Man to Man: A Support System for Men (part 2)

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  • ccgisme
    ccgisme Posts: 239 Member
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    When I was a jolly santa claus with a big belly and the sex appeal of a wildebeest, this was never an issue. Now that I'm a little trimmer I find that I'm not always treated with the same friendly dismisal that I used to enjoy. I'm even being a little careful with this stuff now. I've been meeting hostility since about the time the 32 waist jeans started fitting. ""


    Imagine your wife has a working lunch with Norm from Cheers... would you care? Now imagine she has a working lunch with George Clooney - care now don'tcha sparky? :laugh: (I'm certainly not GC, but you get my point). If you've been,,, less appealing(?) for a long time as most of us have, this might be a whole new deal for you. It's something to be aware of.

    Oh man, there's so much here Casper, we could rif on this for months... This statement "Now that I'm a little trimmer I find that I'm not always treated with the same friendly dismisal that I used to enjoy" applies to lots of different contexts - not just flirtation (and as a unrepentant English Major, I must say it's very well phrased).

    Thanks for the cautionary tale. :wink:
  • paullie_t
    paullie_t Posts: 23 Member
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    Sign me up for the challenge. I've lost 34 pounds lost since February.

    My wife finally convinced me to do some clothes shopping and I could not believe my eyes when I was able to button up and move around in a pair of 38" jeans. I have been parked in 42" jeans for several years now. This was a very motivational moment for me to keep going!

    My wife was not shocked, however as she was the one insisting I try on the 38"s first instead of the 40"'s. She is proud of the work I've done to lose this weight.

    Another motivational moment about a month ago, I found out that I could comfortably wear XL size polo shirts instead of the XXL size I'd been wearing for years.
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    Yeah,,, that's #$*%in' kewl ain't it? Don't buy too many pairs - you won't be in them that long.

    Rock on compadre.
  • ccgisme
    ccgisme Posts: 239 Member
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    Sign me up for the challenge. I've lost 34 pounds lost since February.

    My wife finally convinced me to do some clothes shopping and I could not believe my eyes when I was able to button up and move around in a pair of 38" jeans. I have been parked in 42" jeans for several years now. This was a very motivational moment for me to keep going!

    My wife was not shocked, however as she was the one insisting I try on the 38"s first instead of the 40"'s. She is proud of the work I've done to lose this weight.

    Another motivational moment about a month ago, I found out that I could comfortably wear XL size polo shirts instead of the XXL size I'd been wearing for years.

    Good for you. It is a great feeling. Casper's right - get what you need to get by. You'll be shopping for 36"s soon enough :bigsmile:

    I'll include you on the challenge.
  • Umpire57
    Umpire57 Posts: 389 Member
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    I weighed in today at 226.0 (Lowest I have ever been in my adult life - I can say that every time I get lower from this point forward)

    I don't know if I will be any good in a challenge any more but I am willing to throw my updates in. :)
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    Great job Ump.

    I'm skipping the challenge. I've lost about 67 pounds as of today,,, weighed in this morning right in the middle of the 200-205 range I've chosen. I'm on maintenance and don't want to lose any more. Looking to build some lean and lose a little more bodyfat, but I don't want to get any smaller right now.
  • scott24
    scott24 Posts: 132
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    I've had my good-feeling moments - a time or two a co-worker comments on the fact that I've obviously lost some weight. I visited my mother this past weekend and she was surprised to hug me and get her arms all the way around me. The real kicker was today, when I walked through the "questionable" neighborhood that I've been walking during my lunch hour since April, passing by these guys who - perhaps due to lack of jobs or desire to have one - always seem to be reclining on their front porch. One of the guys who always seems friendly enough (and trust me - you want to be friendly in this neighborhood) yelled out to me, "Hey man, how much have you lost?" First I thought maybe he was asking if I had been mugged/robbed lately but then remembering that a month or so back he asked why I walked every day - to which I told him I was trying to lose weight. I was so pumped to yell back at him, "43 pounds, man!" "Cool, dude," was his reply. To even get recognition in the hood for my efforts totally made my day!
  • summersmi
    summersmi Posts: 50 Member
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    gotta skip on the challenge. I'm only a few puonds from my goal.
  • whyflysouth
    whyflysouth Posts: 308 Member
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    Casper - I'm not doing much supplementation, I've started taking Creatine Monohydrate powder that I'm mixing with grape juice, and 3.2g of CLA in pill form, and I'll have the occasional protein shake to get protein if there's little meat around, but other than that, trying to eat 5-8 ounces of chicken breast per meal, and eating at least 1 cup of cottage cheese a day to keep the protein up. Drinking allot of water also.

