25 THINGS FAT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T DO: #19 RUN



25 Things Fat People Shouldn't Do is an unabashed middle finger to the preposterous idea that any human who weighs more than the status quo does not deserve to live a full and well rounded (ahem) life. The list of 25 is composed word for word from direct lists of sheer assholery found on the internet. These range from the absurd to the profoundly shameful, and I will be disproving this offensive notion with style. Feel free to join in on the fun, and if you do, link at the bottom so I can share. May the Chub Club live long and prosper!
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This is a pretty loaded "Shouldn't".

Whenever you discuss fat people and health, there tends to be a strong opinion on both sides. I love to bash fatty myths so lets lay this one out to dry: the idea that all large people are sedentary and live life free of exercise is a load of baloney. Throughout my online travels, I've gotten to know many advocates that live a physically rigorous lifestyle and many of them teach it as well. Louise Green is a perfect example and one of my new favorite humans (we're working on an awesome project together!).  She is a proud plus athlete, runs a training program called Body Exchange and is constantly participating in half marathons as well as hiking the North Shore mountains in Canada. She is fit and fat, which this is more common than you believe. I don't run marathons (boobs be damned) but I was a swim team champion for the majority of my young fat life, and now I enjoy yoga and bicycle riding when it's not a million degrees outside.

The interesting part about this "Shouldn't" is that public consensus says that fat people should just exercise more to become skinner, yet we're not allowed to run, jump, bicycle, dance, or work out. Hmmm. No one is obligated to exercise, and the most productive way of loving ourselves is starting right now no matter the shape were in... but we are also allowed to move our bodies any way we damn well please. Endorphins are not just for the "worthy" group.

I've also come across some amazing exercise clothing companies which further encourage women to love their size while wearing active wear that fits frrealz. One of my recent favorites is Lola Getts and after trying on a few pieces I realized what I was missing. To pretend that my body is the same shape as everyone else's only leaves me pulling up my pants in yoga class and losing my focus while doing so. Lola (Getts) gets this. They make the clothing specifically for curves and are sure to double line the crotch, reinforce the waist, and tame the boobage that likes to flail while working out. I even wear the pants to work simply because they're so damn comfortable. Allowing large gals to have tailored active wear is just another revolutionary step towards dispelling those silly myths that we can't shake things up a bit. I for one, am loving having my body catered to.

Y'feel me?


Don't let my fat fool you. I'm a strong motherfucker, and my arms got muscle! It may not be defined but anything they can lift I can lift better. And my legs, well, they're powerhouses. Always have been, always will be. I bit the bullet and went for a short run today, even though at 8am it was already 90+ degrees. Didn't pass out. Didn't die. Did feel good.



Wanna join in? Go for a jog and then write about it. Be sure to tell your family that you love them first though... just in case you die while running. Because, y'know... fat people internally combust during any form of exercise; 'cause it just aint natural. Eye roll. Don't forget to link up at the bottom of this post! Now go kick some ass!


Later haters.

20 comments

  1. Yes, this is so true! You hit it on the head when you said that fat people are expected to exercise more, but they shouldn't run, jump, swim, etc. etc. People should probably mind their business. :) And you look damn fine in that workout gear, darling!

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  2. I hate when people say: you can't do that! It makes me try harder so I can rub it on their faces in the end.

    Love your little big space :)

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  3. You are awesome. I love this. It's so awful that people say fat people shouldn't run and then tell us we need more exercise. I don't love running, but I did a 5K a few years ago, just to prove to myself that I could. Now, I can just go out for a jog when I feel like it, and it's the best. I hope you don't internally combust because these posts are awesome.

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  4. The fun part is when you're a runner who doesn't look like a runner. You can see peoples' heads explode when they hear you're a runner. "Runner... but fat? But runner? BWAH?"

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  5. Just curious, where do you get your sport bra from? I need a good one and am just bored of looking for one in my size :P

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  6. Thanks for the inspiration! I actually just started running last week!

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  7. I just started running last week! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  8. I had a fight recently with someone online-fight is the only word for it. This individual posted a self-defined 'rant' about the 'excuses' that fat people make regarding their weight. One of the points that she attempted to make was that 'fat people not only don't exercise, they don't do the 'right' type of exercise when they do it'.

