The Vent and Rant Thread

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

Well, as this is the vent and rant thread, and whilst we're talking about weight...

I am overweight. I lost a bit when I got depressed most recently, then my appetite vanished, I more-or-less stopped eating (less than 800 calories a day, most days, some days a lot less than that). During that period, I lost a little more weight - not much, and it came off very, very slowly, and then nothing for a couple of months. Every time I saw a doc, I mentioned it to them, and I swear I could see them disbelieve what I was saying, and thinking that as a fat woman I must be lying when I said I was hardly eating yet not losing weight. Occasionally they would praise me for losing weight slowly! I finally saw a nutrionist, who took one look at my meals for the previous week and told me in no uncertain terms that I was starving myself. With her help, we worked out a meal plan I thought I could stick to and, after a week long panic attack at the thought of eating as much food as was on the plan in one day, I did. This was about 2 months ago - in which time I've lost around a stone. I know GPs have a certain amount of time to see a patient, but WHY do they make these assumptions? It didn't take long for the nutrionist to spot the problem with the right information, so why not a sodding doctor?

I went through a bout like that while I was in law school. I was horribly depressed, and just stopped eating. One or two bites would practically make me gag. After about a year, I was down to 103 (size 3) and would have made Kate Moss look like a linebacker.

I knew there was a problem. I could see bones sticking out everywhere. People kept telling me that I had a "body image" problem. I didn't. I knew I looked like a stick, and I knew that I was starving to death, but I just didn't care.

It probably didn't help matters any that, in order to counteract the depression, I used to hop on my bicycle and pedal 50 or 60 miles to the beach and back every Sunday.

Anyway, I finally found a doctor who understood what was going on. He put me on medication for the depression and told me to tell anyone who gave me any lip about my weight to just stuff it. Being anorectic isn't the same as having anorexia nervosa.

Eh, what it comes down to is, there are basically seven types of people in the world:

1. People who are carrying more weight than their bodies can tolerate and that are miserable about it;
2. People who are carrying more weight than their bodies can tolerate and that are ok with it;
3. People who are at a weight that is above or below where they should be according to cultural norms (but where their body functions just fine) and they are miserable about it;
4. People who are at a weight that is above or below where they should be according to cultural norms (but where their body functions just fine) and they are OK with it (very rare beast);
5. People who are carrying less weight than their bodies can tolerate and are miserable about it;
6. People who are carrying less weight than their bodies can tolerate and that are ok with it; and
7. Perfect people who should be shot on sight.


I'm working towards becoming a type 4. It's a life long effort.

[phenomshel]

Wow, I'm unique! I come in at a solid number 4 on your list. I am five feet tall and weigh about 140, which any chart will tell you is overweight. However, lose or gain, my body always comes back to this weight and stays there. My husband likes me the weight I am, and I feel my best at this weight.

[nekokami]

Almost nobody believes they are #7. I've usually been #4 (underweight until my late 20's, on the upper edge of what's considered acceptable for my height now). My math friends and I joke, "It's not my weight, but the derivative of my weight, that worries me."

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment, and, as usual, was weighed. I've lost 5 lb since last time I was in. I think that's good, though sometimes recently I know I haven't eaten as much as I should due to anxiety. When I'm having trouble eating, I try very hard to make sure that whatever I can get down is healthy, but sometimes the closest I can get is real hot chocolate (made with milk).

Being around very overweight people makes me uncomfortable, and I don't like admitting that. I want to try to be more accepting of everyone, but some people are just so extremely unhealthy that I sort of cringe inside. I don't know so many people on the other end of the scale, but I cringe just as much when I see pictures of fashion models, so at least I'm an equal-opportunity discriminator.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Ok... enough with the USAA love fest. We need some good rants.

Marc, where are you? any lawn equipment purchases recently?

BOb

There is/was family about, though to allow that to vent is less the light leak of a pressure release valve, and more of a "Hey, look at that rapidly growing crack in the Hoover Dam....". To vent is to release some pressure from an overcrowded mindspace; not to have your brains projectile splurge from your ears, right?

