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Today I faced the facts: if I want to get through the holiday season with a modicum of self-respect, I need a pair of fat man pants. It does no good for me to keep squeezing myself into clothes that don’t fit. I’m not fooling anyone, least of all myself. I look like a fat man in clothes two sizes too small. If instead I would wear clothes that fit, I’d at least look like a fat man who was comfortable in his own skin.
Though I plan to begin my fitness program on January 1st, I’ll attend many social events before then. I’ll go to dinner parties. I’ll make sales calls. I’ll meet with colleagues. I cannot continue to dress the way I have been.
When I left the house yesterday, Kris made me put on a sweater. “You can’t go out like that,” she said, referring to my long-sleeve shirt over t-shirt combo. To my mind, this helps hide my weight. “When you wear a sweater, you look like a fat man. But when you wear your shirt untucked like that, you look like a fat man who is a slob.”
I bit the bullet: I spent $40 on two pairs of fat man pants from Costco. I had vowed never to buy pants this big, but now I have. (And after trying them on, I have to admit that even they are a size too small.)
Now I will have something nice to wear during the holiday season. And if I only wear these pants for a month or two, I don’t care. It’ll be $40 well-spent.
But the entire experience has made me think that I should move my plans up by a fortnight. Maybe I should begin focusing on fitness now instead of at the first of the year…
Mac
16 responses so far ↓
1 FinanceAndFat // Dec 7, 2007 at 9:19 am
I go through this a lot. I bought one pair of fat jeans and I have no ‘dress’ pants that fit. I just can’t stand to buy the big, fat khakis! I probably should though.
With regard to when you should start your fitness program- you should start now. You should start today. You know that though.
Would you advise someone who was racking up credit card debt and not dealing with the problem to wait until next year to do something about it? Even if you only lose a pound or two between now and January you’ll be further along than if you hadn’t started.
2 Chad // Dec 7, 2007 at 10:21 am
it is interesting to me the “fair weather” weight loss people. I.e. I am going to get into shape for “x” either its for my new years resolution or for summer or before winter cause we all gain weight during the winter.
I’ll admit I was one of those people. But you got to remember that you get to keep your body for life so why bother putting it off. It is your body might as well make it healthier.
Waiting til tomorrow is just another day of not dealing with the problem and feeling crappy about it. However the cool thing about inertia is that once you lose that first pound you start getting positive feedback. Once you get to say hey I don’t have to use those fat man pants. Once you look in the mirror and go damn that man/woman is sexy. Well then going to the gym the next day is just that much easier.
3 Jeff // Dec 7, 2007 at 10:48 am
I think a decent argument can be made for not jumping into a fitness program right away. You need to take some time to figure out why you want to change (be specific), what your goals are (again be specific), and what exactly you are going to do to achieve those goals. When you get a couple weeks in, after the initial excitement of a new project wears off, you’re going to need that list of specific reasons and goals to keep motivated and that plan to hang on to. Otherwise you may end up back where you are–not working out and just more discouraged.
Bill Phillips makes these points in his book Body for Life. I think it’s pretty good. Even if you decide his workout/diet plan is not for you he has some good activities for figuring out what your goals and motivations are.
Also check out the Netflix workout here: http://www.leanandhungryfitness.com/content_show.cfm/content_id.20032
good luck
4 Red // Dec 7, 2007 at 11:28 am
I always found that when I came up with a date in the future to start a fitness plan, that date was constantly pushed back as I became more busy than expected, the weather was bad, I was sick, or any other number of emergent excuses that seem to result from actually trying to start losing weight.
Getting into shape tends to be a rollercoaster, hopefully it ends up at a lower point than you started, but getting on is an important first step in the right direction.
5 Dave // Dec 7, 2007 at 4:12 pm
J.D., to help motivate you, I’m going to try here to appeal to your sense of vanity … because to be fat is to look slightly stupid and self-indulgent, as if you don’t know any better than to eat fast food and drink beer all the time or whatever. A century ago, being fat was a sign of success, a sign of steady wages and the money to afford shit-loads of food. Today, of course, it’s the EXACT OPPOISITE. Now being fat is a badge of stupidity, the superfluous, self-indulgence, rudeness (fat people take up more room on planes and trains, etc.) the lower-classes (where obesity is four times more prevalent than it is among the upper middle and middle classes). So if you want a cheap way to achieve status (and save your life at the same time), forget about the MINI Cooper and the Stickley furniture and whatnot and instead start working your ASS off (literally) to get thin. Start right f*cking now! Did you know that companies don’t even want to hire fat people because of what their weight implies about the person? Of course you knew that! Start using this type of knowledge to motivate yourself. Plus it’s ridiculous for a guru of discipline such as yourself to have to buy fat man pants! And you *are* a master of discipline … look at how you just got out of debt! You also teach discipline daily at the #1 PF site in the world today, and you’ve helped me and hundreds of others, but you need to look the part, too! You’re one of the smartest people I know and one of my all-time favorite writers, and I don’t want to see you have a stroke or a heart attack like the genius writer Larry Brown did a few years ago at like age 48 or some insanity. Eat nothing but Superfoods and their sidekicks. Start tonight for dinner.
