Re: Liposuction anyone?

April 18, 2008

That is a good episode. Excellent satire of the "normal" world. Local news stations have also done field experiments where they put a female reporter in distress. IN one case they had her dress kind of frumpy with no makeup and stood beside a car with the hood up. Few people stopped to help. Then they took her, put her in fashionable clothes, high heals and gave her a makeover. This time She barely went five minutes between folks stopping.

Beautiful people also get paid more than homelier folks. By the same token, taller men get paid more than short men, something like $5,000 per inch difference in height.

A friend of mine once took his car to the shop but the repair he needed was too expensive. Later, his mother took the car to the shop and just happened to have her almost legal daughter with her. It was summer time and the girl was dressed accordingly. The same shop quoted a much lower price for the same repair on the same car.

I was watching Family Guy today with my roommates cat about FAT vs."beautiful" people. Yes, I'm FAT and I hate myself.It illustrated how "beautiful people" can get away with royally stupidbehavior simply just because they are "beautiful". They sure can be damnedugly on the inside but then that's what us "ugly" people say! ;-)That is the idea that came to me about how so many persons can behave in areally dumb way through intention or negligence.Obviously the episode was written by "ugly" persons! ;-)Fortunately as an Aspie I can't tell ugly from pretty in people though I'mstarting to learn from various sources.Randy GarrettAntioch, CA USA-----<---{(@Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos.

April 19, 2008

" I was watching Family Guy today with my roommates cat about FAT vs.

" beautiful " people. Yes, I'm FAT and I hate myself. "

" Fatness " is not always something you can control though. Recent

studies have shown that dieting doesn't work for everyone and

metabolizing food varies in the way it happens from person to person.

There are other overweight people who participate on this forum. You

should not hate yourself Randy. You can hate that your body gains

weight. If your weight is caused by over-eating, then you can hate

whatever it is that causes you to do that, but I don't think you should

internalize your hate any deeper than that. It is not productive.

Administrator

April 20, 2008

" I used to be quite healthy for my weight but it's deteriorated a bit

lately. "

What can I say? Only you can make the right decisions about how you are

going to live your life. That is why other people can be so cavelier

with their comments. THEY are not leading YOUR life. Only you can make

the changes necessary to try to attain your goals.

Administrator

April 20, 2008

Randy wrote: " ... <snip> ... 1. I have a very fussy taste and cannot

vary much into " diet " foods and know I'm a " spoiled brat " as it

is " called " ... <snip> ... "

That's not a problem. YOu have fussy tastes and that means you know

exactly what you will eat and what you will not eat. You will save a

lot of money by buying what appeals to you and avoiding what you

dislike and hate.

Randy wrote: " ... <snip> ... 2. I have extremely limited funds for

groceries and cannot afford diet foods at all, I never make it past

the 15th with any money and usually ditto for groceries ...

<snip> ... "

You can learn to buy smarter and get resourceful. Every grocery

store has a 'discount area' where they place produce that is only

going to last another day or two and where they place dented cans

(provided they are not too dented, you can safely eat what's in these

cans), day old bread, and other such items. Rather than purchase a

lot of prepared foods, buy these foods instead and prepare them the

way YOU want them to be prepared.

Also keep an eye out for excellent sales on meat. Chicken is very

well priced these days and if you know how to keep an eye out for

patterns, you will soon identify the grocery store patterns regarding

what meats are sold at what price at what time intervals.

On a regular basis, I find chicken on sale for excellent prices. For

example, while the usual cost of chicken can be as high as $5.69 per

pound for skinless chicken breast if a consumer is savvy, waiting a

couple weeks here and there will oftentimes yield chicken quarters

for $0.79 per pound. About six months ago, there was a huge 'get rid

of it now' chicken sale of whole chickens at $0.59 per pound and then

three months ago there was a sale of whole chickens at $1.00 per

pound.

It's about waiting for those patterns to come around again and

purchasing when your dollar has the most power.

Plus chicken is really good for you! :-)

Randy wrote: " ... <snip> ... 3. I don't get any exercise these days

as the only " affordable " exercise that I'm willing to do (again being

a " spoiled brat " ) is bicycling using a real bike and not those damned

godforsaken exercycles which I'm not allowed to have in the house

anyway. And my bikes keep getting stolen and I can't ride due to my

weight " just any bike " . I have to put buying a bike piecemeal back on

my shopping list but every month there is $1,000 or more of critical

items that I have to buy but can't (not counting lots of others: a

used car, apartment, etc.). ... <snip> ... "

Exercise doesn't have to involve any cost whatsoever and can actually

be disguised as every day work.

