Why simply be normal, when you can be a freak?

I don't see any mob mentality or anything shocking in most responses.

People can disagree with OP's approach and state it is not for them and what they feel is misguided about it. That's not mob mentality, it's just forum discussion

Personally I think asking people to give up what they love the most is asking for disaster. Most people just won't do that. They'll start strong, then fail, and decide it's not worth it. Allowing everything you love in moderation results in better and longer adherence. I'd rather be "normal" and enjoy myself than a "freak" who has to eat a supper restrictive diet for a year, or however long you are advocating.

It's sad to think that humans LOVE beer and pasta and whatever else that much! We have a gross attachment to things. We need to LOVE ourselves and others.

Not sure what is sad about people loving beer and pasta and whatever else if they can consume it in moderate healthy amounts.

You can do that and still love yourself and others, not seeing anything mutually exclusive there at all.

" asking people to give up what they love the most is asking for disaster" in which I wonder how is beer and pasta things people love the most.

" asking people to give up what they love the most is asking for disaster" in which I wonder how is beer and pasta things people love the most.

" asking people to give up what they love the most is asking for disaster" in which I wonder how is beer and pasta things people love the most.

Context is important .

People obviously meant things they love the most in terms of food and drink.
Obviously nobody meant they love beer or pasta more than their husband or their children or world peace

OP: I will take the challenge too. Great idea

an USAF officer, I train hard and expect no less than that from others. But this is not the place for such tactics.

I hope you can forgive me and I will make personal appeals to those you I seem to have upset the most.

Sincerely,
TC

Being A (not an) USAF officer has nothing to do with your condensation, I am aware of the USAF tenants and acting like a total horse's behind is not one of them.

this one is going to hurt..no booze. For one year, go dry.

One year...will ya?

I'd rather die...

Seriously, it's terrific what you have achieved. I am sure it took a lot of hard work, dedication and consistency.

However, I have reached the stage in my life where "great bodywork but nothing going on under the hood" isn't what I want to achieve. My health and the way I perform rather than look is far more important. Sharing moments with my family and friends enjoying good food and wine is far more important.

All of those can be accomplished without going to the extent of dietary change which you outline.

Good luck with your goals.

Seriously? Nothing going on under the hood....Show some decency please.

Ummm, yes, seriously.

I was speaking about myself there which I thought seemed pretty clear within the overall context of my post. Perhaps it wasn't. In my 20s I really only cared about aesthetics (hot bodywork) rather than my overall health (including mental health) or performing well in certain sports (what is going on under the hood - as in my engine.) That has changed and I now have a more balanced approach. I know it is rather fashionable to adopt the mantra "Go Hard or Go Home" but that isn't for everyone.

If you care about decency why didn't you show some me common courtesy and ask me to clarify what I meant if it was unclear?

For the avoidance of doubt I was not mocking the OP.

If I wanted to do that I would say it looks like we got into a fight with a bottle of Soul Glo and end up on the losing side...(OP - if you want to have a pop at me be my guest. I have a hide thicker than a rhino's

After losing my weight, I feel "normal" for the first time in many years. I like feeling normal.

Being A (not an) USAF officer has nothing to do with your condensation, I am aware of the USAF tenants and acting like a total horse's behind is not one of them.

Condescension... not condensation.

an USAF officer, I train hard and expect no less than that from others. But this is not the place for such tactics.

I hope you can forgive me and I will make personal appeals to those you I seem to have upset the most.

Sincerely,
TC

Being A (not an) USAF officer has nothing to do with your condensation, I am aware of the USAF tenants and acting like a total horse's behind is not one of them.

correcting someone else's grammar and then using the completely incorrect word in the same sentence makes you the horses' behind, not the OP. I believe being driven is part of the military state of mind. I'm behind OP on this one.

First my sincere apologies for any offense I may have cause anyone for what may be construed as egotistical bravado. That was not my intent but I will be the first to admit it may have been taken that way.

As both a competitive bodybuilder and an USAF officer, I train hard and expect no less than that from others. But this is not the place for such tactics.