6 monica // Dec 8, 2007 at 12:09 am
I’d like to echo what other commenters have said about waiting until Jan 1st. I’ve been following your story, and your words tell me you’re ready to start losing weight. No, you’ve been ready. So why wait to change? Start right now by going for a walk. Then follow it up with a “superfood” dinner. All I’m saying is, you could start feeling good right now, as a person who’s getting fit, rather than a person who’s waiting until Jan 1st to maybe start a fitness program. I talk about this more here, if you’re interested.
Oh yeah, and I also recommend the Bill Phillips book. I followed his exercise regime (which involves weight training and cardio) for several months and found it more effective for burning fat and gaining muscle than anything else I’ve tried. His program is derived from some bodybuilding techniques, but pared down for us normal folk. =) I only partially followed his diet plan, but it doesn’t cater well for vegetarians. Those I know who followed his 12-week program really did transform themselves; but the program IS very extreme (or at least, socially challenging) and I think it’s better to lose the weight slowly, through a plan that’s adaptable to life around you.
7 A Step in the Right Direction // Dec 8, 2007 at 12:48 pm
[...] XHTML ← Fat Man Pants [...]
8 Weekend Update: Get Fit Slowly Edition ∞ Get Rich Slowly // Dec 9, 2007 at 2:00 am
[...] myself out of debt, I’ve reached a nadir with my health. I’m in bad shape. I had to buy fat man pants the other day. I’m not putting it off any longer — it’s time to set my Get Fit [...]
9 michael brito // Dec 10, 2007 at 12:31 am
stop being so fat (to cruel).
actually this is what my wife told me april of this year when i topped the scale at a hefty 215 lbs on a 5′ 10″ frame. it felt like a kick to the nuts and don’t get me wrong, i was defensive and i made every excuse about why i couldn’t lose the weight. at the time my wife was 8 months pregnant so i didn’t feel right calling her fat, so being the stubborn mofo i am i started going to the gym and altering my diet (calories count, anyone says otherwise stop listening, their stupid).
fast forward to now: i dropped down to 192 lbs! i am fit, strong and healthier. i would still like to lose 7-10 lbs, but i’m not sweating it. the best part was that i lost 20 lbs within the first month and a half and as i started to increase the weight i was lifting, i was building muscle and thats why i think my weight loss slowed down.
so, stop being so fat and if you need a hand i’d be more than happy to help. peace!
10 Rich // Dec 10, 2007 at 1:01 am
“Maybe I should begin focusing on fitness now instead of at the first of the year…”
You know, I have a friend that, I remember, made a big deal about quitting smoking on a particular day coming up. He did, too. Quit at least two or three times afterwards, too. Last I saw he’s still lighting up.
It’s just like living debt-free. It’s not something you do for a short time–you are changing *the rest of your life*. Thinking “I’ll start next week” is silly. If it needs to be done, just do it already. The rest of your life starts now. Go. Do it now.
11 Ryan Collins // Dec 10, 2007 at 10:14 am
I’m going to agree with what others have said, don’t wait until Jan. 1. Before I started getting in shape I kept telling myself “I’ll start on Monday”. That didn’t work out too well for me, it was just one day (actually a Tuesday) when I decided I’m going to start running again. I dropped 30 pounds, then moved and had a daughter, and gained it back. Since then I’ve gotten back on track and dropped over 45 pounds (almost 25% of my weight).
What helped this last round is to have a goal, and since I like running, my goal is two running two marathons a year. Now if you’re not a runner, that plan of attack might be the route for you to take. I used a running schedule from Hal Higdon (http://www.halhigdon.com) and in 18 weeks I was totally ready for my first marathon.
