How many of you have dealth with the same or similar scenario...
A year ago my father was 25lbs over weight and his cholesteral was way out of whack. He called me and said that he was going to start a cholesteral medication. At the time he was not working out. I told my father that he should try to handle his cholesterol naturally first. I said, change your diet and start working out, if that doesn't work than take the prescribed medication. However, I said if you just take the medication and don't change, you are being lazy. A few weeks later he called me and asked what he should do to start running. I bought him a HRM and a year later he has lost 25lbs and his cholesterol is perfect.
Here's the catch. He called me the other day and was frustrated. His friends are constantly telling him that he is too skinny, that he is obsessed, that he needs to eat cake and cookies etc etc etc. Just a couple of weeks ago he came down with a flu and his friends were telling him that the only reason he was sick was because all of his running had him worn down. My Dad is 55 and runs 15-20 miles per week. I hardly think he is worn down.
I guess this is kind of a rant because my girlfriend and I deal with the same thing. I'm built pretty similar to Craig Alexander. I'm a hell of a lot slower but we look similar. Overweight people are always telling me I need to eat more and that I look frail/sick etc when in fact I'm actually the one who is fit. I just find it strange that it's socially acceptable to tell a healthy person they need to start eating cake, and to "fatten up" when it's considered rude to tell somebody "hey, you really shouldn't be eating that cake". Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against people who are considered overweight or who don't work out. It's freedom of choice to live a healthy lifestyle or not. I just don't like taking heat for my healthy choices.
Maybe I'm out of line but it's a pet peeve of mine.
Chris Thornham
Co-Founder And Previous Owner Of FLO Cycling
A year ago my father was 25lbs over weight and his cholesteral was way out of whack. He called me and said that he was going to start a cholesteral medication. At the time he was not working out. I told my father that he should try to handle his cholesterol naturally first. I said, change your diet and start working out, if that doesn't work than take the prescribed medication. However, I said if you just take the medication and don't change, you are being lazy. A few weeks later he called me and asked what he should do to start running. I bought him a HRM and a year later he has lost 25lbs and his cholesterol is perfect.
Here's the catch. He called me the other day and was frustrated. His friends are constantly telling him that he is too skinny, that he is obsessed, that he needs to eat cake and cookies etc etc etc. Just a couple of weeks ago he came down with a flu and his friends were telling him that the only reason he was sick was because all of his running had him worn down. My Dad is 55 and runs 15-20 miles per week. I hardly think he is worn down.
I guess this is kind of a rant because my girlfriend and I deal with the same thing. I'm built pretty similar to Craig Alexander. I'm a hell of a lot slower but we look similar. Overweight people are always telling me I need to eat more and that I look frail/sick etc when in fact I'm actually the one who is fit. I just find it strange that it's socially acceptable to tell a healthy person they need to start eating cake, and to "fatten up" when it's considered rude to tell somebody "hey, you really shouldn't be eating that cake". Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against people who are considered overweight or who don't work out. It's freedom of choice to live a healthy lifestyle or not. I just don't like taking heat for my healthy choices.
Maybe I'm out of line but it's a pet peeve of mine.
Chris Thornham
Co-Founder And Previous Owner Of FLO Cycling