"I'll take 'No Shit!' for $2000, Alex."

[polimicks]

New study from Kansas State says that negative self-image keeps people from staying active: http://frontierindia.net/pharma/k-state-study-finds-a-negative-self-image-stops-men-and-women-from-exercising-long-term/1011

In other news, water is wet, fire is hot, and that guy who owns the Total Gym in Denver is a fucking douchebag.

Ok, yes, I know I said I wasn't going to swear near as much here, but he is!! Have you ever listened to the vile spew that comes out of that man's mouth? Ugh.

Anyway, back to the study. It found that regardless of gender, if someone has low self-esteem or a negative self-image, they are less likely to stick with exercise, and while this affects both men and women who have low self-image, it disproportionally affects women who are, after all, much more likely to have a low self-image.

This is not a surprise to anyone who has been, or is, fat.

It's hard enough to want to either get up early, or stay out after a hard day of work, in order to go to the gym. But frequently when fat people do go to the gym, we get a ration of shit. My favorite, apart from the high school football player who called me a whale, was the girl who said if she ever got as big as me she'd kill herself or never leave her house. She apparently didn't realize that she was talking louder than usual with headphones on, or that my mp3 player had run out of juice.

Then I trebled her weights on the machine she'd been using, and she shut the hell up and practically ran from me.

Good.

Or when fat people, particularly women, try to go for walks or jog, or ride their bikes. Friends of mine have had things thrown at them, been spit on and been run off the road by people in cars yelling lovely compliments like, "Fat Cow!!!" and "Moooooo!" or the perennial favorite, "Sew your mouth shut, fat bitch!"

Mmmm, yes, the sound of a concerned citizenry worried about our weight and health. Gosh, they're just so darn CARING, that's what I love.

In case you're not quite getting that, it's sarcasm.

The thing is, for most people exercise isn't categorized as fun.

Yeah, I don't get it either. I love going to gym. I could pick heavy shit up and put it back down all damn day.

But for most people, it isn't fun.

So, what happens when you pair something that isn't fun, with the likelihood that the person who already doesn't want to be there is going to be publicly humiliated by "someone who just cares that much?"

Yeah, they don't go.

You guys want fat people to lose weight? Not that it's any of your damned business. Shut up. That's the best thing you can do. See, we know we're fat. And we know you probably don't like it. But even if we are eating like shit and never exercising, still none of your god damned business.

And if we are eating right and exercising, you're just pissing us off for no reason. Quite frankly nothing makes me crave junk food like some sanctimonious prick preaching at me about how I should be eating better. Particularly, when what he's advocating isn't near as healthy as how I already eat. It just makes me want to eat a twinkie and seductively lick the cream frosting off my fingers while moaning in rapture, and then fellate that spongecake like it's God's own cock, just to be a bitch.

I don't even like twinkies.

Ok, I was gonna stop there with that stellar mental image, but...

The thing is, fat people, particularly fat women, have an encyclopedic knowledge of weight loss tips and tricks. There is, literally, nothing that you can tell us that we haven't heard, tried, and failed with. NOTHING.

So just shut the hell up, already. Because all you're doing is reinforcing that negative mental image, which makes us less likely to do what you ostensibly want (exercise and be healthy), so way to shoot yourself in the foot, and your fat friends in the soul. Go team you.

Comments

[palereverie.livejournal.com]

I think it's a case where the exercise itself is fun, but the mental pressure of doing it prevents a lot of people. I know very few people that dislike taking walks, but after getting hooted at and yelled at or having people laugh, I dread taking a walk out in the public.

I don't know why people feel like they can interfere in such things; they certainly mind their business when you're out in public mowing the lawn or washing a car or something.

Embarrassment and nasty comments could keep people from anything; get made fun of every time you go to the library, and it will usually cease to be a pleasurable activity.

I've heard some people even get nasty comments at the grocery store based on what they're looking at and putting in their carts. WTF?

There doesn't seem to be a solution for curing massive amounts of idiocy in the general population though. I've never gotten shitty comments at parks though for whatever reason.