Walking to appointments or just going for a walk is great exercise.

Go hiking -- alone or with a friend -- in a nearby park and enjoy the

scenery. You live in California. It's not like you ever have to

worry about blinding blizzards that keep you housebound for weeks on

end, if you know what I mean.

Wash floors once a week on your hands and knees. The stretching

alone is beneficial to your physical well being.

It's springtime. Rake leaves up in your yard. If you don't have a

yard, volunteer your time and rake leaves up in a senior's yard.

They will appreciate the extra help at no cost and you will benefit

from the exercise.

Also, what I have suggested will work for anyone of any size and you

don't have to worry about breaking anything. :-)

What I'm saying, Randy, is that if you want something badly enough,

you find a resourceful way to make it happen for you.

Raven

Co-Administrator

April 20, 2008

If your definition of " diet foods " are the prepared stuff like Weight Watchers

or anything

touting " low fat " and the like, you're going about it all wrong, and if you can

find a way to

arrange it, my best advice is to go to a professional dietician, explain your

issues with what

you can/can't eat due to sensory quirks, and also (best beforehand) to try and

figure out

what things you can eat in an unprepared state by themselves, such as various

fruits and

vegetables. The " diet foods " that are prepared (or any prepared foods you can

readily buy)

are almost invariably:

1. Very high in sodium

2. Very high in fat content

3. Not very nutrient-packed

4. Very high in calories

5. Very dense for the calories

6. Very likely to have coupons available

7. Very likely to have >10 ingredients each, at least one you'd not want to

have on a

spelling contest

8. Have lots of additives and preservatives, including artificial colors and

tastes

9. Very likely to not be around the outside perimeter of the store

10. Very bad for you in terms of cholesterol content or enhancing your body's

natural

tendency to have worse cholesterol and sugar levels

1. Not all people react too horribly to sodium, but additional sodium does tend

to make

you retain more water, amongst other things. You need far less than the RDA

(which

stands for Recommended Daily Allowance) and I'm best off if I get < 1500 mg a

day, due

to kidney issues, blood pressure issues, and a degenerative inner ear issue, as

it

contributes to all of them. Of course, to help keep most functional while

working with

those health issues, I started distance running in 2002, despite

asthma/allergies and (this

I found out in January 2003 as a result of a kidney stone checkup) having my

lowest 3

vertebrae not fully formed. I completed my 8th half-marathon March 9th of this

year, and

I've run other shorter distances, too: I do need to carefully maintain my

posture, though,

lest I find myself in pain and also unable to properly feel and control below my

waist as a

result. The first half-marathon had people worried about me, as I ran in dusk

masks while

coughing like I was about to have an attack

2. We actually *do* need fat in our diets, but rarely as much as we get in a

typical western

diet. There are good fats and there are bad fats, but still, you shouldn't have

too many

calories in the form of any kind of fat, period. Did you know there are many

nutrients and

vitamins that we can't absorb without the proper fat intake? That's also where

flavor is

most likely going to be stored in a form we can recognize: thus, supposedly

low-fat food

isn't likely to be too tasty.

3. Most prepared foods are rather lacking on the nutrition, and part of that is

just how

many overly processed ingredients they're made out of: once you start taking a

little from

this plant or animal, a little from that, and separate them out from the whole,

the balance

of how things are naturally starts going out of whack. The proper proportions

of various

nutrients is far more healthy than getting a whole bunch of one that then may

help cause

a craving for another that then finds you instinctively eating more of various

other foods

to try to satisfy that craving.

4 and 5. Prepared foods tend to be rather dense on average: if you're talking

natural

whole fruits and vegetables, they're largely water by weight and by mass. If

you're talking

prepared foods, they're mostly dense grain-based things with all sorts of

binding agents

and emulsifiers that help them stick together, and they're denser for the amount

of

calories (on average) for a given volume of food. Do this test: which feels

more filling:

eating two slices of bread, or one large orange? Now, look up the calories of

each! Then,

compare the nutritional value of each, and weigh (no pun intended - yeah,

right!) for the

amount of calories. If you eat a lot of more natural or closer to natural

fruits and

vegetables, etc. you'll notice this.

