How has health & fitness negatively impacted your life?

Blacktie.

So I've seen all the benefits of being into health and fitness but what ways has it negatively impacted your life?

For me it's my wallet. My friend can buy groceries for him, his wife and 2 kids for 70 euro. For me alone it's between 90 and 120 a week. And I don't buy anything fancy! Mostly Tesco brand stuff. I'm working on ways to reduce this though!

Also comments in work. I get it I eat a lot and frequently. We don't all need daily reminders of this. :pac:

Mr. CooL ICE

Not being able to find comfortable jeans

Hanley

I can't go f*cking anywhere without being hassled by hoards of adoring fans.

Hanley

..seriously tho...

- food cost

- effort of getting nice fitting clothes

- having to have 2 different wardrobes for formal occasions (bulking / cutting)

...and really that's about it.

I think it enhances my life far more than it takes away from it.

ford2600

Blacktie. wrote: »

So I've seen all the benefits of being into health and fitness but what ways has it negatively impacted your life?

For me it's my wallet. My friend can buy groceries for him, his wife and 2 kids for 70 euro. For me alone it's between 90 and 120 a week. And I don't buy anything fancy! Mostly Tesco brand stuff. I'm working on ways to reduce this though!

Also comments in work. I get it I eat a lot and frequently. We don't all need daily reminders of this. :pac:

Are you on a bulk with that cost?

Buy a slow cooker/casserole dish and learn to cook stews in batches. Cheap fatty cuts will have almost identical nutrition as expensive (but convenient to cook rib eyes/ striploins etc.
Buy whole chickens and eat everything.

Add organ meat and bone if you want calorie dense, nutrient dense and almost free calories.

First time having lunch out in months (so not cheap but practically free at home). Bones and kidneys

Hard to put a price on the feeling of being fitter/stronger and the physiological benefit of achieving goals so don't sweat you grocery bill too much.

Blacktie.

ford2600 wrote: »

Are you on a bulk with that cost?

Buy a slow cooker/casserole dish and learn to cook stews in batches. Cheap fatty cuts will have almost identical nutrition as expensive (but convenient to cook rib eyes/ striploins etc.
Buy whole chickens and eat everything.

Add organ meat and bone if you want calorie dense, nutrient dense and almost free calories.

First time having lunch out in months (so not cheap but practically free at home). Bones and kidneys

Yep bulking now but even cutting it was only about 20 euro cheaper. My biggest expense is meat and that doesn't really change between bulking and cutting since I'm keeping protein the same. If anything it's gone down a bit as all the additional food that used to be negligible protein amounts now really adds up. I'm looking into getting a chest freezer to buy in bulk and hopefully reduce that cost down further. No idea how to reduce my fresh veg costs. Not a fan of frozen stuff.

I also tend to have 2 dinners a day instead of a typical lunch and dinner. That adds up I think!

Yeah I have a slow cooker. Great for cooking chilli in! That's my go to cheap option. I must look up some stew recipes actually. Been fairly lazy with recipes for the last while.

Organ meat and bone... That sounds interesting alright I wouldn't mind giving that a shot but I'd have no idea where to start!

Hard to put a price on the feeling of being fitter/stronger and the physiological benefit of achieving goals so don't sweat you grocery bill too much.

I think it enhances my life far more than it takes away from it.

100% agree!

Zillah

Regular shirts now accommodate a giant beer belly. Even so-called "slimfit" shirts make room for a moderate beer belly. Get the small size you say? Too small everywhere else. Apparently the average man is now a dumpy potato with tiny arms, and I never noticed how much the trend had gone that way until after I bulked up.

I'm thinking of shelling out for some tailored shirts. I've been getting custom-fit jeans from India for years because I'm so tall. Had to dump one of the older pairs because the thighs no longer fit.

So clothes, mostly.

Alf Veedersane

Having to dump my nicely tailored shirts.

I may hold on until I have a Hulk moment.

jenizzle

I went through a fairly negative phase for about a year where I overthought everything. Felt, that because I didn't look like "everyone" on IG or I wasn't squatting twice my body weight, that I was a failure. I overthought everything I ate: calories, macros, meal timing etc etc and it got very out of hand. I also became very judgemental of others and their eating habits. I stopped leaving the house for social things and became very anxious, especially as I started gaining weight due to Hypothyroidism.

