My wife is in the recovery room from gallbladder surgery. The surgeon told me she was going to do it laparoscopically, but couldn’t because my wife is “so petite” that she that had to use conventional incisions.
The thing is, my wife is not “petite” by any normal meaning of that word. She is a very fit athlete, and gorgeous, but she’s athletic and muscular and well above average in height. She’s 5’8 and 145 lbs, which is smack dab in the middle of the healthy BMI range.
Anyway, I was wondering what’s up with that. First of all, how have we gotten to the point where a normal healthy athletic 5’8 woman is called “petite” by a surgeon just because she isn’t overweight? And second, does this laparoscopic technique assume the default patient is slightly overweight to even work?
By the way, since I wrote this comment, she called two friends who do anesthesia for surgery (an anesthesiologist and an anesthetist). They both said they've passed gas for literally thousands of these cases, and had only seen them not done laparoscopically maybe one or two times.
Maybe there's something unusual about her anatomy, but the whole thing seems fishy to both of us. Hopefully she can get a better understanding of why that happened at the followup.
She objectively doesn't have a small frame or build, though. Quite the opposite. She has a big, athletic frame and she's bigger than the median equally fit woman, anywhere in the world.
She made the unlimited-weight US junior national rowing team at 18 and rowed in the junior world championships. At about 5'8 and 150 pounds she was the smallest girl in the boat, sure, but we're talking about world-class heavyweight rowers. They're usually at least 5'10 and 6' is more typical.
Meanwhile she was 20 pounds too big for the lightweight classification and could never cut enough weight healthily to get there because her frame is too big. So she was too much of a "tweener" to even bother trying for the Olympics in her 20's.
She's maybe 5 pounds lighter at 50 than she was at 18, and still in incredible shape. She just showed me the other day that she can still do a couple of honest palm-out chin-ups.
Trying to motivate through work despite really wanting some time off.
I tried to go back to the gym after my fall, but it just hurt. So i suppose I will need more time before I can really work out. It's disappointing because I get negative mental health effects from not working out. Perhaps I'll do some yoga to just get blood flowing and it's low impact. I can't even walk long distances.
Today I'm trying having a very protein heavy breakfast with fiber bar (suggested by someone here - thanks!) to see if it helps me stay satiated throughout the day. Weight is remaining the same, so i guess at least I'm not gaining. My motivation to lose is slowly coming back. I'm so undisciplined it is very discouraging. I've continued to count and try though. Which is new. So I'm hoping that continuing to try every day will eventually pay off. I have to remind myself that yes, time is going to pass. I'd rather be 10 lbs down in 6 months than 0. Progress is better than none.
I ran for 30 straight minutes tonight? At a not terrible pace? I'm hoping to run a sub 12:00 per mile 5k in March and it suddenly doesn't seem so far-fetched?
I'm doing a pace training plan on Garmin so it kept me mostly within the pace it wanted to (except that stupid hill) and ran 2.27 miles in 30 minutes. It worked out to an average 13:12 pace, and now the sub 12:00 mile seems doable?
I made the mistake of peeking ahead at the next month of my calisthenics program, and considering my goal for 2026 is to do One Single Pull-up (I have an old rotator cuff injury that means my arm tries to dislocate itself at the slightest provocation), I think it's safe to say I won't be incorporating the recommended hanging leg raises into my workouts. I've done some digging online and it looks like I can substitute these with V-sit leg raises, so I think I'll start there instead...
In addition to my existing gripes with the "fat stomachs = childlike" talking point, I also have a lot of issues with the assertion that large eyes = childlike (mainly with regards to women).
Like flat stomachs, large eyes aren't unique to children and I find this take is equally bizarre, imo. Likewise, something can be considered desirable or a beauty standard without being strictly related to children.
I ran yesterday, for the first time in eleven years. 5’2”, 152.8 down from 235 at my highest. I did run at my lightest weight, 112-115 when I was 23-24, but I haven’t since. I’m concerned about strain on my joints.