6. All these prepared foods are most likely what you'll find coupons for.

Seems odd,

doesn't it, that the ones that have the most processing also have the most

discounts,

doesn't it? But, if you look, you'll rarely ever find coupons for unprocessed

foods. I

believe that's because before their over-processed states, all the natural

ingredients have

been extracted and repackaged, though some unknown amount is lost that may not

be

fully understood that's good to have that helps balance things out. Stuff

deemed too

cheap to be worthwhile is gone, or is packaged as filler material, but they get

all that can

be gotten out of mutilated food for money, and they make it in such large

quantities so

quickly and cheaply that you can't compete against them and their economies of

scale for

producing things like cookies, though they'll never be the same as homemade

ones, made

from scratch. Whole fruits and vegetables for supermarkets are probably rather

close to

being loss-leaders, if anything is, and so is milk: the store wants you to see

everything

else along the way. Consider this: if they can afford to have you use coupons

to buy the

prepared foods so consistently, how much money are they making on it when you

don't?

Why are they able to make so much money? Well, I think that's because they get

away with

using the cheapest crap they can

7. See the previous point, then start reading the labels. Note how many things

they add

to " fortify " stuff so it meats some government requirements somehow. If they

used more

whole foods, it'd be less likely to need that.

8. If they used more whole foods in proper amounts, they'd not need to add

colors and

flavors: whole foods that aren't overly processed have lots of flavor,

naturally, assuming

they're ripe when used. The artificial colors and preservatives are cheaper to

use and

produce more consistent results, though. They may also be things that tend to

cause

allergic reactions and chemical sensitivity issues, depending on the person,

because

they're not something the body was designed to use naturally.

9. The stuff you shouldn't have is most likely in the center aisles of an

american grocery

store, so you have to traipse past all the money-making stuff to get to the

basics. My

theory is they do it such that to get to the basics you'd need to make all the

prepared

foods yourself, you'll first almost certainly have to walk past all the prepared

foods you

might make, see that " Oh, they've already got a good substitute, I don't have to

work so

hard! " and you'll buy it because it's convenient, and the coupons to advertise

it don't hurt

their cause, either

10. A natural result of the unnatural result of all the prepared foods with all

the overly

processed ingredients tends to result in stuff that contributes to cholesterol,

directly or

indirectly. There are now kids with heart disease in the US, between a

combination of diet

(bad) and exercise (little to none) and they're not likely to change in a good

way without

righting the course of their personal ship.

The human body, even with those that have various flaws (I count myself in that

group) is

an incredibly self-adaptive machine that largely tells you what to do for

optimal running,

and I found that out while doing marathon training in 2003, on the active side

of things. If

you ask it to do nothing, it'll adapt to become very efficient at doing nothing:

it'll get rid of

excess muscle mass that it doesn't use, because that burns energy, and if you

keep

feeding it more calories than it can find activity (such as useful work, or

building muscle

mass or other tissue repair) it'll store it as fat, the " rainy day " fund that's

portable food

storage. If you push your body hard enough that it feels at least a certain

amount of

strain on a regular basis, it'll get itself into the activity of building up the

part that's

stressed, and adapt itself to find a way to do it more efficiently. Once you

stop doing that

activity, if that adaptation is no longer of value, it'll go away: it truly is

" use it or lose it " in

that regard. Not only will your body adapt to do something (whatever it is,

from working

hard to hardly working) efficiently, it'll let you know what you need (or at

least it'll be

more obvious when you've reached it) for food intake to satisfy the

requirements. I found

that out from personal experience from the marathon training period: my body

more

instinctively was drawn to the better food patterns because that's what it

needed to

sustain the activity of running 35 miles a week. When I needed rest, it exerted

that

demand, too, and that was a welcome relief, really, and also a very necessary

part of any

such demands on the body: when exercising, that's what puts stress on the body,

and

that's not at all what allows you to build up strength/capacity: you only gain

capacity

during the rest period, when the body rebuilds itself better, faster, and

stronger, because

it has the technology to take a body barely alive and bring it closer to being

in line with

that of Steve Austin, a man barely alive...

