Why is this even remotely controversial?

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Replies

  • LuLuChick78
    LuLuChick78 Posts: 439 Member
    Exercise doesn't really take all that long, either, once you find a routine that works for you. I know people who've been struggling with their weight for ages, and they're all focusing on cardio, cardio, cardio, and getting nowhere. Like going to the gym twice a day and spending HOURS on the elliptical. I'm not saying cardio is pointless. I still love running and do it three times a week on average. But I also found that lifting weights made the biggest difference between looking smaller and looking FIT. I spend probably about a half hour to at absolute MOST an hour (if I'm running 10k) on exercise a day. Probably about 4 hours a week. I spend that much time watching Colbert Report and Daily Show a week. Before I joined here, I spent more time than that playing Farmville and Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook. I also saved up money I would have spent on a gym membership, and bought weights. Since I do all my running outside, and lifting at home, that saves time that I'd spend driving to and from the gym.

    Edit: The promo for this clip on GMA showed her doing squats in the playground while holding her toddler. Another great way to save time! Sometimes I stop during a run to do pullups on the monkeybars at a playground.

    I agree with you. My boyfriend and I recently took our two daughters to the playground. We were the only ones actually playing WITH our children. We were using the monkey bars, climbing, swinging and running around. We all had a great time (and a great calorie burn to boot). EVERY other parent was sitting on the benches and either watching their children play or was on their phone. I am not saying you need to be up there playing the entire time, but a little effort would have been nice to see. I work full time, travel an hour each way to work 5 days a week, have two small daughters, hit the gym 4-5 times per week, etc, etc, etc....I find the time because I MAKE time. I make my health a priority.

    I was in the mom-mentality for a few years. My mother still complains that she has 20 lbs to lose because she had kids...so I grew up thinking that is what happens - you have kids and you struggle the rest of your life with your weight. This is not true at all and I am glad I realized it sooner rather than later. Once I stopped making excuses I found reasons to just do it.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Wonder how this would have went if it was a dude that posted a pic and stated the same thing?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I don't think it has the same import... Women are still assumed to be the primary caregivers so a man having children isn't seen by many as an obstacle to him working out etc (not to mention not going through the pregnancy, weight gain, recovery etc). For example (and unfortunately for me) when my husband goes to the gym after work in his mind it's just him coming home late from work but when I go to the gym and leave the baby with him, he's "babysitting". He does it happily but it's still seen as a favour on his part, whereas when I'm watching the baby while HE'S at the gym, I'm just doing "my job"..

    THIS -- inequality of caregiving/domestic/economic responsibilities & societal expectations - is why feminists should be annoyed, not that woman's hotness (i don't think?), which is basically indisputable. though i think someone found fault with her elbows (?!?).

    @wheird - you got one, lol - it just was not funny, because i am not a haha person at all about these sorts of things. i would jest about pancakes probably any time.

    That cuts both ways. A man who skips out of a meeting because his kid is sick in the nurse's office doesn't get the same treatment at the office as a woman doing the same.

    parents are lucky - single chicks cant get out of work for jack
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    You can tell her kids are not by the same man.

    this is a disgusting attack. She explains why the kids don't all look alike. They look like a mix of herself and her husband. Cheese whiz, people. Any reason to attack someone else... ridiculous.

    ETA: even if they were kids from different dads, who CARES?!? That does not take away from the obvious hard work she put in living a healthy lifestyle.
    I just cannot get past that statement! Oy.

    My aunt and uncle have four children. Two of them look EXACTLY like their father. I mean EXACTLY. One looks just like my grandfather (aunt's father) and the fourth sort of looks like them, but his face is different and I'm not really sure who he looks like.

    What I am sure of is that they all have the same parents.

    The little boy on the right in the photo has skin a bit darker than the others, but the mom has a darker complexion so I would just assume he takes after her and the other two are more their father.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I was in the mom-mentality for a few years. My mother still complains that she has 20 lbs to lose because she had kids...so I grew up thinking that is what happens - you have kids and you struggle the rest of your life with your weight. This is not true at all and I am glad I realized it sooner rather than later. Once I stopped making excuses I found reasons to just do it.

