Vent: When people are surprised that you exercise

[alisoncooks]

This is mainly just a vent. I exercise regularly, 6 days a week (most weeks), almost an hour a day (includes stretch). But I’m overweight. I’m perimenopausal and my diet isn’t great. I’m sure there’s a great amount of muscle under my pudge.

I get that we associate exercise with a specific physique, but I’m annoyed about it. I recently mentioned that I signed up for an exercise bootcamp, and the person I was speaking with made some (relatively benign) comment that implied my newness as an exerciser. (I don’t remember what, but it was there.) I didn’t really feel like getting into the whole “no, I already regularly exercise and am fairly educated about fitness” etc.

Anyway, I don’t really have a point to this. Just feeling like maybe I’m not the only one who doesn’t quite look like she works out, (which I care less about) and annoyed at the assumption (which I care more about).

[Erica H.]

That is super annoying. And even if you explain that you do exercise regularly, I think people tend to minimize your fitness level if you're in a larger body even though you could be in much better shape than someone thinner. The assumption is frustrating, for sure.

Erica

[prettyinpink]

It is annoying. It just shows they are ignorant. Or maybe that they don’t work out themselves, since they think everyone that works out automatically is thin and looks a certain way.

[geojill]

Like you, I am perimenopausal. Also, I just left a job that required a bit of travel and I developed some poor eating habits and drank more alcohol than I used to (it was a stressful job for me). Right now, I don’t look like I work out, either. So I get where you are coming from.

[summer breeze]

That is annoying. Another one that used to annoy me (when I was much thinner, now not so much lol) was if I mentioned I walked or worked out people would say, why? You're thin already

[ChelePA]

Vent away. I am really sorry that you experienced rude and thoughtless comments. Many people are clueless when it comes to this subject.

Peloton hired what most would consider an average size instructor. I think she said she was a size 14 but you should have seen the backlash on that one. She's probably more fit than all of the naysayers.

[Jane P.]

Even my doctor didn't believe it because I wasn't thin. He turned out to be a complete jerk about other things as well so I don't see him any more. If you exercise you must look like an olympic athlete, or they won't believe that you exercise.

Don't letyourself be discouraged. Keep up the good work.

[Erica H.]

Originally Posted by Jane P.

Even my doctor didn't believe it because I wasn't thin. He turned out to be a complete jerk about other things as well so I don't see him any more. If you exercise you must look like an olympic athlete, or they won't believe that you exercise.

Don't letyourself be discouraged. Keep up the good work.

Some doctors have a very hard time looking past body size/weight and blame everything on it. It's terrible. I've been everywhere from extremely underweight to obese and have experienced doctors blaming everything on my weight when I was heavier and not seeing that some of my medical conditions were caused by being too thin when I was thinner. When I was *normal* weight, there were so many times I knew that the issues I had would have been blamed on weight if I had been heavier and not been taken seriously.

Erica

[alisoncooks]

Thanks for all the commiseration! I suppose the upside is that, while I look like a middle-aged mom, I can surprise people by lifting heavy objects or performing other feats of strength. That’s always gratifying.

[sherry7899]

I totally understand how you feel. I am sure one doctor did not believe me when I said I exercise regularly and they were surprised that my blood pressure and pulse were low, and that the only medication I take is for my thyroid. I think they looked at me and expected I needed other medications. It is really frustrating.

Once I even brought out the monthly printouts of activity minutes for the whole previous year from my Polar watch.