OT: Thread About Nothing (TaN #...lost count)

[My3Sons]

Just refer to any photo of me before I had surgery and boom- bigfoot.

I'm impressed you have made the surgery work so well. I agree that getting rid of sugar is key. I've also started just eating salads as often as I can deal with it and when I eat real food I try to avoid bread and starchy veggies. Somedays I try to eat a salad for lunch and dinner. Today I had a shrimp Caesar salad for lunch with a vinaigrette style dressing. Shrimp are pretty low cal and I took off 90% of the croutons and about 75% of the cheese and probably only about 500 calories for the whole thing. It's not fun but it's a decent lunch and won't weigh me down. I drink a lot of iced tea. Probably three a day. Then some water with drink enhancer flavoring. There is a place near me that brews different teas and brews in some interesting flavors. My favorite is a creme brûlée tea which has great vanilla notes that work well. Add a little vanilla extract and some monk fruit sweetener and it's top notch. I have a weakness for fruit and chocolate. Thankfully chocolate isn't inherently sugary. You can find some no sugar added type chocolate if you look. Fruit is just what it is. I try to pace myself and eat it in moderation rather than gobble it down. I could easily eat a whole honeydew melon if it is ripe. Getting old sucks and I wish I could eat like I used to. I'm guessing you'd say the same thing.

 

[njdevil26]

I'm impressed you have made the surgery work so well. I agree that getting rid of sugar is key. I've also started just eating salads as often as I can deal with it and when I eat real food I try to avoid bread and starchy veggies. Somedays I try to eat a salad for lunch and dinner. Today I had a shrimp Caesar salad for lunch with a vinaigrette style dressing. Shrimp are pretty low cal and I took off 90% of the croutons and about 75% of the cheese and probably only about 500 calories for the whole thing. It's not fun but it's a decent lunch and won't weigh me down. I drink a lot of iced tea. Probably three a day. Then some water with drink enhancer flavoring. There is a place near me that brews different teas and brews in some interesting flavors. My favorite is a creme brûlée tea which has great vanilla notes that work well. Add a little vanilla extract and some monk fruit sweetener and it's top notch. I have a weakness for fruit and chocolate. Thankfully chocolate isn't inherently sugary. You can find some no sugar added type chocolate if you look. Fruit is just what it is. I try to pace myself and eat it in moderation rather than gobble it down. I could easily eat a whole honeydew melon if it is ripe. Getting old sucks and I wish I could eat like I used to. I'm guessing you'd say the same thing.

Well I'm glad you are working at it... keep it up. Takes a while to see results but it's worth it.

Yeah the surgery worked well for me... and I am at the point a year later where I can eat or drink whatever I want but I'm trying to make good choices. I still have 50 pounds to go. I want to be at 225. I never had a great metabolism. I always ate horribly but growing up I played baseball, wrestling, and hockey all year round so I could work off anything I ate. Then in college I stopped with the sports and just EXPLODED weight-wise lol.

The one amazing thing the surgery did was kill my cravings for bad food. I used to be ordering like $30 of Chinese takeout like 3-4 times a week... then pizza, pasta, fast food, and more. Soda, Red Bull, beer... it all adds up. Now I don't even miss those things. I haven't had bread in over a year. Haven't had a carbonated beverage either.


I think the key to me... which is what you seem to be doing... is finding substitutes for bad things that you actually enjoy. Forcing yourself to eat salads/veggies and things you don't enjoy is the reason why a lot of people can't diet because it makes them miserable.

 

[My3Sons]

Well I'm glad you are working at it... keep it up. Takes a while to see results but it's worth it.

Yeah the surgery worked well for me... and I am at the point a year later where I can eat or drink whatever I want but I'm trying to make good choices. I still have 50 pounds to go. I want to be at 225. I never had a great metabolism. I always ate horribly but growing up I played baseball, wrestling, and hockey all year round so I could work off anything I ate. Then in college I stopped with the sports and just EXPLODED weight-wise lol.

The one amazing thing the surgery did was kill my cravings for bad food. I used to be ordering like $30 of Chinese takeout like 3-4 times a week... then pizza, pasta, fast food, and more. Soda, Red Bull, beer... it all adds up. Now I don't even miss those things. I haven't had bread in over a year. Haven't had a carbonated beverage either.


I think the key to me... which is what you seem to be doing... is finding substitutes for bad things that you actually enjoy. Forcing yourself to eat salads/veggies and things you don't enjoy is the reason why a lot of people can't diet because it makes them miserable.

I live with the salads and look forward to the substitutes for enjoyment. I found that Halo Top strawberry ice cream (or whatever it is) is only 290 calories for the entire pint. So I can split it into thirds and enjoy a dessert of only 100 calories. It's definitely an effort but I'd like to avoid a heart attack or a stroke as I get older.

