Elk Grove "hot mom" on viral photo: "I didn't call you fat" (lifting weights, vs)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Elk Grove 'hot mom' on viral photo: 'I didn't call you fat'
Year after photo's release, Maria Kang responds with makeshift apology
UPDATED 11:24 PM PDT Oct 15, 2013
An Elk Grove mother of three garnered national attention when a controversial photo she posted went viral. Now, her public response to the backlash has caused the image to resurface on social media. It has been one year since the photo was snapped. But the image's resurgence has become something else entirely. After hearing and reading thousands of responses, 32-year-old Kang issued what she called her "first and final apology" on her Facebook page.
She definitely looks good and works hard at it. I think she didn't get enough attention when she posted the photo last year so she responds a year later to those that "criticized" her with an apology. LOL.
I have two kids (one is only 11 months) and I'm very fit, so let me preface this by saying I am not jealous of her. I have trained for 10 years including to the end of both pregnancies.
I have a problem with the term "What's Your Excuse?" because she is at a lean body fat level and has a history of exercise (and disordered eating, but I digress). The idea that the average woman can just diet down and train to her physique 8 months postpartum is ludicrous, some women can, and some women can't. Some women can't get to that level of leanness when nursing, others may have stomach stretch marks or loose skin that cannot be fixed without surgery, some have severe abdominal diastasis and doing the type of exercise to achieve this physique could actually cause further harm to their bodies.
She made a comment about how she worked out at the park while other moms might just play on their iphone. Well, some moms might just be reading a book to unwind from the day or even playing with their kids. There is nothing wrong with all of those options, and I have to say that there is absolutely NO SHAME in a woman less than a year postpartum putting fitness/dieting at a low priority level. Nothing at all. There is no "excuse" in it, simply an option which is just fine. She is at an athletic body fat level and don't kid yourselves, that is difficult to maintain even when you are single and have had no children. I've done it myself and it is HARD. And yes, there are days where I am mad at myself because I worked out when I probably should have just laid on the couch and rested because the baby was up teething all night.
Health is mental as well, something people tend to forget. A well-rested and happy mother is still an important goal - taking a long stroller walk with the kids is acceptable, we don't have to all be doing ATG squats!
There is nothing wrong with a woman being a "hot fit mom" but there is nothing wrong with a woman being a normal mom either. She could have prefaced this picture with something like "I did it, here's how!" or something, but instead she uses the term "excuse" which does imply (no matter how much she skirts around it) that women who have not achieved that level of physique are simply making excuses. That is not okay, and that is harmful
Elk Grove 'hot mom' on viral photo: 'I didn't call you fat'
Year after photo's release, Maria Kang responds with makeshift apology
UPDATED 11:24 PM PDT Oct 15, 2013
An Elk Grove mother of three garnered national attention when a controversial photo she posted went viral. Now, her public response to the backlash has caused the image to resurface on social media. It has been one year since the photo was snapped. But the image's resurgence has become something else entirely. After hearing and reading thousands of responses, 32-year-old Kang issued what she called her "first and final apology" on her Facebook page.
She definitely looks good and works hard at it. I think she didn't get enough attention when she posted the photo last year so she responds a year later to those that "criticized" her with an apology. LOL.
What do you think?
The criticism didn't start last year, it's new. She posted the pic last year, but for some reason it went viral this year, and that is when all the criticism started. I think people are making a big deal out of nothing.
No. She's specifically addressing those that do make excuses. She has a workout program that has no excuses in the name.
It's basically marketing & branding.
It works because it hits at a lot of truth. Some get motivated by the truth. Others let their own insecurities get in the way.
Not everyone is going to look like her and there is no shame if you don't. She isn't advertising that. She is at her best though, which is what she's selling.
Everyone looks different, but be your own best.
To the insecure out there, her success is not your failure. Her physique is not your fat shame.
It's simply her finding a way to work through the obstacles of life to accomplish something that she feels passionate about.
I think this type of balance is something that most struggle with. It's something that most don't like.
So of course the knee jerk reaction is - my excuse is that I have a real life, or I am a real women, or I'm disabled, etc.
Snark to avoid the truth that is in the message.
I know I make poor choices and am not performing as the best me. I have some difficulty balancing my time at work, my time at home, what I enjoy vs what is best for me, etc.
I think that's very much part of the human condition.
I put priorities on different things with different weights and those choices at times lead to less than ideal results.
The fact that there are people out there who can manage it and are willing to share their journey and create a dialogue should be more of an inspiration than an outrage because some may feel inadequate.
One of the biggest obstacles to adults who are married, have kids and careers to working out and taking care of themselves is time management and prioritization ........ they may say that is what they want to do, may really believe that is what they want, but it frequently falls down the list
Her message is to those people. You say you want to live healthier, you say you are willing to put in the work, but then you say that you have young kids, that your job takes up a lot of time, that you are tired, that you got too busy ....... all of this may be true, but if you really want this you put away the excuse, own it as being an excuse and find a way to get it done
She may have good intentions, but she delivered her message poorly. She's naive thinking she can post that picture and not have people get upset because weight loss/image is a sensitive topic. I think the word "excuse" doesn't help because because people will interpret that as a excuse for being fat, overweight, not pretty, not as thin as her, not healthy, etc.
