RE: To supplement or not to supplement?? That is thedebate...

[Guest guest]

> I did not mean this as an attack on *** looks, but let's all be

honest...we want to LOOK healthy too, right?<<

Yes, we all want to look healthy. I think many of us go through some stages

during our loss period when we look odd on the outside (our looks) and I too

have been on the end of 'skinny' jokes and 'bony lady' jokes and they are

not the " feel good " kind of things we want to hear -- however, for those

many that I've seen in person who are healthy, once the weight loss

stabilizes or slows down from that really rapid phase we fill back out and

begin to " look " healthy again. I agree that (obese or not) healthy shows on

the outside of a person in their over all skin tone and texture, nails, hair

and so on.... I didn't read what you wrote as anything other than your

personal observation.

>> doesn't look healthy....and I am commenting because he pushes his vits,

soda, no protein...and like I said, the proof is in the pudding.<<

I do think that people over all (not just Ray but all) who do sell a

product would " look the part " -- this after all goes for any product that is

advertised -- looks... the " cover girl make up girl " isn't going to have a

total case of really bad pimples and the guy selling " men's suits " is going

to have a nice fitting and well cut suit on, the representative of any

company that is in the public eye is going to be held to a standard of

" appearance " that at least " looks " as if the product the person is

representing is actually " working " for that person. That only makes

sense.... proof in the pudding I think is how you said it.

>>>I'd be interested in seeing his lab numbers as well, including trends.<<<

I would too personally but it is a private number (not public record) so it

is his choice to share the numbers or not. I also am pleased when a

politician is willing to disclose a tax return (I feel like they have

nothing to hide when they just put it all out there.) I buy my supplements

from two different sources and both of them, one a WLS person like us and

one a body builder/trainer -- both extremely healthy and both are willing to

share openly their own lab work, numbers, test results and so on if they are

selling me a product that they use.

Even those who were my " personal trainers " ~smile~ from day one (and

before) My surgery Angel have all been more than " up front " with all the

medical history, the good, the bad and the ugly and they back it up with

medical reports. Those medical reports of post WLS people who are 10 years,

8 years, 4 years... (and so on...) are far MORE impressive, IMO, than ANY

study or journal paper or NON-personal article about a / and done on a /

generalized population basis.

I don't sell anything (notta for sale ;-)) but I do " share " when someone

asks what " I " do or if they ask a general " what do y'all do " type question

and I always " disclaim " that this is what " I " do, it works for " me " -- HERE

ARE MY NUMBERS (they are and have been posted in the files section here and

are up to date as each new blood work is done and comes in... " ) But, I still

impress that it is only what I do and what works for me....

It is of course what I've been taught over the years by the long term

people both from their triumphs and their failures -- both, equally

important.

>>> always get a copy of my lab work and pay attention not just to what the

numbers are now, but what they have been each and every time, and where they

are headed....<<<

Obviously the only smart thing to do (IMO)... why wait until something

" isn't " normal to correct it? Why wait until we crash and burn before making

the adjustments needed? I wouldn't trust anyone else with my numbers

> Blood work, history of complications, current weight, blood pressure, and

yes, even our looks...are all indications of how healthy we are. And quite

frankly, when someone is telling what is working for them, I DO check out

their pics in the files section....to see if indeed it " looks " like it's

really working for them.

http://www.geocities.com/wls_denise/

My journal postings include what " works " for me but I totally FINALLY found

a really good (NOT) photo of myself pre-op... I SO did NOT get in front of a

camera after I hit around 260 but this one is near 290ish (ok, nope, don't

want to say the 3 number... but, it could have been...) ANYWAY -- I'll be

posting it next week next to a more current photo taken next Monday (our

Holiday pictures) so they will be updated...

Also (if you want to book mark it my newest *long* journal entry is going

to be posted... my *first ever* weight gain, what happened, how I got it

back under control and am currently down 7 of the 14 lbs now...) I'll

probably call it Falling off the Wagon or something equally as dumb.

I agree KC, baring a medical issue that can also make our outward

appearance not " up to par " we do want to " look " healthy as well as feel

healthy -- we aren't ever going to be on the front page of Vogue but we can

be healthy in our appearance.

hugz,

~denise