Fortunately have mostly moved on from that but it can creep up again every so often. I've changed to a different form of fitness which isn't about aesthetics at all and have started concentrating not on body shape or size but on speed, fitness & strength which has done wonders for me.

Anyway that probably got a lot more serious than intended

On a lighter note - the amount of washing is ridiculous. Dunno how I go through so many clothes in a week :pac:

Vegeta

The time investment. I have a lot of hobbies and keeping fitness going is a conscious choice but it comes at the expense of other things I also enjoy doing. Sometimes this makes me resent it a bit.

cloudatlas

Trying to schedule a decent amount of time in for going to the gym around everything else.

On a grander scale there doesn't seem to be much about the impact of a life of athletics on health damage to limbs etc., only recently has there been more discussion of concussion and it's long term affects.

ford2600

Blacktie. wrote: »

Yeah I have a slow cooker. Great for cooking chilli in! That's my go to cheap option. I must look up some stew recipes actually. Been fairly lazy with recipes for the last while.

Organ meat and bone... That sounds interesting alright I wouldn't mind giving that a shot but I'd have no where to start

Get to know your butcher; they spend an inordinate amount of their time cutting off fat (as most people want everything lean) so if you save them the hassle and take the fat you can get good value.

Flank, brisket (which when slow barbecued circa 10hrs is unbelievable ) shin beef are good choices. Brisket burgers are the best I've ever had and you can use left over fat for frying/roasting spuds.

Stews are basic cooking with only a couple of essentials
*sear meat on pan with lots of salt
* deglaze pan and add to casserole to brown gravy
*use a decent stock: homemade once a year and put into ice cube tray ftw
*onions at start
* slow cook at low temp the tougher/cheaper the cut

Add whatever veg/spices you like carrots/peas/turnip etc. Whatever you have in house. I usually cook a huge Base with just meat/onions/celery and split in 3, freezing 2. Then add filler vegs/lentils to bulk out.

Cassoulet which is basically cheap haricot beans with a small amount of fatty meat sausage/piece of duck etc is another good cheap, calorie dense and nutritious food.

For convenience and cheap a min 20% fat burger is great; just add salt to bind meat.

Buy a full lamb only if you will use it all.

Lame liver wrapped in bacon and roasted is a great introduction to organ meats but any cooked right are really good. Texture will be your biggest issue at first.

I would prefer most of those foods to most steaks, except maybe a bbq rib eye

Bones, like beef shin, are usually free. Fill oven tray cover with salt and roast for 15mins. Add marrow to stew, put with roast potatoes, use like butter on sourdough or add to stew. Make stock with remainder and one for the dog 😀.

Nate--IRL--

Not being able to walk at the weekends, after leg day on Friday

Nate

deadlybuzzman

Splitting 2 pairs of work trousers, a pair of boxers and a pair of tracksuit bottoms all in one week during a bulk

Blacktie.

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Splitting 2 pairs of work trousers, a pair of boxers and a pair of tracksuit bottoms all in one week during a bulk

Sounds like a successful bulk!

deadlybuzzman

Blacktie. wrote: »

Sounds like a successful bulk!

It was. I can't remember my starting or finishing weights but it blew me right out of the plateau I was stuck on and even when I lost 20lbs afterwards I kept pretty much all my strength

At 5'6", I can only wear quite loose fitting jeans that make me look about 2 foot tall. Most jeans in shops these days, I don't even try getting them past my calves!

That and countless recurring injuries from fights over the years (thai boxing/mma) - I can break my toes just by giving them a dirty look. Sense of smell quite poor from a nose having been broken a few times, almost permanently congested on one side of my nose. That will be fixed eventually, but no point while I'm still sparring the odd time, even for fun only these days.

All that being said, wouldn't change a thing!

pumpkin4life

Its far harder to buy clothes that actually fit. I've got much broader shoulders than I used to but absolutely no stomach fat anymore. Most of the shirts I have fit well in the shoulders but are baggy as fùck; hanging off me for the stomach, like a bit of washing blowing in the wind. Same for pants, but its not as much of an issue there. Are most lads this broad at the stomach? Especially a pain for suits and business wear. Fùcking keeping mr tailor in business.

