Body Image and other Random Thoughts

I've been thinking about this a lot lately - especially on my commute.

I'm 39 and my husband of nearly 20 years tells me it's taken me a LONG time to make peace with myself and my body.

As a teen and 20 something these were the images carved into my brain by society:

Long and lean meant beautiful and elegant.
Petite and small meant perky and adorable.

Sturdy and average meant .... sturdy and average. Come on, who wants to be that?

I see the same thing happening with my 5th grade students. I have a girl who can kick butt on the soccer field - but she's bigger than the other girls. She thinks she needs to lose 20 pounds. It's ridiculous. She's as tall as me and has some darn powerful legs. She doesn't need to lose any weight.

Being healthy is so much more important. I have 3 sisters and two brothers. Only two of us aren't on high blood pressure meds -me and my horseback riding sister! My two very overweight sisters insist it's genetic. Yeah - partly it is. We all have the same portly shaped thighs. That's not going to change. But eating healthy and getting some exercise would help. Those portly shaped thighs keep from purchasing the latest fashionable pants. I can't do low waist. But they are also getting me through a very difficult double century.

In conclusion - LOVE YOUR BODY AND TAKE CARE OF IT! It is the only one you're going to get. :p


V.

Can I be your cheerleader V?

thank you V. How did you come to be happy with yourself? that's a story I want to hear! or did you just wake up one day, and go.. duh! silly me! ? I "know" these things, then tend to "forget" them... it's all around us, pressure to be a certain photoshoped way... maybe we should issue free copies of photoshop to all the ladies, and let them fix themselves in pics, since that's all we really see of the models? - though I think some companies that cater to cyclist women, have sizes messed up. I'd be a large or XL at some of these places... what's with that? there was that bib thread that got a few discussion points - an extra skinny model - medium???



You know, I have a theory on why men in general seem to be better cyclists than women (in general) - they weigh more, more muscle mass... not so say we can't hold our own, and I'd really like to see a woman in Tour de France, though that isn't likely going to happen any time soon.

There is a women's tour! It's just 1/3 the length and completely ignored by all media, except fot the one paragraoh blip it gets on cycling news.:mad:

dont' get me started on the state of racing for women.:(

Awesome post V! Health and fitness matter so much more, it's just darn hard to remember that all the time.:o

Good post, V. I read LadyJai's post last night and have been mulling over it but you put all my thoughts into words for me. I'm 46, have had weight challenges since college and body image issues since puberty when I developed curves way before the other girls. It's only recently I've come to peace with my body all the while my husband has been spouting the same stuff V's hubby is. 36 friggin' years of my life and 18 years of marriage. So, I'm a slower learner also.:o

Personal experience is that men have absolutely no problems at all with lots of curves. I attended a Covert Bailey presentation where he said to the men in the audience, "Am I right, guys? Women are supposed to jiggle?" The guys roared their approval. Yet, the print and film images we see from youth revere the women who are almost emaciated. It is a very difficult set of contradictions with which to come to terms.

I read an interesting article a few years back by Gabrielle Reece in which she talked about the same issues and that when she finally realized she stayed healthier and was a better athlete at a heavier weight than she could be as a model her whole mental outlook and confidence changed for the better.
http://blogs.health.yahoo.com/get-he...gabriellereece

LadyJai, I can't tell you to stop worrying about your weight. I still think about it because I love to eat. However, I have finally realized that my body is strong, healthy and has some darn attractive features so my weight no longer controls me but I control it.

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Originally Posted by ladyjai

thank you V. How did you come to be happy with yourself? that's a story I want to hear! or did you just wake up one day, and go.. duh! silly me! ?

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I have always been fairly active, but not slim. I was distance swimmer in college and a lifeguard. When I started teaching I got less active and the pounds crept on. As long as I was in the 160s and could wear a 12, I was unhappy with myself, but figured that's what happens as you age. The school year of 2000 - 2001 was very difficult for me. I had a good class, but I had a lot of other responsibilities and I wasn't getting a lot of support from administration and I was totally stressed out all the time. In retropsect, I suspect I was depressed. I ate - a lot. I would eat an entire bag of minature hersey's candies in a single sitting. By the summer of 2001 I weighed 180 pounds and could not fit in size 12s anymore. I gained 20 - 25 pounds in that one year!

