Getting a little round in the middle....

[divad]

Just came back from NYC, and was once again reminded how crappy life would be without a couple slices of great Little Italy NY pizza, washed down by an ice cold beer, and topped off with a piece of Junior's cheesecake.!

Que tourista.....

 

[Altamira]

Que tourista.....

@divad Yes, and very happy that we still can be touristas. It is always a pleasure to re-visit your wonderful city. It never disappoints.

 

[ibj40]

I'll jump on the 5mm BARE Velocity bandwagon. Even though I (only) have a 32 inch waist, directly above it is a reminder of the finer things in life (as noted above). Couple that with a bad lower back and moving from a Velocity 3mm to the 5mm has been a Godsend.

 

[Altamira]

@Adiron. I think it is possible you did not thoroughly read or understand my point about moderation vs abstinence of things that may eventually do damage to your body. Fortunately, I am neither reckless or irresponsible for an old man who still dives in a size large wetsuit, is very active, and travels the world, but who also has learned to enjoy the things life has to offer without going overboard in either direction. I have lost count of the number of friends whose lives were cut short despite lifestyles that would make you happy, and never had the opportunity to do and enjoy the things that have continued to enrich my life. And, I also know a nearly equal number of people that are "couch potatoes" as you likely think of them, who are extremely healthy despite eating and drinking "unhealthy stuff", are vibrant, intelligent, and lead exceptionally full lives. Over the years I have learned that a lot of different lifestyles can lead to the same happy spot in old age. So, perhaps I approach living in a different manner than you, but that does not make me irresponsible or reckless. Like you, I am a big proponent of exercise and athleticism, but I also know from personal experience that such a life time of athletic pursuits will likely result in additional medical issues in old age, most of which are going to require major surgery. Nobody tells you when you are a young athlete in peak physical condition, that being a jock will catch up with you in your senior years-- and then you get to become a bionic person that can't get past any metal detector in the world. Cheers!

 

[Kharon]

A middle aged person who is barely squeezing into a triple XL wetsuit is undoubtedly going to suffer from a host of problems (if they aren't already), including but not limited to cardiovascular issues, back problems, diabetes, etc and might enjoy another 30 years of over eating and over drinking but he or she won't be able to do much other than move around on the couch in between long hospital visits and he or she will be living on a bucketful of pills. Forget about scuba diving. The number one killer of divers is a "medical event" related to poor fitness.

Wow. What a Debbie Downer. And "undoubtably"??? Never saw a healthy large person?

My extended family came over from the "old country". Bacon fat and lard was used extensively in cooking. No one worried about what or how much they ate. Some drank alcohol, some not. Guess what? Almost all lived well into their 90's and were very active right up till the end.

Why? They had heavily physical jobs in steel mills and after work came home and worked in gardens, on the home, etc. They continued to work physically till they died.

OTOH, the few that got white collar jobs and sat behind a desk died relatively young. It ain't the food or alcohol (within reason) that's going to kill you. It's sitting behind a desk.

Some related thoughts;

There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward.
-- John Mortimer

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
-- George Carlin

Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from aquiring the deadening effect of a habit.
– Somerset Maugham

 

[Dnaber]

The answer to your situation is NOT "getting a larger wetsuit"

Join a gym. Eat healthy. Skip desserts. Omit alcohol.

Nobody lives forever but we can do the best we can.

I was waiting for this reply..... Thanks

 

[JamesBon92007]

I thought I posted in this thread but alas, it is nowhere to be found.

After considerable consideration I just ordered an Ocean Quest Super-Stretch Titanium (Scuba.com) to accommodate my recently developed abdomen. I read some less-than-positive reviews of the X-Span material here on SB. All of the reviews I read about the Ocean Quest had five stars. We'll see. It's gonna compress more at depth than my old Rubatex so things are going to be a little different.

BTW, I get lots of exercise including endurance and cardio and nothing helps to reduce my belly. I eat only the stuff that's supposed to be good for me (whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes instead of Russets, brown rice, whole grain everything, lots of fruits and veggies) and I can say that I feel better eating better foods but my diet wasn't all that bad before. I got a CT Scan done and all my doctor said was that "it's not fat." I'm getting a new doctor soon. When shopping for the less-processed foods they do cost more but it really only turns out to be about $15-$20/month more. I do eat an occasional cookie but not enough to explain my distended abdomen. I also add ground flax seed to various foods so I'm getting lots of Omega 3s but I forgot what they are good for.

I'd also like to mention that with the belly comes more buoyancy so not only am I carrying it around but I have to carry more lead too.

 

[iamrushman]

not one mention of genetics...some things are because they are.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

@Adiron Yes I do agree that some of us "pleasantly plump" individuals need to make lifestyle changes and for me those are on the forefront. But in the meantime if for some reason my wetsuit no longer fit and I had to jump up to a larger size, I wouldn't let my increase in girth keep me from diving because I don't want to buy the next size up. Yes, I do need to start eating healthier. Yes I do need to start exercising much more than I do. And having a desk job and two younger (8 & 3) children at home and a wife that gets home fairly late in the evening makes it difficult to do the things I need to do to get back into proper shape and start living healthier. I'm a full-time dad. And full-time employed. I'm not making excuses by any means. Just stating facts. Yes I'm in a XXL wetsuit but my size doesn't affect my ability as much as you'd think. And aside from carrying a lot of excess weight around, my medical records are clean. No cardiovascular issues, no cholesterol problems, no hypertension, no pulmonary problems, nothing. Clean bill of health. I'm currently taking the Rescue Diver Course and keeping up with the other three individuals in my class who are much more fit and in shape than I am just fine. The only thing my weight really seems to affect is my buoyancy, so that part sucks. But on a positive note, I didn't have to do much on the safety swim

And I think what Altamira was referring to talking about athletecism wasn't so much people that are now sedentary because of sports-related injuries, but more that performing certain exercises routinely like running or lifting, etc. can eventually cause premature wear on the joints. Ask my dad who's had his knee replaced twice. Ask my uncle who ran at least 5 miles every day and ended up having both knees replaced. Not to say those activities are bad for you by any means. They certainly do wonders for getting you back in shape. But after a while....you get the idea.

@JamesBon92007 Not trying to poke my nose where it doesn't belong, but how much water do you consume on a daily basis? I know for me personally, I can change the way I eat and like you the weight just doesn't seem to come off. But if I essentially drown my metabolism in water, I can lose weight fast. I think it's something like 1/2 oz of water for every lb of weight. That's around a gallon of water a day for me. Which results in lots of wasted time at work due to restroom trips.

 

[Charles2]

With that sort of reckless irresponsible attitude towards good health and fitness, you probably will be.

The 2 biggest cop outs by overweight people who say it has nothing to do with that burger and fries they just wolved down 5 minutes ago.

Seems pretty judgmental - however - If you were just trying to be supportive and motivational, I apologize for the judgmental comment.