The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[SharonR]

Ron good for you for making a commitment! You can do it and I can't wait to hear how the flight goes!

By the way, I am TonyR's wife. He never had an issue with flying and his high weight was 340. I believe he flew at 310 or 320 without an issue. And you are much taller, so I'm sure you would be fine!

Good luck and take it 10 or 20 pounds at a time!

[Lauren]

Hey, Ron -

Welcome back! We missed having you around for awhile! I was fortunately able to fly even at my heaviest, but it was hardly comfortable and I felt perpetually guilty for whoever the poor soul was sitting next to me. There is probably nothing that has brought me more satisfaction or just sheer awareness in my transition as flying does now. Suddenly it's fine, no big deal, plenty of space, loose seatbelts that need to be tightened, and a tray table that not only goes down but still has inches between it and my belly! I used to look at other people and think that I must have a defective tray table, why does theirs still leave them with so much room?? :-) I felt the same way looking at my thin friends sitting in restaurant booths - my belly and chest were always squeezed in to the booth, and my friends could have put a whole other person on their lap!

Anyway, you can do this, don't think about how far you have to go, just keep putting one foot in front of the other, methodically. Don't overthink it, don't be scared of it, don't wonder where you'll be in 6 months or a year, just think of where you are now, and what you can do to complete each day with compliance. That's it. I have found that if you just do the diet like a robot, it comes off without all the "dieting drama" that we've all been through in the past. You did it before, and you'll do it again.

Just do it.

And then you will fly. And I mean that both literally and metaphorically!

Lauren

[big ron]

Lauren great to see youve done well too. You are right I think too much about it. I am obsessive but I am trying to do this one day at a time. We set ourselves up so much.

Sharon thanks. Tony is a great inspiration. I am happy to see you are supportive of this. My wife is very supportive too however she gets very frustrated with me. She is working hard to make sure I stay on track this time. I am an emotional eater and it helps to have support. I used to fly weekly back in 1996-1998. I dont remember how much I weighed back then but I was starting to get too big to fly. I remember being embarrassed by the crew (I am not thin skinned either). I have avoided flying and drove everytime I travel. I was embarrassed when I asked to be excused from my conference this year. My boss thought I was afraid of flying I was honest and told him I dont fly comfortably as well as personally it was not a good time. That was the wakeup call. professionally being fat hurts you. It shouldnt but it does effect how people look at you. People stereotype you when you are fat its human nature but it is real. I am fortunate in that in my company I am highly regarded and my performance is my reputation however I do believe I would be better off if I was leaner. Enough Rambling looking forward to flying.

[Lauren]

That was the wakeup call. professionally being fat hurts you. It shouldnt but it does effect how people look at you. People stereotype you when you are fat its human nature but it is real.

Ron, while it is absolutely true that we are stereotyped for our size, and that many people assume that the large folks are lazy and dysfunctional and not as bright, there is some part where weight does matter. You canceled on a conference due to your weight. So it does affect your work. And I have colleagues who never visit their clients, because they are embarassed or uncomfortable traveling or meeting them. That absolutely has an impact on their business. So, yes, some of it is unfair, but some of it is indeed real.

While I know I did a great job in my career prior to weight loss, and I am certain that I've improved dramatically since. I have more energy in my business, meet more clients, set up more visits, fly more frequently to meet folks in person, and probably just put out a more positive air. Just imagine, Ron, if your company already loves and respects you, how much ass you're going to kick when you drop the weight and have no limitations!

Cheers to that!

Lauren

[big ron]

Lauren you are so right. Recently I was at a clients office for a meeting and when I went to sit in the chair the arms were too tight. I compensated by sitting on the edge but it was obvious and awkward. I was distracted with that and worked through it but when we walked thier campus I was lagging behind. You are right we are held back by our disability. I call it that because in many ways it is however it is one that we can do something about.
My wife is Deaf and is challenged at times due to her disability. She cannot do anything about it except work with it as best as possible,however our situation can be reversed. You are proof as is many other folks here.

By the way you look AWSOME. Now I bet you are a distraction in a good way now Ha Ha

[Lauren]

Exactly, Ron. We have lived like the disabled in many ways, and the obesity causes those "disabilities," but in so many circumstances we are in control of fixing that situation.

Thank you so much for compliment, Ron, it has been, um, interesting. haha

Ciao!

Lauren

[dede4wd]

Wow, all the champs weighing in on this one!

I just wanted to say welcome back Ron and I'm so happy you've committed! You got the world's greatest advice and we're all here for you and I want to hear all about you flying all over the country in your santa hat!

Woo hoo! One step at a time, here we go!

DeDe

[bdg]

Remember Ron, I was there too. I have achieved my current weight in less than a year. I keep telling Joelie (because she has had some self-doubt of late, as we all do at times) that it isn't about how far you have to go, but look at how far you have come. For you just starting again, you can look at the fact that you have made the choice and lost the first few pounds. As you begin losing more and more, you can say I lost 10 lbs, 20 lbs, more and more and more. It's all about perspective and when you look at the club you are in on the board and see your success in numbers, it makes it easier. Worry about how far you have to go when you are at about where you want to be.

Remember too that I am here, Mike is here and Tony is here for the man perspective. We all started around the same time. We all also had a large amount to lose, and we have all been successful. We are also all in different stages of our loss and all offer different ideas. Again, I wish you luck and look forward to meeting you the next time we are in SA.