For my body, having to buy 14s, meant I was fat. I was okay with plump, but fat was not okay. There is a thread called Losing Weight where I talk about what I did to get the weight off. Now I wear an 8 or a 10 depending on the cut.

But it's really been in only the last two or three years that I have really become content with what I've got. I would love to have a figure like akaKim. Which I'm sure cracks her up. :p But I don't and I can't. Yet I know that I am strong, not just in my body, but determined. Some would say stubborn. I've ridden to the top of mountains when I feel like puking and with saddle sores that are bleeding. But I also know enough about my body to determine if this is pain I should stop for. I may not be the sveltest or the fastest. I have yucky bulges in spots when I wear lycra. But too bad... I'm riding my bike and having fun. I know I'm making the most of what I've got and that's all that matters.

It helps too to have a totally loving and supportive husband. He's always been there, cheering me on.

V.

Well done ladies. Its good to see woman standing up and saying Im happy with my body even if it isnt the Magazine image of what is perfect.

I was standing in the line of a check out the other day glancing at the mags which I refuse to buy and saw on the front of one learn how to loose weight like a certain actress (sorry I cant remember her name) with a picture of this bird in a bikini on the beach. I came home and latter was checking the news online and I see the same actress with headlines that she came out on some TV interview and told how she was bulimic. Im wondering is this what they listed inside the mag as the secret to how she lost weight hmmm Im thinking probably not. Its very sad.

Now at 41 I actually like the way my body looks more than I did at 20 dont get me wrong Im not saying it looks better I just like it more and respect the amazing things it has done for me like giving birth to three beautiful boys. Ive come to accept that I will never have an ultra flat belly again and things jiggle more but my husband tells me he loves me more each day and that his heart still flutters when he sees me after returning from a trip away.

I feel strong and healthy and happy.:)

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Originally Posted by Veronica

It helps too to have a totally loving and supportive husband. He's always been there, cheering me on.

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I think that's part of the picture, too: when a man (or women, or both, depending on your preference, or anyone, anyway) tells you you're beautiful, believe it, smile, and say "Thank you", which will make you even more beautiful. Even if it's someone you don't know on the street (in which case a smile and reply will make you feel and seem more confident than if you rush past without looking at the person in the eyes, anyway). Smile at people and let them smile back to you.

I am quite convinced that those skinny models are there for women to look at, not for men.

(However, in defense of tall and slim ladies, which I am not part of, I have to say that that Asos model was a tall girl and would not feel happy or comfy in a size S. Not that she cycles anyway. But I don't think the S-M-L-XL system is really to be taken as an absolute measure of who/what we are.)

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Originally Posted by Veronica

I would love to have a figure like akaKim. Which I'm sure cracks her up. :p

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Why thanks. But since I wear a size 8 too, we must not be that different. But I've never been happy with my body either - and padding in all the wrong places is only one of my many problems. I just try not to obsess (too much), and to stay active.

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Originally Posted by aka_kim

Why thanks. But since I wear a size 8 too, we must not be that different.

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It's the legs Kim. I want your long, lean, strong legs.
:D

V.

Sorry, but just as with cars, bodies come in packages. If you want the legs then you gotta take the pancake flat chest. :D

I have spent my entire life feeling like I've been overweight and as long as I can remember I have been denying myself meals. I am 5'2 and until I reached my 30's (I am now 43) I weighed between 105 and 112. I look back at pictures taken of me from those years and I can see that I wasn't overweight...at all. Why the poor self image?

Not sure what happend when I hit my 30's, becuase somehow I managed to creep up to 130 while still avoiding most meals. Now I didn't just feel fat, I was, and my metabolism was completely wacked! And tell me, just what kind of example did I set for my daughters? I know...terrible! They are now 18 and 20 and eat like normal people. Thank goodness I don't have to carry that guilt around with me.

