Originally Posted by
skouri1
+ 1
I agree--the recent trend of insulting overweight or simply larger cyclist has more than run its course.
Throughout my childhood/highschool, I was overweight, only just enough to make me self conscious at times and --at it's worse ~ 60 pounds heavier than I am now.
When I finally had enough--when the doctor told me I needed to lose weight and that I was obese, I started paying mind to my eating habits much better. Cut soda, cut pasta, cut cookies, and started building myself massive salads for lunch and dinner.
After slimming down some from my change of diet, I got into college. I had new free time and less pressure, so I dedicated my newfound free time to running. At first just 1 mile, then 1.5, then 2, then 4. 3 days a week, to 5 days a week, to 7.
The whole thing gained inertia. Miles stretched out to more like 5-8 every day. When I got to college, instead of eating pizza/hamburgers like all of the kids working on their freshman 15, I ate more salads, vegetables, fresh fruit and yogurt. Drank lots of black coffee. I went months at a time without eating dessert, but finally I was transforming into a fit, passionate, svelte and respectably fast runner. I considered myself to be an athlete.
Now, I ride a bike now and do not avoid cookies like the plague, but it took years and a lot of self control to get here. I'm less monastic in my exercise/diet regimes, but I've taken away the important lessons and can easily maintain my healthy weight.
Bringing things back to my opening e-richie sample, all of the haters should acknowledge that cycling is about fitness--but fitness goals vary from person to person. Changes can be long and gradual, so let's be respectful and supportive of our friends in transition. Life is unpredictable, and you (haters) could just as easily be stricken with a medical condition that sends you swiftly and possibly irreversibly to the other end of the fitness spectrum.
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