Basically a fitness site for gamers with a goal of GenCon 2010:
http://geeksdreamgirl.com/2009/08/20/what-will-you-look-like-at-gencon-2010/
I think that's a fairly good goal, really. But it blurs the goalposts. Obsessing with weight itself is the wrong perception.
What you have to want are two things: to be healthy and to look good.
So aiming at going from "Fat bastard" to Keanu Reeves overnight is just an unrealistic expectation. Hell, if you're starting from "fat bastard" EVER getting to "keanu reeves" is simply unrealistic, and shouldn't be the point.
As Penn & Teller proved in their Bullshit episode on weight, body-mass index is a crock as it presently exists, its based on faulty 19th century science; and being thin doesn't necessarily mean being either fit or healthy.
Nor does it mean looking good; the thin guys at Gencon who were dressed in torn cheese-sauce-stained t-shirts that hadn't been changed in 4 weeks are no better to either the eye or the nose than the fat guy in the same shirt.
So if we're going to re-educate the Gamers on this, we need to get them to start practicing daily hygiene and dressing up nicely too. Not everyone might want to go around wearing suits, but understanding that shirts (or pants) which have developed holes or permanent stains are not the way to go, would already be a big step forward.
As for physical health, if you exercise, you will lose weight. If you exercise regularly, you will hit your ideal weight and be healthy, whatever that weight is. And you will feel better and look better.
The point isn't to be a bodybuilding adonis, and in fact most of those guys are actually quite unfit from putting too much strain on their body.
For my own part, I have a bit of an "alpha male belly" natural for a man my age, size and body. My body is otherwise thin, and I exercise daily (secret Tibetan Buddhist Yoga!), and my weight has stayed steady (give or take a kilo) for years.
I can sit in the lotus posture, I can bend fully to touch my toes standing up, I can contort my torso; I can do 21 leg-lifts, I can do the "backwards crab", I can do repeated sun-salutations, my leg muscles can support my whole body leaning 45º backwards. I am, in other words, fit.
And between that and my sense of dress style, while I am certainly not as muscular as Kyle Aaron's alleged photo would show him to be, I sure as fuck am better-looking than he is.
And that should be the goal: A Gencon 2010 full of well-dressed healthy people who don't smell funny!
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPundit;322473And that should be the goal: A Gencon 2010 full of well-dressed healthy people who don't smell funny!
RPGPundit
And it should take place on the Moon!
Quote from: RPGPundit;322473I have a bit of an "alpha male belly" natural for a man my age, size and body.
Wow. That is just too precious.
Thanks for the link to the #fit4gencon project, Abyssal Maw. :-)
Pundit, I'm not sure where the "obsessed with weight" idea came from... I've made it clear that the community is open to both those looking to lose weight and/or build muscle. My goal happens to be losing weight through healthy food choices and exercise.
For some folks, exercise isn't an option. We're talking those geeks who have to ride scooters around because they can't walk. For them, losing weight is the first goalpost. Then they can start to incorporate exercise.
We're keeping this project as open as we can so people can set their goals and do things the way they want to do them. If they want to track the hours they spend working out, cool. If they want to track pounds lost, cool. Both? Go for it. We're just building a supportive community of other geeks who want to be healthier when GenCon 2010 rolls around.
Quote from: RPGPundit;322473As for physical health, if you exercise, you will lose weight. If you exercise regularly, you will hit your ideal weight and be healthy, whatever that weight is. And you will feel better and look better.
I always feel slightly queasy when Pundit posts something I agree with.
Still, at least he included an unnecessary jab at Kyle, and admitted to having a pot belly. What about the moobs, though, man? C-cup yet?
While I struggle with my keeping OT issues: it's not easy to keep as healthy as you'd like to be. I admit, I've little time for those that get themselves into trouble and moan about it. But it's not easy.
Gen Con this year actually made me feel better about my weight and looks this year.
Why was I the "last Klingon Standing" compared to previous years?
Answer: Because I could still fit into my outfit !! Thats why!!
I even let my diet slip the 2 weeks beforehand - and I still fit into the garbv each of the 4 days.
Though I would like to comfortably go back to the tighter notch on the Klingon belt.
