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Fat Cachers - Not Models?


Ellteejak

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Because of caching, I've spent a lot of time on well-used bike trails and jogging trails and such. It is simply amazing to me the number of people I encounter out there that are 1) very fat, 2) very young and 3) obviously very fit. Those three things don't go together at all. I mean, if you've got an 18-year-old's metabolism and you're out there biking like a madman, shouldn't the pounds be flying off?

 

And, no, I don't believe it's supersized MacDonald's fries doing all the damage. I have long maintained there's something weird going on.

 

Me? Old, lumpy, out of shape. Thanks for asking.

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Oh cool, a topic using non-PC (politically correct) wording and no flames! Personally I found "horizontally-challenged" to be more offensive than "fat."  :laughing:

 

Having more muscle instead of fat does not necessarily reduce your weight. Being big doesn't mean you are overweight either.

 

Geocaching has allowed my body to carry more functional weight than before. My heart doesn't pound as much and my legs aren't as sore after a hike. With the mass media and Hollywood promoting skeleton as "beautiful", I believe most normal people are considered "fat" these days.  :cry:

I'm not horizontally challenged at all. I would definitely prefer to weigh about 30 lbs less though. If I were to fall into the PC trap I'd do it in a more light hearted vein and call myself "Circumferencially Gifted". :cry:

 

(I'm also headed for "Comb Free")

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You know, I've regarded cachers as being a little edgy and even a little anti-establishment. . .I am surprised anyone would give a fat rat what anyone looks like.  Being out in 110 degree heat looking for some flipping tupperware that eludes me; bleeding from thorns and scratching from bug bites I hardly care what I look like.  Besides this FAT girl really needs some exercise. :laughing:

It seems pretty consistent with the other flotsam on this board.

Glad to know I'm nothing if not consistant. . . :cry:

I think this thread is stepping on my fat toes.

 

"Screw you guys I'm going home." :cry:

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You know, I've regarded cachers as being a little edgy and even a little anti-establishment. . .I am surprised anyone would give a fat rat what anyone looks like.  Being out in 110 degree heat looking for some flipping tupperware that eludes me; bleeding from thorns and scratching from bug bites I hardly care what I look like.  Besides this FAT girl really needs some exercise. :cry:

It seems pretty consistent with the other flotsam on this board.

Glad to know I'm nothing if not consistant. . . :cry:

I think this thread is stepping on my fat toes.

 

"Screw you guys I'm going home." :cry:

:laughing:

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Cross Country running keeps me in such a shape that I need to eat excessively to even keep at a healthy weight. If you run a 3.1k in 23 minutes, it'll take it out of you, which is a good thing.

 

Maybe it's a metabolism thing, and has nothing to do with their amount of food they eat or excercize. I feel this is a touchy subject and may hurt people's feelings to go out and call them fat when they try to lose weight and just....can't.

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Cross Country running keeps me in such a shape that I need to eat excessively to even keep at a healthy weight. If you run a 3.1k in 23 minutes, it'll take it out of you, which is a good thing.

 

Maybe it's a metabolism thing, and has nothing to do with their amount of food they eat or excercize. I feel this is a touchy subject and may hurt people's feelings to go out and call them fat when they try to lose weight and just....can't.

"I need to eat excessively to even keep at a healthy weight." WHAT?!!??!! Is it flaming to say that I HATE you? I can't run 3.1k in 23 hours much less minutes. . .I want that kind of metabolism. . .if I walk by a Krispy Cream I gain weight from the calories in the air. UGH! but I am still cute. . .no self esteem issues here. . .ROFLMBO! :)

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To be honest, I'm in much better shape than I've ever been. On starting caching I was roughly 225-235lbs. Now I'm on the lighter side of 180lbs (although I could still do to loose a couple of pounds though). Its actually kind a scarey looking at my belt, I have to keep putting new holes in it cuz it doesn't got that small (!)

 

I'm the kind of guy who really wants to get out. I really do. Problem is, I need that extra little kick in the pants to actually get off my fat a** and outside. Its that and I drink more water than before by a long ways, and I got a dog since I started caching which keeps me in the routine of getting out and going for walks.

Great thing is, I seem to have totally changed my metabolism (not that I've tested it overly extensively) but I seem to be able to eat more crap than before and not have it immediately stored away as fat. There have been a few weeks where I've been a bit extra lazy and not done any caching, and eaten like a pig. Strangely my weight still went down those weeks.