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Well, I am ginormous... well about 150 too much. I know some people see me as ugly, ignorant and lazy too. But, I just figure that is their problem.

Your avatar, scaled up? (<--- that's a friendly smile - not a mocking one, okay? ) Anyway there's always my preferred catchphrase: You say "lazy" like it's a bad thing.

Although the 20min per day walk and increased veggies/fruit diet has been helping. Pants are getting looser.

Excellent. I hope you feel better for it, and it continues to make life more satisfying for you.

Cheers,
Marc (who hates BMI, because it makes my short-statured overweightness look "clinical". Besides, I don't need no steenkin' measurements to make me feel bad about myself )

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Wow, I'm unique! I come in at a solid number 4 on your list. I am five feet tall and weigh about 140, which any chart will tell you is overweight. However, lose or gain, my body always comes back to this weight and stays there. My husband likes me the weight I am, and I feel my best at this weight.

Not unique, but rare in the extreme. And, the charts are all bullshit anyway. If you look at the charts that were around when I was young, they were all based on your height, assuming you were in 2 inch heels. Now, by those charts, I am actually five foot nine, and whatever weight was associated with that height would have been my correct one. They freaking change the damn charts about every generation.

You know, if your body is happy at that weight, then that's what counts.

Originally Posted by nekokami

Almost nobody believes they are #7. I've usually been #4 (underweight until my late 20's, on the upper edge of what's considered acceptable for my height now). My math friends and I joke, "It's not my weight, but the derivative of my weight, that worries me."

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment, and, as usual, was weighed. I've lost 5 lb since last time I was in. I think that's good, though sometimes recently I know I haven't eaten as much as I should due to anxiety. When I'm having trouble eating, I try very hard to make sure that whatever I can get down is healthy, but sometimes the closest I can get is real hot chocolate (made with milk).

Being around very overweight people makes me uncomfortable, and I don't like admitting that. I want to try to be more accepting of everyone, but some people are just so extremely unhealthy that I sort of cringe in,side. I don't know so many people on the other end of the scale, but I cringe jus as much when I see pictures of fashion models, so at least I'm an equal-opportunity discriminator.

Being around morbidly obese people and extremely skinny people makes me uncomfortable, but then so does being around smokers. It's basically because deep down I want to "fix" them ... make them understand that, assuming they have some choice in their weight or the fact that they smoke, they are doing so much damage to their bodies.

However, I keep my mouth as shut as I possibly can, because right around then I realize that living around a bazillion animals when you are allergic to them is pretty freaking stupid and damaging to the body (my lungs are about shot, and they never were very good to begin with).

We've all got our oddities, and everybody has things they are attracted to or repulsed by. That's one of the reasons I like the internet ... it gets me in touch with the core of the person. It never matters what any of you look like, just how I think you look. And, even once I've seen any of you, I snap right back into thinking about you as I imagined you.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

I went through a bout like that while I was in law school. I was horribly depressed, and just stopped eating. One or two bites would practically make me gag. After about a year, I was down to 103 (size 3) and would have made Kate Moss look like a linebacker.

I knew there was a problem. I could see bones sticking out everywhere. People kept telling me that I had a "body image" problem. I didn't. I knew I looked like a stick, and I knew that I was starving to death, but I just didn't care.

It probably didn't help matters any that, in order to counteract the depression, I used to hop on my bicycle and pedal 50 or 60 miles to the beach and back every Sunday.

Anyway, I finally found a doctor who understood what was going on. He put me on medication for the depression and told me to tell anyone who gave me any lip about my weight to just stuff it. Being anorectic isn't the same as having anorexia nervosa.

Eh, what it comes down to is, there are basically seven types of people in the world:

1. People who are carrying more weight than their bodies can tolerate and that are miserable about it;
2. People who are carrying more weight than their bodies can tolerate and that are ok with it;
3. People who are at a weight that is above or below where they should be according to cultural norms (but where their body functions just fine) and they are miserable about it;
4. People who are at a weight that is above or below where they should be according to cultural norms (but where their body functions just fine) and they are OK with it (very rare beast);
5. People who are carrying less weight than their bodies can tolerate and are miserable about it;
6. People who are carrying less weight than their bodies can tolerate and that are ok with it; and
7. Perfect people who should be shot on sight.


