So as I alluded to earlier, my boyfriend has been working on fattening me up, and it appears to be having major effects. We decided to go on vacation for a few days to decompress, and i was not surprised when I got on the airplane and the seatbelt barely fit around my girth at maximum extension. I was afraid to take it off during the whole flight, as I was sure I would never be able to buckle it back up again. In a few weeks, I think I'll be needing a seatbelt extender.

I have noticed that I have finally gotten to the stage when no matter what I do, I can't get close enough to the table to eat comfortably. My belly has grown so large and sticks out in front that if the table is at belly-level, I have major trouble getting the food from the plate to my mouth. You might think this would be a problem, but somehow I manage.

This vacation marks the first time I've been significantly physically active in a few months. I do normally walk and try to get my heart-rate up, but this was really a different level of activity. I have discovered a few things I'm not sure I like, yet at the same time I am totally turned on by them.

First, walking on flat ground over long distances sucks, not to mention hills and valleys. When I look down, all I see is belly, sticking out about a foot in front of me, or so it seems. It is as if it has taken on a life of its own. It shifts from side-to-side as I walk, and has changed the mechanics of my gait. I have never had lower back pain, but with the extra weight out in front, my low-back begins to complain after about 3 blocks of walking. My belly has gotten so large that the muscles probably are weaker than they have been, and the extra weight forward is putting a lot of strain on the low back. See? Kinda hot and kinda freaky at the same time.

I've also noticed that my arms no longer lay flat against my side. When I walk, they move in a semi-circular motion (when seen from above) to get around my fat moobs and globular belly. I'm sure you've seen it- the obese guy swinging his arms wide out around him. Also, the accumulation of fat between my legs and in my pubic area has also shifted my gait, so that my legs swing wider- more like a waddle! Alternatively I can take shorter steps so that everything does not rub- this particular phenomenon is tough to explain if you're not approaching super-chub-dom.

I also notice I'm more out of breath even on flat ground. Walking long distances at the pace I used to walk (which is fast for a fat guy), isn't a lot of fun. I walked a mile yesterday, and by the time I got to the end, my calves were burning and my legs were like rubber bands. While breathing wasn't the problem, muscle endurance is really becoming an issue, and I do need to work on this. My new apartment building has a small gym with an exercise bike and an elliptical machine. I plan on using them at least 3 times a week (if the elliptical -and my joints- can handle my weight).

Today, when I tried to walk on the beach, not only did the back go crazy, but I found I could only go a few hundred yards before stopping. I was sinking into the sand so much that each step left my feet covered up over my ankle. Being on an angle walking along the shore was tough as well, throwing my already wobbly balance off even more. Overall, this was too much for me, at 340lb. It felt like a kind of like a horizontal stairmaster on a 15 degree angle, listing to one side. I gave up and headed back to the room after standing for awhile in the warm water.

However, I'm not a total lump of flab. We are staying in a B&B, and the room is on the 4th floor with no elevator. I am not having any trouble with the stairs, though I do notice it takes awhile for my heart-rate to calm down once I'm up top. Fortunately, there's always a bag of cookies or ice cream waiting for me.

Overall, this is the first time I've really felt like my quest for fat has really limited me. I've been a big guy for awhile, but never really had to adjust my expectations of life much. This is definitely food for thought. But for now, I'm just going to look for food.