Pregnancy weight, daddy weight. Shit man, I already deal with: -Finals week weight -We're too comfortable in this relationship weight -Breakup and I ate my feelings weight -I had a diet coke now I can eat anything weight -My mom called me fat so I ate more weight -Pizza is delicious weight -The board talked about bagels weight -Cheesepuffs were on sale weight I'm sensing a trend in my life.
This seemed interesting to our discussion. Shows America getting fatter through the years. The percentages are the obesity rates.
Thin women get postpartum depression too, and some fat women don't. I'm sure you're being funny, but I don't get the joke being made. Anyway, people probably should have just ignored Kang's post, but she was clearly being a dick. Probably it got so viral because she was being a dick to a group of people who just pushed a baby through their bodies, but I'm no therapist so maybe I'm wrong.
The following post is being written while hungover: There are a couple things to look at here. 1) When Maria said "What's your excuse?" Instead of being "How does she do it? Does she have a system that I can adopt so I can take care of myself?" It goes straight "RAGE! HOW DARE SHE RUB THIS IN OUR FACE!?!?" Guys see images of fit dudes all the time and their initial response is "How do I do that? What is he using? How can I get there?" If some dude tweeted an image saying the same thing, the male reaction would be nothing like this reaction. 2) We need to stop this talk of pressure. "We're being pressured." "We have these heightened expectations." Everyone is under pressure, everyone has expectations. It's life. Women are pressured to look the way they did from the first date and be good moms. Men are pressured to work, get rich, and provide. Everyone has pressure. If the women were pressured to be moms when they didn't want to be moms, then that's another situation. Unrealistic gets tossed around a lot, maybe difficult should be used more. This is a moot/hypothetical question that can't be answered without a psychic research study are the amount of moms raging against this who were pushing for kids and wanted to be moms. That changes the conversation. But if they were pushing for and planning for kids, they know their husband wants them to look the way you did before the kids. Complaining about how hard it is to do anything because of the kids is a cop out, especially given the fact it was something they wanted. (Complaining about anything you asked for is a terrible thing to do.)
If a dude tweeted an image like that, I might think he was a douche. So maybe my opinion on Maria Kang...is she comes off like a douche...She's hot, but still a douche... Because if you measure your own success in fitness by the failures of others, you're a negatively focused person. Just be happy you're hot. Parker's points, while contradicting each other slightly, are both true. I think both genders suffer from body image issues; maybe they manifest themselves differently in either gender, but sensitivity and comparison of one's self to images like that aren't going to go away. Us being "Rabble rabble stop focusing on this dumb shit" is probably just as effective as people saying "rabble rabble how dare she show us her hot bod".
I fail to see how this is not an insult. If I said "I'm attractive/rich/educated/just all around better than you, what's your excuse?" to another person, they'd rightfully assume I was insulting them. "What's your excuse?" is essentially "why are you such a failure of a woman?" Saying that this is not an insult, but people are merely taking it as an insult seems disingenuous. That's not what the word insult means. Whether or not something is an insult has nothing to do with how the listener feels about it.
Which is EXACTLY why I wrote that. I'll bet you I have written responses to posts on this board a hundred times over the last few years, and then deleted them before posting. I'm just usually more moderate in my responses, and generally feel better when I'm just agreeable with everyone. But fuck that this time. I'm not going to cut and paste a quote everyone who posted since I did to respond, but if Maria Kang's "what's your excuse" line offended you, that's a you problem. If you're insulted by what she said, then you probably have some guilt issues about not trying harder at working out, losing weight or generally at life. If you're saying, hey, some people just have lucky metabolism or hey, being a mom (picking the kids up from school, running them around to ballet and soccer practice, homework, etc. and then taking a minute for yourself on the couch because you're just exhausted) is a higher priority than getting to the gym - hell, it doesn't even matter to me if you think watching TV and eating ice cream is better for your mental health, because it can be - then you would not be insulted in anyway by Kang's excuse post. Because, you'd be comfortable with who you are, and what you do, and some rando lady's fitness post would have ZERO insulting ability in your life. You're not insulted or offended - you're jealous, and that is on you. You know who I hate? The "must be nice" guy. I have a friend, and we enjoy sharing our good news with each other so much, because so many other people are such shit heads. Hey, I busted my ass this year, and I just bought a new guitar. Man, must be nice. Fuck you. When my friends rejoice, I rejoice right there with them.