My team mates pointed out that comparatively speaking I was better looking than I realized and not as overweight as I thought I was.
- Ed C.
I was just informed by my doctor (this afternoon) that my cholesterol and fat levels were some of the lowest he'd ever seen in an adult. In his words, I have "virtually no cardiac risk." He gave me a license to eat bacon and steak- at will.
I ascribe to the theory that I don't enjoy life enough as it is to reduce my enjoyment further in a vain attempt to drag the misery on a few more dreadfully bleak years. Thus I too have a license to eat all the bacon and steak I want.
Of course, if Aos is eating all that bacon and steak, maybe I should just plan on eating HIM and cut out the middleman....
There's plenty to go around; make sure to bring your lady friends.
Quote from: Aos;322474And it should take place on the Moon!
Touche.
RPGPundit
Quote from: GeeksDreamGirl;322496Thanks for the link to the #fit4gencon project, Abyssal Maw. :-)
Pundit, I'm not sure where the "obsessed with weight" idea came from... I've made it clear that the community is open to both those looking to lose weight and/or build muscle. My goal happens to be losing weight through healthy food choices and exercise.
Ok, fair enough. And welcome to theRPGsite!
There were really two things I focused on in your initial post: the first is that it seemed to focus on weight as a measure of healthiness, which is not really the key by itself; though given what you say above clearly it was not your intention to push "weight loss uber alles", so good.
The second was that thinner gamers alone will not make for a good gencon experience, if you don't also focus on some of those basic social elements so many gamers seem to lack: basic hygiene and sense of dress.
Not to mention social behaviour, but at this point we're shooting for the moon, as Aos so aptly pointed out.
QuoteFor some folks, exercise isn't an option. We're talking those geeks who have to ride scooters around because they can't walk. For them, losing weight is the first goalpost. Then they can start to incorporate exercise.
Jesus Christ, if you let yourself get to that kind of a point of obesity, due to causes unrelated to say, serious injury or disease, I'm not sure that much can really be done.
QuoteWe're keeping this project as open as we can so people can set their goals and do things the way they want to do them. If they want to track the hours they spend working out, cool. If they want to track pounds lost, cool. Both? Go for it. We're just building a supportive community of other geeks who want to be healthier when GenCon 2010 rolls around.
I do think that's a very laudable goal.
RPGPundit
Quote from: Quire;322500I always feel slightly queasy when Pundit posts something I agree with.
Still, at least he included an unnecessary jab at Kyle, and admitted to having a pot belly. What about the moobs, though, man? C-cup yet?
Nope. Maybe a training bra.
RPGPundit
Truthfully Pundit, I'd be satisfied with improved hygiene. T-shirts and jeans, ripped or otherwise would seem to be fairly appropriate for a recreational gaming con. i mean if it were a pro show (and for a minority it is) that would be different. However, as someone who works outside during the summer, I've got to tell you that size of person and their ability to generate a funk are definitely linked.
Quote from: Aos;322508I was just informed by my doctor (this afternoon) that my cholesterol and fat levels were some of the lowest he'd ever seen in an adult. In his words, I have "virtually no cardiac risk." He gave me a license to eat bacon and steak- at will.
I can only eat bacon per encounter and steak as a daily.
On topic, getting in shape for Gencon or any other time is a great goal.
Off topic, what's with the recent trend of pundit, Kyle Aaron and others bragging about their adonis-like looks and navy seal workouts? This is an rpg board and a) we don't care and b) your credibility is pretty much zero without verified pics. Come on, either send in a trustworthy third party (maybe Ron Edwards as he knows a thing or two about genitalia) to measure your cock size once and for all or at least keep the ego aggrandizement to vaguely rpg-related topics.
Quote from: RPGPundit;322473For my own part, I have a bit of an "alpha male belly" natural for a man my age, size and body.
This is very good. Don't forget the "alpha male hair loss", "alpha male huge eyebrows", "alpha male groan when I sit into an armchair", and "alpha male erectile dysfunction".
I don't have any of those.
RPGPundit
A nice goal, E. Good on you & Dante for thinking of it. I confess I won't likely join up--but my family is joining the local Y, and we're working on a workout schedule. Guess we'll have to see what 2010 holds.
Bah, weightloss?