I'm also eating way more food these days and have one hell of a voracious appetite, which costs more money as well.

Time at the gym is time away from doing other things, though I really enjoy it, so I'm not sure that counts.

Finally, people treat you different when you've put on some muscle.

Most people are actually sounder to you because of it, but I've been getting some passive aggressive comments from a select few people, in particular a couple of people who knew me as a former fattie.

Having said that, the pros far outweigh the cons.

runawaybishop

Clothes are an absolute pain in the hole. Have to go up a couple sizes in the waist just so my thighs fit and any shirt that fits me around the neck is like a tent around my middle. Any shirt that fits around my middle i am unable to bend my arms to drink a pint.

Protein burps/farts also suck.

deadanonymau5

Hanley wrote: »

I can't go f*cking anywhere without being hassled by hoards of adoring fans.

You shouldnt be shagging in public anyway!

ford2600 wrote: »

Are you on a bulk with that cost?

Buy a slow cooker/casserole dish and learn to cook stews in batches. Cheap fatty cuts will have almost identical nutrition as expensive (but convenient to cook rib eyes/ striploins etc.
Buy whole chickens and eat everything.

Add organ meat and bone if you want calorie dense, nutrient dense and almost free calories.

First time having lunch out in months (so not cheap but practically free at home). Bones and kidneys

Hard to put a price on the feeling of being fitter/stronger and the physiological benefit of achieving goals so don't sweat you grocery bill too much.

Whats in your second picture?

pinkypinky

There's definitely an impact on social life at times - I have to decide between a night out or getting my routine in, and then if I do got out, there's food/alcohol decisions, but these are small negatives that don't happen every week.

Useful.Idiot

Like many above, mainly in the jeans department. Had about 4/5 pairs of good trusty (skinny) jeans that have lasted me well a few years. Since starting squatting the legs blew up and ripped pretty much all the jeans I had down the crotch. Ah well, a sign of good progress and all that!

BrokenArrows

Useful.Idiot wrote: »

Like many above, mainly in the jeans department. Had about 4/5 pairs of good trusty (skinny) jeans that have lasted me well a few years. Since starting squatting the legs blew up and ripped pretty much all the jeans I had down the crotch. Ah well, a sign of good progress and all that!

Its a sign that you shouldnt be wearing skinny jeans.

Speedwell

My mother chose to treat her breast cancer with "natural" supplements and diet instead of "poison" chemotherapy and "dangerous" radiation therapy. She died.

Useful.Idiot

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Its a sign that you shouldnt be wearing skinny jeans.

not anymore!

Zillah

pumpkin4life wrote: »

Most of the shirts I have fit well in the shoulders but are baggy as fùck; hanging off me for the stomach, like a bit of washing blowing in the wind.

If you pinch it at the back in the mirror you can see how it should be shaped. Frequently get six inches of spare material flapping around the place. They actually use clothes pegs in model shoots.

Finally, people treat you different when you've put on some muscle.

Most people are actually sounder to you because of it

This is one thing I noticed that I did not expect at all. I'm sure it's partly to do with entering my 30s, but since I bulked I've found people just being a bit more deferential/respectful. Not that there was any issue before - it's subtle - but I think it's there.

One thing I've noticed a massive difference is interacting with groups of young lads. For whatever reason, maybe being built like a pole, I usually seemed to invite abuse when I was younger. Hasn't happened in years now, and any time I've spoken to them more recently they've seemed much more respectful.

Bizarre that it should make a difference in the 21st century but that's how our brains are wired.

Speedwell wrote: »

My mother chose to treat her breast cancer with "natural" supplements and diet instead of "poison" chemotherapy and "dangerous" radiation therapy. She died.

Jesus; my sympathies. Not exactly what I'd put under "Health and Fitness" though - kind of the opposite.

Speedwell

Zillah wrote: »

Jesus; my sympathies. Not exactly what I'd put under "Health and Fitness" though - kind of the opposite.

Thanks, yeah, I understand. My mother was absolutely one hundred percent convinced that "natural" methods were The Cure and that following the recommendations of her medical team was "buying into negativity". I mentioned it as a sort of caution against thinking that any health or fitness regimen was the One True Solution.

