Growing up in Baton Rouge there were three big things that I remember. LSU, the Chemical Plants, and Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. My parents were not much into church, but they sent me to Catholic schools up until 9th grade. I always thought that religion was a bunch of crap because of the way the the nuns and priest treated us kids in school. They hated us. I went to Redemtorist Jr. High and High School until I was later transfered to Zachary due to my parent's divorce. Anyway, I remember a time when I was struggling with wether or not to believe god. I was always hearing about men in our church that were getting divorced because of cheating on their wives, etc. even though they were prominate members of the catholic church, etc. Suddenly these men that were always doing the readings at mass, etc. would just dissappear. Not to get into a big religious discussion or anything, but I eventually chose not to believe for many reasons, but I can clearly recall this one time when I was about 14 years old, driving down Essen Lane by Jimmy Swaggart ministries, around the time that he had been busted for his second time with a prostitute but forgiven by God and his people, and someone had tagged the front of his building with the words, "JE$U$ $AVE$" with dollar signs. I laughed my ass off and my parents told me that it was not funny. I have no idea why I posted this memory, but the recent shit with David Vitter getting busted with the DC and New Orleans madams made me remember this. Vitter says that everything is ok now because he talked with God and has been forgiven. I guess I can go and cheat and have sex with prostitutes and everything will be ok as long as I go to church when I get caught and ask for forgiveness.
I'm 33 and have been a size 32 and eaten whatever the hell I want since I was 18. All of a sudden I am growing a belly. I haven't changed anything in my diet or physical activity. What in the hell is going on? My jeans don't fit. I've weighed 173 pounds for the past 16 years. I weighed myself at the gym the other day because I've noticed my stomach getting bigger and son of a bitch if I didn't weigh 182 pounds. What the hell? Is this happening to anyone else?
rick [email] said at 8:25 AM 08-05-2007: It becomes harder to keep weight off as one grows older. After age thirty-five, I have read it becomes harder to put on muscle as well.
julie [email] said at 11:29 AM 08-05-2007: You've probably gained weight because you're HAPPY. Anxiety, stress, and unhappiness are a great way to keep one's weight down. So congratulations.
julie [email] said at 8:30 PM 08-05-2007: I guess it does work that way for some people... But I know quite a few people who put on some nice "happy" weight after getting married, changing jobs, or getting out of bad relationships, etc.
meredith [email] said at 8:50 PM 08-05-2007: I can attest to this. The one time I was depressed I dropped to 110 pounds. I was still working out also, so it was all muscle. Now I'm 120 with lots of working out and a normal diet. I'm just not hungry when I'm sad.
Also, it's true, statistically women especially gain weight right after getting into college, getting married and having a baby. Generally those are happy occasions.
meredith [email] said at 8:10 PM 08-05-2007: This happens to a lot of guys. It hits guys later than girls. I remember when Jeremy suddenly realized he was gaining weight. You'll be fine though, cause you work out. I'm in better shape now than I ever was in college cause I'm paying more attention to what I eat and drink.
john [email] said at 9:37 PM 08-05-2007: I think some of it may be due to the fact that it's fucking hot right now and my little window unit does nothing to cool my apt. off when I've got something cooking, so I've been eating out a lot more because of this. I always cook healthy at home but right now I just don't want to heat my apt. up by cooking things. I should probably cut out a lot of the sugar in my diet though. I don't eat sweets really, but I use a lot of sugar in my coffee, and I drink a few cups a day. Also, it's more than likely just my age finally hitting me. Everyone kept telling me that my metabolism would slow down someday. I guess it finally did. I don't think that I have the genes to ever get fat, but the extra ten pounds to my stomach is noticable. I should probably start running more often. My whole life I've planned my workouts around getting bigger, lifting heavy, etc. because it's always been so hard for me to gain weight. I need to change it up to include more cardio now.
max [email] said at 11:20 AM 08-06-2007: I'm going through the exact same thing as of about 2 months ago. My Dad said it would come when I was 27. It actually hit midway through my 29th year. I bought a nice bicycle and have been riding regularly. It's only helping a little bit.
john [email] said at 1:22 PM 08-06-2007: Yeah, I've been told that it would happen my whole life by older relatives, etc. But they all said age 30. I'm 33 and it's just now happening. I'm stepping up my workouts. We'll see what happens. But, I mean you really never see a guy in his mid-30s with the waist of a 20 year old, so I guess it's just your body's adjustment to age and slower metablolism. But if you've been skinny your whole life and able to eat what you want to, like me, then I think the few extra pounds to the stomach will be all that I ever have to worry about. It's just a change in shape. I look more like a 33 year old now I guess.
max [email] said at 2:29 PM 08-06-2007: I tell my friends about it, and they think I'm crazy. I'm sure it's because they've always seen me eat everything and stay thin. I agree that it's just the shape of the 30s.
kiche [email] said at 12:51 PM 08-06-2007: as you get older your metabolism slows down. this means that it is harder to burn calories.
the deference to religion (christianity) in that section of the country is creepy and sick.
the man got busted TWICE for doing something that he considers to be a highly immoral crime. something that he would argue people should be locked up and have the key thrown away for. and your parents are upset that this was pointed out? and that it's funny?
Texas Frank said at 7:21 PM 08-06-2007: Many Christians fail at saying one thing and doing the other and cause the worthy name of Christ to be blasphemed.
luster [email] said at 5:24 AM 08-07-2007: god makes you get fat when you stop believing.
actually i went thru alot of that faith stuff too. i was raised pentecostal. my parents were HARD CORE! wednesdays sundays and sunday nights were spent at church always. there was never a question of whether or not you believed, it was just so. i struggled with it big time because i truely wanted to believe but the older i got, the more i realized that i just didnt and my life got so much easier when i just stopped trying. i think being raised like that did have its benefits though. sometimes i wonder how im going to approach that stuff with my kids. i guess i will just give them a choice about it and not try to persuade them that either way is right nor wrong. it is what it is, just something you believe or dont.
Texas Frank said at 5:03 PM 08-08-2007: Dear Lonestar, Why the attack? A simple statement many christians submit to sin and cause non-believers to say "If thats the way christians behave why would I want to be one"?
Texas Frank said at 12:20 PM 08-05-2008: I feel kinship to the person posting as Texas Frank because the answers he gives(although an imposter) are whats on my heart. My greatest hurt has come from within the church, but Christ is a encourager and not a destroyer, Christ is Love and would that none be harmed,we are warned that wolves will creep in and already are inside the church to steal, kill, and destroy the work of Christ. Unfortuantly many christians sin and the unbeliver uses our sin to excuse thier behavior. The persons sins I hate the most are mine.
