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Seems everyone is an expert on diet and exercise from the anorexic to the morbidly obese and everyone else in between. I ran into a bad situation this weekend that went from bad to worse and would like input if others have dealt with this and how. I went to a dinner..yeah I hate eating out but made an exception because my tai chi class wanted to go out. Mostly the class is rather grumpy older women. They all sorta ganged up on me berating me for working out 2-2 1/2 hours a day 5-6 days a week even though I dropped 3 sizes and feel better than I have since I was in my 20's. The instructor is rail-thin having been a ballerina all her life and is still young. Well instructor insisted to lose weight one never needs to exercise and exercise is not even needed for anything ... PERIOD. Sure I understand calories intake however having gained weight through a combination of injuries causing me to go from hiking 5 miles several days a week and doing 2 hours of taekwondo & judo daily to becoming unable to even walk my injuries were so bad. Then came the doctor pushing steriods for joint injuries, asthma and autoimmune illness. Then came 11 yrs working at a desk. Then came eating twice a day thus ruining my metabolism by unknowingly putting my body in starvation mode. I really think I do need to exercise to get my body working right plus I just enjoy it. And I think muscles look sexy ...call me weird if you want!
So because of my history I maintain that I need to exercise including one hour of cardio plus weight lifting. Well another woman chimed in that someone at the hospital said 30 mins 3 times a week is only exercise needed. I disagreed that just because a hospital employee said it doesn't mean anything because even current recommendations are saying 1 hour a day is better and that they said 30 3 times a week only because people would balk if they said more. It went downhill from there as I said I was still going to go to gym regardless and that I was not going to eat bread products there because those are not good for you. Anyways really long story short now everyone is mad at everyone else and dinner was like living hell and ended with one old lady going into a screaming fit.
I'm assuming others here get unwanted advice too. How do you deal with it? I mean besides ignoring it I mean what do you say in social settings? Or do you just go mute and say nothing? But then that might make you look antisocial.
The phrase, "Did I ask you to run my life?" works for me. Though I so rarely have anyone giving me advice that it doesn't come up too often.
In my opinion, they are wrong. Caloric intake and exercise both play a role in either weight gain or loss...just like both temperature and pressure play a role in the volume of a gas.
I choose to politely thank them for their input and let it be at that. Most people just want to share what they know (or in some cases, think they know). Just take what is valuable to you and discard the rest. No need to get into banter with them about it. A simple appreciation for the point of view usually shuts them up. LOL! If not- IT'S ON........ No, j/k.
I get lots of advice about everything but I ignore most of it unless I asked for it.
"Everyone's different, but this is what works for me."
Yep I like that one a lot.
People are odd sometimes. If your workout schedule has no bearing on their life, and you are not sick or injured from too much exercise, why should they care?
Seems everyone is an expert on diet and exercise from the anorexic to the morbidly obese and everyone else in between. I ran into a bad situation this weekend that went from bad to worse and would like input if others have dealt with this and how. I went to a dinner..yeah I hate eating out but made an exception because my tai chi class wanted to go out. Mostly the class is rather grumpy older women. They all sorta ganged up on me berating me for working out 2-2 1/2 hours a day 5-6 days a week even though I dropped 3 sizes and feel better than I have since I was in my 20's. The instructor is rail-thin having been a ballerina all her life and is still young. Well instructor insisted to lose weight one never needs to exercise and exercise is not even needed for anything ... PERIOD. Sure I understand calories intake however having gained weight through a combination of injuries causing me to go from hiking 5 miles several days a week and doing 2 hours of taekwondo & judo daily to becoming unable to even walk my injuries were so bad. Then came the doctor pushing steriods for joint injuries, asthma and autoimmune illness. Then came 11 yrs working at a desk. Then came eating twice a day thus ruining my metabolism by unknowingly putting my body in starvation mode. I really think I do need to exercise to get my body working right plus I just enjoy it. And I think muscles look sexy ...call me weird if you want!
So because of my history I maintain that I need to exercise including one hour of cardio plus weight lifting. Well another woman chimed in that someone at the hospital said 30 mins 3 times a week is only exercise needed. I disagreed that just because a hospital employee said it doesn't mean anything because even current recommendations are saying 1 hour a day is better and that they said 30 3 times a week only because people would balk if they said more. It went downhill from there as I said I was still going to go to gym regardless and that I was not going to eat bread products there because those are not good for you. Anyways really long story short now everyone is mad at everyone else and dinner was like living hell and ended with one old lady going into a screaming fit.
I'm assuming others here get unwanted advice too. How do you deal with it? I mean besides ignoring it I mean what do you say in social settings? Or do you just go mute and say nothing? But then that might make you look antisocial.
When anyone butts into any aspect of my personal life I simply smile and say..... "Thank you I'll take that under advisement"..... and then change the subject.