I must also admit that I have been an active gym member for the last twenty-three years. However, these last three years I kicked it up from five (one hour) workouts a week, to seven. Most days I train for two hours, but when preparing for a tri, or getting ready for a Grand Canyon trek, I can easily kick it up to three or four hours a day. So how does one drop the extra pounds? I'm not sure if it possible for me, but with the extra activity these last few years I have become very strong...and fit. My doctor thinks the weight is fine and I am coming to terms with how I look. However, deep down, I still yearn to drop some weight and look as "fat" as I did in my twenties!

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

..... I'm 46, have had weight challenges since college and body image issues since puberty when I developed curves way before the other girls. ....

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Wow. I think you just nailed it for me. I had posted a long reply to V's initial response, deleted it, read LadyJai's, posted, deleted, but now it all kinda makes sense. In the fifth grade, when I was about 11, 12 years old, I was the second tallest person in the class. Boys and girls. I also felt like the biggest, weight-wise too. Developed early and teased constantly. Well, the problem is, my wishes came true - I never grew any taller. So, today, at 5'4", I STILL feel like the awkward giant that I was when I was twelve. I know what size my jeans are, yet I still feel huge. I just KNOW I tower over people who are much taller than me. I feel like I'm the same height as my boyfriend, except that every once in a while, we're hugging and I have to look UP into his eyes. How is that possible? In the same way I distort my height, I know I distort my weight. I'm 43, but inside, I'm still the clumsy, big girl I was at 12.

A topic that really hits home. I'm short but have never been described as petite or small and never perky or adorable--but "you're muscular" people say. I'm 41 and I finally understand that muscular is a good thing. Body shape has little to do with one's fitness as I've witnessed in my local outdoor group. None of these people look like a model, but boy can they bike, hike, ski, climb, etc. Seeing people 10-30 years older than me be active and healthy has really been a motivation for me. When I joined this group and started riding a mountain bike, it literally changed my life. The little light bulb finally clicked and I understood it was about a lifestyle and being good to your body, not just being thin.

It all came into even better focus in the past year as I struggle with perimenopause issues and a bulging tummy. I'm stronger than I've ever been, I'm riding/skiing better each year, I'm healthier, I'm exercising and eating well yet here I am with this stomach that won't allow me to wear my "skinny pants." It doesn't seem fair, but a growing acceptance of it sure makes life happier and more simple. I don't think I'm at the point that I can say I LOVE my body, but I sure like it more and more each day.

V;

Well said on both posts!!! I hope your little school girl does not develope an eating disorder. To me bein able to kick some butt on the soccer field is most important!! My daughter is very petite...she is 18 years old and 4' 9"...but she is a my "Tiny Toughie". She is into all sports, excels at field hockey, and rides like a "little warrior"...she too has had body image issues. I remember when she was in 5th grade, and had just gotten her period, she was mortified
because she was the first in her class. I felt so bad for her and spent hours
talking about healthy eating, good bones etc. AND SHE LISTENED (YEAH!) Now she gets on my back about balanced nutrition etc. Society today makes it so hard for women to be women. Every ad, commercial, has women as toothpicks and not with appropriate weight. It sickens me that we have become a society that only looks on the outside of a person and not at whats on the inside.
FYI, when I got sick I was the thinniest I have ever been, but 6 months in the house has really packed the weight on for me:eek:

karen
looking for my weight watchers scale

I am (if I translate into american ;)) 5'3", 130-odd pounds and a size six. A perfectly healthy body, but I can't imagine I'll ever be truly happy with it. :( There's nothing wrong with the arms and the legs and the head; it's all the flobby bits in the middle that bug me. Still, I'd rather do a million sit-ups than give up good food and alcohol... :p

A size 6? It's those pesky numbers again. I'm 5' 3 1/2" and weigh 133 lbs. I am pretty balanced top to bottom (an hourglass not a pear). I am absolutely thrilled when I fit into a size 8 pant. Another reason to revel in a healthy body rather than a label manufactured for commercial reasons.

