Before the mods move this to the Health, WLS, or BHM board please understand that I posted this on the Main Board since it gets a lot of traffic and I want the opinions of lots of SS people.
I recently found out that a super size friend of mine is seriously considering getting WLS. Every week or so I go to his home and do chores for him that he is unable to complete. While cleaning up I found some paperwork from our local hospital on WLS. I asked him if that was something he was considering and he said that yes, he would like to but that they want him to lose some weight first and change his eating habits. I began to ask more questions (we have never talked about his weight or eating habits before) and he expressed to me that he does want to regain his mobility and learn to eat better. *I think* that he feels very isolated because of his size and he expressed to me that sometimes he is even hesitant to go outside because he feels as though people only see his weight and judge him. He says that he finds it very difficult to talk to people, especially women but he feels comfortable with me. After talking a bit more I asked if he is able to go for short walks. He said he can but that he gets very winded. I said that was okay and every little bit counts. The more he does it, the easier it will get. So I offered for him to go on a short walk with me. He seemed very happy and we wound up walking a little less than 1/4 of a mile. I was so proud of him! Here is the thing... he would like for me to go walking with him more and assist him in finding nutritious foods that he enjoys but I am unsure how to go about it. I do not want to cross a boundary or ask super personal questions of him. I know he likes me and would probably walk farther than he is comfortable with just to please me.
I have never been SS so I am unaware of the physical limitations that you encounter when attempting to exercise. And although I can empathize with the prejudice and meanness you encounter from a world that sometimes treats you as if you are a waste of space I have no knowledge of the details of your experience.
If you lose some of your mobility due to size and inactivity how does it feel when you try to regain that mobility through exercise? Are there certain parts of your body that ache you more than others? Namely, what is your PHYSICAL reaction to exercise after long periods of inactivity?
What kinds of obstacles do you face as a super size person in your every day life?
How can someone be of assistance emotionally and physically to a SS person in achieving personal goals?
One thing I want to make clear is that we talked about how size really is unimportant and that it is not necessary to be slim to be attractive and cared for. It is the heart that counts. My hope is that he can achieve his goals without having to resort to surgery. I hope you all will be able to read between the lines a little and understand that this is a unique situation. Your experience as a SS person will prove invaluable to me understanding the needs of the super sized! Thank you!
I recently found out that a super size friend of mine is seriously considering getting WLS. Every week or so I go to his home and do chores for him that he is unable to complete. While cleaning up I found some paperwork from our local hospital on WLS. I asked him if that was something he was considering and he said that yes, he would like to but that they want him to lose some weight first and change his eating habits. I began to ask more questions (we have never talked about his weight or eating habits before) and he expressed to me that he does want to regain his mobility and learn to eat better. *I think* that he feels very isolated because of his size and he expressed to me that sometimes he is even hesitant to go outside because he feels as though people only see his weight and judge him. He says that he finds it very difficult to talk to people, especially women but he feels comfortable with me. After talking a bit more I asked if he is able to go for short walks. He said he can but that he gets very winded. I said that was okay and every little bit counts. The more he does it, the easier it will get. So I offered for him to go on a short walk with me. He seemed very happy and we wound up walking a little less than 1/4 of a mile. I was so proud of him! Here is the thing... he would like for me to go walking with him more and assist him in finding nutritious foods that he enjoys but I am unsure how to go about it. I do not want to cross a boundary or ask super personal questions of him. I know he likes me and would probably walk farther than he is comfortable with just to please me.
I have never been SS so I am unaware of the physical limitations that you encounter when attempting to exercise. And although I can empathize with the prejudice and meanness you encounter from a world that sometimes treats you as if you are a waste of space I have no knowledge of the details of your experience.
If you lose some of your mobility due to size and inactivity how does it feel when you try to regain that mobility through exercise? Are there certain parts of your body that ache you more than others? Namely, what is your PHYSICAL reaction to exercise after long periods of inactivity?
What kinds of obstacles do you face as a super size person in your every day life?
How can someone be of assistance emotionally and physically to a SS person in achieving personal goals?
One thing I want to make clear is that we talked about how size really is unimportant and that it is not necessary to be slim to be attractive and cared for. It is the heart that counts. My hope is that he can achieve his goals without having to resort to surgery. I hope you all will be able to read between the lines a little and understand that this is a unique situation. Your experience as a SS person will prove invaluable to me understanding the needs of the super sized! Thank you!
