Triathlon - Some people just don't get it

A friend of mine asked me what my weekend plans were. I told him that I had nothing major planned just an easy seven mile run. He freaked out and make a big deal that I said "an easy seven mile run". He made it a point to tell my co-workers all about my plans and kept making fun of me the rest of the day. My friend does not work out and is overweight. He tells me all of the time that he wants to start working out, but then makes fun of me because I am trying to get/stay in shape. He just doesn't understand the lifestyle and the effort that it takes. Has anything like this ever happend to any of you?

I have lost 125 pounds of fat so far and people think I have done it with surgery or pills. When I tell them lifestyle change they get mad at me. Yes, I understand completely what you are talking about.

i too have heard all the comments that get made when doing exercise. I espcially like the looks i get when i come back from a run or bike ride and people ask me how it was, my answer is that is was very enjoyable and nice. people look at me like im crazy.

what is even crazier than this is that i used to be on the other side of the comments, i used to think it was crazy to run or bike. but over the past 3 years i have lost 155 lbs.(no surgery) and now do all the things i used to think was crazy. goal this year is 1/2 ironman.

I used to get that years ago. Then one day someone brought in donuts and all of the people kept saying that they couldn't eat one because they were trying to lose weight. I grabbed two. It still didn't click.

I still avoid the donuts and other deserts, unless I feel like I will burn it off that day. Or I know I have the time in the day for a little more exercise. I have a very limited amount of time to work out with my work schedule and my daughter's activities, so I am very careful on what and when I eat depending upon my day.

But, I do understand what you mean.

Some of us eat to support our training, others train so we can eat whatever we want. You can probably guess which category I'm in. :)

Maybe you could post your training schedule on the company bulletin board. Then your coworkers could admire your exceptional fitness regimen and feel shamed in comparison.

Some of us eat to support our training, others train so we can eat whatever we want. You can probably guess which category I'm in. :)


I hope to get to that part of my fat loss. I still want to eat good healthy food, but enjoy a really good donut once in a while.

Noticed the same break between those that work-out and those that don't in my office. When I wrecked my tri-bike and broke my shoulder, I only missed one day of work and said it was no big deal, just sort of a serious inconvenience. Plus, it was a hinderance to my training. (Hurt like the dickens, though!) Co-workers looked at me like I was nuts. The sub-3-hour marathoner in the next office and the mountain biker upstairs new exactly what I meant and didn't think it was wierd at all to have that outlook.

TysonB

I get the same thing. People I know REFUSE to eat certain things b/c they're "trying to lose weight." Have fun not enjoying meals...

I eat whatever I want, just a little less of it. Most days I'll burn enough not to worry about what I eat. I couldn't get enough to eat yesterday following my time trial.

People just don't get how active you can really be.

Cycling
Running
Triathlon
Hiking
Soccer
Tennis
Can't leave sexytime off this list...

Oof.

I have lost 125 pounds of fat so far and people think I have done it with surgery or pills. When I tell them lifestyle change they get mad at me. Yes, I understand completely what you are talking about.

Because when they tried it, it didn't do **** for them. They don't realize you need to commit to more than 2 hours a week of working out, and when you work out you need to WORK OUT. If you don't finish sweating and panting and hurting then you weren't doing it right.

Because when they tried it, it didn't do **** for them. They don't realize you need to commit to more than 2 hours a week of working out, and when you work out you need to WORK OUT. If you don't finish sweating and panting and hurting then you weren't doing it right.

What you wrote if very true. I have bad days when I don't get to work out. I have a problem getting swimming time in the pool at my YMCA. Why, I am now the aquatics director and spend more time trying to get people involved in our pool and getting lifeguards to work. I also lifeguard, so limited pool time. I am going to try and get a schedule made up that will allow me to get three hours of pool time a week during the middle of the day and stay later to make up for it.

I have had quite a few PM's because of my post in this thread from others that have not posted in this thread. Rather than keep answering PM's about the same thing, here is a very brief overview that I sent to one of the PM's.




Originally Posted by cohophysh That is an impressive amount of weight. Did you cut out processed foods and meat or did you just cut back on caloric intake?


At first it was a cut back on calories and working out slowly to get a pattern of working out. I was the New Year's Resolution that everyone laughed at. I just went to the gym everyday at 5:00 a.m. and just started by walking three miles in an hour.

As my endurance improved, I started lifting weights and using the treadmill at different inclines. I then tried the elliptical machine.