[sarmonster.livejournal.com]

I fucking hate the gym with the burning, seething passion of a cat in hot perfumed water. HATE. People stare at me, there's windows everywhere, I feel like an exhibit at the zoo, there's sweat and Axe body spray everywhere, people are rude... *shudder* Fuck the gym; go DO something! I feel a lot better about myself, alas, still fat, will probably ALYWAYS be fat, but I can say I did something over the weekend.

I live in Western Washington, one of the most interesting geological places on the planet, two hours drive and I can be in any environment I want: Beach, rain forest, desert... I'm walking distance from some of the best hiking trails and whitewater in the US. While I've done a bit of hiking lately, add to that we're taking on some major gardening projects this year, and I'll go swimming as often as possible when it gets warm enough.

Last summer I hiked into the Cascades, took a swim in various rivers, set fence posts, dug out and planted a garden, went camping several weekends, helped build a greenhouse, and got some fishing in. ...And people go to the GYM?

Sure, maybe people still call us fat... Ok, fishermen don't, and hikers can be a bit snobby but I've yet to be called names doing any of the above. Walking down the street, at the grocery store, yep. Not in the woods, generally, and no one's going to talk shit about you while you're wielding a large pointy shovel.

[polimicks.livejournal.com]

It's just easier for me to fit the gym in since it's right there at work, than the other stuff. I would like to do more hiking and such, but with all the things we have going on, right now, I'm much more likely to just go to the gym.

Oh, and walking around our neighborhood to go shopping and stuff.

[polimicks.livejournal.com]

I did one time did get a woman who looked at all the veggies and stuff in my cart, who then said, "Good girl!"

I wish I could say I let her have it with both sides of the rapier wit, but I was stunned into silence. Who DOES that?

[javagoth.livejournal.com]

I don't like most gyms - though I'm more likely to go if I have someone to work out with. I like lifting weights okay but I don't like the walls of mirrors or windows many gyms have. For awhile - I was riding my bike home from work. I would sometimes go way out of my way to find a route that gave me more of a workout. I don't like riding in traffic though - particularly on the east side - because not only are the drivers not friendly to bicyclists in general but I get the added joy of more yelling about they've "never seen a whale ride a bike before" and shit like that. At this point my bike needs major work to be rideable again and I would need a more comfortable seat.

I like to swim but pool memberships are pricey and, again, there's the whale jokes. I just want to do laps w/out any shit. This is another activity I'm more likely to do with a friend. I would also need to find a cheapish place to go.

For now I settle for housework, walking around the neighborhood (and I wish the weather would start cooperating more soon), and belly dancing. I need to start going out dancing again soon. When I go to the Grind on Thursdays I call it my Goth Tai Bo class. I will literally dance until I'm sopping with sweat and only take breaks for water & to sop off my brow with a towel.

[polimicks.livejournal.com]

Some pools do have plus size only swim hours. I think we need to investigate this.

[madarab.livejournal.com]

You might find this interesting. http://www.fatshionista.com/cms/index.php?option=com_mojo&Itemid=69&p=362#comments

[polimicks.livejournal.com]

Reading it, may edit to link it in the actual post.

I agree with her on nearly everything.

[polimicks.livejournal.com]

I have to read it in little bits, because it hits a little too close to home.

[cochese.livejournal.com]

I think I'm svelte enough not to get heckled at the gym. Or maybe people are less inclined to treat a guy like that. (I'm always a little floored by how differently people will act towards me, even how women will act towards me, compared to women in the same situation.) But I haven't been yelled at from cars passing by since I was living carless in Kent. And not because I was fat.

I just find the gym boring. I don't enjoy physical activity. I have a long list of things I would much rather do, or need to do more, than spend thirty minutes to an hour sweating my ass off.

[polimicks.livejournal.com]

Men and women do get treated differently on this one. A lot.

[tanteterri.livejournal.com]

I'll Take No Shit for $2000 Alex????

I LOVE IT!!!!

It's all true, and as always put beautifully!

Thank you for brightening my day. You give me hope.

[polimicks.livejournal.com]

Awww, thank you!!!!

*blush*