But, it’s cold here, and I use a heated blanket and pet heating pad instead of cranking my heat up. So when I get up to pee or get something, I rush. And my gym is around the corner from me half a block away. So I don’t wear my big coat.
It was four degrees out on Sunday. So having no coat, I decided I could run that far, and not be as cold. And I did!
I’m cheap (left financially irresponsible ex recently), so it’s two sets of Costco 32 degree thermals under fleece lined leggings, a second oversized long sleeve shirt, and fingerless gloves.
On an annoying note my family is unbearable about weight and diet. They are constantly trying to convince me to lose less weight, lose more slowly, to take more cheat days, and to change my weight goal to the top end of class one obesity instead of the dead middle of my healthy weight range. But the second I dare call a junk food a junk food the family attacks me for putting moral value on food and/or for me judging others or whatever
On a happy note I managed to lose a pound last week despite it being the week from hell. My "stress eating" never took me over my TDEE and was almost only eating slightly larger portions of healthy foods than I normally eat. One day I let myself have a half cup of rice instead of a quarter cup, one day I ate a deli sandwich with the bread when normally I'd remove the bread and just eat the meat and veggies, and my biggest "cheat" was eating one Christmas cookie that was less calories than I burn in a normal gym session.
Stress eating is my weakness. It can help to channel stress into an interval, whether a burst of running, or pushups or something to drain off the pentup sensations.
Last night walked to the grocery store with the delightfully annoying issue of pants constantly slipping down. This is pretty tricky when they are under a winter jacket, sweater and shirt.
Been watching a lot of Secret Eaters and found it quite amazing. This was certainly the way I was. And my first partner was way worse.
It all comes down to bending reality so we can believe we are special and basic rules don't apply. I suspect that belief goes much farther than just food. Living in denial, avoiding being mindful of reality... it's gonna have spillover effects everywhere in life.
The part that is never addressed in the show is why these people are pounding the calories. Happy people don't drug themselves with food over and over. But perhaps their reality distortion operates there as well!
Nearly got hit in a head-on collision this morning on my way to the store. I was at a red light getting ready to turn onto the on-ramp for the highway, and some sedan comes barreling through the opposite direction as me, and then swerves into my lane of traffic, putting her right in front of my car, coming at me head-on.
I blared my horn and she didn't immediately stop. I couldn't back up because there were cars behind me, so I kept honking and braced for impact. She finally slammed on her brakes and she got so close to my car that I could see into her cabin and get a description of her. She looked to be very disoriented, as if she was confused and had no idea what she was doing.
I got her license plate number and called to report it. I'm afraid that she isn't ok and that she might hit someone else. The cops called and said that she was quite a bit away from her home to be in my city after running her plate number and getting her address. She was probably on her way to work, so hopefully they could find her and no one got hurt in the process of her getting to wherever she needed to be.
In other news, I did get to the store and as a Christmas miracle, I snagged a prime rib for $7.70/lb instead of the $19.99/lb they were going for, and got it for $55 instead of $150. I'm so stoked about that. Gonna have to cook it up with a nice compound butter one of these days soon.
Glad you're safe. I am pedestrian only, but have nearly been run down many times despite crossing with all the rules. The stupidest was a driving instructor turning left right into me.
Drivers are scary! I've had a lot of near accidents when running outside. I had a car roll through an intersection when I had the right of way, one car going slow enough that when he did my leg, it didn't cause an injury, but one woman nearly flattened me she was going so fast. It's intense.
It's really unsettling how many people should not be behind the wheel of a vehicle, but are.
My wife is in the recovery room from gallbladder surgery. The surgeon told me she was going to do it laparoscopically, but couldn’t because my wife is “so petite” that she that had to use conventional incisions.
The thing is, my wife is not “petite” by any normal meaning of that word. She is a very fit athlete, and gorgeous, but she’s athletic and muscular and well above average in height. She’s 5’8 and 145 lbs, which is smack dab in the middle of the healthy BMI range.