I hope you can forgive me and I will make personal appeals to those you I seem to have upset the most.

Sincerely,
TC

Thanks for that. It would be really easy to walk away and conclude we're all jerks, but you listened to the feedback and apologized. That's not easy.

You seem like you mean well, but like someone whose life (and probably social circle) is so centered around fitness and bodybuilding and physical perfection that you might not know much about the rest of us normal people out here. You should get out more, listen to people who have struggles with health and fitness that are quite different than a young healthy USAF officer. Struggles in really basic things, like giving up addictions, overcoming eating disorders, physical illness, disabilities, grappling with aging bodies that don't look or work as perfectly as they once did. My mother's physical condition is such that she doesn't leave the house and can barely walk a tenth of a mile. She was once an active vibrant healthy woman, a runner, until fibromyalgia and a host of other medical issues claimed all of that. Her fitness goals are quite normal by anyone's standards. She would feel belittled, reading your post, about her crappy little desire to go for a walk in the sun. But the reality is she's fighting like a warrior to live each day with the pain she is in.

As for me, merely being "overweight" and able to run (not win) a 5K was a cause for celebration. I've never known anything but obesity. I've struggled in this area all my life and am quite accustomed to being a body-related freak who stands out in the room. Just not in the exact way you mean! You have no idea how hard I've worked and how much I've given up for my crappy little "accomplishment" of just looking NORMAL. I blend into the crowd now and shop at regular clothing stores. It's nice. I look at your photo and think "Wow. If I could just get to a normal weight and have a little muscle tone I would work hard to stay that way. But I don't know why someone wants to spend all their time in the gym obsessing over every little fat pocket being gone and every little muscle looking just the right way. Seems to be missing the beautiful forest...because he's too busy trying to nit pick that one tree." BUT then I have to remind myself that you are not me, and your passions are not my passions, your history is not mine, and that's okay.

If you met me, you might wonder why I spent so much time on my education, doing research on little nit picky issues. I have two master's degrees and a Ph.D. I take being "brainy" rather seriously. I'm good at it... so good that I was rather freakish in that area. I got picked on for it in my early life. But I don't go on "motivational" rants at random people about how their education is so... normal (ewwwww, normal) and they need to strive to be freakish like me because my way is THE way.

I love photography (as a hobby), and I'm very picky about my work looking a certain way. Sometimes I cringe when on Facebook with the photos I see. I think OMG they need some cropping and lighting adjustments and wow can you SEE that crooked horizon? But I calm down and brag on how cute their dog is. Cause they like their new camera and are happy to be a regular person taking regular photos of their cute dog. I don't go on lectures about how they need to become a photography freak and do better than this mediocre crap. That would be condescending and obnoxious and self-centered to think that my photography goals are the same as theirs or that I'm supposed to be in charge of their education in this area.

This is how you are coming across. Not realizing that YOUR "thing"... passion, talent, accomplishment.... isn't everyone' thing. And that it isn't okay to make other people's lives seem wrong or insignificant or low-achieving because they aren't doing what you are doing and don't have the same goals you have. And that what you expect or demand from me is none of my concern because you are a stranger, not someone I've invited into my life or that I choose to be accountable to.

As for your USAF recruits... they have signed up for that. You need to give them the "I expect more from you" speech and get in their face and stuff. And I have a scholarly-sounding academic version of that speech that I give to students who are paying lots of money to be educated by me but slacking off. That's okay, in those contexts.

an USAF officer, I train hard and expect no less than that from others. But this is not the place for such tactics.

I hope you can forgive me and I will make personal appeals to those you I seem to have upset the most.

Sincerely,
TC

Being A (not an) USAF officer has nothing to do with your condensation, I am aware of the USAF tenants and acting like a total horse's behind is not one of them.

correcting someone else's grammar and then using the completely incorrect word in the same sentence makes you the horses' behind, not the OP. I believe being driven is part of the military state of mind. I'm behind OP on this one.

I don't know how to BOLD on here but also the word that the grammar nazi should have used is "tenets" not "tenants"

Tenet - a belief or idea that is important to a group
Tenant - a person that pays to use another person's property