This is one of those stories where if I were telling it to you folks, I would ask if you wanted the good news or the bad news first. Since I can't do that, I'll start with the good news.

First the good news. I met some friends after work today for a drink (at least they were drinking, I stuck to seltzer water). When I got to the place where I was supposed to meet them, they were all sitting outside on a patio on those little, dinky plastic chairs that they sell all over the place and that don't work for fat people. I looked at them in dread -- remembering unpleasant experiences of being unable to fit in them -- decided to try one, and fit in comfortably, although without any extra room to spare.

Now for the bad news. The reason I was going out with these friends for drinks (they go most Fridays, but I don't usually join them) is that I needed to kill an hour before meeting my husband at the house of one of the bigwigs in the organization where he works. We were invited there for a dinner/reception at 7 p.m. They had plastic folding chairs set up around the living room. I sat in one for quite a while, ate my dinner and made conversation, and then got up and moved to a different chair to talk to some other people. When I sat in the second chair, it broke with a loud crack! All those years of weighing over 300 and I never broke a chair and now I went and broke one! Everyone was very nice and assured me that it must have been cracked before I sat in it -- and they are probably right because I didn't break the other chair -- but why did I have to be the person to break it! Even if it was cracked previously (and who knows if it was), I probably wouldn't have broken it if I weighed less. I just wanted to go home and hide, but couldn't, so I stayed and tried to be as charming as possible -- you know the, "Isn't it a shame she is so fat, she's such a lovely person" routine.

Liz, its okay. Considering your success lo carbing I would try to make this a humorous milestone. You almost have the first 100 off...your nearly 50% there. If I have to break a chair every ten pounds until I hit my goal I will be more than happy.

Keep at it!

Been there and done that. And was embarrassed as all get out. Good news is you are on the way down to better health. And for the sake of argument when I was in the service and weighed all of 165 pounds at 6'4" tall post Vietnam, I sat on a folding metal chair and it broke. Nobody thought a thing of it. Faulty chari. Let it happen to me now and I guarantee that nobody would even consider the fact that it might have been a bad chair!

In the words of our last President, "Liz, I feel your pain..."

I am so sorry ... I know how embarassing it can be to break a flimsy chair. Occasionally, even the most slender among us will break a piece of furniture, and feel embarassed, too, but we know it's a matter of degrees. The larger, the worse it seems, and to top it off - in front of your husband's bigwig coworkers!!

At the end of your post you mentioned that you stayed as charming as possible so people would remember you as nice, even if you were fat. Maybe some of those folks thought of you as brave, too, for not freaking out and running out of the gathering sobbing? You continued on, presenting a very together public face.

Perhaps it was fate that your chair experiences happened on the same day? Just like life, something great and something horrible, all in one crazy jumble?

Hi there.

I feel for you and the chair situation. BUT you are doing so well and have no worries.

I, too, have had a chair incident back in 2000. At 2:00 AM I got up to get a drink and stumped my toe on my a small rickety kitchen chair. It hurt so bad that I flopped into the chair and kept going. The seat broke and I feel through to the floor. I ended up sitting on the floor with the chair frame around my upper body. I bruised my ribs on both sides and got a 5" cut on the back of my thigh from a screw that should have held the seat. Talk about embarassing when I had to call in sick to work, because I was in major pain and was bleeding. I didn't want to tell anyone what had happened, because who would believe a 300 lb. person just didn't break a little defenseless chair? Never mind it could barely stand by itself. lol

Best of luck to you in attaining your goals.

Not long ago I sat on a rather rickety stool in my classroom, leant back on it and it promptly fell into 7 pieces. That was in front of a class of 8 year olds! Very embarrassing but I'm not going to let it deflect me from my goals of losing weight!
How many of us have given up doing things because of our size? We haven't been on an aeroplane for 6 years - I'm too scared I won't fit in the seat.

Dear Liz, WOW! this is going to be one of those times that in the future you will laugh about...really. Because I have been in somewhat the same situation.... I will give you a supportive tender hug now and await our good laugh for later!

~Pam

Isn't that just like life?

A coupla things...

First...I HATE THOSE CHAIRS! I can fit in them now, but they are uncomfortable and I'm always afraid the scoot up to a table for fear the legs will buckle under.

Second...I once attended a party at a friend's home, which was held outdoors on their lawn. It was catered and rather fancy--a fundraising event. Anyway, we were all seated in metal chairs and when I attempted to get up from the table, I darn near fell face first into my plate because the legs of my chair had sunken about 3 inches or more into the ground. I couldn't get out from around the darn thing because it was firmly planted. Oh, I sort of giggle about it now, but at the time...

Third...I had a dental appointment last week and I always dread the waiting room because of the silly chairs that I always feel are going to give out beneath me. Much to my surprise, brand new chairs with all sorts of support and a comfy seat. It was a good chair karma day!

Donald

Hi Liz,
I am sure you were mortified...and good for you for staying and braving the storm, so to speak.
Nothing I can say will make you feel better about what happened, but I can send you a hug, and hope you feel better soon...
so.....hugs...

Went to a dance once, one of those "organization" events you go to as a grown-up, not a school function. Didn't know many people. Leaned against a table. The whole thing collapsed and I landed on the floor amid a table full of spilled drinks.

I left pretty soon after.

Keep smiling Liz!

I had one of those nightmarish chair experiences too! And it was on my Birthday of all days! I went out with some friends..they had those stupid little white plastic chairs...I had been sitting for almost an hour...a friend - two seats away - said something to me I didn't hear...I leaned back to hear her better...the next thing I knew I was flat on my back...the back legs must have buckled (never broke) and the chair flew out straight from under me.

Of course, I wanted to just die...but everybody just HAD to run over to make sure I was OK. I just wanted to disappear...so I know all to well how you're feeling.

BUT....I am so very proud of all you've accomplished...just hold onto that and go get 'em girl!

Attending a bbq with my then-husband and our three small children at his boss's house. It rains so we all move indoors where it is very very crowded. I am the last to get a seat as I have to get the three little ones set up first. All that was left was a "chair" consisting of an aluminum frame with fabric slings for the seat and back. Very flimsy.

So, being too shy to ask for something better (and I was about 260lbs at the time), I gingerly lowered myself into it, holding as much weight as possible on my legs. Of course, I couldn't keep that up for long so I finally let go... and so did the chair. A loud noise and a big boom, followed by the usual well-intentioned people making it worse asking if you are ok.

I wanted to die. I guess we almost all have a horror story like that though.

I have gotten really verbal about complaining about chairs that are too small in public places like doctors/dentist offices. My chiropractor had tiny little chairs with arms that wouldn't fit anyone over about 180. So when I went into his office for the first time, I asked him.. "so , I guess I am the only fat person you deal with?". Of course he said no, and then I told him what I thought of his chairs. The very next time I went there were several chairs without arms and he thanked me for pointing it out to him. Too bad we don't always get that reaction when we are brave enough to speak up.

Wow Vel that is brave, good on you!!

Vel, that was brave about the chiropractor's chairs. A couple years ago I went to an opthalmologist who had tiny chairs with arms in his waiting room that would have been uncomfortable no matter what you weighed. At my weight, they were impossible -- I simply didn't fit. I did not say anything to him, but I never went back. My feeling was that if a doctor cared so little about the comfort of his patients, I had no wish to see that doctor.

I have recovered from my episode of breaking the chair. I have even been able to joke about it a few times with friends who weren't there and wouldn't know about it if I didn't tell them -- that to me is definitely a sign that I have recovered.