Irresponsible "Heavy" People?

[Thumper]

Irresponsible "heavy" folks?

Not trying to step on anybody's toes here...

I've noticed from some of the picture threads that a disproportionate number of our members (even a lot who post in Strategies and Tactics) are...just...well...

Fat.

It seems that many here focus on the tools of personal defence and seem to neglect the (arguably more important) physical aspects of "what if." Gunwriters seem to have the same problem.

Are we sometimes too equipment conscious in our efforts?

What do you folks think?

 

[New_comer]

Physics play an important part in the self defense equation.


My 215 lb 5'7" frame would be harder to push around than if I were at my sinewy and nimble, young adult 150 lb physique. Playing low post basketball just got a lot easier, as I simply "throw my weight around", easily pushing my defender out of position. As long as the general physical conditioning is not compromised by the exta weight, being 'heavy-set" has its definite advantages.


Now running.... that's a different issue.

 

[Spieler]

I'll second that emotion.

However, given that the members here represent a broad cross-section of contemporary society, in which obesity and ill-health are at epidemic proportions, one shouldn't be surprised.

I've seen this within my local PD which seems to have a disproportionate number of unfit/overweight officers.

Yes, the tools and toys are fun to play with, but one still has to work at maintaining the ultimate weapons - mind and body.

It just gets a little harder as time marches on.

 

[Thumper]

Funny you should say that, Spieler.

What prompted this thread was that a friend in law enforcement just called me to ask for help getting in better shape.

He just got his fat rear stomped by someone he was trying to apprehend. Happened less than an hour ago.

 

[Spieler]

I'll admit to having 'let myself go a bit' since leaving active duty as an MP, but what scares me a bit is that a LEO will compensate for being unfit with unnecessary lethal force.

Thumper, I hope that your friend is okay and the bad guy is where he belongs.

 

[Matt1911]

"But it's not my fault,..the Oreo's did not have a warning label,and niether did the chips,or the ice cream,in fact,... Thumper,it's your fault for not saying something sooner...."

 

[Glamdring]

To me it is all part of the same thing.

Watching what I eat is the same as situational awarness, ignoring either can cause early death and/or health problems.

Being or staying fit is more about mindset than anything else.

Most couch potatoes (average americans) can stay fit with 3 or so hours a week of working out as long as they watch what they eat.

It may take 5 or 6 hours a week of workouts to get in shape if your really out of shape to start with, but that is a bit different. One friend I am helping right now started at 300+ level and has lost over 40 lbs already (6 months). Mainly by dieting, only averages 2-3 hours a week of moderate level exercise.

If they had actually followed everything I suggested they would be halfway to their goal at this point IMO.

 

[Jeff Timm]

I'm taking it seriously.

I've lost 37 pounds since April.

I'm going to a new location (or so the head of personnel sez) in January and I wanna look at least socially acceptable.

Geoff
Who hopes it isn't some liberal hell-hole...

 

[El Tejon]

Flowing waters never turn putrid.

 

[TarpleyG]

In 1997 my best friend/roommate wagered me that I could not lose 50 pounds. I accepted. I weighed in at 276 just after Christmas. By my birthday on February 9th I was down to around 220. One more month and I was down to 190. My parents got me a gift certificate to a personal trainer and I started to get real serious into weightlifting and physical fitness. I ate like a horse (5000-6000 calories per day) and was in the gym 10-12 hours a week lifting and doing cardio work. I quit drinking anything but water and kept a journal of everything that went into my body. I took supplements and everything. I looked and felt great. My monthly grocery bill was somewhere around $1000. Just for ME.

I kept this up for about two years. During that time I had met a girl and gotten engaged. I had some events occur in my life that interrupted my workout routine for a while and I was burned out. As soon as I quit going to the gym EVERDAY, I started to gain the weight back. I even cut back on my food intake to compensate. Now, 6 years later, I am back to my original weight again and I hate it. I love to eat, I hate to work out, and let me tell you, staying in shape, especially if your are fanatic about it, cost a lot of money and takes a lot of your time.

