Are you secretive?

Wow sorry to hear so many of you have such unsupportive environments.

I'm work in high tech with many young folks ... so I am actually in the minority if I'm not working out.

I've also got 2 kids who are active. I've had a bunch of MAJOR issues this year so working out has just not been a focus. My son is totally on my case (kiddingly) about where are my muscles now?

Anyhow as long as it's not totally obsessive (I use to be there... and bored my friends to tears!) it's definitely something accepted and valued in my world.
 
No, I'm not secretive. I don't make a big deal out of it. Most people ask me how I stay so small, and I tell them that I exercise everyday. There's sometimes a disappointed, "oh", as if they're hoping I just take a pill or something that I can recommend to them. Sometimes they ask what exercise I do because they're interested in finding something that works for them. But I never get a negative reaction.

I think that could be because I'm obviously not obsessive about it. I'll grab a handful of chips if we're at a party. I'll have an occassional cookie if they're in the office. I eat healthy mostly and people can deal with that. I really don't impose my advice on people unless they ask.
 
>it's definitely
>something accepted and valued in my world.


Same here! I am dismayed that so many of you receive such negativity from your friends and family. :(

I receive praise and admiration for my dedication to fitness. I don't push it on anybody, but I've never had anyone say anything less than supportive to me.
 
Hi Bunbun,
I'm in the Philadelphia suburbs and live in a community near Merck. There are a lot of big pharmas and biotech in the neighborbhood and perhaps everyone is more health concious because they work in the health industry. I myself am with biotech. On my way to the supermarket today, I saw people of all ages walking, running and riding bikes. The health insurance plan I have offers discounts on gym memberships and most people I work with take advantage of those discounts. Its the norm to workout hard, not the other way around.
 
Only from certain people. My mom is usually here when I workout, so I can't hide anything from her-- and I print out my food logs and leave them on the counter so I know what I'm eating for the day, so her and Steve can see that too-- Steve knows I workout and he pretty much knows how much but I usually do it before he gets home from work.

Some of my other friends, though, don't know how much I'm working out. Chris already thinks I'm obsessed. She goes to spin class twice a week and thinks thats alot.. she'll say "its just a part of my life, its not taking over my life... you are too skinny and you workout too much and you shouldn't have to write down what you eat..." to which someday I'm going to get the you know what to say.. "working out twice a week is fooling yourself... you still eat too much junk and if you think being a size 14 is healthy then you are again, fooling yourself.. " but you know-- THAT would be rude.
 
" I am however, VERY secretive about how much $ I spend on workouts and equipment!! Very, very secretive....Marnie"

LOL, I am secretive about this part too!:p
 
Cathy, I don't advertise me and I don't try to proselitize either. I'm just open to share with others what have benefited me, in case they can benefit too. I don't stand there and start telling my life to everybody. I just share if they ask and, like you, I keep my answers brief. But even people who ask me are often not willing to take my advise simply because they want a quick fix.
I agree 100% with what you say about conversation. (<<<...conversation is usually only meant for politeness sake or as a tension breaker...>>>) I also agree 100% with: <<<People don't like philosophies (religion, politics, lifestyle etc) and other things (how bad your day was) thrown at them.>>>

Mariela
 
I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one who is secretive/private about their health and fitness! I have only a small handful of people who I'm close to that I will share a LITTLE information and/or advice once in awhile. I find that I do even that less and less, because alot of people don't want to take responsibility for their health and don't realize how much control they have over problems like allergies, general flabbiness, clear skin etc etc. It's frustrating and a bit sad for me.

I'd love to be able to "embrace my healthy self in public", too. Unfortunately, there seems to be too much predjudice against health-conscious people for that to happen. Perhaps we should rise up... ;)

Edited to say: I'm proud of how much I've improved my health. It's become a huge part of who I am. Unfortunately, I don't yet LOOK as in shape as I feel. After losing 85 pounds, I still have about 50-60 to go. My brain and soul is full of top notch information about clean eating and exercise, but I feel as if people discredit what I say because I don't LOOK "in-shape" just yet. That's probably a bigger reason why I am secretive.

Connie
 
Yes I am, even on this site, because people tend to give advice that I don't want or need... I figure its better just to not say how little or how much I eat.... I do what works for me... Rhonda
 
Wow. This thread is just what I needed. There are very few people I can talk to about fitness and a healthly lifestyle that don't think I have two heads. It's pretty lonly out there for me, except for this forum. I recently read that 3% of the population is concerned with diet and exercise. We are few and far between. Sometimes this forum keeps me going.