The correct perspective is to go at it from a lifestyle, and not from a diet: a

diet is

something that comes and goes, but a lifestyle is hopefully sustainable, and you

need to

find something that is sustainable. Eat whole foods: they're fairly bulky for

the amount of

calories, but fairly dense for nutrition for the number of calories, and will be

more

satisfying when you fill yourself with the total amount you need, because they

ARE that

bulky. You'd have to try very hard to fill yourself up with 2000 calories of

fruits and

vegetables alone, I assure you! Of course, there's also meat, which is fairly

high for

calories, and then there's the various oils (olive oil is the best fat you can

have) and you

can also get a fair amount of calories from eating grains. Oh, and stay away

(if you can)

from high fructose corn syrup: your body doesn't know quite how to process that,

and it

isn't satisfying. Also, recent studies I've seen confirm what I've suspected:

artificial

sweeteners also aren't properly recognized by the body, and also encourage you

to ingest

more. If you're not already diabetic, it's likely best to steer completely away

from them,

and even if you are, minimize it, and get sweetness naturally from fruits and

veggies.

Oh, the myth that those that are overweight can't be fit? Well, their capacity

will be

logically reduced, but when I ran that most recent half marathon on a very hilly

course, I

was about 35 pounds above my proper weight... I need to get rid of that weight

for

several reasons, one of them being my back. I also feel so much better when I'm

at my

proper weight, so that's another incentive, but... I also love to eat a bit much

One of the best things you could do for yourself is to truly learn how to cook

and bake all

your own foods, and not that of reheating all the processed foods.

>

> " I was watching Family Guy today with my roommates cat about FAT vs.

> " beautiful " people. Yes, I'm FAT and I hate myself. "

>

> " Fatness " is not always something you can control though. Recent

> studies have shown that dieting doesn't work for everyone and

> metabolizing food varies in the way it happens from person to person.

>

> There are other overweight people who participate on this forum. You

> should not hate yourself Randy. You can hate that your body gains

> weight. If your weight is caused by over-eating, then you can hate

> whatever it is that causes you to do that, but I don't think you should

> internalize your hate any deeper than that. It is not productive.

>

> Administrator

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> No virus found in this outgoing message.

> Checked by AVG.

> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.2/1387 - Release Date: 4/19/2008

> 11:31 AM

>

April 21, 2008

Forgive me for saying this, but I disagree with just about everything

you have said here. People can screw you over but you can never be a

target or a victim of the same person, entity, or agency more than

once without your allowing it.

As for the diet, you can start immediately regardless of what your

circumstances are. A long journey begins with the first step.

Administrator

RE: Re: Liposuction anyone?

Actually I've had a LOT of people " in control " over the past five

years. Never mind " Mommy Dearest " before 5 years ago.

They didn't like some unimportant aspect of me or other circumstances

and forced me to move or do what they order me to do.

Services I went to for help (groceries or anything else) would

dictate what and how I do things.

I can't remember enough to make more examples of how people

took " control " of my life.

And there was plenty of examples where people took advantage of the

stupid Naive factor in my Asperger's Syndrome and " robbed me blind " .

When your poor essentially everyone else is in " control " of your

life. Plus I have a horribly week " mental force " (forgot what they

are called, not necessarily willpower).

I have not been able to work on diet and exercise the last few years

from poverty issues to requirements by those I live with. My brain is

fried and I have no hope of recovering sufficiently, at least not in

a short time (less than 5 years).

Randy Garrett

Antioch, CA USA

-----<---{(@

April 21, 2008

I would love to help, but I don't know that there's the remotest chance that all

of the

wisdom I could impart will do a darned thing, because it seems bloody unlikely

you'll

actually fight for your rights. You say you have had a good education, and yet,

it sounds

like you'll allow what you're claiming to happen: have these jerks keep you from

having

food in a place you're renting. Well, if you're going to allow them to keep you

from having

food of some sort (none of their business, so long as what you're eating isn't

illegal, which

would have to go to the point of cannibalism, I think) you have at least as much

right to

put a deadbolt on the bathroom door where only you have the key, and a similar

thing on

the water and whatever other utilities. I find while I read what you're typing,

the question

comes up: how are you able to spend the amount of time online that you are, and

where,

exactly are you doing it? If they can't show where the lease stipulates that

you can't cook

and eat and store the food you want (with certain reasonable limitations, such

as perhaps

not being allowed to smoke food, due to what's potentially hazardous) then you

have the

full right to tell them they can go stick it somewhere dark and full of

dingleberries, and go

ahead and get what you want. And, if it IS on the lease, that lease isn't worth

its value as

toilet paper! And if you believe that they're allowed to dictate to you in such

a fashion

(and they're not your legal guardian somehow) then, frankly (perhaps this will

violate

posting rules here) I can't help but think you're a raving idiot and have earned

your fate!