By the thread title and event I assumed cosplay discussion.
Quote from: The_Shadow;322567Off topic, what's with the recent trend of pundit, Kyle Aaron and others bragging about their adonis-like looks and navy seal workouts?
I can't speak for Pundit, but I certainly don't have adonis-like looks. (Having seen pictures of him, he certainly doesn't, either.) I just look
better than I did at the beginning of the year, and better than the average Internet Tough Guy threatening to beat me up :)
And it's hardly a navy seal workout, it's just a regular kind of workout. I felt like throwing up today, so I stopped. Navy seals would keep going :)
Quote from: The_Shadowyour credibility is pretty much zero without verified pics
If I were going to lie, I would lie with better pics, someone truly buff. Say, Ivan Stoitsov, 2007 weightlifting champion in his weight class (he's 78kg).
(http://nodiets.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/ivan-stoitsov.jpg)
But that ain't me, the dickhead in the avatar is instead. Of regular posters on this board, I think only Age of Fable has met me, he can say whether the avatar is accurate or not.
Also, a fat belly is not "alpha male". It's just a fat belly.
Anyway, it's not about having a beautiful physique. It's about health and quality of life (the pursuit of which may or may not lead to a beautiful physique, but modelling is not the same as health). I was on holiday hiking through the Tasmanian wilderness and it wasn't easy - it didn't kill me, but it wasn't easy - and it used to be easy. And I burst the buttons on three pairs of pants. Meanwhile my girlfriend was striding along energetically ahead of me saying, "come on!" So my fatness and lack of fitness was hurting my quality of life. Now I'm stronger and fitter, and fit into the pants with the fixed buttons.
We plan to try to have kids from next year on, I'm 38 now, we wouldn't start till after the honeymoon in Easter, it takes at least nine months to have one, so the earliest they could be born is February 2011, thus the earliest any of them would turn 18 is 2029 when I'm 57. I want to be able to play with my kids, go hiking with them, that sort of thing. I want to live long enough to see grandchildren and play with them, too.
I wouldn't want to be morbidly obese, diabetic with constant back pain and impotent at 45. That's what was in store for me if I kept on the same path - and that's what's in store for a good number of the gamers we saw pictured at GenCon.
Quality of life, mate.
Finally: the longer we live, the longer we can game :D
Quote from: lastspartacus;322692Bah, weightloss?
By the thread title and event I assumed cosplay discussion.
Hehe. Me too. I'm happy it wasn't though.
On topic: When I get to think about it, I find it sort of... let us say noteworthy to spare sensibilities... that people now have to band together online even for this kind of stuff.
What I find really sad, though, is the "fat loser" stereotype ringing truer with each passing year. When I started gaming, almost everyone in my groups was reasonably fit... we were pretty physical guys, actually. Most of us would meet not only for gaming but also for basketball or football (that's soccer for you north americans). Sadly, not true anymore.
EDIT TO ADD: Of course, I'm all in favour of any initiative to make people healthier, and gaming spaces a more habitable place. Because, the real question here: for some people, obesity or bad hygiene goes deeper, psychologically, than a health problem, or an aesthetic consideration. When someone shows up to the game stinking or with monday's underoos, his problem is not his sense of fashion, his problem is he doesn't give a shit about the other human beings around him. And this is a case where attacking a problem through its symptoms could work. Looking good and being healthier can raise a guy's or girl's self esteem, thus helping him or her relate to others. (Which is also when I must grudgingly accept that the "online support" thing can work at first. Not all the way, though.). This might sound like a) an oversimplification or b) a load of crap, but I do believe it's true.
Just my 0.50 uruguayan pesos.
Quote from: Kyle Aaron;322698I can't speak for Pundit, but I certainly don't have adonis-like looks. (Having seen pictures of him, he certainly doesn't, either.)
Adonis-like? No. Just dashing.
QuoteI just look better than I did at the beginning of the year, and better than the average Internet Tough Guy threatening to beat me up :)
The second is rarely difficult. The first, congratulations.
QuoteAlso, a fat belly is not "alpha male". It's just a fat belly.
Its been a sign of dominance since before we were human beings. That's quite a long ways back.