She looks good. In fact, she looks great. But posting her picture with the words "what's your excuse?" is kind of obnoxious. It's the same mindset that people have regarding looks, income, education, success, etc. "I did it, why can't you?"
A better source of inspiration would have been with more encouraging words, not pointing a finger at those who just don't measure up to her standards. It is obvious she feels that those who don't achieve her level of physical fitness are hiding their laziness or gluttony behind some flimsy excuse.
I have two kids (one is only 11 months) and I'm very fit, so let me preface this by saying I am not jealous of her. I have trained for 10 years including to the end of both pregnancies.
I have a problem with the term "What's Your Excuse?" because she is at a lean body fat level and has a history of exercise (and disordered eating, but I digress). The idea that the average woman can just diet down and train to her physique 8 months postpartum is ludicrous, some women can, and some women can't. Some women can't get to that level of leanness when nursing, others may have stomach stretch marks or loose skin that cannot be fixed without surgery, some have severe abdominal diastasis and doing the type of exercise to achieve this physique could actually cause further harm to their bodies.
She made a comment about how she worked out at the park while other moms might just play on their iphone. Well, some moms might just be reading a book to unwind from the day or even playing with their kids. There is nothing wrong with all of those options, and I have to say that there is absolutely NO SHAME in a woman less than a year postpartum putting fitness/dieting at a low priority level. Nothing at all. There is no "excuse" in it, simply an option which is just fine. She is at an athletic body fat level and don't kid yourselves, that is difficult to maintain even when you are single and have had no children. I've done it myself and it is HARD. And yes, there are days where I am mad at myself because I worked out when I probably should have just laid on the couch and rested because the baby was up teething all night.
Health is mental as well, something people tend to forget. A well-rested and happy mother is still an important goal - taking a long stroller walk with the kids is acceptable, we don't have to all be doing ATG squats!
There is nothing wrong with a woman being a "hot fit mom" but there is nothing wrong with a woman being a normal mom either. She could have prefaced this picture with something like "I did it, here's how!" or something, but instead she uses the term "excuse" which does imply (no matter how much she skirts around it) that women who have not achieved that level of physique are simply making excuses. That is not okay, and that is harmful
I totally agree with you.
As someone who had a front-row seat to his wife's post-pregnancy body insecurities, I can understand why this woman's picture has touched a few nerves. She was definitely a bit over the top with the whole "What's your excuse?" approach, and could have handled that another way. Her results (provided the photo wasn't touched up too much) are pretty spectacular, honestly. But she clearly has the genetics, as well as the dedication to both diet and exercise, to maintain this look. The fact that she can pull this off as a mother of 3 is pretty impressive, provided it doesn't come at the expense of other priorities in her life.
But I'm with you -- there's nothing wrong with being a normal mom, either.
Then that is a problem with those peoples mindsets.
Their insecurities is not her burden to wear - it's something they need to address with themselves.
Her message was delivered well within the context of what she was promoting - a fitness regimen that focused on rejecting the excuses of everday life to meet your goals
That photo is the cover over her book/program - "Maria Kang's No Excuse Fitness Plan - A No BS Guide To Your Best Body"
Here is from her webpage:
Quote:
This is my "No Excuse" Fitness Plan. This isn't (all) about how to eat right and exercise. This is about Goal Setting. It's about getting to know YOU: your strengths, your weaknesses, your excuses and most of all .... your motivation
Quote:
This plan is not about perfection. It's about progress. It's about no giving up......... I'm not going to ask you to be perfect. I'm going to ask you to try to be perfect, know that is impossible. While unachievable, it's the strive that I'm seeking you to master.....
under the personal rules of the program it goes back to excuses
Quote:
Reflect on your past Excuses. Was it lack of time? Lack of support? Stress? What was it? Most often, the end answer is a 'lack of motivation' ..... because if you truly wanted it, you would make it happen. Regardless of excuse. I suggest you find what has prohibited you from succeeding in the past and create action plans on how to battle them in the future. Sometimes you will fail in the battle, but you get up and try again, and again and again ... until you master the 'excuses' that prevents you from progressing
Clearly these are all horrible ideas from an evil person trying to get people to feel bad for themselves........ /sarcasm
The point is to find the excuses that stop you from acheiving your goals, stop you from being your best you and then develop a plan based on your motivating factors to overcome those excuses and obstacles to reach your goal and to find a way to stay motivated during the process.
It isn't easy.
It's also not an uncommon thought in many areas of life - especially the fitness world.
Beachbody ran a promo this summer called "the summer of no excuses" with a bunch of middle aged guys with phenomenal physiques with little clothing. There wasn't outrage that they were out to make guys feel bad about themselves
The dude from Celebrity Fit Club has a book called "Harvey Walden's No Excuses! Fitness Workout"
There are tons of motivational materials out there about eliminating excuses.
There are posters/pictures/advertisements where people are lifting weights and being in great shape despite missing limbs with the caption of "no excuses" .... since I have all my limbs should my immediate response be self shame that I can't do the things they are doing? Or should I look at it that we all have our own obstacles and if you want to acheive something that is important to you it can be done.
What's a shame here is that you have someone who is very open, creates a community dialogue and is trying to help people getting shouted down by the anonymous social media flapping heads that are typically miserable in their own reality so they head online to snipe at anyone who is doing more than them ...... straight bitterness, but par for the internet course.
I'm glad it has not shaken her resolve and if anything will give her more publicity
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