I posted a reply to LadyJais post but to restate it here:

one brands size 8,10 as anothers 10,12 is anothers 6,8! I hang around between an 8-10 in the winter and a 6-8 in the summer.....half the time I don't know what size I'm wearing, but they're comfortable and I can wear them all day! That is more important to me then what "size" they are! oh...and that I can climb that dang-blasted mountain home every night! ;)

Well, I'm a GAP size six. I don't have any other pants that have US sizings in them as well as UK ones (which seem to be the same as NZ sizings). It's all a crap-shoot really, isn't it? Not hard to wind up with clothes in three different sizes all from the same store, in my experience.

sizes are a joke!

I can wear a size 4 at banana republic, but need a 10 in most patagonia pants. The rest of my clothes are in between, but a 4 is so far from a 10 it seems a little crazy!

As I said recently in another thread, Brava Mz. V! I remember those photos you posted---you are beautiful and from everything you've written here, I suspect you have an adoring husband (no reason to wonder why, either).

I hate the media for the number it does on women--ok, you can weigh 90 lbs, not counting your breast implants, and then you're considered beautiful. No, not until you get your nose fixed, lips pumped w/collagen, and forehead injected with Botox. So let's see, "beautiful" means you can't eat like a normal person, have to work out 4 hours a day, and then, schedule "maintenance" surgery at least once a year. How can anyone be happy, having to live like that? I don't view models/actresses as 100% real people anymore. Remember J-Lo with brown hair and a little meat on her? I thought she was stunning then. Now she seems to look like every other blonde celebrity female.

Thanks! - I'd forgotten about the pictures. Thom loved the one I picked by the way. :D

I just wish someone had told me when I was younger, and that I had believed them, that what you see in the media is not "perfection." Bodies come in all makes and models. The important thing is to treat the one you have well and to rejoice in what it can do. Reading about the difficulty others are having with their image, just made me want to say, "Hey you're okay!"

V.

I don't know many (any?) women who haven't struggled with this, even those that are chronically thin. I had troubles as an adolescent (I remember so clearly being labeled "thunder thighs" in high school) but now I try not to think about it. My weapons:

• no scales allowed in the house!
• no full length mirrors!
• judge by how the clothes fit!
• direct stress to the abs...build core strength without even really trying!

I pretty much only get weighed when I go to the doc. There is a scale at the gym I go to and I weighed myself once...and decided not to do that again. I'm in pretty good shape, my clothes fit, and I'm feeling pretty strong, yet the number that popped up made me think I should be thinner, in better shape, whatever. I've been both in better shape and in worse shape. But now that I'm older and a little bit wiser I know that if I were to cut back on calories to lose that extra (perceived?) weight, I wouldn't be able to do what I do. That's just how it is. I don't wear short shorts. Never have, never will.

HOWEVER, these days I am pretty gripped about this whole aging thing. I look in the mirror and see skin that has lost elasticity, lots of sun damage, bags, and wrinkles. I wish someone would have lectured me on skin care when I was 20. Oy! Not that it probably would have made a difference since I spent my entire childhood in the sun and continue to participate in activities that are hard on the skin. My 18 year old neice is prolly tired of hearing my "wear sunscreen" lecture.

So I think I've come to grips with the body image/body shape bit...now I need to learn how to live with my aging image in the mirror. I've made DH promise that he won't leave me for some young, wrinkle-free, fly fishing wonder, skinny-legged girl. We're going nymph fishing tomorrow so I can keep my edge!

But Yellow - you're one of those adorable, perky people! :D

V.

It's good to read these posts. Although I'll admit that the topic is anxiety-provoking, so I haven't read everything closely, just did the best I could. I'm 5'8", currently weigh 150#. Since becoming athletic about 3 years ago, I lost 30#, and became much more muscular. I am so proud of the muscles in my legs and arms. I've still got a blobby belly, big breasts, and a flat butt. I don't care about the flat butt. I wish the front were as flat as the back.