Then after reading some articles I bought a heart rate monitor and noticed that I really wasn't getting my heart rate up much, but thought I was at my limit. I started using the HRM every workout and paid close attention to it. That helped me a LOT!!!!

Now I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. Less red meat and more fish and chicken.

I wish I could eat more vegetables, but there are days that nothing sounds good, so I have something I have been craving. Then back to vegetables.

I could go into more detail, but that is it in general.




I have done unsupported century rides, and I do miles of swimming at a time, it is my running that suffers the most from my overweight problem. My left knee is not in the greatest of shape. I still have a goal of a half marathon this year and if I have the money, possibly a half iron man triathlon. I still have a lot of fat to remove from my body, but I am starting to get back into worrying about myself some more, so my workouts are going to help me.

Because when they tried it, it didn't do **** for them. They don't realize you need to commit to more than 2 hours a week of working out, and when you work out you need to WORK OUT. If you don't finish sweating and panting and hurting then you weren't doing it right.


Yeah, people read that gov't guidance of (what is it?) 3 times per week of 30 minutes of exercise, and think that they can walk at a 2 mph pace for 30 minutes 3 (sometimes only 2) times per week and lose weight while still feeding voraciously at the trough.

Nope, it ain't gonna work, but I don't need to tell you guys that.

over the past 3 years i have lost 155 lbs.(no surgery)

This is so insanely awesome, I choke when I read this. But I say this from the other end of the weight spectrum. I weigh 130 lbs and the thought of someone losing an entire "me" from their weight is so insane!

But then again, I am only 5"3' and I am training for the San Diego Tri to get into better shape :innocent:

Because when they tried it, it didn't do **** for them. They don't realize you need to commit to more than 2 hours a week of working out, and when you work out you need to WORK OUT. If you don't finish sweating and panting and hurting then you weren't doing it right.

I hear ya. They also need to realize that you can't exercise just to eat. Working out hard doesn't serve much purpose if ya just burned 1000 calories and then follow it up by eating a 2000 calorie fried food dinner and chuggin' a pitcher of beer to celebrate. I see so many people do things like this. :(

90 pounds for me. 240 down to 150. Worked at it gradually in different stages over a period of about 6 years.

This is so insanely awesome, I choke when I read this. But I say this from the other end of the weight spectrum. I weigh 130 lbs and the thought of someone losing an entire "me" from their weight is so insane!

But then again, I am only 5"3' and I am training for the San Diego Tri to get into better shape :innocent:

thank you, it has been a cazy journey that started with a goal of a sub 40 min 5k (finished in 39:02). Now this year im doing my 1st 1/2 iron distance, with the ulitmate goal of racing a full iron distance in a couple of years.

a few people that used to think i was crazy for all that i was doing are now themselves working out and seeing changes that they like.

good luck in your tri.

I have lost 125 pounds of fat so far and people think I have done it with surgery or pills. When I tell them lifestyle change they get mad at me. Yes, I understand completely what you are talking about.

That is soooooooooooo impressive, it probably doesn't make much difference since you don't know me but I am very proud of you. I am also on that path, I used to weigh over 300 now I am hovering around the 260's. All lifestyle change and an intense workout schedule that would bury most men half my size. My 21 year old very fit son tried working out with me and I ran him into the ground. I used to be a superior athlete when I was young but marriage kids and other priorities interfeared with my healthy way of living. I eventually ended up smoking four packs of Marlboro's a day and eating my way to heart disease. Two years ago I quit smoking and couple of months ago I started training seriously with the Iron man as my ultimate goal. In some ways I feel like I am in the best shape of my life because I am trianing much more intelligently than when I was young and felt invincible. As far as the thread question goes any commitment to excellence will evoke hostility in the guise of humor because you are the mirror that reflects your co-workers poor life choices.

Thanks!!!!

I am really struggling with the rest of my fat loss. I need to change up some things and get back to running a lot again. I also have a large amount of loose skin around my mid section. I went from a 50+ waste to a 34 waist with a loose skin problem. I have been mostly biking, because of a foot problem, and limited access to the pool because of my working hours and the hours the pool is available.

My goal for 2009 is approximately 50 more pounds of fat loss. Time for more broccoli and tuna.

