Hi guys,
I have a question related to how you answer other people’s questions about how and why you workout, eat, and otherwise live this kind of lifestyle.
Here’s the background…
Today, one of my labmates asked me why I eat 8 times a day, so as I got into the physiology of it, she said “that’s stupid”. I thought WTF? When I asked why it was stupid, she didn’t comment on the scientific rational, but instead said it was stupid for me to want this, and that it was “obsessive”. So as my blood started to boil, she asked why I was aiming for 200lbs (I’m currently 183). I didn’t know how to answer so I replied “why does anyone do anything? Just something to achieve.” To this I got once again that it was stupid for me to want this. I just ended the conversation because I was really starting to get aggrevated.
Anyone ever have experiences like this? I’m really rather bothered by this comment because I’m not someone who would ever belittle someone elses goals. How do any of you answer questions like this? Perhaps this is just me getting this off my chest (and so I appreciate you all allowing me to waste space). But I’m really rather irritated.
I get this at work too, but they know I know what I’m talking about, so after making fun of me, they ask me about diets such as “the south beach diet” and “atkins” and other stuff.
Just tell her you do it because it makes you feel good and you want to do it. Ask her about something she truly cares about, and then say “That’s stupid” and follow it up with “how’s it feel”. Then tell her it really pissed you off by her doing that, and she should get the point.
I had one male friend tell me he liked me better “The old way”. The old way being an emotionally and physically weak woman. I was also told I was obsessed. My response: I am not obsessed, I am hardcore, something you will never understand because you are a weakling. Then I told him to F-off.
Yesterday someone told me that women that got ripped and hard were not sexy and that I should stay soft and feminine. My response: I don’t remember asking for you opinion and when he wouldn’t shut up about it…I told him to F-off.
Of course you probably shouldn’t tell this girl to F-off, although it does feel good and usually leaves them speechless…which was my goal.
How about …My body is the temple of my soul and I treat it as such. Hard to argue that one. That was my brother’s response when he was asked why he trained so hard for so many years.
I am sure the rest of the forum will be along to respond with some good ones.
Cunt, Fuck off what type of a forum is this? Just kidding…anyway yeah I’ve gotten this from lots of girls I’ve dated. They’ll say shit like you look fine the way you are blah blah blah. I have to agree with JW though my best answer for people who I don’t want to fuck off is that I do it for me. Some people spend lots of money/time on cars, surfing, jewlery, the clothes they wear but what we invest in can’t be taken away, it’s there for the rest of our lives, people see it and judge it every day, and the way we take care of it will determine our happiness in the future as well as right now…doesn’t sound to stupid to me.
I’m sorry that we all have to deal with individuals like that. It stems from self-centeredness in that if it is not what they want or can understand, then it’s “stupid”. They need no other explanation. They will never grow as a person.
Iron Maiden’s response about the temple of the soul thing is good. That should work really well with religious people, and especially Christians, as that is using their terminology. Which reminds me that I still get irked when I notice obese Christians. But God made them that way, of course.
A response that you can work into a lot of opinion situations is something along the lines of, “believe whatever makes you feel better about yourself.” That pisses people off pretty good.
For humor, you could just responsd, “Because I’m better than you.” I think it’s true in this case, so you should be able to keep a straight face.
Iron Maiden, I apologize on the behalf of asshole men for anyone saying that, “women that got ripped and hard were not sexy and that I should stay soft and feminine.” That is a ridiculous statement. Tell him that he can have all of the fat women he so desires, but he will never have your firm ass.
Ooo Iron Maiden…I’ve got your back there!! I have had three or four guys lately tell me that they would never date me, for various reasons such as “your arms are too ripped, I would date a girl who’s shoulders are more defined than mine”…“you’re too much like a man, I like my women soft”…and “your pecs are bigger than your breasts”. WTH!?! As if I asked them, or looked at them and said “You’re too skinny for my taste, and you’ve got serious white boy ass going on, hit the squat rack”.
And ND…I feel you. I constantly get flak about bringing salads to work, about bringing my gym gear to hit a workout up on the way home, etc etc. All the while coming from smokers eating taco bell for the third time that day. It gets old so fast. I don’t make fun of them for living what I think is a wretched lifestyle. Shrug and go on and know you’re doing what you want to do and love to do. Can’t please everybody, so you’ve got to please yourself.
Once she calls your lifestyle stupid, you cut her off that’s what you do. once someone disrespects you, you no longer owe them any sort of respect. You simply walk away.
You owe her no explanation, and you will not tolerate childish behavior such as hers. It’s simple.