Pepe LeFrits

Constant injuries would be my main negative impact!

Zillah

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Constant injuries would be my main negative impact!

Are you sure you're doing it right...?

Alf Veedersane

What with all the horrible experiences of new clothes and good food, if any one needs it...

www.samaritans.org

deadanonymau5

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

What with all the horrible experiences of new clothes and good food, if any one needs it...

www.samaritans.org

Hilarious Alf, linking a website for people with mental health issues and nobody to talk to. Brilliant....

Cake Man

Good thread, interesting to see how it negatively affects people. Definitely agree with what others have said in relation to things like:
Time - altogether including prep/stretching, getting to/from the gym, doing a workout and home & showered takes me 2 to 2.5hrs. When you do that 6 times a week it all adds up and it's time you can't do anything else. Doesn't really help if you live with an OH who isn't really into fitness and you need to try squeeze in sessions at times.


Food prep - I seem to spend an hour or so each evening cooking, as well as some time on the weekend. A huge amount of time goes into food prep when you're looking after breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. It can be a bit draining having to prep stuff after a long day.


DOMS/niggly injuries - I nearly always have a dose of DOMS (especially legs) and now and again have a niggly injury somewhere. DOMS isn't necessarily a bad thing as I like to think it shows I've done a decent workout.


General mood and energy - Working out nearly everyday means I'm always fairly tired, even though I get 7-9hrs sleep and am eating enough. I get to Friday evenings and I just collapse in the bed! I find that going to the gym I'm cursing the place and wishing I could go back to bed for another while/sit on the couch and watch telly but after the gym feel great. I've a tendency to get a bit edgy and p!ssed off if I go more than a day or two without being able to get a workout in.

There can be a lot of ignorance towards fitness too. For example, my boss asked me the other week if I was "on a diet" because I was eating beef salad for lunch. Other work colleagues go out for lunch most days, usually for fast food or other such junk and question why I don't want to go out with them because I've brought my own lunch.

Still regardless of the above, the benefits definitely outweigh some of the downsides.

Alf Veedersane

deadanonymau5 wrote: »

Hilarious Alf, linking a website for people with mental health issues and nobody to talk to. Brilliant....

There's nothing that poked fun at the website or people with mental health issues.

El Horseboxo

You all must be monsters since you struggle with clothes so much. I thought I was big at 6' 2" and 225 lbls. Genetically I find it easy to stay quite lean at around 10-14% bf. But still. I never have any problems with jeans or shirts. And leg days are my favorite day. I do have 2 sets of clothes however for when I do decide to drop weight a bit.

Negatives for me include making time, especially as I get older I seem to have a lot less of it free. Small injuries, usually picked up outside of the gym but exacerbated in there because I don't want to miss workouts due to them. Also the accusations and requests for steroids even though I've never touched them. And friends/acquaintances etc treating me like a personal trainer even though I'm not one.

Hanley

El Horseboxo wrote: »

You all must be monsters since you struggle with clothes so much. I thought I was big at 6' 2" and 225 lbls. Genetically I find it easy to stay quite lean at around 10-14% bf. But still. I never have any problems with jeans or shirts. And leg days are my favorite day. I do have 2 sets of clothes however for when I do decide to drop weight a bit.

Tbh, I think most people are talking ****.

I can wear skinny fit pants from H&M that fit well, and most shirts hug in the right places. I think in their head, people WANT to be too big for clothes.

..or just do a really bad job shopping for em.

runawaybishop

Hanley wrote: »

Tbh, I think most people are talking ****.

I can wear skinny fit pants from H&M that fit well, and most shirts hug in the right places. I think in their head, people WANT to be too big for clothes.

..or just do a really bad job shopping for em.

Nonsense. Modern clothes are not designed for people with even a bit of muscle. You've been around long enough to know that's a common complaint on here.

Hanley

runawaybishop wrote: »

Nonsense. Modern clothes are not designed for people with even a bit of muscle. You've been around long enough to know that's a common complaint on here.

For people with muscle AND fat... yah - clothes fitting can be a nightmare.

But if you're 12% and in reasonable shape, it's not so much of a problem in my experience.

Blacktie.