    I work out somewhere between 20 and 90 minutes a day, five days a week. I don't run because of my asthma (and I hate it) but I've taken 3 minutes off of my walking mile in 3 weeks.

    I point blank asked her what more she wants from me, and where the excuse is in that. Gods know, I'm not going to put more time into it. I just don't want to, and my stats seem to be fine with the amount that I do put in. My body likes to be fat, I know from personal experience that even when I'm straight sized there's a lot more mass in my space than other people. My health team has the balls, to be frank, to tell me I'm healthy.

    I'm not certain what excuse there is there.

    Katie @ Horrific Knits

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  9. Fuck me, you have got some muscle in your arm girl! Well done you!

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  10. I've pondered the "fat people should exercise more, but don't run/swim/dance/be seen in public" contradiction for some time now. Seriously? How do you expect me to get in better health when I'm supposed to stay indoors and hide all the time to protect your delicate sensibilities? And don't even get me started on the dearth of quality exercise clothing for larger women (Lola Getts excepted, of course).

    You know what? If you want me to exercise more, you're just going to have to get comfortable with seeing my sweaty, flushed self at the gym. And that should be far more admirable than the skinny women in full makeup and perfect hair who visit the gym to troll for mattention rather than actually work out.

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  11. I've pondered the "fat people should exercise more, but don't run/swim/dance/be seen in public" contradiction for some time now. Seriously? How do you expect me to get in better health when I'm supposed to stay indoors and hide all the time to protect your delicate sensibilities? And don't even get me started on the dearth of quality exercise clothing for larger women (Lola Getts excepted, of course).

    You know what? If you want me to exercise more, you're just going to have to get comfortable with seeing my sweaty, flushed self at the gym. And that should be far more admirable than the skinny women in full makeup and perfect hair who visit the gym to troll for mattention rather than actually work out.

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  12. When I saw that running was on the list of "25 things Fat People should do" I laughed. Really? I'm an avid runner, I train, I race, I get "smoked" (passed) by "fat" runners ALL. THE. TIME! I can promise you that body size is not a determinate as to who should or shouldn't run. Running is a state of mind. If you want to do it, you CAN do it.

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  13. When I saw that running was on the list of "25 things Fat People should do" I laughed. Really? I'm an avid runner, I train, I race, I get "smoked" (passed) by "fat" runners ALL. THE. TIME! I can promise you that body size is not a determinate as to who should or shouldn't run. Running is a state of mind. If you want to do it, you CAN do it.

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  14. Exercise is good for everyone, not just skinny people. But be sure to stretch and warm up properly before any training. And be very careful of knees and feet especially with running...excessive weight with strenuous exercise that slams into hard pavement puts a lot of stress on knees and feet and this can do a lot of damage. I'm speaking from painful experience...

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  15. Fat running FOR THE WIN!!! Going to check out the rest of the series now. You rock!

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  16. I think my comment got eaten :( But fat running for the win!!! You rock!

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  17. I just finished reading "Honey do you need a ride? Confessions of a fat runner" by Jennifer Graham. Excellent book. Highly recommend it. Made me laugh out loud on several occasions. Also inspired me to run. So there. Good stuff. Love your blog.

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  18. Didn't you know...fat people are supposed to exercise alone? In the dark? Where no one has to look at them?? I hate going to the gym because I always feel like everyone is staring at me. Judging me not for my effort to get in shape but for letting my shape get so out of control! Haters!

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  19. I'm doing ballet. Me and all of my 225 pounds. In a class full of ballerinas that weigh approximately the same amount as my earlobe and still complain they're "fat". I used to do ballet when I was a skinny teenager, so now it's really interesting to discover how different every move feels. Sure, it takes a lot of muscle and practice to "pull my weight" in class but you know what? I'm doing it. I'm lifting my fat body on point shoes and loving every second of it. I have the killer calves to prove it. And I shouldn't be afraid to say it, afraid that people will laugh at me. Because ballet or any form of exercise is not just for thin people. It is easier for thin people, sure. But that just makes us even more awesome, right?

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  20. I've been thinking about this very topic lately--especially after a recent trip to the gym and the conversation had by two young ladies on machines next to me about me (apparently they felt my "size" had a direct effect on my hearing). The whole idea that you have to be a certain size to exercise in public is so ridiculous. I love gettin' my sweat on, especially when said annoying girls conceded that "she's going a lot faster than I can."

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