Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Proposed Clyde sub forum: Weight Loss & Health?

Should we?

Discussion was started over yonder (http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=338210).

This sub forum would contain discussions on weight loss and other health concerns like diabetes, high blood pressure, etc... that may be related to obesity.

I voted no only because I think if such a sub forum is to be created it should be in the nutrition and training forum. But there is merit in creating a sub forum for discussion of those issues.

I really don't want to break up the community. Often as not someone has input that we might not get if it were segregated, and a new subforum is up to Admin.

I guess I'm missing the point as to why we need this? What happens when a bike post occurs in the weight loss sub forum? Or a weight loss reply occurs in the bike forum? Or a commuting post happens in the clyde forum?

See my point?

We can divide all we want, but I don't think it's going to be possible. Just as avoiding car-free talk in the commuting forum is impossible, even though another forum exists for it. Or as racing talk in the road cycling forum is impossible, even though a sub-forum exist.

I'd suggest that all this ridiculousness stops, and everyone again learn that we have a great community here. If someone wants to lose weight by drinking Guinness instead of eating while riding a bike, more power to them. But let's let them feel like part of the community that we at one point did such a great job of creating here. Let's kindly point out mistakes, and offer support for them to continue riding. Just as the commuting forum offers support for other commuters, and advice on how to commute. Or just as the A&S forum offers advice on how to, well, I have no idea what. But it's funny :).

Let's avoid the thing that every overweight rider has felt at one point: judgment.

Simply put, I think this whole forum needs a group hug.

If someone wants to lose weight by drinking Guinness...

Does that work? 'Cause if it does, I just found my new favorite diet. :D

-DR

I really don't want to break up the community. Often as not someone has input that we might not get if it were segregated, and a new subforum is up to Admin.

I don't think that a subforum will break up the community, Tom. I keep flip-flopping on this to myself, but I honestly prefer the rich near-chaos of the Clyde/Athena forum as it is. All a separate forum means to me is that I need to check threads in another place as well.

Does that work? 'Cause if it does, I just found my new favorite diet. :D

-DR

Yeah. Does it?

I'd suggest that all this ridiculousness stops, and everyone again learn that we have a great community here. If someone wants to lose weight by drinking Guinness instead of eating while riding a bike, more power to them. But let's let them feel like part of the community that we at one point did such a great job of creating here. Let's kindly point out mistakes, and offer support for them to continue riding. Just as the commuting forum offers support for other commuters, and advice on how to commute.

I agree. I'm not sure I would be riding as much as I am (will be, when my knee is up to it - must post a thread about that later) if not for this forum. While I feel more welcome in some parts of BF than in others, I always know these communities are there if I want to dive in to, say, fixies or BMX (even though I can't imagine why I could possibly be interestedin either, but ya never know).

I guess I'm missing the point as to why we need this?

Because the squeeky wheel get the grease.;);) I peronally think the C&A forum is fine the way it is. But if we must add a subforum, this would be the best way to do it. I really don't think we can go wrong either way.

I don't think that a subforum will break up the community, Tom. I keep flip-flopping on this to myself, but I honestly prefer the rich near-chaos of the Clyde/Athena forum as it is. All a separate forum means to me is that I need to check threads in another place as well.

That's exactly what I mean! I love the rich mix here as well ;)

Yeah. Does it?

Well my brother lost about 40 pounds when he spent a semester in England, as he spent his money on beer instead of eating. Not that I'd recommend it, but he claims that after three pints of Guinness, you aren't full anymore! :D

I vote nay, simply because I don't think we're so divided. All this would mean to me is another place to read, and I think subforums are hard to find for new people. (I got here because I googled something never actually found my way to the top BF level. It took a couple months to figure out what and where foo was! I only found it while using the search function.)

My general sense is that we're (almost) all trying to drop some weight. I think that people are fully capable of skipping threads that don't look interesting to them, but they may want to still see the titles of the threads. If someone gets diabetes, lowers their blood pressure, or whatever--then I want to hear about it! If it's a more general discussion, I'll probably skip it.

I kinda like the idea in theory, as I mentioned it in the other thread, but I don't think we're quite big enough to warrant it yet. We aren't completely overrunning with post and needing to separate them (yet).

I agree. I'm not sure I would be riding as much as I am (will be, when my knee is up to it - must post a thread about that later) if not for this forum.

I would agree with this.

I voted yes but only because, I would rather see a subforum that have such topics banished from the Clyde/Athena area altogether.

Considering there is serious questions about whether weight and diet threads should be here...I guess I should ask a question about some of the threads I post in here. Should threads like my Kneesavers and my Bar ends threads or my questions about tire pressure, etc even be in this forum? Maybe I am out of line with what I am posting here? Maybe I am wrong in my thinking wrong about what this forum should be.

If I was left to figure out which forum, I should post a thread in all the time, I think I would probably just not post at all.

Should threads like my Kneesavers and my Bar ends threads or my questions about tire pressure, etc even be in this forum?

I bookmarked your kneesavers thread!

I voted no. I think the volume of posts related only to weight-loss and not entwined with cycling is not high enough to warrant a sub-forum. I don't want to have 2 places to read, and I don't want to have to make a decision about where to put a post like, "I biked 20 miles, broke another spoke, and I've lost 20 lbs! Woohoo!" (not quite there on either count, btw ;) )

I'm not concerned that the main focus of this forum will drift away from cycling. That's unimaginable! But I think it's unrealistic to expect a forum of mostly 200 lb + people to not have some content about weight loss. Especially when most of that content is personal stories that are related to cycling!

I also hope that Tom (and anyone else who has god-like moderator power) will continue to use a light hand in moving threads out of the forum. When I post here, instead of in Training and Nutrition or elsewhere, it's because I want the opinions of the C/A forum, which are likely to be different, and more relevant to my needs, than the average cyclist's viewpoint.

I consider anything posted in here to have been posted in here specifically because it's a C&A Viewpoint wanted. ;) No worries! :)

I voted no, for a couple of reasons,


C&A is a general forum, few issues for the larger rider are NOT under C&A's umbrella, so discussions about diet and weight loss are sort of on topic. Just like the discussion of whether Ilford's ID11 or Kodak's D76 makes a better developer for B&W film is considered sort of on topic in a film camera forum.

Secondly I really think that health, weight loss and nutrition belongs in it's own BF forum, because many of the issues are the same whether your a man of 5'9 509lbs or a man of 5'9 and 180lbs (trying to knock off that last 10lbs) the health issues and weight loss techniques are the same, but the considerations on buying and maintaining a bicycle are radically different. The 509lb man should avoid plastic forks (of all kinds) where as the 180lb man shouldn't have a problem with a plastic bike fork, but should probably avoid the ones at the fast food place:D

200+ lb folks who bike regularly are not doing it for health? I am. If I was doing it because I LOVE IT, my progress would be faster :) This is a cycling forum and I understand that to a point......However it is not a pie eating forum either and I see alot of that in the 50+ threads...........it is something that group has in common and something they share/bond over. That is what "community" is about. If C&A can't discuss some of the common issues that caused the need for them to cycle and share tips, where is the community in that? A seperate sticky is great for it but under the C&A heading I think is best. My 2 cents for the day :)