What does fit look like?

[uforgot]

I just had a checkup. My doctor said "You exercise, don't you?" I replied "All the time". (Dance teacher, cyclist, never sit down teacher!) She said she could tell and that she was not going to give me the standard "you need to lose weight" lecture. She says I'm fit because my blood pressure, flexibility and cholesterol tell her so. She said to just keep doing what I'm doing. For my entire life, the focus has always been on losing 25 lbs, nothing else. The focus came from my parents, health care providers, boyfriends, ex-husband, society and myself. I walked out of there feeling better about myself than I ever have before! Finally!

[shootingstar]

The most important thing for me, is to be able to keep on cycling for long distances. Fit my clothes that are a few years old (or even older! ).

Ever since I had that scare a few yrs. ago of extreme vertigo for 1 day, where I couldn't even open my eyes while sitting (much less walk, ride a bike).... it changed my definition of physical mobility, fitness and health.

[PamNY]

I have two close friends who are big women AND very strong and fit. Both have helped me with heavy physical work in highly emotional situations (death in family, crisis move for a falling-apart buddy). "Grateful" doesn't begin to cover how I felt about their assistance.

That made me so aware of this issue that I can barely keep my mouth shut when some delicate little thing who can barely lift a briefcase snarks about weight.

[lauraelmore1033]

ugh! do not get me started!!!

Suffice it to say I don't look fit.

But I am.

[GLC1968]

Like the guy in that article mentioned, I think it varies greatly by sport.

And something I'm discovering very recently...looks are VERY deceiving when it comes to swimmers. Most of the best ones I'm enountering at the pool are not typically 'fit' looking at all. Most of the women are actually more on the 'real woman have curves' side of the spectrum...and yet they swim like fish. It's really awesome to see!

The fastest, fittest female runners I know look like typical lean runners. The best cyclists I know look like generally all around fit women (most with muscular legs) and the fittest body-builders I know look just like regular (but strong) women in their everyday walking around stage (they get really lean when a competition comes up, but they don't live that way year round).

I think men are quite different. In fact, with the exception of a few small beer bellies, I know very few truly fit men who don't look very fit. Its like when they decide to actually GET fit, their outward appearance changes. Their bodies respond. The only exception would be bodybuilders in their 'bulking' stage.

Personally, I have a LOT of room for improvement both on my fitness and on how I look, but I haven't always been this way. In fact, I remember when I last had my bodyfat tested by a pro - he did it twice because he didn't believe the number. I was 18% bf and yet I had visible fat on my lower body. When I walked into that gym with my husband for the first time a month prior, they all fawned over him (he was not fit!) and tried to steer me towards an introductory course on using the machines and nutrition. When they asked us each what our goals were, the guy was already poised to check the 'weight loss' box for me before I'd even responded. It really pissed me off. I was fit but I clearly didn't look it where my husband was out of shape and overweight and they assumed he was the one with all the experience and fitness.

[Crankin]

Well, as far as the comment about men, I am always surprised by some of the guys in my cycling group. They have bellies and are very strong riders. Maybe because they are older and have been riding for years? Not sure, here. This group does like to eat, though...
I have had experiences similar to you, GLC. I look thin, but not skinny. I have some "untoned" fat around my hips and outer thighs that will just never be gone, without more work than I am willing to do. I look good in clothes, but not in a bathing suit! Anyway, once I went to my gym for a body fat assessment. The guy thought his calipers and the electrical impedance thingy were broken when he kept coming up with 15.5% for me. This was years ago, too, when I weighed even less. Even now, it rarely goes above 18%. I guess this is the effect of almost 30 years of exercising!
Some people just will never get over the stereotype of skinny-minny is good. My (very unfit and slightly overweight) friend was bragging that she bought some "skinny" jeans and that they "had them in her size." When I told her that i couldn't wear them, because they won't go over my cycling calves and thighs, she thought it was terrible and didn't understand how someone could be thin and not be able to wear these jeans. I told her I would rather look like an athlete and that muscle is a good thing.

[tab123]

I have always had to buy pants big enough to fit my thighs and bottom, which means the pants are too big in the waist. A saleswoman once told me to stop exercising so that I could fit into a smaller size. Never went to that shop again. (At the time I weighed about 125 pounds, and I am 5 foot 9. Have not seen that weight in a while.)

With biking my glutes are an asset, especially once my lungs get a bit stronger!