You're right, being fat is definitely not very tactical. I don't pretend to be. My wife has located a doctor for me that specializes in metabolism problems and eating disorders so I will make an appointment after we get settled into our new house. I hate to sound like your typical whining (insert disorder here) but eating for me is an addiction. Just like cigarettes or alcohol is to some others. Hopefully I can get some help and get back to my prime "fighting" weight and stay there.

GT

 

[shootist2121]

Having recently diagnos with Type 2 diabetes and at my heaviest ever weight ..I've lost 18 lbs (low carb diet from nutritionist) over 5 weeks and even survived a week long cruise to boot with the wife without gaining..(Talking about tough..LOL) More to loose ..LOL A work in progress.

Been taking martial arts now for 5 years..Took back up walking...So I agree with Thumber...I also suggest those who really are deep into personal protect to find some form of martial arts just to aid in those rare times a gun is not required and you can't get away...

Enough said

Be safe!

 

[280PLUS]

you mean circumferencely challenged,,,



in high school i wrassled 132 lb class

i went into the service at 140

i left the service 5 years later at 150

six months later i was 170

suddenly at 28 i make 200 but have no idea what it means, i think its cool

at 36 i'm 210 but ive quit smoking and im running 3 miles every other day and hiking up the toughest mountain trails i can find on the weekends

i run the world renknown manchester road race at 36 and manage an acceptable 49 min for the 4.78 mile race at 37 i did it in 54 (ok, i ganked on the hill)

now at 46 i'm boinkin offa 240, cant run anymore cause of the back and can't hike the steep trails for now cause the left knee isnt liking it

however i do swim 1/2 an hour straight every other day complete with race turns and have for years

what does this all lead me to?

you can be overweight but still be in good shape

the doctors and nurses MARVEL at my blood pressure

once an xray nurse commented that i was the only person she ever saw whose muscles show up on the xrays

my body simply wants to be this size and shape and i'm stuck with it

but as long as it remains active the extra weight is not much of a problem

granted, i wont win many foot races

and, sure it would be nice to see it go away

but hey,,,it's paid for...

 

[Thumper]

Didn't mean to hit a nerve, but you bring up exactly the problem I was thinking of.

"Don't pick a fight with a fat old man." He'll just shoot your...

There you go...

Fat? Check.
Irresponsible? Check.

I stand by the thread title.

 

[Beorn]

I'm probably the biggest guy on THR.

I'm just under 6'7" and I weigh between 450 and 500 lbs. (depends on a lot: water weight, food for that week, etc.).

I currently compete in amateur sumo wrestling (competing in the United States Sumo Open in CA later this week), but I was heavy before I even knew there was such a thing.

But, here are the other activities I engage in:

I fence. Not with barbed wire, but the white plastron and jacket and knickers and sabre (and foil and epee when I've a mind to do it). And, if I may say so, I'm one of the fastest fat men alive.

I play golf. Sometimes with a cart, sometimes without. Without in CA heat could kill almost anyone (Palm Springs is over 100 degrees average right now).

I of course shoot. GSSF indoor and outdoor and IDPA.

My cholesterol is 165. My blood pressure is currently 130 over 85, and I think that as far as health goes, I'm in better shape than I deserve to be.

My reason for starting to lose weight: I became a father in February. I want to be around for Sofia as long as I can. That means not eating ice cream when it gets hot, but drinking a nice glass of unsweetened ice tea. I can handle that.

The only reason I even responded to this thread was the title. Didn't offend me too much, but then again I'm used to gentle ribbing about my mass. And since I'm not just fat but also taller than 95% of humanity, I don't really mind so much.

Still, this fat guy can hold his own against single or multiple opponents, with guns, blades, or open hand. In other words, I can kick @$$ when I need to.

I just need to kick the food thing. TarpleyG is right. Food is an addiction. I reckon I'll never win any footraces either. I only run when chased by something bigger than me. And right now in CA the only thing that fits that description are the Buffalo, and even they treat me nicely (professional courtesy).

Am I tactical? Well, I shoot G17 for SSP. But I also shoot a shiny S&W 1911 in the CDP class. Not too tactical. But then again, I'm not much for subtlety.

 

[Labinnac]

I'm not fat I'm just big boned!

