Posted by Rick Denney on September 29, 2003 at 14:49:32:
In Reply to: Q&A for me in my weight los experiment posted by David L. Allen on September 29, 2003 at 13:43:57:
I wish you the best of good fortune. The procedure you are undertaking is a fairly drastic step, and I know that you have considered all options and thought this through carefully.
All tuba playing is ultimately qualitative rather than quantitative. If the quantitative differences don't support a qualitative difference, then the numbers aren't helpful.
That said, my own experience suggests that the extra width around the middle pushes up into your chest cavity when you sit, making it more diffult to fill you lungs. A spirometer (or whatever it is that measures vital capacity) would qunatify any improvements between now and six months from now, or you could just see how long you can hold a note of given volume (use a SPL meter and an identical setup before and after).
But I suspect the bigger improvement will result from the way you feel rather than the way your body moves, and that can only be measured musically. Thus, I'd record myself playing a variety of music before the surgery, and the same variety of music in six months. Don't listen to the before tape at all until after you've recorded the after tape; otherwise it will bias you. Even so, this isn't exactly scientific, but it should give you some insight. You may find that you can focus on music more clearly when you are not struggling with your body to the same extent. You may not even be aware of the degree or effect of that struggle now.
I weighed 270 pounds up until October of 1994, and over the next year lost 75 pounds. The motive force for weight loss was considerable endurance-sport participation and then training, culminating in an Ironman triathlon in 2000. But that was too far and it burned me out. Now, I'm comfortably maintaining about 225 by combining my improved eating habits with a less active lifestyle. I'm playing the tuba now as well as I ever did, but it would be hard for me to identify any connection in my general improvement with my weight or fitness.
I'm sure you doctors have advised you to engage in a good aerobic activity during your weight-loss period to maintain fitness and muscle tone. As the weight falls away, it will be easier to do so, and my advice is not to skimp.
Rick "who hopes you'll keep us updated on progress" Denney