In the Columbus marathon this last October the marathon runs with the half-marathon, and there was a very overweight woman walking/running what I’m aassuming was the half. I wanted to stop her and congratulate her on just being out there. It was very awe-inspiring.
Anyway, enough rambling. Just try to start as soon as possible. Since you are on the computer a lot, might I recommend setting up a treadmill and put a “desk” on it so you can work at the computer while walking? I put a set of shelves in front of my treadmill for the monitor and a simple board/plywood across the arms for my keyboard and trackball. I find I can do 2mph without affecting my typing too much.
12 Kerstin Doe // Dec 11, 2007 at 6:10 am
I think this website is an excellent idea: similar to personal finance as the catalyst for action is the shock of suffering some sort of loss. I.e. Getting into debt, receiving a high bill when you were expecting a low one etc
Not wanting to get caught out again is the reason people learn to adopt different behaviours and stick to them.
I have long been denying a need to make a change in lifestyle. I seldom exercise, and my diet is usually based on whatever I feel like having at the time. However last week I got a ’shock’. The trousers I wear to work were so tight everytime I sat down I felt like I was being punched in the stomach! I had to go shopping at lunchtime to get something new and could only comfortably fit into a size 14 (I live in London - buying size 14 is like admitting to everyone you have become hideously overweight!). It was depressing! But at least the shock has made me realise that the problem won’t go away, and it needs addressing.
As for when to start the new ‘regime’ I agree with the principle previously stated that there is no ideal time to start than now. But it is unwise to focus on ‘when’ but rather ‘how’. If you know what your goals are from the start, it is a lot easier to track your progress. I also think it’s a good idea to start small and work your way up to things. Good luck J.D.!
13 PAX // Dec 12, 2007 at 1:19 am
I’d recommend NOT using a scale. Go get your bodyfat measured. Most gyms can do this for you (BTW I don’t believe in gyms, at least not for me… work wonders for others, though). Set a bodyfat loss goal. Use a tape measure in the interim.
You know how you’re frequently using examples of percentages that fool people in concept? Think of this…
Joe is 220 lbs, 25% (165 lean/55 fat)
He loses 25 lbs, yet has been working out for the first time since college. He’s now 195 lbs.
Five pounds are new muscle, which means he’s got a net loss of 30 lbs of fat. Fat displaces a lot of size in the body. In the end he’s 12.8% bodyfat (170 lean/25 fat).
Tom starts at an equal 220 lbs with 25% bodyfat (again 165 lean/55 fat). Tom is obsessed with being 175 lbs again, just like college. He makes it! Congrats Tom, that’s a 45 lb weight loss. Yet he’s lost 20 lbs of that as muscle due to starving himself and overtraining (145 lean/30 lbs fat). He’s now healthier at 17.1% bodyfat.
Which loss would you rather have, the 25 lb one or the 45 lb one? Most people would choose the 45 lbs. But which guy has a flatter stomach and looks more athletic? The “heavier” guy with the lower body fat.
14 Do it NOW // Dec 12, 2007 at 5:32 am
What really sucks is when your “fat man pants’ become too small. A few years back I bought a bunch of pants with the expandable waist ( pretty big in Dockers and some other pants back then). That way I could still wear a 36 when I was pushing 40. Now those are too small and I went out looking for the same type of pants but couldnt find any now ( perhaps I should have just lost weight). Now the only pants I wear are these pants that zipoff into shorts and I try to wear them with a belt 4 sizes too small.
I think I need to do something about it- NOW.
15 Sara // Dec 12, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Way to go! My husband did the same thing last year (2007). He started on January 2, 2007, knowing he wanted to be able to attend to holidays events and all the rest without adding stress to an already stressful time of year. Cut to 12 months later, he’s lost 50 pounds and we’ve even made it through long vacations (2 weeks in Europe with unbelievable food), weddings, parties, and many brief illnesses. He’s stayed on track by having totally realistic goals: ie, vacation is vacation and don’t try weight watchers in Germany, tell your family about it but don’t expect them to be happy you’re not eating the giant breakfast casserole they made for your trip, and get support from those you can. I lost 10 pounds in _his_ process, and completed my first triathlon. 3 friends and 2 of his family members have started losing weight as well. Good for you! Don’t let the naysayers stop you. It worked for my husband!
16 joe c // Dec 26, 2007 at 5:24 am
I’ve always found that the best New Year’s resolution you can make is that any resolution you want to start has to be begun BEFORE Jan. 1st.
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