    My progress was running steady, I rather quickly bounced up from 147 to 152 lbs, but that's probably entirely water retention caused by the creatine which I'll cycle off of in 3 more weeks. Been hitting the weights heavy and can't say I've seen much in beginner's gains (at least strength-wise), my muscles are sticking out (especially my chest) but thats probably water retention again... and I'm sore most of the time, and last week I got sick and haven't been to the gym since Wednesday. Beating myself up like this seems to keep the immunity down.

    Regarding your story about the guy getting upset over your flirtation now that you're fit and not rotund, I can imagine this as one of the negative side-effects that as you look more appealing to women, you become more of unwelcome competition for the guys around youl. You can't win, lol.

    Summersmi, I guess we've got a good number of folks looking to add some lean body mass at this point don't we? Maybe we should have a strength or % body fat challenge rather than weight challenge? Like a 10% gain at the bench or a 2-4% loss of body fat?
  • rolyprince
    rolyprince Posts: 53 Member
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    Count me in on the challenge too. I've lost 54lbs so far.

    I've just got up the confidence to join my local Gym yesterday. I'm starting to feel like I'm not out of place there!!!

    Hopefully it's gonna help both me and this group reach our challenge target.

    Fingers crossed.:smile:
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    <<snip>> I was so pumped to yell back at him, "43 pounds, man!" "Cool, dude," was his reply. To even get recognition in the hood for my efforts totally made my day!
    That's rox Scott. Excellent,,, :smile:
  • DanOhh
    DanOhh Posts: 1,806 Member
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    I guess I've been hanging out with the chicks too much. I've been here all this time and didn't know that we had a private "cigar" room. Cool, I'll have to keep peekin' in here from time to time.
  • rockinright
    rockinright Posts: 241
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    Anyone here have a wife trying to lose weight too?

    Since men do usually lose faster, I've lost 17 and she 10, should I keep my numbers to myself or should I share them and see if it encourages her?
  • Umpire57
    Umpire57 Posts: 389 Member
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    Dan, Bout time you got here! :)

    Rockin: I don't hide anything. You have to do what is best for you and encourage her the best you can. That is how I feel anyway.
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    You do your thing and let her do hers. If she's a member here she'll see it - if she looks.

    Try not to crow when you do well, she may be struggling. Trust me on this, it's something I've learned a LOT about. Just keep it to yourself, do not make a big deal out of it. She may feel that she's in competition with you, and that's tough. Just do what you do and keep on keeping on.

    The upside of this is that you don't have to deal with her wanting stuffed crust pizza,,, she's watching what she eats too, so making smart choices is easier.
  • DanOhh
    DanOhh Posts: 1,806 Member
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    My wife knows my numbers but only when she asks. She knows I've lost weight and if she wants any advise she'll ask (which she'll ask for every now and then) and I'll give her as much as I can BUT won't ever tell her that she needs to do this or that, that would be suicide.
  • Umpire57
    Umpire57 Posts: 389 Member
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    Sometimes it is that way when they ask. They ask, you answer their questions truthfully but yet it is not the answer they want.

    I have always had a problem I inherited from my Mom. I need a better filter between my brain and my mouth :)
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    My filter is recently installed, usually works, sometimes doesn't. I find that my world is a different place at 202 lbs than it was at 270,,, and less friendly and forgiving in a lot of ways. I'm trying to choose my words very carefully nowadays, and it seems to be helping. Since I started my weight loss journey I've said quite a few things that 'came out wrong' and I hurt some people (esp my wife) and I'm trying not to do that anymore.

    Sometimes people are taken aback when they ask a question and I just sit there and stare into space for 15 seconds before I answer. They're not used to that. I'm just sitting there playing mental chess,,, figuring out all the different ways my comment could be taken. And if I can't be sure about what I'm saying I reserve the right to say "I'm going to shut up now" and leave it at that.

    A closed mouth gathers no feet. :laugh:
  • Umpire57
    Umpire57 Posts: 389 Member
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    I don't think I have room in mine for many more feet, I thought I only had 2 feet but apparently I was WRONG! :)

    With that said, Where did you pick up that filter and can you lead me to where I can get one on the cheap?
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    I guess I just finally developed a bit of "Spider-sense". I get that feeling of 'I'm about to do it again', and I just freeze. Stop, think, reconsider.

    It took a big adjustment for me because I have a huge ego and I tend to think "Well,,, I'm a genius, so if I think it-believe it-wanna say it, then it must be right". Having this blow up in my face 3,684 times of the past 30 years has finally proven that this is not the case,,, and I've finally learned that my first instinct is often (wife would say usually) wrong.

    I just slowed down. Try it,,, it makes people think you're thoughtful, and wise (or constipated). Either way it's good. :laugh:

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