Joolie’s
Random Ramblings
My exercise is better than yours
Posted on 05/09/2012 by JoolieW68
No. No it’s not. It’s not any better, it’s not any worse…. it’s what works for ME.
When perusing the forums here at MFP I see a lot of posts like “I’m only doing cardio, is that ok?”, or, “I don’t like to run, can I lose weight just walking?”, or even, “I don’t like to exercise, can I just watch my calories?” and other such exercise related topics.
It always amuses and mostly irritates me how many people chime in with responses that equate to “YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG, MY WAY IS BETTER, YOU ARE A LOSER”, and then back it up with links to articles, and references to obscure Sanskrit drawings. Ok, they don’t use those same words, but they that’s how they sound in their replies.
Why does it irritate me? Because if someone is new here and they are now doing exercise, and they were not doing exercise before – whatever they are doing now is better than nothing! And furthermore, whatever exercise someone chooses to do is totally their choice, not for me or anyone else to judge.
I started my weight loss quest (don’t like that word ‘journey’) by just walking. *GASP!!* Walking? How can that be? Bring on the people who start debating how that is not the right way to do it. I should have been running, jumping, lifting weights, carrying bricks, building bridges, and digging ditches. How dare I simply WALK?
I lost my first 63 pounds by ‘just’ walking. After those 63 pounds I started running – more cardio! – and still was not lifting weights, tossing bricks, or going insane. BAMN, another 40 pounds.
That’s 103 pounds doing only cardio. And yet, there are still people who tell me I ‘did it wrong’. Really? ONE HUNDRED AND THREE POUNDS? STFU. To those who judge me for doing only cardio – I’d rather be me than you any day of the week
But now, out of the woodwork come the people saying “Well you can do only cardio, but you will be ‘skinny fat’.” I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking “What the hell is that”? That’s like ‘jumbo shrimp’, or ‘clean dirt’. The same people who use that phrase ‘skinny fat’ describe it as “looking good with clothing on, but a ‘fit’ person will look good naked”. Well I will be sure to let by boss know that I am not coming to work naked because I’m skinny fat.
Seriously, who the hell is going to see me naked except for my husband (or my doctor)? And frankly, my husband doesn’t care if I’m skinny fat, fat, or fit, so long as I’m naked. That term skinny fat should be banished from everyone’s vocabulary. It’s demeaning, and those that use it come off as arrogant and condescending. Really, they do.
So my point is this…people should not judge another person’s fitness routine or the effort they are willing to put forth. If they want to just walk – great! If they want to walk, run, jump, jack, flap, lift, and do cartwheels – great!
And if someone asks “Is walking good enough to lose weight?”, they should not have someone come off like an insensitive pr!ck and tell them what they are doing is wrong. Perhaps they could be pushing themselves harder, or walking more, or even eating better….we probably all could. But that’s not for anyone to judge, that’s for them to dig deep and find within themselves. Suggestions can be made, sure, but if walking is the only thing a person is willing to do, then that’s their choice and should be accepted, not debated.
You know as well as I do that ANY exercise is better than no exercise, and whatever exercise someone chooses to do is no better or worse than another’s. It should be something they can sustain long term, not just because some anonymous person on a message board told them to do it.
Edited to add something one of my MFPeeps said once….a phrase I love, and something we should all remember: “Progress, not perfection”.
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