Why do you do it? Just cuz you wanna. Or because you wanna crack somebody’s head open. Or because you wanna set yourself apart from whiny lazy bitches like her who think lying in bed for 14 hours, fattening up on nachos, smoke pot and get drunk, and go back to bed, is being ‘bad’. You do it because you’re hardcore. You do it because anybody can be the lazy childish ass she is, but it takes someone with fiber to do what you do.
“Thank you for bestowing the benefit of your wise and insightful opinion on me. I am a better man for it. I think that, having heard your opinion, I will now immediately and forever change my behavior to align myself with it, you, your values and your perceptions of the world. Please, go now and tell others what they do is stupid as well, so that they may listen and reap the benefit of your knowledge.”
If you fall to your knees and say the above in a really loud voice (preferably in a place that has a few other people around), I guarantee you that not only will you not have to deal with her ever again, you won’t have anyone else coming up to you and commenting on your lifestyle either.
One other good method - assuming that the person talking to you is fat/skinny/sickly/etc. - is to say: “Thanks for that. Because my overriding goal in life is to look exactly like/be just as healthy as you.”
Actually, I agree with Patricia as well. It’s just that I’m not as mature as she is, and find it more fun to totally deflate people who comment on my lifestyle.
When peple ask me why i work out so often, or why i eat6-8 times a day, why i don’t have the extra piece of cake, or that next beer, i simply say “everyday i am moving one step closer to accomplishing my dreams, how about you?”
I don’t remember who said this. As a result I’m certain I’m paraphrasing but I really fell in love with this saying:
“Obsessed” is a word the weak use to describe the driven.
I throw that one out whenever people tell me I’m obsessive about working out. it’s funny though, I’ve gone through some serious physical changes since the spring (lost 10%BF now I’ve added 10lbs of LBM) as a result more and more people are coming up to me for training.
Hell, even my co-workers have started asking me for all sorts of advice, and they all have degrees in this!!! It’s a little funny though that they’ll ask my advice in one sentence then make fun of how big my lunch bag is in the next. . .They just don’t seem to draw a correlation between my massive lunch bag and hard training and the results I’ve been getting. . .
They are usually deeply envious. I wouldn’t give them a response just like Patricia suggests. If you want to give them one just say, “When we evolve as a society and everyone catches on to the supposed “health craze” you will be the one in the minority being asked why do you eat only once/twice a day? And why do you not have any personal health goals?”
I can usually explain the eating part to people. If I don’t watch my diet I’m going to be fat, at least I was when I didn’t previously. As for the training, people still don’t get weight training. They think it’s for people who wan’t to look like Ronnie Coleman (if not they could just run, right?)
Mostly I don’t worry about it.
Iron Maiden, I don’t think “lean” women look good either. That is “ultra lean” Patricia is pretty lean and looks good. Patricia in the old competition shots she had on here was ultra ripped, and that just doesn’t look good.
If that’s what you want, there’s no reason why you should pay any attention to my opinion.
So basically: Women who are lean = good
Women who are lean like a lean man = bad (well ugly at least).
Its not really a stupid question - a lot of people would not perceive it the same way someone else does : to someone whose goals are not weight-room oriented, eating 6-8 meals a day is kind of excessive. Fretting over the P+F, P+C issues can be really annoying, and eating that often really isn’t a guarantee of anything to begin with - diet is important but that one way isn’t the absolute only way.
Like Patricia said, it shouldn’t be a big deal - treat it like that and it won’t be. If you make a big deal out of it, it probably does seem retarded to other people.
That said, I can think of any number of good answers : “I prefer to eat smaller meals more often,” “My metabolism is really fast and I’m always hungry - if I don’t do something about it, I get irritable,” “I feel better eating this way,” “See this cottage cheese? I do things to avoid having my ass look like that… do you?”
“Why AREN’T you eating more often? Do you have a problem?” “Because I just love pooping”
Heh, you think THAT’s tough to answer? Try explaining to people a diet high in saturated fat that I’m on LOL. Where do I even begin with that one? Let alone olympics lifts and other things like that. I don’t even bother explaining. I just say “It’s healthy” and leave it at that.
It’s interesting how weak people are when it comes to food. Some people just can’t give up bad things. How weak can you be if you can’t stop eating potato chips and donuts? I’ve never had a problem with dropping food that isn’t good for me, even if it’s grains and milk (which I love). To me it’s so easy, and many people don’t get it.
I think many people are just mentally weak (hehe, and physically) and can’t understand what we do. It’s a product of a society that expects instant results. No need for hard work, right?