There are times in life when all that's visible for you to do is stomp your foot

down in a

pile of poop, and the sad reality is that the best thing to do is to do that,

with gusto. This

really seems like one of those times. You can't allow people to control your

life to this

degree, definitely not if they're not your legally-appointed guardians, and if

by some

chance they are, you *still* have rights, and you need to assert them, and the

first thing

there is to figure out whom you need to go to in order to tell them what's going

on.

Demonstrate to me that you've actually got a good education and have an ounce of

wisdom, and pound it into their heads that you'll not be their whipping boy

without

getting into a ton of trouble.

I have a radical suggestion for you: if they should be idiot enough to try to

follow through

on their threats and remove any food you bring home, for each item they do that

to you

for (that's theft, by the way) seek out and bring home one nice large dog turd

and place it

in a place you can be sure they'll step in it. Sooner or later, they may start

to make the

connection. When they ask you what the heck all this dog crap is about, inform

them

sweetly, " Well, you keep stealing my food, so I guess since I have to put up

with your crap,

this is the crap you have to put up with! " and see how that goes over. After

all, if they

don't catch you putting it there, what can they really do? This may require a

little

searching, sure, but I'm not aware of any city with dogs that you have to look

too hard if

you just think about it

" ... <snip> ... 3. I don't get any exercise these days

> as the only " affordable " exercise that I'm willing to do (again being

> a " spoiled brat " ) is bicycling using a real bike and not those damned

> godforsaken exercycles which I'm not allowed to have in the house

> anyway. And my bikes keep getting stolen and I can't ride due to my

> weight " just any bike " . I have to put buying a bike piecemeal back on

> my shopping list but every month there is $1,000 or more of critical

> items that I have to buy but can't (not counting lots of others: a

> used car, apartment, etc.). ... <snip> ... "

>

> Exercise doesn't have to involve any cost whatsoever and can actually

> be disguised as every day work.

>

> Walking to appointments or just going for a walk is great exercise.

> Go hiking -- alone or with a friend -- in a nearby park and enjoy the

> scenery. You live in California. It's not like you ever have to

> worry about blinding blizzards that keep you housebound for weeks on

> end, if you know what I mean.

>

> Wash floors once a week on your hands and knees. The stretching

> alone is beneficial to your physical well being.

>

> It's springtime. Rake leaves up in your yard. If you don't have a

> yard, volunteer your time and rake leaves up in a senior's yard.

> They will appreciate the extra help at no cost and you will benefit

> from the exercise.

>

> Also, what I have suggested will work for anyone of any size and you

> don't have to worry about breaking anything. :-)

>

> What I'm saying, Randy, is that if you want something badly enough,

> you find a resourceful way to make it happen for you.

>

> Raven

> Co-Administrator

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> No virus found in this outgoing message.

> Checked by AVG.

> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.2/1388 - Release Date: 4/20/2008

> 3:01 PM

>

April 21, 2008

Are you stating that you believe I'm trouncing you for being fat? If so, say

that, if not,

well, say that, too. What I did was do my best in a reasonable manner to give

good advice

which applies to anyone wanting to be healthy. If all you want to do is look at

what

everyone says and does through poop-colored glasses, pretty soon you'll be

perfectly

ignored by anyone that has any experience with you. Nobody can do a single

thing to help

you if you turn yourself deaf and blind to all advice and all that would give it

that you ask.

Getting to where you want to be (at least where you profess you want to be) is

not an easy

task, I won't even try to suggest that, but it is worth it.

>

> I hate it when people trounce on my being fat. Just like those who trounce

> on Aspies or others.

>

> Randy Garrett

> Antioch, CA USA

> -----<---{(@

>

> Re: Liposuction anyone?

