cryptique

Thank you ... good to be back.

One of my hobbies is acting, and I was watching the video of one of the shows I was in. I couldn't believe how much bigger I was than everyone else on stage. That was the moment when I knew I had to do something ... the problem is, that was years ago and I'm still trying. This is the hardest thing I've ever attempted to do.

Gentlemen, The aforementioned UK/Ireland trip has been booked. All on Delta, so I should be able to do it without buying another seat. (Plus the planes are pretty full, so that's not really an option anyway.) Here's the thing: I've been awful lately. I'm getting my exercise, but I've been eating all kinds of crap I…

I hate lifting, but I know that I need to do more. A lot more. Like, any ... I have a modest regimen I'm supposed to be doing on the Nautilus circuit at my gym and lately I've been neglecting even that. I hate cardio too, but not as much as lifting, and it's always been fairly easy for me to get a cardio workout done. Of…

I've flown a fair amount over the past few years, and a couple of those times I was over 400 lbs. I have always flown Delta, just because I live near one of their hubs (Detroit). They don't seem to mind my size -- I just ask for a seat belt extender on my way into the plane. I'm in the process of planning a trip to the…

I chipped a piece of flint until I attained a suitably sharp surface, and I scraped that across my face. After the first couple of years my beard gave up and refused to grow any more. Around that same time the hair on top of my head miraculously grew back.

You should definitely ask your doctor first. I wouldn't mess with blood pressure medication on my own. I take metoprolol tartrate, which is a beta blocker (which I didn't know until just now when I looked it up). It's not for blood pressure, strictly speaking -- I had a weird heart issue a few years back and they put me on…

I have this one posted on my wall at work: "Never trade what you want the most for what you want at the moment." No idea of its origin, but I like it. I wish I were more successful at obeying it.

I thought of one. Tumaro's Gourmet Tortillas 94% fat free - salsa flavor. I use one of these as a wrap for sandwiches. 50 calories. Photo: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61G4BAPC42L.jpg I wouldn't say it's a "favorite" because I'd rather have some good bread for my sandwich ... but for just 50 added calories instead…

I hear you. I loves me some fries. I just try to tell myself that I'll probably get nasty cold fries that have been sitting in the bin for too long. Doesn't always work, though, so instead I try to avoid fast-food burgers altogether.

My understanding is that it's not really a good idea for men to go below 1600 calories per day. I'm trying to eat about 1800 calories per day, though I allow myself to slide up to 2000 (and I don't fret if I go as high as 2400, because I was losing weight at a pretty good clip three years ago eating that many calories per…

390 *with* the dressing? Not bad at all. (And I often just skip salad dressing, or only use a small amount.) Hmmm. Maybe I should look into a new lunch option... I'm not wild about McDonald's once they close down breakfast, but I've been known to go there from time to time. Usually when they're selling those evil Shamrock…

I'm not familiar with Hansons, but the next time I'm in Royal Oak I'll drop by (I live in Ann Arbor). I can't say I'm crazy about the running stores here. They see a guy my size walk in and they don't exactly fall all over themselves to help me. Their attitude sometimes changes after I make it clear that I actually do…

Calorie King has a large database that includes a lot of restaurants. Enter the restaurant name in the search field and it lists menu items. I wish the search results showed basic info (e.g., calories) so you could scan items without having to click each one, but at least the info's there. http://www.calorieking.com/foods/…

I buy size 11½ EEEE shoes, so I can relate. I've had something similar, on more than one occasion I think. I don't recall anything specific I did to combat it, aside from a lot of post-exercise stretching of my Achilles, which always felt really good, and ample rest. People told me I had plantar fasciitis, but I never got…

Thanks, everyone. I've been having my food issues lately, but I'm really going to try to start tracking EVERYTHING ... maybe knowing that others can see my food logs will help keep my undisciplined butt in line.

OK, I confess that I had to look up "NSV"... Great story. Inspires me to stop neglecting my strength training (I might be able to do the elliptical part of this story, but I have no upper body strength).

I rock the elliptical and it helps me burn a ton of calories without damaging my effed-up knees. I would love to start biking again, but my main issue is bicycle seats. I recently tried a half-hour introductory Spinning® class and couldn't deal with the seat (even with a cushion slipped over it). A few years back I injured…

Hadn't thought of that. Not a bad idea.

I barely drink at all any more (it sort of lost its appeal for me when I became old enough to do it legally, and I never did enjoy being drunk) but I do still enjoy a good beer on occasion. I see no point in low-calorie, low-taste beer, so when I do drink one, it's one that I will enjoy thoroughly, and I stop at one and…

Turkey or chicken smoked sausage is good. I think I prefer it to the "normal" sausage, actually. My girlfriend has been a vegetarian since before I met her, and has been a vegan for the last couple of years. As a result, I've tried a bunch of different meat replacements, and most of them aren't so good but a few aren't too…

I have the Polar FT7. I used it during an intensive boot camp I did locally with a former Biggest Loser contestant (he lives in the area and does these boot camps year-round). My main issue with it was the chest strap -- it has a metal clasp or buckle or something that rubs on my skin and was causing me some issues. I…

I'm 6' 1" and I think I'd be very happy and healthy around 205 lbs., maybe even a bit higher. I'm very broad-shouldered and I truly am "big boned" (unlike Cartman). Even during the five minutes that I was thin (circa 1982) I needed to buy extra-long watchbands and had a huge neck and wide feet. I haven't seen the underside…

I belong to a pretty good local health club. Right now I typically do a hard 35 minutes on an elliptical and (less often) part of their Nautilus circuit, utilizing the Super Slow technique. The club has tons of classes that are free with membership, and I've taken a few of them but need to take more. My girlfriend goes to…

I'm new to the group (6' 1", once weighed 420 lbs., if you're wondering), and this looked like a good place to make a quick introduction. I have bought a lot of clothes at JCPenney, both online and at the local store. Decent big & tall selection, though I think it used to be better. I've always regarded Casual Male XL as…

Hello all. I'm 43, fat virtually all of my life, and trying to do something about it. Again. When I was 40 I got up to 420 lbs. (I'm 6' 1"), then lost over 70, then put 50 back on, then lost some, gained some, rinse, repeat. I'm currently somewhere between 380 and 390 and, this being the first day of a new month, I decided…