I'm working towards becoming a type 4. It's a life long effort.

Be careful shooting at #7's. They shoot back at #1, 2, 3, 5, and 6's, (and fire warning shots at #4's).

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Be careful shooting at #7's. They shoot back at #1, 2, 3, 5, and 6's, (and fire warning shots at #4's).

Yeah, but the 5s and 6s can just turn sideways and disappear through the cracks in the sidewalk.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Anyway there's always my preferred catchphrase: You say "lazy" like it's a bad thing.

That's a good point. Being a software developer I strive to be a lazy, pessimistic, curious, and meticulous.

http://www.addedbytes.com/blog/what-...eat-developer/

BOb

BTW: Yes, I am just short for my weight. I should be 8 ft tall.

[krisk]

Well here's a really good idea (NOT!!!)! Let's put heavily accented Slavic speakers to work on the unemployment benefits line! I just got a message saying they wanted to go over my benefits. At least I'm pretty sure that was the message. I'm not concerned as I am now employed, but if I was still struggling I think I would be pretty unhappy trying to explain my plight to a non English speaker and wondering why the hell they were working and I was not!

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

That's a good point. Being a software developer I strive to be a lazy, pessimistic, curious, and meticulous.

http://www.addedbytes.com/blog/what-...eat-developer/

BOb

BTW: Yes, I am just short for my weight. I should be 8 ft tall.

So, get yourself a growth hormone connection. Then you can be at your "proper" weight, and lazy, pessimistic, curious and meticulous.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

So, get yourself a growth hormone connection. Then you can be at your "proper" weight, and lazy, pessimistic, curious and meticulous.

Believe me, if there were some magic pill or shot I could take, I would be all over that. The only thing I have found that works is eating less calories than I burn. Sigh.

BOb

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Believe me, if there were some magic pill or shot I could take, I would be all over that. The only thing I have found that works is eating less calories than I burn. Sigh.

BOb

Get yourself infected with a nice norovirus. I lost about 15 pounds over five days. Of course, I felt like hell, but now I can fit into my size 8 jeans.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

I'm working towards becoming a type 4. It's a life long effort.

Me too - hopefully we'll both get there sooner rather than later

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Get yourself infected with a nice norovirus. I lost about 15 pounds over five days. Of course, I felt like hell, but now I can fit into my size 8 jeans.

Quite a few people at work would agree with you!!

[slayda]

I think I'm a #2, except when I have to bend over to do something like cut my toenails or when my back or knees hurt. Then I guess I'm a #1.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by slayda

I think I'm a #2, except when I have to bend over to do something like cut my toenails or when my back or knees hurt. Then I guess I'm a #1.

Oh hell .... I've had a hard time cutting my own toenails for years. Nothing to do with my weight and everything to do with the fact that I have zero flexibility.

I was the one kid on the playground that could not do a summersalt to save my life. Couldn't touch my damn toes even when I was a skinny little kid. Couldn't do either of those things during the period that I was in my peak shape, body fat 12 percent and able to bench press more than my body weight. My body is simply not made to do those things, and never will be.

It still chaps my hide that everyone expects children to all be able to perform the same physically. Some kids can run .... some can't. I had exercise induced asthma (well, pretty much anything induced asthma in me), and when the teachers would force me to do laps (because I failed so miserably at gymnastic exercises), I would generally end up unconscious with my face in the dirt and bronchial spasms suffocating me.

Ah well .... maybe a year or so ago, I was speaking with a girl (maybe 12 or 13) who was really upset at the grief she was getting from the adults, about her looks, her weight, her grades .... you name it. I left her with the best advise I could possibly give her ...

Just keep in mind that statistically, you have a great chance of outliving the bastards and, when they are dead, you can dance on their graves.