There are alot of overweight people at my gym,

[LaraMN]

but it's always insightful to see them work out, because while I'm in decent shape, I know for certain many of the heavier women could not only kick my ass up and down the block, but probably outrun me by a long shot, too. Some of those women are in amazing shape, despite extra pounds. I would never have thought as much, seeing them in another setting.

It's just a good reminder to me that being overweight and being out-of-shape are not necessarily parallel ideas.

[Momgonepostal]

1. That's kind of you to say

I'm an overweight person who goes to the gym, and I always figure the skinny people are thinking what a lard-ass I am.

I AM out of shape, but I'm in a heck of a lot better shape since I started exercising regularly. And my cholesterol is probably in the lowest 10 percent of anyone there.

[LaraMN]

2. Oh, don't think the smaller people are having mean thoughts!

Seriously, I went to use a machine after a heavier-set woman got off of it, and I secretly hoped she didn't notice how much I had to drop the weight from what she had it set at. I felt like a scrawnly weakling! :rofl: I never think badly of larger people at the gym- after I had my last baby and felt heavy, I wouldn't even go outside to run, until I'd dumped enough weight that I wouldn't feel embarrassed exercising in public. I think it's damn great that other people have enough self esteem to get out and work their butts off at the gym. I sure didn't, and that was MY stupid hang-up.

[Momgonepostal]

3. We ALL have our stupid hang-ups

Odds are, no one is thinking about any of us as much as we think they are. :-)

[LaraMN]

4. Of that, I'm quite certain you are correct!

:D

[Momgonepostal]

5. You know, at the gym I go to, there are a lot of seniors...

and a few of them could kick both our butts at the same time.

When I first started going, I met a man who is almost completely blind and has two artifical legs, but still does an hour of cardio a day, plus weights. I remember him telling me about his routine, and I see him there, so believe him, and thinking, "If that guy can do this, I have NO excuse."

[Left Is Write]

24. There's a man at my gym who is 80 years old.

He works out every day.

In the 70s, he owned a gym of his own, and he loves to tell us stories about the old days. He's in excellent shape, and when I first met him, I'd have guessed he was in his 60s, not 80! (And he was surprised to find out I'm 40. :) )

[twilight_sailing]

11. As far as I know, Momgonepostal,

that's the truth of the matter.

[Left Is Write]

23. I have never had any negative thoughts about anyone at my gym...

based on their size.

[BreweryYardRat]

6. Goes for guys too.

Some degree of body fat is necessary to really get the most from your muscles.

And how are you defining "overweight," anyway?

[LaraMN]

15. That makes sense.

As far as how I'm defining "overweight," it's pretty unscientific, I suppose. I just noted the obviously heavy people (those beyond what I perceived would likely be in the medically accepted "healthy" range). It's hard to know what's really "overweight" and what's not, but the people I'm referring to seem to carry weight that would be a hindrance to fitness yet, to see them in action, that doesn't appear to be the case, at all.

[BreweryYardRat]

21. Ah, thank you for the def. Weight only hinders some activities.

Weight lifting (thank God!), aren't really affected by an excess of body fat, and to a lesser extent, that applies to endurance cardio (i.e, distance running, football-if you're a linebacker, or rowing). But it's almost impossible to do sprints or other short-term, high-intensity cardio (stuff like basketball or soccer) with a high body fat percentage.

[bullwinkle428]

31. I love to read posts made by Internet braggarts that claim some ridiculously low body fat % -

I'm thinking to myself, "Buddy, if your body fat % was really that low, your family would be picking out your casket right now!"

[MissMillie]

7. Just goes to show us all

we need to judge less, and accept more.

Different colors, shapes and sizes = Life's Rich Pagent

:hi:

[LaraMN]

17. Abso-freaking-lutely!

While I can't pretend to know how healthy they are overall (that require alot of information I couldn't glean from looking at them,) alot of those people sure seem pretty damn fit! I have a sneaking suspicion that they're probably healthier than I am.

[Dastard Stepchild]

8. I have a good friend from school...

she weighs roughly 100 pounds more than me, but her health stats kick my arse all over the place. And mine are pretty darn good. Her cholesterol level and resting heart rate makes doctors drop to their knees and weep from pure, unadulterated joy (and a bit of shock, I think). :)

[LaraMN]

18. Lol! Rather flies in the face of the stereotypes that are perpetuated, doesn't it?

And I've been guilty of buying into those stereotypes, as well. I'm glad to learn otherwise!

[Dastard Stepchild]

32. It's an easy stereotype to hold...

FAT IS EVIL, dontcha know? :)

[madinmaryland]

9. And why does everyone drive an SUV to the Gym?

:grr: I work next to a fitness center, and the lot is filled with at least two thirds SUV's, with single drivers arriving. If these people would just go out and walk for half an hour, they'd wouldn't have to waste all that fuel going to the gym.