 

[njdevil26]

I live with the salads and look forward to the substitutes for enjoyment. I found that Halo Top strawberry ice cream (or whatever it is) is only 290 calories for the entire pint. So I can split it into thirds and enjoy a dessert of only 100 calories. It's definitely an effort but I'd like to avoid a heart attack or a stroke as I get older.

Any time someone asks me why I decided to get the surgery my answer is "I'm interested in being alive."

 

[My3Sons]

Any time someone asks me why I decided to get the surgery my answer is "I'm interested in being alive."

You look great in the after photo. It's definitely working!!

 

[JimEIV]

Honestly I think SUGAR is the enemy.

I had gastric sleeve surgery last July and went from 439 pounds to now 276. The one thing I can point to is cutting sugar out of my diet almost completely. I try to make sure anything I have has less than 5g of sugar per serving. I drink Celsius energy drinks.. no sugar and some non carbonated flavors that are really good.

Carbonation expands your stomach and allows you to fit more food. So I haven't had a carbonated beverage in over a year. Not even sparkling water.

Monster Rehab is decent. 4g of sugar, non carbonated... has a tea flavor and some fruit ones too.

If you cut out sugar you are saving yourself a lot of calories too. One 16 ounce bottle of soda/iced tea is going to have 35-50g of sugar. That's INSANE.

That's impressive...So happy for you.

I always struggle and have been pretty bad lately. I need to get some weight off. But I just love food and drink too much.

 

[My3Sons]

That's impressive...So happy for you.

I always struggle and have been pretty bad lately. I need to get some weight. But I just love food and drink too much.

We aren't spring chickens anymore. Make sure you take care of yourself as you get older.

 

[njdevil26]

That's impressive...So happy for you.

I always struggle and have been pretty bad lately. I need to get some weight. But I just love food and drink too much.

Thanks! Honestly the surgery was the only way I was going to be able to make it work. Like you said food and drink are too good... Plus I travel a lot so I'm always looking for local food I can't have at home... and good restaurants... Nowadays my indulgence is Goldfish crackers haha.

 

[Patrik26]

View attachment 573232



Actually this makes it look like I ATE bigfoot.

Taylor Hall sweater? Or Zajac? Looks to me like Hall.

I should add, you look tremendous with the weight loss! Keep up the great work!

 

[njdevil26]

Taylor Hall sweater? Or Zajac? Looks to me like Hall.

I should add, you look tremendous with the weight loss! Keep up the great work!

Thanks so much. Yeah that's a Hall jersey! That's the game Hall scored on a breakaway (off a Zajac pass) to beat the Habs 2-1 in Montreal. One of the best away games I've ever been to.

 

[Patrik26]

Thanks so much. Yeah that's a Hall jersey! That's the game Hall scored on a breakaway (off a Zajac pass) to beat the Habs 2-1 in Montreal. One of the best away games I've ever been to.

Easter Sunday! I'm convinced that game is what sealed the Hart for Hall.

 

[njdevil26]

Easter Sunday! I'm convinced that game is what sealed the Hart for Hall.

That and it was the game were I realized this team was probably going to the playoffs. Ah good times haha.

 

[MVP Zacha]

Well, it's official. He is an AKC registered purebred Corgi with the name of Pavel Barka!

 

[My3Sons]

Well, it's official. He is an AKC registered purebred Corgi with the name of Pavel Barka!View attachment 573269

He’s adorable and you will have to keep him very busy. He’s a herding dog. Smart lovable but high energy that needs an outlet or he will cause havoc

 

[Patrik26]

Well, it's official. He is an AKC registered purebred Corgi with the name of Pavel Barka!View attachment 573269

This puts a HUGE smile on my face. Congratulations and the best for your new pup! As My3Sons said, he's adorable.

 

[njdevils1982]

Well, it's official. He is an AKC registered purebred Corgi with the name of Pavel Barka!View attachment 573269

oh, its dog day....

here's bitch cockapoo sunny....

she's a sweetheart and is getting better at listening as she ages ...she's 6 ...great dog

 

[njdevils1982]

went to a driving range today just to get out for a bit and hit 80 balls... used an old wooden 3 for a bit. its sounded real nice surrounded by a bunch of modern club sounds

 

[RangerDoggo]

Whenever I feel like I'm doing poorly with my weight, I look at how I was five, or even three years ago and I feel a lot better. I never cleared 200 pounds and haven't been close to that in over a decade, but my face definitely carried that weight. Now I don't look so bloated.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Congratulations on your work @njdevil26 !

I've always been a "wide" guy because for some reason all my weight always went to my face and lower back, but I'd always been in pretty good shape otherwise. Then my metabolism slowed down, the pandemic hit, my son was born, and all of a sudden I gained 30 pounds in 3 years. Just starting my journey to fix that over the last couple of months.