Anyway, I was wondering what’s up with that. First of all, how have we gotten to the point where a normal healthy athletic 5’8 woman is called “petite” by a surgeon just because she isn’t overweight? And second, does this laparoscopic technique assume the default patient is slightly overweight to even work?
The surgeon might be referring to her having a smaller frame or build, rather than height.
By the way, since I wrote this comment, she called two friends who do anesthesia for surgery (an anesthesiologist and an anesthetist). They both said they've passed gas for literally thousands of these cases, and had only seen them not done laparoscopically maybe one or two times.
Maybe there's something unusual about her anatomy, but the whole thing seems fishy to both of us. Hopefully she can get a better understanding of why that happened at the followup.
She objectively doesn't have a small frame or build, though. Quite the opposite. She has a big, athletic frame and she's bigger than the median equally fit woman, anywhere in the world.
She made the unlimited-weight US junior national rowing team at 18 and rowed in the junior world championships. At about 5'8 and 150 pounds she was the smallest girl in the boat, sure, but we're talking about world-class heavyweight rowers. They're usually at least 5'10 and 6' is more typical.
Meanwhile she was 20 pounds too big for the lightweight classification and could never cut enough weight healthily to get there because her frame is too big. So she was too much of a "tweener" to even bother trying for the Olympics in her 20's.
She's maybe 5 pounds lighter at 50 than she was at 18, and still in incredible shape. She just showed me the other day that she can still do a couple of honest palm-out chin-ups.
It does seem weird. You were owed a better explanation than “she is so petite!”
Trying to motivate through work despite really wanting some time off.
I tried to go back to the gym after my fall, but it just hurt. So i suppose I will need more time before I can really work out. It's disappointing because I get negative mental health effects from not working out. Perhaps I'll do some yoga to just get blood flowing and it's low impact. I can't even walk long distances.
Today I'm trying having a very protein heavy breakfast with fiber bar (suggested by someone here - thanks!) to see if it helps me stay satiated throughout the day. Weight is remaining the same, so i guess at least I'm not gaining. My motivation to lose is slowly coming back. I'm so undisciplined it is very discouraging. I've continued to count and try though. Which is new. So I'm hoping that continuing to try every day will eventually pay off. I have to remind myself that yes, time is going to pass. I'd rather be 10 lbs down in 6 months than 0. Progress is better than none.
Yesterday we had an elderly man coming in as a patient.
82 years old. Still mentally sharp and appeared to also be physically fit (as much as it’s possible for this age).
Then you have now 20 year olds that eat themselves into an early grave. Was has this world come to?
I ran for 30 straight minutes tonight? At a not terrible pace? I'm hoping to run a sub 12:00 per mile 5k in March and it suddenly doesn't seem so far-fetched?
I'm doing a pace training plan on Garmin so it kept me mostly within the pace it wanted to (except that stupid hill) and ran 2.27 miles in 30 minutes. It worked out to an average 13:12 pace, and now the sub 12:00 mile seems doable?
Someone is going through and systematically downvoting me. Enjoy the pettiness!
You can go in your profile and hide posts/comments. Unless they're realllllyyy bored they will probably stop.
It's ridiculous, but it's not just you - there are trolls who lurk here just to do drive-by downvotes on the sub in general.
What a childish and pointless waste of energy... and they did it again. It makes me laugh.
My descent into old age is complete. I literally just slipped and fell out of the shower on my ass. Glad I didn't break anything...except my pride.
I made the mistake of peeking ahead at the next month of my calisthenics program, and considering my goal for 2026 is to do One Single Pull-up (I have an old rotator cuff injury that means my arm tries to dislocate itself at the slightest provocation), I think it's safe to say I won't be incorporating the recommended hanging leg raises into my workouts. I've done some digging online and it looks like I can substitute these with V-sit leg raises, so I think I'll start there instead...
In addition to my existing gripes with the "fat stomachs = childlike" talking point, I also have a lot of issues with the assertion that large eyes = childlike (mainly with regards to women).
Like flat stomachs, large eyes aren't unique to children and I find this take is equally bizarre, imo. Likewise, something can be considered desirable or a beauty standard without being strictly related to children.