I feel huge--like I tower over people. Like my femurs are unnaturally long (they're not). My breasts started to grow in my late teens, and they are now 36D. I don't like the attention I get from them, so I'm not fond of standing up really straight! I forget to suck in my belly all the time. I hate seeing pictures of myself in lycra. Yet...here's a picture of me running the marathon. I love the way I look. I look strong and happy. I'm aware that the black running shorts sort of hide the belly. So what, I have a belly! Sheesh!

My mind SCREAMS that I don't look like an athlete. I respect the women who post here--strong, smart women, cyclists, racers, etc. It helps to hear that your bodies aren't what you think they should be. Because I "see" you all in my mind as heros.

Lise

Ahhh... anyone who can actually run more than a mile is an athlete in my mind.

It's easy for me to say from 34 B ness.... But stand up straight and be proud Lise. Anyone who thinks you're just a set of boobs is a twit! Besides standing up straight makes your tummy look smaller. I'm speaking from experience here.

V.

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Originally Posted by Lise

My mind SCREAMS that I don't look like an athlete. I respect the women who post here--strong, smart women, cyclists, racers, etc. It helps to hear that your bodies aren't what you think they should be. Because I "see" you all in my mind as heros.

Lise

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You know what I see when I look at your picture? A cute, happy athlete! In fact, you kind of look like me (also 5'8", 150#, short blond hair) Hey, I look darned good! :D

This is such an issue of perspective! Nothing anyone else says can change that "body image" picture we have in our mind. And, YES!, it starts at puberty and the things that happen to us at that age stick with us the rest of our lives. It must be some sort of cavewoman thing...

Age helps with this, but it's still an everyday struggle to remind myself that I'm okay in this department.

Wow, what a great thread. I'm not sure where to start in applauding it you all wrote such great stuff. Somewhat related thought...I've been mulling this question over, the thought bubble works something like this: do you think we (meaning we TE'ers, athletes in general, endurance athletes in particular) are different? And if so why? nature or nurture that sort of thing.

We've all been there; the family or friend who looks at you like we've got two heads when you say "just a 30 mile training ride", "you're training for WHAT? :eek: " "you ride to work? :eek: ". much less the date thread that's somewhere here.

For me even if it's a lunchtime walk, it's what my body feels it must do like breathing.

Weight has been a life long battle, I could stand to loose 30 or so lbs but even my Dr. agrees as he points at the weight chart "this has nothing to do with you. this is based on people who do not ride. Loose some weight but don't loose any muscle. If you feel weaker, stop." Good doc!

So I don't have a scale, I go by how the clothes fit (tight right now) and how I feel and how I perform on the bike (pretty good). Thanks TE gals for the reminder, work on the core.

It's always relatively easy for me to ramp up the workout. Not more hours because I don't have a lot of time but harder, add a hill, sprint, spin, more weight. We all see ads for New Years Resolution gym memberships, Fitness Equipment Sales etc that's never been hard for me to do.

So I was thinking that's genetics, my (and therefore Bikeless in Wi's) parents are what you'd call vibrant elderly, my Dad right up to shortly before his death, Mom still thinks little of walking to town although she gardens less than she used to, both sib's and their resulting kids are active-bike, swim, cc ski, climb, have a cousin who does double centuries...is this genetic?

I don't know Trek - based on my own family - I'm pretty much an anomaly. My oldest sister was state champion in hurdles in high school. She's now at least 100 pounds overweight is my guess. She's 5'8" and weighs 280.

My next sister didn't get cursed with the bulging thighs and she's in pretty good shape. She rides horses. She was NOT at all athletic as a kid.

My three brothers were not into sports as kids, but were boy scouts. One is deceased, one has quite a big belly and the other is doing okay, but his jobs are a bit stressful and cause some blood pressure problems. He's got a little bit of a belly.

My third sister has never been athletic and I would guess weighs 200 - 220 at 5'2".

I'm the youngest and I've always been pretty athletic. Even when I was heavy, I was at the gym a couple of times a week.