The only problem I foresee is that my choice of cover is somewhat limited... I have to choose a decent sized tree, rock, truck, fatter person, etc, to become completely hidden. Being fat does create more of a target. But how many of you shoot at "fat guy" silhouettes?

If the end of the world comes fat people will have more of a reserve to live off of for a longer period of time. That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

 

[Partisan Ranger]

For any of you with, um, ample stores of excess energy, I recommend this site highly: http://workoutsthatwork.tripod.com/.

I like his style because he's your average joe and he advocates a realistic weightlifting regimen for people with lives, not for people who flex for money. Basically, it's 3X per week for an hour, lifting hard, and doing full body workouts.

I've been running and lifting for about 8 years, but I never got into an actual weightlifting program, I just lifted kind of randomly. I found that I wasn't getting as much results as I wanted (I always preferred cardio work to weights so just didn't try as hard on weights). So I went online and found this guy's site. I've been lifting following his workout routines (there's a bunch of them) and changing them every week so I don't stagnate. I've been doing this for about 10 weeks and I have already bulked up quite a bit. My wife has even noticed!

 

[Thumper]

I'm just under 6'7" and I weigh between 450 and 500 lbs.

Whoa...

You wrestle sumo and fence? No wonder you're not offended. That ain't what my post was about.

I'm talking about those who would depend on their CCW in a simple fistfight.

My good friend almost considered shooting last night...luckily he got help and didn't have to, but evidently it was close.

 

[Partisan Ranger]

Oh, one other thing....I've switched to an Atkins-style diet for the last year and no question, I've dropped fat. I'm about 5'11" 200 lbs with not much fat.

In my opinion, kicking the empty carbs is key - no white flour, white pasta, chips, pretzels, sugar. Sure, I cave now and then and have a few beers, but once you get your weight where you want, it's fine to indulge now and then!

 

[Leatherneck]

Beorn

TC
TFL Survivor

I agree the title is insulting to overweight people--not THR style.

 

[Thumper]

Jeez...Im really not trying to rile anyone up here. It's a valid issue.

Tried to change the thread title to something a little more PC...didn't work.

Can a mod please change the title?

 

[Betty]

I'm talking about those who would depend on their CCW in a simple fistfight.

Though I'm not a "fatbody", that sentence includes me. As a petite person who has tried to GAIN weight her entire life, I'm not going to physically tangle with anyone if I don't have to.

I stand by the thread title.

Can a mod please change the title?

So, which is it?

 

[Thumper]

I reconsidered...see the PM I sent you before your post.

As a petite person who has tried to GAIN weight her entire life, I'm not going to physically tangle with anyone if I don't have to.

The issue I'm trying to address here is that of those who would irresponsibly depend on the easy out of "equipment" instead of learning a responsible escalation of force. Hard to do that when you can't exert yourself at all.

This obviously doesn't apply to a buck-o-five female with a bad back, nor does it apply to the handicapped.

I'm talking about those who talk the talk of personal defense with a mouthful of pizza.

 

[cslinger]

Hey I am fat. I need to and am trying to lose weight. So don't pull any punches on my account.

So who's with me on that class action suit against the pizza and beer industry. It's time we stood up for our right to not have to take responsibility for our own actions. Who's with me and who's buying the pizza and beer for the first meeting.

Chris

 

[seeker_two]

I'm one of the "fatbodies" that you're referring to. Although I'm trying to drop the weight, I don't consider it the handicap that you're portraying...

I'm not an LEO, so I don't have to chase anyone...

If they're a threat to my life, I'm going to defend myself no matter what...

I've adapted my tactics to suit my size, speed, and other factors...

And, if all else fails, I can fall on top of my attacker & squash 'em!

(BTW Thumper, you could really use some lessons in "posting diplomacy". Hate for Art's Grammaw to have to "educate" ya... )

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

At 6'1" 230lb. I could probably stand to lose a few around the gut area myself. I just can't seem to break my BBQ vise. I wouldn't call big guys irresponsible, some have a genetic predisposition for BIG !
Some of the most personable people I know are big, and they can WHOOP SOME BUTT if needed. Plus a G.I. 1911 make a good blunt instrument too i.e.the pistol whip.