 

I try to get out to at least one 'challenging' cache per week (like up in the Mountains, or a long hike or something). I love living at the foot of the Rockies.

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Cross Country running keeps me in such a shape that I need to eat excessively to even keep at a healthy weight.  If you run a 3.1k in 23 minutes, it'll take it out of you, which is a good thing.

 

Maybe it's a metabolism thing, and has nothing to do with their amount of food they eat or excercize.  I feel this is a touchy subject and may hurt people's feelings to go out and call them fat when they try to lose weight and just....can't.

"I need to eat excessively to even keep at a healthy weight." WHAT?!!??!! Is it flaming to say that I HATE you? I can't run 3.1k in 23 hours much less minutes. . .I want that kind of metabolism. . .if I walk by a Krispy Cream I gain weight from the calories in the air. UGH! but I am still cute. . .no self esteem issues here. . .ROFLMBO! :D

:lol: Just take good care of those ankles and knees all you runners.

Personally I would rather be a little bit fat and still able to perambulate. :ph34r:

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Personally I am shocked at what the human body can handle. My fiancee is still a smoker (will chain her up for a week someday to stop her!! ha!! ha!!), and I have relatives who have smoked for years. They still seem pretty functional, and can get around relatively fast to the daily activities that they wish to accomplish. (given suspicious health).

 

Medical establishment would have you believe that everyone over 45 that is overweight, smokes, and doesn't exercise, is a DEAD MAN WALKING. Yet only one out of four of my grandparents had trouble after reaching 66 years old, and my two grandfathers made it until 80 plus and they both were heavy smokers.

 

Maybe they could have hit 100 years old if they exercised, and did not smoke, and maintained healthy body weight. Who knows. But when you get to a certain age, you know that life will end, and you resolve to let nature take it's course. Not saying that old people have a death wish, but instead that they are happy to have lived a productive successful, interesting life, given the random chances for medical issues to occur.

 

Bottom Line: I bet we could all push ourselves even farther with risky health behaviors; but who has the time to eat all those McDonald Whoppers!! ha!! ha!!

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Cross Country running keeps me in such a shape that I need to eat excessively to even keep at a healthy weight.  If you run a 3.1k in 23 minutes, it'll take it out of you, which is a good thing.

 

Maybe it's a metabolism thing, and has nothing to do with their amount of food they eat or excercize.  I feel this is a touchy subject and may hurt people's feelings to go out and call them fat when they try to lose weight and just....can't.

"I need to eat excessively to even keep at a healthy weight." WHAT?!!??!! Is it flaming to say that I HATE you? I can't run 3.1k in 23 hours much less minutes. . .I want that kind of metabolism. . .if I walk by a Krispy Cream I gain weight from the calories in the air. UGH! but I am still cute. . .no self esteem issues here. . .ROFLMBO! :ph34r:

:lol: Just take good care of those ankles and knees all you runners.

Personally I would rather be a little bit fat and still able to perambulate. :lol:

I run cross country, and being out of shape is if you haven't run a good 5 miles for 2 days. And a person who runs with us ran since he was in college and stuck it out to his 50's going on 60's. It's more will power, some people do have ankle/knee problems, but if you perform correctly and run the way you should, you ankles/knees will stay fine. :D

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Medical establishment would have you believe that everyone over 45 that is overweight, smokes, and doesn't exercise, is a DEAD MAN WALKING.  Yet only one out of four of my grandparents had trouble after reaching 66 years old, and my two grandfathers made it until 80 plus and they both were heavy smokers.

That's the problem with medical statistics: they deal with broad populations, and you are a single individual. With all the attention we pay to health issues, we tend to develop a distorted picture of wellness. It's worth reminding ourselves that most people live their lives in relative health to relative old age and die of a short, sharp illness, regardless of behavior.

 

We obsess because, when it's you or somebody you care about, any measure that improves your odds is worth taking. Next time you find yourself at a cemetery cache, look at the dates -- they cluster at the very young and the very old. If you've made it past infancy -- and that's most of you -- your odds look pretty good.