My mother is overweight, has been all my life. My father was a smoker and his jobs kept him active so was never overweight.

I was neither encouraged nor discouraged from being active as a kid/teen.

Don't know what it all means. Probably nothing. :) I wish I could encourage my sisters to have a healthier lifestyle. But I know, change must come from within.

V.

I'm about to turn 59 this spring. At 5 feet even (and shrinking) I would still like to get down to 118 from my present 130, but I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that that is not in the cards for me. Annie has met my mother who is 88. She can testify just how much like her I am. The biggest difference is that she has never liked any activity other than shopping. I will have osteoporosis, hopefully as mild as hers. I will get a belly, hopefully a little less than hers. I will get arthritis, I've already had to go up a 1/2 size in my surgical gloves; but hope I will have the courage to do the hip replacement/knee replacement at the right time to maximize keeping an active lifestyle as long as possible. As an adult I have gotten down to the sub-110 that all the charts suggest as a healthy weight for me only during 3 serious depressive episodes. During the latter 2, my DH kept telling me "my body might be considered sexier when I was skinny, but I wasn't. I love when you can laugh, play, cook for us and eat with us. That makes you alive and someone I love." Thanks to modern chemistry, I came out the last episode able to believe him. It took me 83% of my life to get there and I look forward to that percentage shrinking faster than my height. It doesn't matter how long it takes to get to accept yourself, just that you do it (and ride your bike with joy as you do).

Lise!!! I looked at the picture and said to myself (or out loud, I'm afraid...): What a great poster girl for fitness! You look wonderful, smiling, strong. That's fantastic!!!!!!!

Dove (as in the soap) has made a step in the right direction, proclaiming, "Real women have real curves." Check out the campaignforrealbeauty.com.

Maybe if the dove women were selling underwear, I would buy their BS laden campaign about loving your curves. However, dove wants us to love our bodies, but not too much, since we must be sufficiently disatisfied to want to improve it with their miracle cream. And if the creams do not work (which is most likely the case), well, you are still left with the self hatred of having a soft body.

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Originally Posted by Veronica

Besides standing up straight makes your tummy look smaller. I'm speaking from experience here.

V.

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Ahhh! Thanks for the tip! :p

And thanks for the encouragement, all. I'll reflect it right back at you. What I love about that picture of me is the look on my face. That was about mile 16 of the marathon, and I was flanked by two dear friends who came out to cheer for me. I was happy and proud, and hadn't yet hit "the wall"!

I was thinking today about the questions concerning endurance sports and genetics. Probably something there, although no one else in my family is a runner. My mom and aunt both became cyclists in their 50s/60s. My brother's always been sort of a jock--baseball, hiking, mtb on vacations. My sister...no. Walks, does Pilates. My dad was an athlete, coached high school baseball, died when he was 35 of a brain tumor.

For me, endurance sports "fit" because I know that I have the capacity to endure difficult things. Hard childhood, abusive ex-partner. Even my job is something of an endurance sport--I'm in the middle of a 24 hr shift right now, and delivered 3 babies in 3 hours. So I have the body-knowledge that I can keep at it. I am not fast, but I can keep going. As the marathon wore on, and I wanted to quit, I'd say to myself, "It's a marathon. You might as well keep running."

I know my body image comes from childhood and teen years--I was fat, smart, unpopular, etc. I diligently studied Seventeen and Glamour magazines. I rode my bike, loved to ride my bike, but didn't really know people did that for fun, long distances, or trails.

Ah, well, here we are, and I bet we'd all have a great time riding hard, cooking and eating together. I envy those of you on the coasts who get together! I'll bet there's a lot of laughter.

Best to all,

Lise

I understand what you guys are going through, as I face many of the same problems myself, even though I've never been overweight. (I'm 5'2 and 125lb and usually a size 5) Growing up, I always heard from family about how tiny my mom was, and how I was so much bigger than she was at my age, and I would look at how my mom looks now, and see that she is overweight, just like the rest of my family, and it always worried me that I would end up overweight also, or worse, since I was already bigger.

