Gaining

I complain about the scale not moving up. Rather, it fluctuates a couple of pounds up and down. I'm sure I don't eat enough; I've posted before that I don't have much of an appetite due to my pain meds (lumbar fusion). I think they are the culprit.

The non-gaining could also be loss of muscle... I'm a slacked off lazy former weightlifter. I think if I get back in the gym, the lost muscle and appetite will return.

The good news is that my belly is actually growing! It's been steadily creeping to a current 49 1/2". It's clearly protruding and bulging. I want to get to 52-54", and 44-46 pants (currently 42-44 depending on the pants), and maybe 265 lbs., 240-250 at the least from my current 218-220.

I'm proud of my belly, I love gaining and how fat I've gotten, and how much fatter I want to get. But I have to unlearn sucking it in and holding it in when I sit and walk. Any trick to that, or just make a conscious effort?

It is indeed a self-image issue. It's becoming more natural to relax my gut because I'm becoming more comfortable and accepting of how I look. And because my belly is growing. I hit 50".

For some reason that made me chuckle. I can imagine the delivery.

I think "suck in" was the wrong term. It's more like tensing my abs (I know they're in there somewhere lol) and holding them. Of course that may be a good thing for my back. But I noticed in the past week or so that even if I do that my belly is really out there. It's a good look and feeling.

Wow, you're really on to something here about tensing being detrimental. A thousand thanks.

My fusion is L3/L4, L4/L5, L5/S1. Pain doc said my fusion is such that it's affecting my SI joint. I tecently had RFA for it to zap the misbehaving nerves. It's helping somewhat.

At every visit he points to my belly and says "that's not helping". Yet my ortho surgeon said my belly is a non-issue. He told me he got a workout flipping me onto my back (he went in through my belly and back) and trying to get through the muscle. He said I'm built like a pitbull inside. I know it sounds like I'm blowing my own vertübenflügen.

What I like when I do relax it is how it is beginning to hang. So yeah, I can do it. I tend towards a hard basketball belly but I hope I can put enough blubber on it to make the top layer soft and droopy.

Thanks. Continued good healing to you too. I was never flexible to begin with, so belly or not getting to my toes was always a challenge. Lol But I have a bit less flexibility now. I've had the go-ahead to get back in the gym to workout, but nothing like I used to. I'll lift for strength and muscle growth, and do cardio for c/v health and stamina, but not weight loss. I like my belly!