties" not the "Big Guy".  They comment on how trim I am and how healthy I eat.  I have shared my journey with the ones who ask.  Its funny how quickly that got around.  Everyone has been very interested and it has inspired some to start making better choices themselves.  

I realize now that my stomach is flat and tight (at least as tight as its ever going to be).  I never get tired of looking straight down and seeing the floor!  I can wear whatever I want and feel confident in it. I am passing up all the muted colors and going for bold and bright.  Right now I am wearing a pair of white jeans, a T-Shirt tucked behind the belt buckle and a bright yellow CK Jeans button up shirt unbuttoned.  I never would have had the confidence to draw this kind of attention to myself before.  (Another new outfit - a Bright Red shirt from Express' Ultra-Slim fit- grin as I say it and type it -  line with a burgundy tie awaits its inauguration on Monday!).  

I still kind of wrangle with a few questions about my body - Do I look "Normal", is this what a normal mans body should look like.  You'd think after a life time of being gay - looking at and photographing men - I'd be able to answer that for myself.  I still have a little trouble applying what I know to what my brain sees.  

As for my next plastics - the Brach and Mastopexy - I was going to do that around Easter.  I had to put that off because of this project.  Probably around the end of April now.  I can't wait for that - I really want to be able to run shirtless or go to a swimming pool and be rid of the granny man-boobs this summer.  Plus, The loose skin on the top of my back bugs me a little when I sleep.  It still pinches some at night when I toss and turn in bed.  

I'll try to be better with contributing more.  Love you all and best wishes for everyone to have amazing success in their own journeys.

Rob,

What a wonderful update!

It is very very interesting how you are finding your way to defining for yourself what it is to be "normal", what it looks like, what it feels like in your body, what clothes it wears. It makes sense to me that, even after a lifetime of paying close attention to the bodies of "normal" men, that it would feel a bit jarring for you to now fall into that category. I think that we human beings, at least in American culture, identify very deeply with our bodies and the stories it tells, but it is not an identification that we verbalize in a profound or deep way, so we don't have a "language" for the mixture of feelings that you may be describing here. There are really and truly adjustments to be made with weight loss, no? it sounds like you are having a really fun time with it all...please, do keep us posted!

Love, Swizzlequeen

ps. how wonderful it is that, in your workplace, your transparency about your WLS and lifestyle changes is inspiriing others to make healthful changes!:)

 

Hey Rob.  Yay, you, for your 10K!  You are so rocking this whole process! 

Glad to see an update from you Rob. Been wondering where you've been. You are so inspiring to me! I love your comment "I never get tired of looking straight down and seeing the floor!" What a terrific NSV!! Take care,

Sheryl

Super cool! 

Awesome "catch up" post. I'm scheduled for DS on April 3rd, but am leaning heavily toward the VSG instead. Your success encourages me about the amount one can lose AND maintenance worries that I have with the sleeve. I would love any input you can give me. I have GOT to make up my mind ASAP.

Again....congrats on your weight loss and successes 

Great to hear from you. I totally get the busy life thing, it seems that I am falling into that boat too. But it is good to hear things are well with you. Post when you can, we miss you around here.

Thanks for the update! So glad things are moving in the right direction for you.

Awesome update! 

You sound great! I'm so happy for you. All good news. You are awesome!

And come you come fix crap in my house? I suck at it and my husband wouldn't know what to do with a hammer if I gave him one. LOL