Anyways, I'm quickly starting to rethink the definition of my belly as "fat", given that unlike you, apparently, I've never actually popped any buttons on my pants.
QuoteAnyway, it's not about having a beautiful physique. It's about health and quality of life (the pursuit of which may or may not lead to a beautiful physique, but modelling is not the same as health).
Modeling certainly isn't the same as health; but looking good makes you feel good. That's why even dressing well can be helpful to your health.
Take your average fatbeard, teach him how to dress so that even despite his obesity he looks slightly less disgusting (at least, the nacho-stained t-shirts full of holes are easy to get rid of), and suddenly he's feeling a little better about him self. Then he'll realize that looking good feels good, and want to feel better. Suddenly, he starts taking better care of himself. He may even start to wash!
QuoteI wouldn't want to be morbidly obese, diabetic with constant back pain and impotent at 45. That's what was in store for me if I kept on the same path
Jesus fucking christ. Do you have a genetic predisposition to any of those?
Because if you don't you pretty much have to be almost intentionally trying to get to that state for it to happen. I know that even if I didn't exercise regularly, while I'd be less fit, none of those would be likely to happen to me (thanks to my genetics).
Shit, you must be worse off than you look!
I think I'll keep my alpha male bump, you can keep the morbid diabetes, or neurosis, whichever of the two it is you're actually predisposed to, thanks.
RPGPundit
Quote from: lastspartacus;322692Bah, weightloss?
By the thread title and event I assumed cosplay discussion.
We're different around here.
RPGPundit
Before we were human, the larger gut was a universal trait, and it wasn't a sign of dominance- the bigger space was necessary to digest tough plant foods. A smaller gut is actually one of the hallmarks of increased meat consumption...
That would explain the overabundance of morbidly obese vegetarians.
Modern vegetarians as rule don't eat bark or grass; they eat domesticates, which have come into their present form over the last several thousand years, and, as rule, yield a much higher nutritional value than natural plants- including their own natural ancestors. Australopithecus didn;t have access to the vegetarian buffet or the produce section at Whole Foods. Furthermore, the gut in question wasn't a lump of lard, but a larger area for a bigger stomach and such to facilitate the processing of tougher foods.
Quote from: SunBoy;322809That would explain the overabundance of morbidly obese vegetarians.
I can't tell if you meant this as a joke or not; but a great deal of vegetarians I know are quite fat.
Its probably due to a combination of two factors: people who are vegetarian but have no sense of nutrition; and the second is the fact that meat fills you up faster, so many vegetarians (again, practicing poor nutrition) have to eat way more to feel full, and end up gaining weight.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPundit;322756Its been a sign of dominance since before we were human beings. That's quite a long ways back.
Yeah, not so much today, though.
Quote from: RPGPunditAnyways, I'm quickly starting to rethink the definition of my belly as "fat", given that unlike you, apparently, I've never actually popped any buttons on my pants.
It was while I was hiking in the wilderness, and with pants that would have fit me two years before but now didn't. Like your "it's an alpha male belly" nonsense, buying pants that fit your old physique - "I'm an 34", honest" - is a bit of self-delusion we blokes have to make ourselves feel better.
The buttons popping was the sound of my self-delusions evaporating.
Quote from: RPGPunditTake your average fatbeard, teach him how to dress so that even despite his obesity he looks slightly less disgusting [...] he starts taking better care of himself. He may even start to wash!
Definitely. How to approach these guys, though? It can be a difficult thing.
Quote from: RPGPunditJesus fucking christ. Do you have a genetic predisposition to any of those?
Because if you don't you pretty much have to be almost intentionally trying to get to that state for it to happen.
I've no idea about my genetics. But the fact is that I had put on something like 8kg of fat from 35 onwards. That's why I said "if I'd kept on the same course." Just being several kg overfat isn't a big deal health-wise. But 4kg a year of fat a year for 10 years till 45 would lead to 40kg overfat. Instead of 78kg or so I'd've been 118kg. And in practice you find that once people get to a certain level of fat, the rate accelerates a bit - so 125-135kg was more likely.
At more than 50% over your ideal non-athletic bodyweight, the risks of diabetes, impotence and so on are quite high - whatever your genetics. That's where I was heading.