I got a peloton over a year ago and rode it like crazy at first, but then we moved and there was just always something else to work on in the limited time I had where I wasn't working or taking care of a baby. Started riding again, then stopped, but now I've got a 5 week streak of riding at least every other day. Added some light weights to my routine for the first time since I played sports in high school. I'm still fat, but it's nice to start to see muscles in my legs and biceps again.

My biggest problem is definitely the hidden sugars. I was never really a coffee guy despite being a barista for a few years because I don't really like hot drinks, but we got a snazzy new machine a year ago that can make an over-ice concentrate in 10 minutes. And then I add a bunch of vanilla syrup and whole milk because of course I do. And like so many I bought the lie that coke zero is fine because there's no calories, that sliced bread is what you should eat every day for lunch, that it's not really a dinner unless it's hot with two sides. You work hard and you deserve to just order delivery when you're worn out and finally got the toddler down but oops, it's all fried.

This is a ramble, but it's all to say that I'm proud of everyone that is working to overcome these things. we're genetically wired to crave the things that are bad for us and the industry knows it and preys on it, adding buzzwords to make things they know are terrible for consumption seem like a good choice. Keep up the work, everyone, and give yourself grace every once in a while to fall down and get back up.

 

[njdevil26]

Congratulations on your work @njdevil26 !

I've always been a "wide" guy because for some reason all my weight always went to my face and lower back, but I'd always been in pretty good shape otherwise. Then my metabolism slowed down, the pandemic hit, my son was born, and all of a sudden I gained 30 pounds in 3 years. Just starting my journey to fix that over the last couple of months.

I got a peloton over a year ago and rode it like crazy at first, but then we moved and there was just always something else to work on in the limited time I had where I wasn't working or taking care of a baby. Started riding again, then stopped, but now I've got a 5 week streak of riding at least every other day. Added some light weights to my routine for the first time since I played sports in high school. I'm still fat, but it's nice to start to see muscles in my legs and biceps again.

My biggest problem is definitely the hidden sugars. I was never really a coffee guy despite being a barista for a few years because I don't really like hot drinks, but we got a snazzy new machine a year ago that can make an over-ice concentrate in 10 minutes. And then I add a bunch of vanilla syrup and whole milk because of course I do. And like so many I bought the lie that coke zero is fine because there's no calories, that sliced bread is what you should eat every day for lunch, that it's not really a dinner unless it's hot with two sides. You work hard and you deserve to just order delivery when you're worn out and finally got the toddler down but oops, it's all fried.

This is a ramble, but it's all to say that I'm proud of everyone that is working to overcome these things. we're genetically wired to crave the things that are bad for us and the industry knows it and preys on it, adding buzzwords to make things they know are terrible for consumption seem like a good choice. Keep up the work, everyone, and give yourself grace every once in a while to fall down and get back up.

Thanks so much. Yup, sugar is the enemy... but you sound like you've been doing well lately. I always figure there's a two week period where everyone wants to quit... once you get through it you probably feel a little better and have some motivation to keep going.

Also, congrats on your son, pops!

 

[My3Sons]

Thanks so much. Yup, sugar is the enemy... but you sound like you've been doing well lately. I always figure there's a two week period where everyone wants to quit... once you get through it you probably feel a little better and have some motivation to keep going.

Also, congrats on your son, pops!

If anyone wants some kids let me know. Mine are pre-owned but still in good condition amd all the maintenance has been kept up. I’m open to offers and will throw in shipping.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

I mean, if you bought tickets to the Simple Plan/Sum 41 show, you were never cool to begin with.

 

[Ripshot 43]

If anyone wants some kids let me know. Mine are pre-owned but still in good condition amd all the maintenance has been kept up. I’m open to offers and will throw in shipping.

Did you purchase the extended warranty and does that transfer with an owner swap?

 

[Ripshot 43]

I mean, if you bought tickets to the Simple Plan/Sum 41 show, you were never cool to begin with.

One of my buddies when I was younger used to do side work for a local radio station down in Florida and he would work the rock festivals for free tickets and stuff. One of our mutual friends ( a 20 year old pierced and purple hair cute punk chick) used to be always picked to drive to the hotels and pick up the bands. I always remember her saying how stuck up and full of himself the Sum41 lead singer was. Funniest part was multiple times at the same festival that lead singer got denied entry into the backstage area because the security couldn’t believe he was a rocker

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

One of my buddies when I was younger used to do side work for a local radio station down in Florida and he would work the rock festivals for free tickets and stuff. One of our mutual friends ( a 20 year old pierced and purple hair cute punk chick) used to be always picked to drive to the hotels and pick up the bands. I always remember her saying how stuck up and full of himself the Sum41 lead singer was. Funniest part was multiple times at the same festival that lead singer got denied entry into the backstage area because the security couldn’t believe he was a rocker

You, fine human, have made my night. Salud.

And check out The Chats. Some young Aussies. Good punk.