Everything they say is ragebait connected to some moral taboo in order to manipulate people.
I ran yesterday, for the first time in eleven years. 5’2”, 152.8 down from 235 at my highest. I did run at my lightest weight, 112-115 when I was 23-24, but I haven’t since. I’m concerned about strain on my joints.
But, it’s cold here, and I use a heated blanket and pet heating pad instead of cranking my heat up. So when I get up to pee or get something, I rush. And my gym is around the corner from me half a block away. So I don’t wear my big coat.
It was four degrees out on Sunday. So having no coat, I decided I could run that far, and not be as cold. And I did!
Merino wool long underwear is def the way to go. Lightweight, washable, toasty, doesn't smell.
I’m cheap (left financially irresponsible ex recently), so it’s two sets of Costco 32 degree thermals under fleece lined leggings, a second oversized long sleeve shirt, and fingerless gloves.
On an annoying note my family is unbearable about weight and diet. They are constantly trying to convince me to lose less weight, lose more slowly, to take more cheat days, and to change my weight goal to the top end of class one obesity instead of the dead middle of my healthy weight range. But the second I dare call a junk food a junk food the family attacks me for putting moral value on food and/or for me judging others or whatever
On a happy note I managed to lose a pound last week despite it being the week from hell. My "stress eating" never took me over my TDEE and was almost only eating slightly larger portions of healthy foods than I normally eat. One day I let myself have a half cup of rice instead of a quarter cup, one day I ate a deli sandwich with the bread when normally I'd remove the bread and just eat the meat and veggies, and my biggest "cheat" was eating one Christmas cookie that was less calories than I burn in a normal gym session.
Stress eating is my weakness. It can help to channel stress into an interval, whether a burst of running, or pushups or something to drain off the pentup sensations.
Last night walked to the grocery store with the delightfully annoying issue of pants constantly slipping down. This is pretty tricky when they are under a winter jacket, sweater and shirt.
Been watching a lot of Secret Eaters and found it quite amazing. This was certainly the way I was. And my first partner was way worse.
It all comes down to bending reality so we can believe we are special and basic rules don't apply. I suspect that belief goes much farther than just food. Living in denial, avoiding being mindful of reality... it's gonna have spillover effects everywhere in life.
The part that is never addressed in the show is why these people are pounding the calories. Happy people don't drug themselves with food over and over. But perhaps their reality distortion operates there as well!
Nearly got hit in a head-on collision this morning on my way to the store. I was at a red light getting ready to turn onto the on-ramp for the highway, and some sedan comes barreling through the opposite direction as me, and then swerves into my lane of traffic, putting her right in front of my car, coming at me head-on.
I blared my horn and she didn't immediately stop. I couldn't back up because there were cars behind me, so I kept honking and braced for impact. She finally slammed on her brakes and she got so close to my car that I could see into her cabin and get a description of her. She looked to be very disoriented, as if she was confused and had no idea what she was doing.
I got her license plate number and called to report it. I'm afraid that she isn't ok and that she might hit someone else. The cops called and said that she was quite a bit away from her home to be in my city after running her plate number and getting her address. She was probably on her way to work, so hopefully they could find her and no one got hurt in the process of her getting to wherever she needed to be.
In other news, I did get to the store and as a Christmas miracle, I snagged a prime rib for $7.70/lb instead of the $19.99/lb they were going for, and got it for $55 instead of $150. I'm so stoked about that. Gonna have to cook it up with a nice compound butter one of these days soon.
Whoa glad you're okay!
Glad you're safe. I am pedestrian only, but have nearly been run down many times despite crossing with all the rules. The stupidest was a driving instructor turning left right into me.
Drivers are scary! I've had a lot of near accidents when running outside. I had a car roll through an intersection when I had the right of way, one car going slow enough that when he did my leg, it didn't cause an injury, but one woman nearly flattened me she was going so fast. It's intense.
It's really unsettling how many people should not be behind the wheel of a vehicle, but are.