>

> If your definition of " diet foods " are the prepared stuff like Weight

> Watchers or anything

> touting " low fat " and the like, you're going about it all wrong, and if you

> can find a way to

> arrange it, my best advice is to go to a professional dietician, explain

> your issues with what

> you can/can't eat due to sensory quirks, and also (best beforehand) to try

> and figure out

> what things you can eat in an unprepared state by themselves, such as

> various fruits and

> vegetables. The " diet foods " that are prepared (or any prepared foods you

> can readily buy)

> are almost invariably:

>

> 1. Very high in sodium

> 2. Very high in fat content

> 3. Not very nutrient-packed

> 4. Very high in calories

> 5. Very dense for the calories

> 6. Very likely to have coupons available

> 7. Very likely to have >10 ingredients each, at least one you'd not want to

> have on a

> spelling contest

> 8. Have lots of additives and preservatives, including artificial colors

> and tastes 9. Very likely to not be around the outside perimeter of the

> store 10. Very bad for you in terms of cholesterol content or enhancing

> your body's natural

> tendency to have worse cholesterol and sugar levels

>

> No virus found in this outgoing message.

> Checked by AVG.

> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.2/1388 - Release Date: 4/20/2008

> 3:01 PM

>

April 21, 2008

" I hate it when people trounce on my being fat. Just like those who

trounce on Aspies or others. "

You are not the only one here who is fat or Aspie Randy. I doubt

there is any Aspie here who hasn't gotten trounced for being an

Aspie. We've learned to live with it.

We even make our own jokes.

Example:

Q: How many Aspies does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None, we don't like light. We're happy when the bulbs burn out.

I think if an NT said this joke, maybe there would be offense taken,

but when an Aspie tells it, it's really just us embracing our

differences, and that is what we have to do. Love ourselves the way

we are. As soon as we do that, it makes it easier for other to love

us, and if others don't love us anyway, who cares?

Administrator

April 21, 2008

Randy wrote: " ... <snip> ... I totally freaked out when they (the

roommate and his friend) kept telling me while he was in the hospital

that I won't be allow " certain " foods. Unspecified but like " any

frozen foods " and even one person said NO FOOD AT ALL IN THE

HOUSE ... <snip> ... BTW: I'm not able (as I keep finding out) to go

into " business by myself " due to a numerous amount of factors. Even

any home based money making activity is not allowed by my landlord

unless he gets a LOT of money out of it (meaning that I may not get

any " profit " ... <snip> ... "

Both of these actions are unlawful and you should strongly consider

reporting your current landlord, roommate and roommate's friend to

the authorities.

If you allow people to walk all over you, Randy, don't be surprised

if you are treated like a doormat.

Raven

Co-Administrator

April 21, 2008

strict wrote: " ... <snip> ... I would love to help ... <snip> ... "

Well written, strict!

Raven

April 21, 2008

I've tried reporting in the past to so called authorities and they

refused to do anything.

I do have to get a lawyer and sue the pants off of anyone on the

various events but mainly to get money to live on but I need the money

in advance as it's a lot of work and I have too much I have to do now.

I'm waiting for my current roommate/landlord (don't know what to call

him) to come home where we agreed to do the " negotiation " of what to do.

I don't know who will or could " punish " the roommates' " friends " who

badgered me.

Randy G.

" ... <snip> ... I totally freaked out when they (the

> roommate and his friend) kept telling me while he was in the hospital

> that I won't be allow " certain " foods. Unspecified but like " any

> frozen foods " and even one person said NO FOOD AT ALL IN THE

> HOUSE ... <snip> ... BTW: I'm not able (as I keep finding out) to go

> into " business by myself " due to a numerous amount of factors. Even

> any home based money making activity is not allowed by my landlord

> unless he gets a LOT of money out of it (meaning that I may not get

> any " profit " ... <snip> ... "

>

> Both of these actions are unlawful and you should strongly consider

> reporting your current landlord, roommate and roommate's friend to

> the authorities.

>

> If you allow people to walk all over you, Randy, don't be surprised

> if you are treated like a doormat.

>

> Raven

> Co-Administrator

>

April 21, 2008

wrote: " Q: How many Aspies does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None, we don't like light. We're happy when the bulbs burn out. "

LOLOLOLOLOLOL.

Raven

April 21, 2008

" And if you believe that they're allowed to dictate to you in such

a fashion (and they're not your legal guardian somehow) then, frankly

(perhaps this will violate posting rules here) I can't help but think

you're a raving idiot and have earned your fate! "

Naturally you knew that I would see this reference boyo.

