Too skinny to exercise...

I agree with Soosan and Laurie (endorphin junkie)...

"too skinny" is rude and just as bad as "too fat". I hear "skinny" and think Calista Flockhart. Not the look I'm going for.

Now, as for these people making the "you can eat xyz because your small" and "you don't need to workout" comments...these are not comments out of jealousy but stupidity and it is extremely typical of our society. What they really mean is, you can stop the diet and you can put your workout clothes away because you made it...your thin and fit. That is what our society does, right? Eat nothing but grapefruit and tomato juice for a month, lose the weight, then back to life as they know it (while gaining every pound plus some extra back).

So, it's much more of an issue of not understanding the concept of "fit for life" and that is why we fail to dart a comeback back at these people...what we are doing is so much more than a "one liner"! Every one of us could write a book!
 
Wow - I didn't expect to see so many responses! I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets a little irked with such comments and rude cashiers. Susan has a good point though - the cashier would not have told an overweight person that they shouldn't be buying a muffin (although they might think it!).

Anyhow, I guess I shouldn't get so irritated, but it's so hard to bite my tongue and not say something rude back, although I think sometimes that would make the person realize that their comment wasn't so nice, whatever their intention was.
 
What they really mean is,
>you can stop the diet and you can put your workout clothes
>away because you made it...your thin and fit. That is what
>our society does, right? Eat nothing but grapefruit and
>tomato juice for a month, lose the weight, then back to life
>as they know it (while gaining every pound plus some extra
>back).
>
>So, it's much more of an issue of not understanding the
>concept of "fit for life" and that is why we fail to dart a
>comeback back at these people...what we are doing is so much
>more than a "one liner"!

A great point.
A lot of people seem to be looking for that "quick fix." And once they consider themselves "fixed" (or maybe even before), they don't think they need to do more.
That can explain why so many people buy exercise gadgets and gizmos, but so few actually use them.


Though wouldn't it be kind of nice sometimes if, once you built the body you wanted, you didn't have to do anything to maintain it? "Yeah, I ate well for a couple of years and worked out, then I got to where I wanted, and now I just eat cheezy poofs (nutritional yeast coated for me ;-) ) and sit and watch the tube all day."
 
I agree that "skinny" is not the look I'm going for either. Skinny doesn't imply healthy, it almost makes me sound malnourished, which I'm not. "Fit" or "in good shape" would be a compliment because it implies that I've worked hard to get that way.

Now that you got me going - I was in a restaurant the other day and I ordered some fish and steamed veggies. The very overweight ladies sitting at the table next to ours were giving me weird looks. Guess what they were eating - a huge plate of cheese fries, a big ol' plate of bbq ribs and chicken with some fattening sides. Enough said...

P.S. Sorry if that sounds mean - I'm just frustrated at people right now.
 
>Now that you got me going - I was in a restaurant the other
>day and I ordered some fish and steamed veggies. The very
>overweight ladies sitting at the table next to ours were
>giving me weird looks. Guess what they were eating - a huge
>plate of cheese fries, a big ol' plate of bbq ribs and chicken
>with some fattening sides. Enough said...


My dear, don't you understand that it's because you don't NEED to eat like that...because you're too skinny!}(

(I just couldn't help it! But how about telling the staring woman:
"you don't need to eat like that. You're big enough as it is." I don't think anyone would consider saying anything like that to someone!)
 
All of u guys r so right. I wouldnt bother abt anyones comments.. I just feel tht these people r so jealous, whn i was heavier i seemed to be having so many friends, now tht Im fit and can wear good clothes, some of my friends just ignore me, I was feelin so bad, but my BF told me not to worry, just bcoz they dont want to be healthy, its their choice, we r doin wht we feel is right.
 
I agree it's annoying, but at the same time, I kind of take it as a compliment.

I worked with a woman once and she made a comment about how skinny or small I was, and I told her I used to weigh 175 lbs (I'm 5'2") and she SHOUTED out to everyone in the room "YOU USED TO BE A PORKER?!?!?!" and I thought that was worse.

I guess someone saying something off hand can hit any of us the wrong way, depending on where we're at.
 
Oh the heck with them, they're just jealous. I don't usually get comments about my body unless I'm buying clothes for myself in GapKids (I can wear XL kids sizes in tops, but I can't wear kids bottoms). No one would ever call me skinny as I am short, stocky and muscular, but definitely not overweight.

HOWEVER, the absolute worst comment I got from a cashier was when I was pregnant with my 2nd. I hadn't lost much of the weight from the 1st even though it had been 2 1/2 years and because I'm barely 5 feet tall and in my 8th month, I was quite large. The cashier laughed and said, "You're wider than you are tall!!" I can laugh about it now......I know pregnant women get stuff like this all the time. why do people have to comment about other peoples' bodies?
--Lois


"If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning" - Mahatma Ghandi
 
For the life of me I don't understand why people can call you skinny all the time but you can't call them "chubby" the same way....
:)
That line -- you can eat it, you are so skinny -- just drives me NUTS!
 
>Along the same lines, I was just running errands. I only went
>two different plcaes and somehow three people managed to look
>at me in ABSOLUTE AWE and say "Wow, you're tall" with their
>noses curled up like I was a tall, yet smelly, girl. Thanks, I
>never noticed...
>
>Christine :)


Ha! I'm 5'10" (which really isn't all that tall these days), and I get that one all the time, too. I want to say, "I am? You're kidding! When did this happen? Ohmigosh, when I went to bed last night, I was 5'3!"

It bothered me when I was young (and the tallest person in my school), but I just kind of laugh about it now. Truth is, most people say it in an admiring/envious way these days, although that hasn't always been true.

Shari
 
I HATE the term skinny. To be that sounds like the waiflike cat walk model with NO muscle tone at all.

Skinny is lindsay lohan who looks horrible if you ask me - now saying you are toned that's another thing all together..... Muscle looks healthy...
 
I am pretty sure that most of the people who say stuff like that actually mean it as a compliment or a little joke (even with a little jealousy mixed it). Lots of people on this board seem to spend lots of time really focused on their bodies so I am perplexed at the level of upset at folks commenting on you achieving the "look" that many of us are working toward.

When someone says to me, "you don't look like you need to exercise." I smile sweetly and say, "Thanks!!"
 
i'm right there with you, melissa.. i HATE the term skinny.. as others have said.. it's just as offensive as calling someone fat!


-------------
cute work out clothes are good for AT LEAST an additional 10-15 calories burned!
 
hahaha, I had great laughs with this topic, I don't mean wrong, all my life since childhood to marriage, people used to call me fat, you fat this you fat that, even family, so now when they call me skinny I feel complemented,,,, yes!!! I am skinny!!! wohoooo! skinny and bony I can wear whatever I want, and I eat a lot of good food, and I dont gain weight, I rubber that a lot in their faces, for all the pain they made me feel as a child and during teenage time!!!! they are the fat ones now, and they dont have a freaking clue how to stop it, I tell them to eat right and start to excercise and their faces go: uh?

Norma.

The older I get the more I love me.

http://www.geocities.com/norma123nyc/MyJourney.html
 
Thanks Norma!!

Norma, I read your post and thought it was awesome and amusing. I checked out your home page and wanted to say how much I admire that your love for your son could prompt you to begin to heal and get healthy. It's a beautiful story, thanks for sharing it. Your humour and spirit shine!!

Take Care
Laurie :)
 
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