Yes, I am secretive.
 
I'm secretive. In my surroundings, not many people exercise. Where I work, they (all men) will wait for me (pregnant) to come in to change to water bottle. There is only one gym somewhat near where I live. Another one opened that had so much to offer closed after opening less than a year. If I'm asked about exercise, like Sarah, I'll answer the question, but that's it. I might say, "I use home videos". Done. Recently, visiting my family, they thought drinking more than 10 oz. of water a day was overdoing it.

Needless, to say, I love this forum and I really love my daily check-in friends.

Susan C.M.
 
I can be secretive to a degree. When people look at me they can certainly tell that I work out. But I don't talk about it unless someone asks me a question or something.

What get's me the most is that because I am a pretty clean eater, people act like I'm depriving myself of something. I have to explain to the over and over again that if I wanted pizza or hambugers I'd have them but I truly don't have the desire to eat that way.

I work out because I love doing it...it's that simple. The physical benefits that I've reaped are a bonus as that is not the reason I started working out.

So if you ask me I'll talk, but if you don't, I'll keep it to myself.

~Marietta
FITXME
 
My darling husband is the origanal coach potatoe, My DH really opposed me at first, i was a size 14/16. especially when i bought a bar bell he said all the protein im eating [protein shakes] would make me fatter, and that the heavy weights would make me look like a man,
now im a size 6 [was a size 12/14 before] he just says buying clothes again,.My dh bought me a skirt, which was to big size 8. I told him two weeks before that i'd lost some more,and that i wasn't that size anymore, he insisted that i tried it on and his face was shocked. then he said oh :eek: I said i told you a couple of weeks ago i was now a size six. Now he's gone an bought protein for the dog he says {to get some muscle on him}.:7

Fitmum.
 
I'm not secretive, I just find that most people do not care. They may want to know in a superficial way, but then the glazed eyes take over and I know I have said too much. So in the interest of not boring anyone to death I rarely talk fitness with anyone other than my husband. Now, him, I can bore all I want}( !
 
>What get's me the most is that because I am a pretty clean
>eater, people act like I'm depriving myself of something. I
>have to explain to the over and over again that if I wanted
>pizza or hambugers I'd have them but I truly don't have the
>desire to eat that way.

I hate that, too!
As a whole-food (for the most part) vegan (totally), there's a lot I don't eat. And some people seem to think that because I don't want (often they say "can't have", I HATE that...I CAN have whatever I want. I just don't want it!) a piece of cake that's probably 80 percent simple carbs, has frosting that looks like it came from a test tube, and has no nutritional benefits to it, and that wouldn't even taste good to me, I'm somehow depriving myself, and should be pitied. Though I do find that a couple of my colleages are starting to think that maybe it's a good idea to not have it either.
 
Kathryn, I have the experience as well. A couple of weeks ago my MIL was visiting and kept talking about her food(she eats terribly) and then pretending to "remember" that I wouldn't eat something by saying that I was "not supposed" to eat it. Her son(my DH) finally said that choosing not to do something is totally different than having something you're not "supposed" to do. It's become quite the issue when we visit with his parents as she believes her son is going to waste away because of the "awful" vegan diet his wife forces him to follow! Whatever! He is 6'2 and almost weighs 200 pounds!! I would think it was funny if it wasn't so annoying and rude!
Carolyn
 
No, I wouldn't say that I am secretive about my exercise habits...I just don't talk about it with many people because, quite frankly, they don't give a you-know-what about it! lol They don't share my passion for exercise and have no interest in doing it so why would they want to hear about it? So for that reason I usually don't discuss it but it's not that I intentionally want to keep it from people because they give me a hard time or anything...:)
 
I am so glad I read this thread because I share the same situations with so many of you! My family doesnt understand why I LIKE to work out or eat healthfully. So I just don't even mention it. But I get berated at our big italian feasts when I only take a small portion of things.


At work, this co worked of mine, EVERYDAY asks me, what do you have for lunch? As she is on her way out the door to get fast food. So I tell her, then she just looks at me like I have three heads. Today it was a tuna sandwich, a "normal" food in my opinion, and she stared and said sarcasticly, "I don't know how you have so much willpower" so I told her, its not willpower, I just feel so much better if I eat good food!!!~ ahhhh! poop on her I say.

Lol, its so good to know you guys experience the same things:)

-Christina
 
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