I'd think "wow morecowbell is a dick". I'd have to respect you for that to mean something to me. And saying what you said, I wouldn't. I'm not defending what she said. I'm saying I don't care that she said it. My point is, even if it is an insult, what do people care? She's just a douche on the internet being a douche. Why take it personally? She doesn't speak for me.
I'll throw a couple rhetorical questions out here, I think my answer is implied by the way I phrase them. Why should people apologize for their success? Why are so many people offended by a person they don't know and have nothing to do with? Why are people so insecure that something as simple as a picture sparks such a vehement reaction? The whole controversy smacks of teenage like insecurity.
No one knocked on an anonymous woman's door and yelled at her for having the nerve to work out in peace. There's a difference between being successful, and being a sanctimonious jerk about your success.
I'm rolling on this with Rush. If a dude put out a book that said "7 Habits of a Successful & Fit Dad" that talked about getting up at 4am, staying at the office late, eating healthy. Dudes would run out and buy it or ignore it. They wouldn't be like "Fuck that guy, how dare he insult us." If a woman put out a book that said "7 Habits of a Successful & Fit Mom" we'd get the same response as the hot soccer mom/fitness blogger did. Oh and the reason why women HATE Maria, was because Maria isn't a hollywood rich mom. They can't use the "oh she has a personal trainer, two nanny's maid, and personal assistant" argument. I also find it interesting the a ton of women wanted to run out and find out if the baby came out with 4 arms and 3 heads from soccer mom. She was probably going to a doctor who's bill cost more than most houses, doubt the baby was unhealthy in the least ladies. Now let's be real, the saying is "Women want their men to change and men hope their women don't [change]." The wish is not to have her get a six pack after having a kid. It's trying to get back to where they were before the kid. Both these chicks had six packs before they got knocked up, and maintained what they could throughout their pregnancy, and then got back to where they were. But some women rather say "I can't do anything cuz hormones so fuck you, its unrealistic, how dare you ask me to do anything?" Then these bitches come out and let the secret out that is isn't impossible. Oh lawdy! JUST like that chick who I linked to before who said she loved her husband more than her kids and found it odd at how happy all the women were at the Mommy & Me meetings that no other mom weren't having sex either. She comes out and writes that article and its like "SNITCHES GET STITCHES".
Except, she's not intending to be some anonymous woman, and her entire website is devoted to promoting her fitness ideas where she consistently shares to inspire.like here where she writes She has a "No Excuse Program" and has been posting this way for at least 8 years. She addresses the "what's your excuse" questions she got, including this answer:
I must be the only person that got something completely different from that Maria Kang photo. To me, she's not talking to everyone. I realize not everyone enjoys training in whatever aspect you decide to wrap it in, be it powerlifting or crossfit or zumba or spinning or whatever. If those people are perfectly happy without it, more power to them. I never assumed she was making some overarching comment directed at everyone basically saying every woman on earth should be fit. However, there are those who constantly bitch and whine about "getting in shape" and how if they had time they'd totally go to the gym and do nothing but complain about how it takes too long and it's too hard and dear me where will I find the time. That's who I assumed she was talking to. The person who constantly talks about what they'd like to do and never actually does it. If those people who constantly waxed poetic about how they would be in amazing shape if they just had the time actually wanted to do it, they would. But if people just want to seem as if they wanted to do it they'll find an excuse. She's letting those people know that supposed lack of time is a piss poor one.
I don't see my friends who are doing well and think, "Oh well, fuck them for driving around in the BMW when they're 28, what a douche." I think good for them, God gave them some natural talents and they're using them. Ultimately if that photo elicits a strong negative reaction, thats on you, not her.
I wonder if any of you went to her site and read why she posted the picture? You didn't bother? Oh, I see. Well, you can probably learn everything you need to know about a person by viewing a photo someone forwarded to you. Edit: Well, obviously Rush did.
If her message is to promote a healthy lifestyle, Shaming women into seems like the wrong approach. Shame is not a healthy emotion.