Now here is what I have to say about this, so listen up Randy and

Strict.

Randy: Strict was in shoes similar to the ones you were wearing not

too long ago. I will not breech any more of his privacy than that,

but the reason I feel comfortable saying as much as that is because

Strict posted as much on various public forums.

My point: Strict knows what he is talking about because he has been

there and done that to an extent, albiet not so direly as you have

Randy. Thus, by my assessment, Strict has earned the right to comment

on your situation. That he is in top comedic form tonight does not

lessen his earnestness: He does mean to help you.

Now I will dredge up some drudge on Raven that most people here

already know: Raven is currently not living in the best of

circumstances either.

I had joked a while back about Mimi and Strict, sitting in a tree,

Kay - Eye - Ess - Ess - Eye - En - Gee. But if you were to combine

Strict and Raven into one person, they would be you Randy.

This is why Strict and Raven have made the comments they have. They

are trying to help. Not hinder.

Administrator

April 21, 2008

By far the funniest joke I think I've ever read from you, , because I

resemble that

remark! I've probably replaced more broken bulbs from moving around lamps than

I've

replaced from them burning out over the years since I moved out on my own, and

that's

contributed to largely as a result of the fact that the ones I do use, are

fairly low wattage:

they have longer lives. I was in my house in Indianapolis (before it was lost

through

foreclosure) 7.5 years, and while a few of the bulbs in the vanity in the master

bathroom

burned out over that time, enough of them still worked that it wasn't an issue.

I never

replaced any of them, to the best of my memory: wasted effort, and it was bright

enough

as-is. I think the number of bulbs I replaced due to them dying from age can be

counted

on the fingers of one hand in that house.

>

> " I hate it when people trounce on my being fat. Just like those who

> trounce on Aspies or others. "

>

> You are not the only one here who is fat or Aspie Randy. I doubt

> there is any Aspie here who hasn't gotten trounced for being an

> Aspie. We've learned to live with it.

>

> We even make our own jokes.

>

> Example:

>

> Q: How many Aspies does it take to change a light bulb?

>

> A: None, we don't like light. We're happy when the bulbs burn out.

>

> I think if an NT said this joke, maybe there would be offense taken,

> but when an Aspie tells it, it's really just us embracing our

> differences, and that is what we have to do. Love ourselves the way

> we are. As soon as we do that, it makes it easier for other to love

> us, and if others don't love us anyway, who cares?

>

> Administrator

>

April 21, 2008

" I often ask thin people who think they know it all how

they would feel if they had to undereat for the next 6-12 months.

(They might think, " But I don't need to.... " - ah, but it isn't any

different.) Add to that the stress of a chronic pain condition, or

other stressful events/situations and it is no wonder so many people

fail at it. "

Just wanted to comment on this.

Once upon a time I was always one of these string-bean kinds of

people who could eat as much as they want and not gain an ounce.

In college when they served hamburgers and fries, the hamburgers were

these little ones about the size of Burger King hamburgers [not the

Whoppers, but the hamburgers (although once in a while they would

serve quarter pounders)]. I could eat six of those in one sitting

with about five or six helpings of fries and four or five glasses of

coke. (I had the 14 meal a week plan which worked quite nicely for

me. All you could eat - provided you only at fourteen meals. And

since I hate breakfast anyway, it worked for me.)

Anyway, I would eat until I was stuffed and I mean stuffed. Nearly

stuffed until I wanted to throw up. And I can honestly say there was

something pleasurable in eating that way.

But one or two bites more and I would have needed a Roman Vomitorium.

Well, after college, food was not relatively " free " any more - or at

least you didn't get so much food bang for your money buck, so I got

stuck having to eat normal portion sizes again. This caused me to

actually lose weight slightly even though when I came out of college

at the lower end of my ideal body weight, if you can believe that.

People who did not know that my medical circumstances at that time

were A-1 would have thought I had a tapeworm or something.

Soon, however, I ceased to lose weight, and I took this to mean that

my metabolism was adjusting to the new, much lower food intake.

Then I hit the age of thirty.

Thirty seemed to be a glorious moment in my life for two reasons:

1) No matter how much I tried, I could not seem to stop gaining

weight.

2) No matter how much I tried, I could not seem to stop losing hair.