Hanley wrote: »

For people with muscle AND fat... yah - clothes fitting can be a nightmare.

But if you're 12% and in reasonable shape, it's not so much of a problem in my experience.

That used to be me . Now the only clothes don't fit me is because I need a new wardrobe

viclemronny

Zillah wrote: »

Regular shirts now accommodate a giant beer belly. Even so-called "slimfit" shirts make room for a moderate beer belly. Get the small size you say? Too small everywhere else. Apparently the average man is now a dumpy potato with tiny arms, and I never noticed how much the trend had gone that way until after I bulked up.

I'm thinking of shelling out for some tailored shirts. I've been getting custom-fit jeans from India for years because I'm so tall. Had to dump one of the older pairs because the thighs no longer fit.

So clothes, mostly.

Possible halfway house that I have used to address similar issues. Buy regular shirts that have the bear belly accommodation and get them tailored in (both taken in and darts if you want a really neat look). Cheaper than tailored shirts but nicely sized.

dudara

Tore my medial ligament and hamstring my left knee, and detached the retina in my left eye. Both have healed well, but still leave a very small impact that I'll have for life.

Zillah

It's not about total size, it's about proportions. I am by no means a monster - plenty of lads lifting twice what I can - but my shoulders and forearms have filled out a lot in the last couple of years, but I wear 32" for trousers, and my actual waist would probably be 28", and I'm 6'5". I cannot for the life of me find a shirt that fits properly.

Then again people have different ideas about what counts as 'well-fitting'. I hate baggy shirts.

When I mentioned dumping a pair of jeans earlier it was specifically a pair I had custom-made before I started lifting and had skinny little legs.

runawaybishop

Hanley wrote: »

For people with muscle AND fat... yah - clothes fitting can be a nightmare.

But if you're 12% and in reasonable shape, it's not so much of a problem in my experience.

What, like fat shoulders and arms but a slim stomach? Its not easy to buy a decent fitting shirt.

deadanonymau5

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

What with all the horrible experiences of new clothes and good food, if any one needs it...

www.samaritans.org

deadanonymau5 wrote: »

Hilarious Alf, linking a website for people with mental health issues and nobody to talk to. Brilliant....

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

There's nothing that poked fun at the website or people with mental health issues.

Alf, you were taking the piss out of some of the posters and linked Samaritans as a shi7 joke.

bladespin

deadanonymau5 wrote: »

Alf, you were taking the piss out of some of the posters and linked Samaritans as a shi7 joke.

He didn't take the p out of the website though.
Some folks a little overly hormonal.

deadanonymau5

bladespin wrote: »

He didn't take the p out of the website though.
Some folks a little overly hormonal.

I didn't say he did :rolleyes:

A quick comment on how Alf posted a shi7 joke, and now Im "hormonal" :pac: In that case, I suppose you must be emotional to comment on it too...

Alf Veedersane

deadanonymau5 wrote: »

Alf, you were taking the piss out of some of the posters and linked Samaritans as a shi7 joke.

It was a light-hearted comment about the cost of food and changing clothes being 'negative impacts on life' due to being healthier and fitter.

If you thought it was a sh*t 'joke then say that but don't misrepresent it as being flippant about mental health.

bladespin

deadanonymau5 wrote: »

I didn't say he did :rolleyes:

Did I say you did???

deadanonymau5 wrote: »

A quick comment on how Alf posted a shi7 joke, and now Im "hormonal" :pac:

Obviously.

deadanonymau5

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

It was a light-hearted comment about the cost of food and changing clothes being 'negative impacts on life' due to being healthier and fitter.

If you thought it was a sh*t 'joke then say that but don't misrepresent it as being flippant about mental health.

You linking the Samaritans website contradicts that. Clearly you were being facetious about mental health, joking that people should go to samaritans.org

bladespin wrote: »

Did I say you did???


Obviously.

I never said you said I did.

Since you just randomly pointed out the obvious and quoted me, I clarified.

Zillah

Jesus, shut up about the bloody Samaritans.

whippet

my problem is about 3 stone in weight shifted and having to purchase a whole new wardrobe ...

deadanonymau5

Zillah wrote: »

Jesus, shut up about the bloody Samaritans.

I'd prefer if you didn't refer to me by my first name. Thanks.