    I wish I could blame my weight gain on having a baby. :frown:

    I was back in my pre-pregnancy clothes within six months and she's 19 now and I weigh almost what I did the day I delivered.

    Forget it. I'm just blaming pregnancy. I'll feel better that way!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Between this and the backlash against the pregnant woman weight lifting a few weeks ago... it seems like there's a helluva lot of "bullying" towards fit women, by calling them bullies, irresponsible, bad mothers, etc.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    Stumbled upon this thread. Saw all the negativity and took a moment to open the original thread and read the first post.

    How does the original post morph into this kind of dissacociated arguing?
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Between this and the backlash against the pregnant woman weight lifting a few weeks ago... it seems like there's a helluva lot of "bullying" towards fit women, by calling them bullies, irresponsible, bad mothers, etc.

    We know this is the normal pattern for MFP.

    Out of shape women are the most vicious demographic on the planet. (more specifically - out of shape moms - are the most vicious demographic ever)

    We should put them ALL on anti-terrorism detail
  • Nickle526
    Nickle526 Posts: 239 Member
    This is still going? And not locked? Impressive.

    Also, I got up at 5:30 this morning. Made coffee, put a load if laundry in, set out school clothes for my 3 kids (my husband will take them) and am off to the gym for the first time in over a month (been lifting at home), partly inspired by this post. Hell I might even do cardio.

    :heart:
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Stumbled upon this thread. Saw all the negativity and took a moment to open the original thread and read the first post.

    How does the original post morph into this kind of dissacociated arguing?

    Yeah, wild how things blow up, huh?
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    (...)
    not that woman's hotness (i don't think?), which is basically indisputable. though i think someone found fault with her elbows (?!?).
    That was me and it was a joke.
    Look up "elbows too pointy meme".

    Edit:
    On a somewhat more constructive note, I really wonder why people find it creepy that she's posing with her kids while wearing a training bra and gym shorts. Is it also creepy to take your kids to the beach?
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    You can tell her kids are not by the same man.

    I think they are all adorable. They *do* look like brothers. What a weird comment to make. (and rude)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    This being controversial is actually pretty funny to me. Stop using the fact that you had children as the reason you gained weight. I actually wish I could get pregnant again because having a baby helps me to lose, I tend to eat less and become more active because I have a little one to take care of and no time to eat unless I am truly hungry. This woman looks amazing and no doubt she worked her *kitten* off to keep her body in shape and healthy! She isn't saying every woman should look like her, but it says that even a mother can stay active and healthy.

    Well I did gain 90 pounds with my daughter. I lost about half of it. Of course women gain weight during pregnancy. That doesn't mean the kids are an excuse to stay fat. My doctor told me to wait six weeks before exercising. So I waited 16 years to be safe. (Just my little joke :laugh:)
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    This thread is STILL going on?! Wowsa. I've been watching from the sidelines, but apparently some people have morphed into all kinds of crazy. I'm still getting over the shock that someone actually insinuated this woman is a bad mother for wearing a two piece with her kids around. What the heck is that all about?

    Yoovie - you are so right on I can't even stand it. Well done. I just had to say that.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    (...)
    not that woman's hotness (i don't think?), which is basically indisputable. though i think someone found fault with her elbows (?!?).
    That was me and it was a joke.
    Look up "elbows too pointy meme".

    Edit:
    On a somewhat more constructive note, I really wonder why people find it creepy that she's posing with her kids while wearing a training bra and gym shorts. Is it also creepy to take your kids to the beach?

    No. At least I don't think so.
    I never even said anything about her as a person...
    When people pondered 'how could this image elicit such a strong response', I tried to answer that...

    Marketing.

    Who ever developed campaign likely knew that it would inspire some and annoy others.

    Speaking strictly about the image and the text of the picture, the woman appears to me to be posed similarly to a Victoria's Secret model IN THE PICTURE and her children appear IN MY OPINION look like props IN THE PICTURE.

    And I feel like the text is purposefully confrontational.