One way of doing this (especially with grumpy older women), is to simply ask them what they think of President Obama's health care plans. Believe me, they will stop talking about your weight and exercising immediately. LOL
I like Ohiogirl's response. I can't recall ever being in a situation quite like this one involving the subject of exercise. It's not often that I get such meddlesome "advice" about any area of my life, but when I do, my response often tends to be along those same lines as what Ohiogirl suggested. Something like, "It works for me."
Do I have this right about the instructor? Are you saying that your Tai Chi instructor is saying exercise is unnecessary? And you're saying she's a ballerina? Maybe she doesn't think of Tai Chi and ballet as "exercise" because they don't fall into the main groups of activities people often do specifically for the purpose of getting exercise, but doesn't she realize what a physical workout she gets from these activities? Sounds as if she may perform these activities for enjoyment of the activity, without thinking of them as exercise, and she doesn't realize how much exercise she actually gets.
I'm assuming others here get unwanted advice too. How do you deal with it? I mean besides ignoring it I mean what do you say in social settings? Or do you just go mute and say nothing? But then that might make you look antisocial.
I take it as people just sharing their experiences... I'm sure it is all done out of good intentions, so I just take it in and share my opinions. I don't think it needs to come down to anything negative.
Then again, I almost never get advice from anyone regarding weight or exercise. I would like some, though.
Seems everyone is an expert on diet and exercise from the anorexic to the morbidly obese and everyone else in between. I ran into a bad situation this weekend that went from bad to worse and would like input if others have dealt with this and how. I went to a dinner..yeah I hate eating out but made an exception because my tai chi class wanted to go out. Mostly the class is rather grumpy older women. They all sorta ganged up on me berating me for working out 2-2 1/2 hours a day 5-6 days a week even though I dropped 3 sizes and feel better than I have since I was in my 20's. The instructor is rail-thin having been a ballerina all her life and is still young. Well instructor insisted to lose weight one never needs to exercise and exercise is not even needed for anything ... PERIOD. Sure I understand calories intake however having gained weight through a combination of injuries causing me to go from hiking 5 miles several days a week and doing 2 hours of taekwondo & judo daily to becoming unable to even walk my injuries were so bad. Then came the doctor pushing steriods for joint injuries, asthma and autoimmune illness. Then came 11 yrs working at a desk. Then came eating twice a day thus ruining my metabolism by unknowingly putting my body in starvation mode. I really think I do need to exercise to get my body working right plus I just enjoy it. And I think muscles look sexy ...call me weird if you want!
So because of my history I maintain that I need to exercise including one hour of cardio plus weight lifting. Well another woman chimed in that someone at the hospital said 30 mins 3 times a week is only exercise needed. I disagreed that just because a hospital employee said it doesn't mean anything because even current recommendations are saying 1 hour a day is better and that they said 30 3 times a week only because people would balk if they said more. It went downhill from there as I said I was still going to go to gym regardless and that I was not going to eat bread products there because those are not good for you. Anyways really long story short now everyone is mad at everyone else and dinner was like living hell and ended with one old lady going into a screaming fit.
I'm assuming others here get unwanted advice too. How do you deal with it? I mean besides ignoring it I mean what do you say in social settings? Or do you just go mute and say nothing? But then that might make you look antisocial.
I myself am a tai chi and qigong instructor (more than 15 years of teaching) and I agree with the chick who is your instructor. If you do taiji, you really do not need any further exercise to achieve good/great health. That is, providing you are practicing the form correctly and doing both neidan and waidan qigong. Its an "All Inclusive" martial system where the practitioners benefit from daily practice. It makes the fat lose weight. It makes the too thin gain weight. It makes the weak strong. It makes the old young. Its called the "Supreme Ultimate" for a reason.
Also, from what I read in your post, it doesnt sound like you received unsolicited exercise and diet advice. It seems more like people were just giving their opinions on diet and exercise, but again, I wasnt there so I am just going by what you posted.
Do I have this right about the instructor? Are you saying that your Tai Chi instructor is saying exercise is unnecessary?
Im sure she was saying exercises in addition to regular taichi practice isnt necessary. I agree with this in the terms of taichi being a complete internal and external martial system. See my post above. Me personally, I encourage my younger students (youngest being 18-25 year old) pursue other athletic endeavors and exercises, because it will help with their martial arts. Older people who are not looking to compete and/or fight may not really need to do all this IF they keep up with their taichi.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ogre
And you're saying she's a ballerina? Maybe she doesn't think of Tai Chi and ballet as "exercise" because they don't fall into the main groups of activities people often do specifically for the purpose of getting exercise, but doesn't she realize what a physical workout she gets from these activities? Sounds as if she may perform these activities for enjoyment of the activity, without thinking of them as exercise, and she doesn't realize how much exercise she actually gets.
I know exactly what you are saying here and think you are totally correct. I KNOW taiji is an exercise, when practiced, you are soaking wet from sweat. But I really think of it as something I do in the morning BEFORE I go out to exercise. Or, I do it to relax at the end of a long day when I had a particularly intense workout session(s).
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...call me weird if you want!