Between the ages of 30 and 36 I exercised to no avail. Summers I

would shed a few pounds, but they'd come back to visit in wintertime,

and they would bring friends with them.

Three years ago I was 30 pounds above my ideal weight and balding.

I have since lost 40 pounds, and I have done so through a diet

program that I would not recommend to the health conscious and

serious dieters: I halved my portion sizes.

It was the only solution I had left, save RESPONSIBLE dieting and a

return to exercise.

For three years now I have been eating exactly half of what I was

eating at the age of thirty. My portion sizes are more akin to what I

was eating at eight years of age.

So far this diet has worked, and the only reason I can put up with

the feeling of being hungry all the time, I believe, is because there

have been other times in my life where I simply stopped eating

completely.

Period.

There have been many stressful times in my life in which I may have

eaten only a cookie a day, water, and a soda pop for anywhere between

two and eight weeks straight.

I could hack it because for me, anorexia is a joy, as it is for many

anorexics. Except with me it was never a weight thing. I just had no

desire to eat when stressed. It should be noted, incidently, that

there is linkage between the genes that cause autism and the genes

that cause anorexia, although the exact linkage is not clearly

defined, and why it should manifest itself so late in my life (mid

twenties) is baffling.

And yes, I do know it is rare for males to have this, but that is

what it was, and my therapist had confirmed it.

Starvation occasion number one was my divorce: I turned out to be a

thin walking zombie with bleeding gums after eight weeks of virtually

not eating. I wore my clothes like corpses wear shrouds. Think of me

as looking like a male Lilly Munster.

The other occasions were precipitated after my divorce by losses of

girlfriends, two friends committing suicide -one by blowing her head

off with a firework, and another by jumping off a tall bridge into

oncoming traffic- one dying an untimely death after falling off a

cliff, one of my moderators dying of cancer, and work related crap.

When I do starve myself - and in the last three years I have only

done so a couple times, and only for a week or two, so I seem to be

getting better- I feel like a brick is in my stomach, which is

unpleasant, but I also feel a nice calm serenity that I suppose

mystics must feel when they fast for long periods of time.

However, the HEALTHY thing to do is to diet correctly and NOT crash

diet. Being healthy means eating well balanced meals, and eating

these meals as the Chinese do...that is to say, until they BEGIN to

feel full. Not UNTIL they feel full.

I HATE feeling " a little bit full " but that is what I have to do to

maintain my weight at the moment, and I do feel better for having

shed those extra pounds.

" I recently went on No Mail, too, because of the sheer volume of

mail in my box. I hope you will check in with us from time to time. "

, try " Daily Digest. "

Then you only get one e-mail a day.

April 22, 2008

>

> " I often ask thin people who think they know it all how

> they would feel if they had to undereat for the next 6-12 months.

> (They might think, " But I don't need to.... " - ah, but it isn't any

> different.) Add to that the stress of a chronic pain condition, or

> other stressful events/situations and it is no wonder so many people

> fail at it. "

>

> Just wanted to comment on this.

>

> Once upon a time I was always one of these string-bean kinds of

A few years back I also went through a period of anorexia during a

bad bout with depression. I basically had no appetite for about 5

weeks, and lost about 20 pounds. I ate only a tiny bit of food each

day. I can honestly say I was not hungry, though. I think when one is

anorexic, the " hunger " signal gets turned off in the brain, or

something. However, when that signal is not turned off, it's awfully

hard to fight it.

I really think everyone has different experiences and what works for

some won't work for others. Each person has to find their own way.

What bothers me in the meantime is the people who, LIKE I ONCE WAS,

are arrogant toward fat people. I was just looking at a blog the

other day where the blogger put up a photo of some anonymous fat

person to make fun of them. Well, I have learned my lesson about

looking down on such people, and I would never do something like

that. I now try to live by what is know as the " Indian Prayer " about

not judging a person until you've walked a mile in his moccasins.

> , try " Daily Digest. "

>

> Then you only get one e-mail a day.

I've thought about that, but my experience on other Groups has shown

me that if it's a big, long, e-mail, I won't open it, much less read

it. I'm sure that works for some, but I just prefer to come here on

the web board every day or every few days where I can see all the

message titles and such, plus, they are much easier to reply to than

with a digest. Thanks, anyway, for the suggestion. As far as you

knew, I might not have known it existed.

April 22, 2008