I've done ballet for most of my life, and still take the occasional class. Once again, I always felt big next to the tiny dancers (many of whom I know have eating disorders), and we were always encouraged to watch our diet and size, when in actuality I was already pretty small, and looking back at some of the videos, I didn't look the least bit out of place. I also competed at horse shows, and in the equitation classes, many of the girls made the dancers look big, and to top it off, anytime one of the other mom's would make a comment to my mom about how tiny they thought I was (I was a few inches shorter than almost everyone), my mom would always go into the "well, how much do you think she weighs?" "about 100, 105lbs," "oh no, she's 115lb" That never helped any, for sure. (I promise I'm not trying to blame my mom here)

But I can still wear many of the same, form fitting clothes I wore 10-15yrs ago. I mean, I still wear the leotard I wore back in the 5th grade, and the same breeches I wore in the 7th, so I know I have nothing to worry about with my size, even though the weight number is increasing.

However, the main thing that has helped me was when I was going through the nutrition class at med school, and I kept seeing all of these numbers saying that I needed to be 112lb to be at my ideal weight for optimal health. I mentioned to my preceptor (a doctor we work with in groups of 4) that according to the charts, I needed to be 10lbs less, and I was wondering how accurate they actually were. He looked at me like I was insane for even thinking that I might need to lose weight, and said that this was an example of why we are doctors who actually who see patients, and look at each perosn individually, and not just getting info off of the chart without ever seeing them, because each person is different and does not go eactly by the book, and that anyone who would think I needed to lose any weight was insane.

I still have issues with my weight, but I have to keep reminding myself that that number comes from my muscle, and that I have nothing to worry about. Sorry this was so long, but I wanted to share.

OK, so now a REAL heavy weight with body image issues will wade in! You all think YOU look bad in lycra, try being 5'6"ish and weighing over 200 lbs :eek: It's not a pretty sight, especially when you throw in the lack of plus size jerseys, but I do it because riding a bike is going to save me. I have this mental image of myself as an old fat lady pushing a walker and carrying an oxygen bottle. :( While I can't do anything about the old, I'm turning 50 on Friday, I am doing something about the weight!!!!!

It's an uphill battle and I have to fight for every step I gain. I get depressed because I'm always the fattest person at bike meetings, spin class, and rides. When I tell people I ride a bike, I get the "sure you do" look. I am instantly put into the slow rider/can't keep up catagory. I went on a new group ride last fall that was about 15 miles. The group leader took me aside to ask if I had ridden that far before and was it going to be to much. When I kept up with the leaders through most of the ride she was nice enough to tell me that I was a pretty strong rider.:rolleyes: That's why I'm working so hard this winter. I want to start with group riding this spring and definitely want to show the high and mighty, lean and mean riders that THIS Fat Bottom Girl can kick some a$$.:D

So I press on, because I have no other choice. And what's really depressing is that the process is so sloooow! My husband keeps tells me to be patient, but now that I have comitted to the whole process I want to see results NOW! I no longer get on the scale, the whole muscle weighing more than fat thing, so I look for changes in the way my clothes fit. After all isn't that what it's all about. :) BikerHen

It's so easy to judge other people by how they look. You keep fooling them BikerHen and slow weight loss really is better. If you keep biking and eating well, the weight will come off. And even if it doesn't get where you hope, you'll be SO much healthier.

V.

Well said, BikerHen!!! :D

each day I come here I read yet another motivational, positive reinforcement post! You go kick their lean lil hinneys Banty Hen! I'll ride with you Any day over them "others"! :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bikerHen

I'm turning 50 on Friday...she was nice enough to tell me that I was a pretty strong rider.

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Well, HAPPY BIRTHDAY bikerHen! If I didn't have plans, I'd try to brave the cold and go on a birthday ride with you. And I've ridden with you--I KNOW that you ARE a strong rider. Like I told you at the meeting the other night, I admire your endurance. I know I didn't last two hours on my first mtb ride like you and the chick did last fall.

Just keep on riding and remember to focus on having fun!