I'm pretty lucky, I don't have the loose skin thing but that has a lot to do with genetics. A good indicator of weather that will be a problem is stretch marks and I luckily don't have any. Dieting isn't so bad once I got used to it. The only thing I fight is fatigue, it's hard to make money go to school, work, and train seriously but I accomplish all four daily. Of course I have no romantic life because there is no time to fit that sort of nonesense in and besides I would rather spend the money on my bike. Of course there is this hot ass 25 year old chick from Ukrain I wouldn't mind hooking up with but that's for another forum.

While I do not have any excess weight to lose, anyhow, I still love to cycle. In fact, very few people in India love cycling. So, when I mentioned in office or to friends that I had returned to cycling and have now been riding for the past 4 months, each and every one was completely flabbergasted. They had no idea what a thin guy like me would want to exercise for. To most people, exercise is not about keeping fit- its simply about losing weight and looking slim. They keep asking me- You don't need exercise. If you ride 50 km, you will disappear one day. Why can't you spend Sunday mornings sleeping till late like any lucky bloke like you should... And it goes on.

So, yes, luckyyou100, I understand what you are facing.

While I do not have any excess weight to lose, anyhow, I still love to cycle. In fact, very few people in India love cycling. So, when I mentioned in office or to friends that I had returned to cycling and have now been riding for the past 4 months, each and every one was completely flabbergasted. They had no idea what a thin guy like me would want to exercise for. To most people, exercise is not about keeping fit- its simply about losing weight and looking slim. They keep asking me- You don't need exercise. If you ride 50 km, you will disappear one day. Why can't you spend Sunday mornings sleeping till late like any lucky bloke like you should... And it goes on.

So, yes, luckyyou100, I understand what you are facing.

That reminds me of the myth that goes around so much.....

They don't wanna run and do cardio because they don't wanna get all skinny and be too thin, and they don't wanna lift weights cause they don't wanna be all muscular!

I'm like are you kidding me? Do you know the kind of work it takes to end up in either scenario?!?!?!?

They don't wanna run and do cardio because they don't wanna get all skinny and be too thin,

The worst part is that the vast majority of people don't know what too thin is. They believe "normal" is too thin! When I graduated HS and College, I weighed 138 lbs @ 6' tall. That was a perfectly healthy weight - my BMI was over 18.5 (the "official" limit for underweight) with big sprinter thighs - yet everyone though I was way too thin. There have been studies showing that over the past 20 years, the standard everyone uses for "normal" has gotten fatter and fatter. Most Americans think overweight is "normal" and healthy. At my heaviest (220, xmas 2007) I was almost obese, yet everyone thought I was normal!

Normal, according to the BMI, for a 6' tall guy is between 183lbs and 137 lbs. Ask just about anyone else, and they'll probably say 175-225 is normal and below 175 is too skinny!

Here's an article from Reuters about what I'm talking about: http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSL0778048620070807

That reminds me of the myth that goes around so much.....

They don't wanna run and do cardio because they don't wanna get all skinny and be too thin, and they don't wanna lift weights cause they don't wanna be all muscular!

I'm like are you kidding me? Do you know the kind of work it takes to end up in either scenario?!?!?!?

on sunday a friend of mine called me up. he is one of those guys that wants to be in better shape. he is in good shape, very strong but has terrible cardio. but of course he doesnt want to dedicate the time to get where he wants. so he calls me up sunday afternoon telling me he is 3 hours late for work and is severely hung over. he dares ask me what i did with my sunday and freaks when i tell him that i swam a mile and a half, biked 20 miles then a 3 mile walk/run (still working on that). this coming from a guy that is 60 lbs lighter and wants to do a XC race later this year:lol:.

the classic i got four times last year is "i ride my bike everywhere, its no big deal" followed by "lets ride" ending with "i give up, your insane if you say you ride this pace for 50 miles. Did you even break a sweat on our ride?". they always get floored when i tell them i dont get fully warmed up for 10 miles.:roflmao2:

Happens to me all the time. People ask what I'm up to, and if I have nothing really going on, other than, say a sprint Tri, I'll say that and they're shocked. You get used to it and kinda learn to like it :-)

What I really find funny is when they ask if I'm racing on the weekend. Say, 15 or 20 miles, or a marathon or something. There's this one guy I work with who always says "you're gonna do that all at ONCE?!" and I really wanna say, well yeah, that's how a race works isn't it! You don't get to do 10 miles, go home and nap, and run another 10 later when you feel like it. I usually just say "yep" and keep my "you're an idiot" thought to myself. Don't wanna be rude becuase you're right... some people just don't get it.