freaks or normal

why is it that people who are overweight trying to loose weight are considered to be normal, when you tell people that you want to gain some weight they look at you like your some sort of freak.
 
Because most people go through life wanting to lose weight and there's not many out there in comparison that have trouble gaining.
 
Rivet said:
And they associated weight gain with "Fat Gain"


BOOM >>> Nail on the Head.

It took me a while to train my girlfriend to not automatically respond with that mentality, and even now she still doesn't really get it.

Most of my guy friends understand though, and a large percentage of them don't even lift. Seems like a lot of guys my age want to be bigger, but then you go somewhere like Italy where I have a lot of cousins my age and they look at me like I am crazy.

Actually it is pretty interesting, a lot of them seem to thing all Americans are giants. It doesn't suprise me they think that though in some ways because go to a local bar there (and not a touristy bar where there will be other Americans!) and you will see that in general all the guys are smaller. They don't have that emphasis on size and muscle that we do. I'm not saying that everyone in America is in shape and jacked, but I am comparing the general scene of a bar down here in Newport BEach, CAlifornia to various bars / pubs I have been in France, England, Italy, etc.

This reminds me! I was down in Newport @ a bar and there were these three Irish gents. Really nice funny guys. If you have seen Boondock Saints they basically look / talked like that ;-) Anyways, I asked them how they liked California and they said they loved it, all the women were beautiful, but they hated how big all the American's were. I asked they what they meant and they explained how they felt all these "big armed yankees" were making sure they had no chance with the ladies. Said no one works out like that in Ireland, and if they do people generally assume they are odd. I ended up telling them it was that deaftist attitude that was prolly driving the girls away, not the size factor, but it was an intersting convo none the less.
 
Rivet said:
And they associated weight gain with "Fat Gain"
Agreed, although I've never really had any one look at me like I was crazy after I explained my diet and reasoning behind my eating. Most seem to understand if you lay the basic facts down.
 
The hardest is trying to explain to people why you want bigger quads. You might as well speak chineese.
 
Especially when a majority of them don't even know what a Quad is. " Isn't that a car or something." LOL
 
BigCasino said:
BOOM >>> Nail on the Head.

It took me a while to train my girlfriend to not automatically respond with that mentality, and even now she still doesn't really get it.

Most of my guy friends understand though, and a large percentage of them don't even lift. Seems like a lot of guys my age want to be bigger, but then you go somewhere like Italy where I have a lot of cousins my age and they look at me like I am crazy.

This reminds me! I was down in Newport @ a bar and there were these three Irish gents. Really nice funny guys. If you have seen Boondock Saints they basically look / talked like that ;-)

I loved the movie Boondock Saints! I'm in Canada and have noticed the same thing. I have seen a lot of BIG euro people usually its just that they are naturally that way. I'm lucky my gf understands totally because I can explain stuff to her in a manner she will understand. When I try to explain it to someone like a co-worker when they are asking me why Im eating all the time and if Im trying to get fat. I tell them no Im doing the opposite and I get the "your retarded" look. And I have to explain how I find it easier to eat all day instead of 3 BIG meals. We had a nutritionist come in at work and basically say the same thing I was telling people. And then they go and tell me what she said (I had missed it) and to almost everything I replied "I know, thats what Ive been telling you". Its not the knowledge that matters to them, its WHO has it :rasp:
 
prld2gr8ns said:
Especially when a majority of them don't even know what a Quad is. " Isn't that a car or something." LOL
No silly, a quad is a 4 wheel recreation vehicle. :icon_lol:
 
prld2gr8ns said:
Agreed, although I've never really had any one look at me like I was crazy after I explained my diet and reasoning behind my eating. Most seem to understand if you lay the basic facts down.

Naw, I get the "your retarded" look when I try to explain it even in simple terms. Just out of college I had put on a few lbs of unwanted weight. I started cutting and everyone was saying how I was being anorexic and such. I lost the unwanted fat and got my waist down to a lil bigger then it is now. I had to keep telling them people the only way IM going to put muscle on at the speed they expected it was to "juice" (trying to shut them up). This went on for about 2 years as I was working out. Then when my muscle mass became apparent everyone told me "See your better now". I had to tell them..I always was, I still eat the the same way and I have LESS fat then when I was being called anorexic.
 
brittishbulldog said:
why is it that people who are overweight trying to loose weight are considered to be normal, when you tell people that you want to gain some weight they look at you like your some sort of freak.
As some of the other members have pointed out, I think because (in the USA) the majority of the people are overweight or obese, so everyone's trying to lose weight... it's the thing to do, it's en vogue.

It's all about the mainstream perception. We're used to seeing these 6' 165 lb. male models with abs, and that's pictured as sexy. I'd personally rather be 200 lbs. and >10% bodyfat (I'm 6') than 165 lbs. and 6% bodyfat with a six-pack. I also enjoy the somewhat more intimidating stature of my 215 lb. frame :)

Another mainstream perception feasted on by the media is the "anti-steroid", "anti-performance-enhancing" agenda, where the very muscular are portrayed as "roid-freaks."
 
i am form the US and yeah its true for the most part everyone is trying to loose weight or be onsome fad diet to fit in to what is going on.

me i am the freak that walks by eating chicken breast like my kids eat candy. people ask what are you doing and i tell them its simple
i want to be bigger then your family all of them together
now i admit i do carry more bodyfat then i should but
i dont want the bodybuilder type body i am happy looking
like i am off season. beside i am a powerlifter so big is better
 
simpler in the uk most people want too loose fat and think that by doing a few machines and a bit of swimimng is going to do the trick, Im in Holland at the moment and the dutch are very big people the women have more test than the men but the people are not big with muscle its mostly fat, loads of dutch people in the summer kept saying how good i looked and ask'd is it naturall? i admit i do PH and other stuff but the hole street thinks im into steroids 24/7, coworkers think im ill or something eating all the time and drinking protein shakes 99% of them think im weird. Even my gf
keeps saying your big enough now she thinks im sick in the head or something. but she is slowly starting to understand
 
My friend is a powerlifter. I cant tell you how many times he gets "no offence, but do you really go to the gym that much. I mean your not to skinny"

How many years until the cultural trends turn. I say.... 5-7. Then being jacked will be in and guys with 3" arms will be out.

Edit- We can accelerate this process by forming human walls (letting females through, not guys) around all abercrombie stores, thus driving them out of business.
 
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