[sbj405]

26. I go to the Y. Hardly an SUVs and lots of Dem and anti-Bush stickers.

Then again, it is Montgomery County. :-)

[Dukkha]

40. those are the trophy wives

I work out @ 10:00am - 11:00am and that's all who's there at that time. They show up in their SUVs, put the kid in the daycare, and proceed with the "workout" which involves sitting on the stationary bike or walking normally on the treadmill while reading a magazine, chatting on the cell phone, or gabbing with the girlfriends non stop.

[HEyHEY]

10. That's not a gym, it's a McDonald's. The gym is next door

[GirlinContempt]

36. Don't be an asshole

[HEyHEY]

37. ? Why don't you just ask DaVinci not to paint!?

[GirlinContempt]

38. Cause he's dead

[Deep13]

12. I figure if I or they were perfect, we wouldn't need to come to the gym.

[soleft]

13. Some lady came up to me at the gym and said i inspired her

She said if I could do it she figured she could too. I'll have to remember that tonight as I go back for the first time in 10 days.

[jobycom]

14. A study recently showed that thin and in shape is healthier than overweight and in shape

but I don't know whether thin and out of shape is better than overweight and in shape.

I'm also not sure what criteria was used to determine "better."

[SKKY]

16. I've run 4 half-marathons here in Souther Spain...

...and there is always this older Spanish gentlemen, probably 55 or so, at the start. He wears the wwwwaaaaayyyy short running shorts, a wwwwaaaayyy tight singlet, and the cotton gym socks with the two stripes at the top, pulled up to almost his knee. Well, we start out, and I don't see him again until mile 10 or 11 when he's passing us up. It's a real buzz kill.

[LaraMN]

19. Lol!

At least he let you have the earlier part of the race.
:rofl:

[Strawman]

20. I learned that during my first 5K

when a few heavier and older people were jogging by me at the end. They were clearly in better shape than me, even though, superficially, that might not seem to be the case.

[Missy Vixen]

22. What a nice thing to say, Lara

>Some of those women are in amazing shape, despite extra pounds.<

I have to go back to the gym. By the end of the year, I hope I'll be in the group you're referencing. When I was going to the gym regularly, I used to joke that I'd started my own exercise group. By the time I'd been there a few weeks, I'd gotten to know some of the others working out at the same time I was. They were very encouraging towards me.

If we're ever in the same state, I'll meet you at the treadmill -- I'll bring the cold bottled water!

Julie

[LaraMN]

25. Go for it!

I've been surprised at how quickly I made progress, and it was really encouraging! I enjoy seeing the sense of community alot of the people at the gym have with each other, and I think it's great to have so many people in one place, all working so hard to better themselves, whatever their goals might be. I was heavier after I had my last baby, and while I hated the weight, I was probably fairly healthy, overall. I got all the weight off and I'm more fit now, but I was whining on here the other week about how I thought I was anemic, and since I now appear to have lost my period (I'm not pregnant!) it's become pretty clear to me that being trim and exercising does not always offer an assurance of good health. This never would have happened when I was heavier.

[retread]

27. It happens this time of year in most gyms. Usually by March it's the regulars

again until bathing suit time when there is an increase for another month or so.

[Skittles]

33. yup

the same people who get off the goodwill bandwagon after Christmas jump on the lose weight resolution bandwagon in January, only to get off by March.....people are so f'n predictable

[philosophie_en_rose]

28. I'm glad to hear it. My gym is a meat market.

I hate, hate, hate going to the gym. For most people, it's just a place to socialize, stare at breasts, and jiggle your ass at people. :eyes:

I'd much rather exercise with people (of any size) that actually use the equipment without lingering to take cell phone calls or examine other people's asses.

[BreweryYardRat]

34. I'm in college. Gym here = meat market times ten.

I'm not sure if that or the roid freaks piss me off more.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

29. There's something to that

I'm packing some extra pounds, but after three years of water aerobics, I can do a whole deep water class treading water without a flotation device.

[Little Wing]

30. I knew a marathon runner who would tuck 2 cigarettes into his hat

one for the halfway point ( while running ) and one for the end. He ran good times, too.

[SKKY]

35. Having quit smoking 8 months ago...

...I can not fathom the idea of smoking while running a marathon.

[Dukkha]

39. I used to smoke while riding a bicycle

back then I'd always say to people I'd join a gym but they won't get me keep an ashtray on the stairmaster.

[grace0418]

41. Yeah, I was really nervous at first when I started regularly going to the gym

because I was 140lbs over my ideal weight. I didn't know how to use any of the machines and could only go for a short while on the elliptical machine. But I got better really fast. Soon I realized that no one cared about the fat girl on the machines. Anyone who did notice was probably thinking "Good for her!" If they were thinking snide thoughts, what the hell do I care, right? What I do care about is that I'm now 55lbs lighter and so much stronger and healthier. I plan to be at or near my goal weight by the late fall.

And yes, even at my heaviest my cholesterol numbers were great, and I have always been quite strong.

My husband and I are now full-on regulars who know all the trainers, desk people and other regulars. We were even commenting last night about all the "resolutionaries" taking all the good machines and how we can't wait until things get back to normal. I never thought I'd be a gym regular!