Other Women's Comments

[jnuts]

My wife has been working very hard at preparing for some contests (I know its too soon....see the other thread )

It's been wierd because she hasn't really been getting any support from the folks at the gym she normally goes to, nor from any of her friends. Is this normal?

The gym she goes to with her trainer is a mostly guys, free weights place, so everbody is supportive there. Her normal gym was a "wellness" place and they think she's crazy.

Her friends keep trying to get her to cheat on her diet.

It's driving her crazy. (So in turn her frustration is vented at her loving husband)

Is this a similar problem for other women?

 

[makedah]

Why isn't she here?

This is a very supportive environment - the only place I can REALLY talk about this stuff. Encourage her to post here. Also encourage her to visit the following website: www.stumptuous.com/weights.html

 

[jnuts]

She is here... she tells me what to write/ask.

Believe me, it's been very helpful to have come across this site as its been able to offset some of the other stuff that's been going on.

 

[SteelWeaver]

Yup. There've been a couple of threads about this - the general consensus seems to be that people who are too lazy or undisciplined to get themselves into shape hate to see other people improving their bodies and confidence, so they try to drag them down. She'll find that, the better she looks, the more people around her will start making comments like she's getting too muscly, why does she always eat such weird stuff, she's gonna end up looking like a man, it won't hurt if she cheats just once, etc, etc. It's a jealousy thing.

I haven't had too many problems like that, but if I do, I just say, look at me, look at you - who's crazy?

Bwwa ha ha ha haa!

 

[Gladiola]

!

OMG - YES YES YES, this is common! ha ha
Men in a free-weight centered gym are typically (IMX) supportive of women lifting. They are laid back & cool about it. They are polite, helpful, & friendly. (Well, often with the exception of the college-age frat boy jackasses).

Women on the other hand I work in an office with ALLL Women! NONE of whom workout at all. There are 8 in my dept, mostly in their 20's & 30's. You would think I ate human brains for lunch daily - the big freakin' deal they make over my broccoli, tuna, chicken breasts, etc. Constant comments. It is common.

Most people will say they are jealous. I would guess some are. The others just don't get it. They think you're nuts. They don't understand why you don't just eat pizza & fries, or only salad & diet coke if you want to be skinny. The BB eating is bizarre & uncalled for in their eyes.

How she can deal with it? I think it was Muskles who said she says, "How about you don't comment on my weight & I won't comment on yours?" She could also toss out stats on heart disease & saturated fat contet of the crap her friends eat. Whatever it'll take to get them to freakin shut up & leave her alone!

For support - tell her to come here! But don't expect it from friends. Her best bet is to NOT TALK about diet & training with them. It will likely only continue to bring her down. They're not going to understand - don't waste your breath on those who won't lisen anyway (the majority IMX).

OH - BTW, I deal often with trying to explain healthy lifestyle to the average person as I'm an aerobics instructor.

 

[jnuts]

Folks - thanks for all the info. Will show to her after her shower. (She's getting her first Protan coating tonight... this should be interesting)

 

[SteelWeaver]

Ha ha haa hah haa. That's funny, Gladiola - I was actually going to say in my post, you should ask Gladiola about this, she has some strong views on it, and here you are! Chuckle chuckle

 

[SteelWeaver]

Folks - thanks for all the info. Will show to her after her shower. (She's getting her first Protan coating tonight... this should be interesting)

Good luck!

 

[jnuts]

Protan - interesting stuff.

I've noticed that people said not to put it on the palm of your hands? Why is that? (It's already all over my finger tips from spraying it and brushing it on)

I am liking making her walk around the house naked for 30 minutes waiting for it to dry.

----------

She really enjoyed (and related too!) the previous posts about other folks not being supportive. It was a good breath of fresh air - or at least shared pain.

thanks,
-nuts

 

[Sassy69]

Body building can be a very lonely sport. I think people are either intrigued by it (e.g. impressed w/ your discipline, etc) or repelled but it. Thanks to this sedentary lifestyle that has become the norm for American society, people seem to think you are nuts devote an hour of each day to physical activity. In fact there's a whole subculture of gym bunnies that has grown up around all the high-end gyms. Why the hell would you valet your car so you can walk on a treadmill in your $100 new matching gym outfit and hang out at the juice bar dabbing at your one sweat drop before you ruin your 3 lbs of makeup.

As mentioned above, guys are usually supportive because its normal for them to hang out at the gym and look for results. Women just go to be seen. Women seem to freak out because of the immediate vision of Kim Chizevsky/Ms Olympia 1999. "OMG I don't want to look like a man" and all the other BS that leads to fatter & fatter women doing the Atkins, drinking Slim Fast & doing thousands of reps w/ the little pink weights. I'm not sure why, but people just really get weird when you say you are "into" training. My poor mom can't even deal w/ when I mention my diet or that I want to go hit the gym when I'm home visiting.

I guess you need to really focus on yourself when you are competing and its almost easier to just not mention that you are precomp. Then blow their sox off with your show pix!


OH yea, the prob w/ Protan is that it doesn't come off. If you are the appliOR, you might want to wear rubber gloves. I also recommend sleeping in long sleeves & pants and take a good shower w/ a scrubber in the morning. And repeat the next night.