    I'm not advocating that anyone misbehave towards her or anyone else for that matter.
    If you find the ad inspiring, great. If you don't (and I just don't) , that's cool too.

    There's really no point in insulting or jumping to conclusions about people... Her, me or anyone else for that matter.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    If you find the ad inspiring, great. If you don't (and I just don't) , that's cool too.

    The main reason it doesn't inspire me is that while I acknowledge having small children is challenging, I also don't believe it's nearly as difficult or time-consuming as people make it out to be,

    I've done it. I've done it alone, under stress and with a lot of other things going on. If I didn't exercise or eat right, it was because I chose not to. It had nothing to do with time. And socio-economic status is irrelevent. I was a single teenage mom college student. It doesn't get much poorer than that.

    I was in far better shape when my daughter was little than I am now she's an adult.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    My mom says having me is the reason she gained weight. However, that was 36 years ago, and in the pictures I saw of her a few months after I was born, she had the body of a freaking supermodel. Nice try mom. lol.
  • lripson28
    lripson28 Posts: 213 Member
    She should absolutely feel proud of herself and show off the results from her hard work. No reason anyone should take offense to that. She accomplished her goals.
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
    Don't know if these have been posted already, but here are more pictures of her (found on this article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2461752/Exercise-loving-mom-Maria-Kang-branded-bully.html)

    article-2461752-18C269D600000578-888_196x440.jpg
    article-2461752-18C269D600000578-266_196x440.jpg
    article-2461752-18C269D600000578-743_196x440.jpg
    article-2461752-18C269FC00000578-266_634x387.jpg
    article-2461752-18C269F300000578-808_306x631.jpg
  • cleotherio
    cleotherio Posts: 712 Member
    If you find the ad inspiring, great. If you don't (and I just don't) , that's cool too.

    The main reason it doesn't inspire me is that while I acknowledge having small children is challenging, I also don't believe it's nearly as difficult or time-consuming as people make it out to be,

    I've done it. I've done it alone, under stress and with a lot of other things going on. If I didn't exercise or eat right, it was because I chose not to. It had nothing to do with time. And socio-economic status is irrelevent. I was a single teenage mom college student. It doesn't get much poorer than that.

    I was in far better shape when my daughter was little than I am now she's an adult.

    I think that's the whole point. Too many people use kids as an excuse not to exercise, not to clean the house, not to shower, etc etc etc. I didn't find it that hard when my kids were younger either. It's actually more of a challenge now that they're slightly older and I'm driving them to activities, friends' houses, etc. More challenging at times, but still not impossible.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Had she chosen some different words other than the very judgmental "What's your excuse?", there wouldn't be a problem. I can't think of a conversation in any situation where that question wouldn't be considered a sarcastic attack and be met with some defensiveness and maybe outright hostility.

    "I have ______ and you don't. What's YOUR excuse?"

    Let's all try that on someone today and see how it goes.

    Except that *any* person who desires it can be fit. It's not like saying, "I have a yacht and a 6-figure account in the Cayman's..." Being fit is possible for anyone.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    If you find the ad inspiring, great. If you don't (and I just don't) , that's cool too.

    The main reason it doesn't inspire me is that while I acknowledge having small children is challenging, I also don't believe it's nearly as difficult or time-consuming as people make it out to be,

    I've done it. I've done it alone, under stress and with a lot of other things going on. If I didn't exercise or eat right, it was because I chose not to. It had nothing to do with time. And socio-economic status is irrelevent. I was a single teenage mom college student. It doesn't get much poorer than that.

    I was in far better shape when my daughter was little than I am now she's an adult.

    Actually, so was I. I'm currently a few pounds heavier than when I delivered my children. I was a young widow, working and going to college full time.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
    This being controversial is actually pretty funny to me. Stop using the fact that you had children as the reason you gained weight. I actually wish I could get pregnant again because having a baby helps me to lose, I tend to eat less and become more active because I have a little one to take care of and no time to eat unless I am truly hungry. This woman looks amazing and no doubt she worked her *kitten* off to keep her body in shape and healthy! She isn't saying every woman should look like her, but it says that even a mother can stay active and healthy.