As I said, several kg overfat isn't a big deal. The issue there is that it's a foundation on which you can build a very unhealthy physique. It's easy to think there's lots of time, I'm just a bit fat so it doesn't matter, I'll have another doughnut then, and... before you know it, ten years have gone by and you're grossly obese and in poor health.
Quote from: RPGPunditI think I'll keep my alpha male bump
Measure the girth of your waist and hips. A waist-hip ratio of more than 0.9 in males is associated with significantly greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc. If your alpha male bump stays under that 0.9 you're alright. Over that, you may as well ditch your pipe and take up a pack a day cigarettes instead. Look after your health so you can still be gaming as an old bloke :D
To perfect this touching exchange, you ladies should be passing a pint of Hagan Daas back and forth and watching Steel Magnolias.
Quote from: Aos;322876To perfect this touching exchange, you ladies should be passing a pint of Hagan Daas back and forth and watching Steel Magnolias.
LMfatAO!
Quote from: Aos;322876To perfect this touching exchange, you ladies should be passing a pint of Hagan Daas back and forth and watching Steel Magnolias.
Well I just think this is all just very fucking ironic given all that smack-talk about Lorraine Williams' fat arse.
"Oh her,
she is a fat bitch, obviously lazy and untrustworthy, but
me, I just have a bit of condition on me, I have an alpha male bump."
Fuck's sakes.
Yeah the "alpha male bump" is pretty amusing.
My wife created the character of Hygena (which she portrayed on the TV show "Stan Lee's: Who Wants to be a Superhero, Season 2") due to her experiences at San Diego Comic Con International. They have the same hygiene issues there, and she wanted a superhero who could clean up the smelly superheros and fight The Funk.
So when I told her about this thread, and Pundit's comments, she applauded. :)
Quote from: RPGPundit;322826I can't tell if you meant this as a joke or not; but a great deal of vegetarians I know are quite fat.
Its probably due to a combination of two factors: people who are vegetarian but have no sense of nutrition; and the second is the fact that meat fills you up faster, so many vegetarians (again, practicing poor nutrition) have to eat way more to feel full, and end up gaining weight.
RPGPundit
I am a vegetarian (for 20 years), and while I am always watching my weight and can get overweight, I do not find it any harder or easier than being a meat eater. I actually think from a psychological perspective it's easier for a vegetarian to watch their diet because they are already used to watching what they eat.
But yes, being aware of nutrition is important - more so for vegetarians. Bodies need protein, and you need to know how to get that protein if it is not from meat.
"Alpha male bump", gotta love it. Never seen it rationalized quite like that before. "It's not that I'm overweight, I'm just dominant!"
Quote from: Fifth Element;322942"Alpha male bump", gotta love it. Never seen it rationalized quite like that before. "It's not that I'm overweight, I'm just dominant!"
Hey, how about I dress up as you, and you dress up as me for GenCon 2010? I don't have a dominance bump, though. Should we both work on that and dress up as Pundit?
Only 'bumps' I'll have next year at Gen Con - will be on the forehead, especially If I get wigs attached to my two backup forehead appliance pieces.
As to 'WHAT" I'll look like?
Pretty much as I did in that YouTube video - just better tailoring and hopefully using the tighter notch/snap spot on the big 'ol warrior belt . (that doubles as as a Swashbuckler belt when I visit the local RENN Fest)
- Ed C.
@Aos: JK, man.
@Pundit: Pizza and noodles are veggie food. What did you expect?
@both: Dudes, cows and manatees are vegan. Look how that turned out for them.
Quote from: StormBringer;322950Hey, how about I dress up as you, and you dress up as me for GenCon 2010? I don't have a dominance bump, though. Should we both work on that and dress up as Pundit?
Oh I have a bump already, I just don't pretend it's because I'm the king shit.
A bit more exercise and a bit better diet could get rid of it, but then how could I show I rule the nerds?
Quote from: Fifth Element;323269Oh I have a bump already, I just don't pretend it's because I'm the king shit.
A bit more exercise and a bit better diet could get rid of it, but then how could I show I rule the nerds?
I believe the answer was discovered on tBP a number of years ago:
Symbolic dominance rituals (http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=290600&postcount=24)
Did anyone change their looks in the last five years?