Most people are uncomfortable talking to a heavy person about fitness.
I was a proud member of “Fat Club.” My doctor insisted that I lose weight. I agreed because I wanted to live for the longest time possible.
Overweight Discussions
After I started losing weight, I discovered an unwritten rule about being overweight. We don’t talk about fitness. Overweight people don’t easily share their challenges about getting or staying fit. The discussions are awkward.
When I was super-sized, my conversations with others regarding weight and fitness were superficial. My size drove the conversation. If the conversation turned to fitness, say weight training; the conversation lasted about one minute before the subject would return to discussing diets.
The gist of most of these conversations was diet. Then, dead stop. Quiet. No additional discussion of the tools and techniques required to become fit or stay fit.
Limited Conversation.
If we were discussing a fitness topic regarding television personalities or celebrities, the conversation would continue. Often others would join the conversation. As long as the conversation did not venture into larger humans getting fit, all was well.
We could have shared where to buy large lightweight exercise outfits and athletic shoes. Finding attractive, lightweight clothing and wide cross-training shoes took a few days of research.
We didn’t discuss the unexpected embarrassment that our weight could cause when we engaged in outdoor activities with others. We were in poor physical condition compared to our family and peers.
I was on vacation climbing a waterfall in Jamaica when the guide stopped the tour and made me go to the back of the line. People are ascending the water fall hold hands in a long line. Our guide was afraid I could lose my balance and pull everyone above me off the water fall. That would have resulted without a doubt in bad publicity for the “climb the water fall” attraction.
After waiting for ten minutes, a guide arrived to help me up the waterfall, alone. The potential disaster averted. It made me feel special, but not in a good way.
We should work to change the first rule to:
You don’t talk about “Fat Club” unless you are helping someone else meet their fitness goals in “Fat Club.”
Now that is a rule I would obey.
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