    Well I did gain 90 pounds with my daughter. I lost about half of it. Of course women gain weight during pregnancy. That doesn't mean the kids are an excuse to stay fat. My doctor told me to wait six weeks before exercising. So I waited 16 years to be safe. (Just my little joke :laugh:)

    lol, I guess since my baby is 13 I can get started too. Even though its obviously 3 years early. I'll just have to sacrifice! :laugh:
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Its a good debate topic.

    Its a hot topic because women spent so many decades fighting for the right to be free and choose their own happiness and live outside the traditional box - and now that we are finally enjoying the fruits of the labor of our generation and the ones before us - we are being dragged down and torn apart by our own.

    Guys are prolly like - yo let those crazy chicks have whatever they want - they'll all tear each other's hair out and then put us back in charge lollergasm. -scratches butt-
  • CassandraBurgos83
    CassandraBurgos83 Posts: 544 Member
    I feel sad for the people who are attacking her and not wanting to see past their own insecurities. It is their loss not hers. She has been inspiring me for nearly a yr when I first read her story with the same photograph. There is also another picture she posted recently where she is sitting down in a bathing suit on the beach with her beautiful "momma" skin ( stretched and slightly flabbed like mine).

    And for the remark that they are not her husbands children...Grow up and educate yourself on the many possibilities of how the children could look. My husband is Puerto Rican(looks black) and our son came out looking like the identical version of him, excpet has coarse blonde hair, blue eyes and is white
    > and is 100% his!
  • rob1976
    rob1976 Posts: 1,328 Member
    I work 50+ hours per work and I am also a half-time student this semester (I am taking my last 2 classes at comm college before moving to university. I am usually a full-time student.). I was up at 4:30 this morning and ran 2+ miles before 6am. My wife and I have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. She went to the gym yesterday and goes every other day. She's managed to lose 110+ pounds since March of 2012. Neither one of us blame our past poor fitness or weight gain on anything but lack of motivation, poor eating habits, and just plain laziness. We are doing something about it.

    I grow tired of people blaming their bad decisions and laziness on their kids. Or their work schedule. Or their thyroid. Or 100,00 other excuses why they can't get off their butts and move.
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  • nicoleashley_24
    nicoleashley_24 Posts: 144 Member
    After checking out her website and Instagram photos, I find Maria Kang incredibly inspiring...
    58f7f75e22cf11e380a722000aaa08b2_7.jpg
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    After checking out her website and Instagram photos, I find Maria Kang incredibly inspiring...

    Just to clarify: I think she's beautiful and clearly has worked hard for that body. I just don't find her more inspiring than someone else simply because she has three kids.

    I have a friend on this site (who I know from a previous WL site from years ago) who had four babies in three or four yeas, including twins and fertility treatments. The youngest I don't think is a year yet and she looks as good as Maria.

    I mentioned my cousin earlier who works full time, her husband travels a ton and she has two kids, 3 and 15 months, and she's in incredible shape, too. It isn't an unusual situation. You just have to want it badly enough and be willing to work for it.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    After checking out her website and Instagram photos, I find Maria Kang incredibly inspiring...
    58f7f75e22cf11e380a722000aaa08b2_7.jpg

    BURN THE WITCH!

    -friending her on facebook today-
  • CassandraBurgos83
    CassandraBurgos83 Posts: 544 Member
    Don't know if these have been posted already, but here are more pictures of her (found on this article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2461752/Exercise-loving-mom-Maria-Kang-branded-bully.html)

    article-2461752-18C269D600000578-888_196x440.jpg
    article-2461752-18C269D600000578-266_196x440.jpg
    article-2461752-18C269D600000578-743_196x440.jpg
    article-2461752-18C269FC00000578-266_634x387.jpg
    article-2461752-18C269F300000578-808_306x631.jpg

    You either make the time or you don't. Health problems, children/marriage/family, work etc etc. We all are our own excuse for something we are not happy with in our lives, We don't fix it and complain or do as she is and do something about it. Waking up an hour early will not harm you, I promise and all you need is 30 mins to make a change.

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