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Next time you find yourself at a cemetery cache, look at the dates -- they cluster at the very young and the very old. If you've made it past infancy -- and that's most of you -- your odds look pretty good.

absolutely right. Time to have some beer and sausages!! (ha!! ha!! Actually I do not eat that, and I only drink once a month maybe)

Edited by Ellteejak
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Because of caching, I've spent a lot of time on well-used bike trails and jogging trails and such. It is simply amazing to me the number of people I encounter out there that are 1) very fat, 2) very young and 3) obviously very fit. Those three things don't go together at all. I mean, if you've got an 18-year-old's metabolism and you're out there biking like a madman, shouldn't the pounds be flying off?

 

And, no, I don't believe it's supersized MacDonald's fries doing all the damage. I have long maintained there's something weird going on.

 

Me? Old, lumpy, out of shape. Thanks for asking.

Unfortunately. I am one of those people.

 

My doctor informed me today that at 214 pounds and 5'10" I am overweight and "clinically obese"

 

But he was floored when I told him about all the exercise I do, and the shape that I actually am in...

 

My excercise resume:

- Just about every evening, except for the last two weeks, I take my dog for a trip around the neighborhood. I generally do a one mile trip, alternating between a very fast walk and a slow jog.

- At least once a month, I go on a real geocaching trip and hike at least three miles over rough terrain.

- 20-32 miles on a bike trail in one day is really nothing for me, and if I really pushed myself to the limit I could make it to 50-60 (and I have before)

- In June I participated in an adventure/endurance race, and hiked 15 miles in a relatively short period of time over MAJORLY rough terrain.

 

I am definately in a lot better shape than a lot of people of my weight and body mass, but I'm still obese.

 

There IS something weird in this world...

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5'1" 170lbs. I run at least 1 1/2 miles 3 times a week. I ride my bike 5 miles to work then another 5 miles home 4-5 days a week(gotta save the gas for geocaching :D )and I stil don't seem to be losing any weight. I passed my PT test beginning of July with a 77.05 up from 50.5 in April. my waist dropped 5 inches but my weight isn't decreasing at all. I got all possible points from my push up and sit ups.

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5'1" 170lbs. I run at least 1 1/2 miles 3 times a week. I ride my bike 5 miles to work then another 5 miles home 4-5 days a week(gotta save the gas for geocaching :D )and I stil don't seem to be losing any weight. I passed my PT test beginning of July with a 77.05 up from 50.5 in April. my waist dropped 5 inches but my weight isn't decreasing at all. I got all possible points from my push up and sit ups.

High protein diets and high activity excercize over a good period of time will make muscle mass to increase. The fat you burn, goes to build muscles stronger possibly.

 

Another question under these circumstances. Some cachers are in GREAT physical condition, but just don't fit the "lean and muscular" stereotype.

 

Should the health of a cacher be based on how fat they are, or there ability to get around?

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I'm a 240# woman, and I LOVE to hike! When we first started caching, I hated to see a cache farther than 1/4 mile from the car. Now I'll say "it's only 2 miles? Let's go!" I really only got started seriously hiking though about 1 1/2 ago. I started out small and am working my way "up." Every hike I go on, every bit of elevation gain achieved, allows me to do even more next time! Now I actually LOOK for caches with significant elevation gain. Few things give me such feeling of accomplishment. While caching, I've surprised myself by doing a lot of stuff that I didn't know I could do. It's really broadened my horizons!

 

Unfortunately, 2 1/2 weeks ago I broke my ankle when I went sprawling off a steep trail. I'm lucky that I fell into soft dirt, and not one of those rocky sections. I'm going nuts not being able to hike, and am finding that most terrain 1 caches are NOT accessible by either wheelchair or crutches! This too will pass. This is sure making me appreciate being able to walk! I'm just afraid by the time I'm able to get back out there in earnest, the days will be short and rainy. Oops, I've gone a bit off topic, ought to stop now...

--laurak

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...Next time you find yourself at a cemetery cache, look at the dates -- they cluster at the very young and the very old. If you've made it past infancy -- and that's most of you -- your odds look pretty good.

I disagree.

 

It is certainly true that there is a comparitively high mortality rate among infants, but there is also a high death rate among teenagers and young adults. The mortality rate is fairly low during the childhood years, and then rises sharply in the teenage and early adult years. It's not infancy that you need to survive--it's early adulthood.

 

I'm afraid the bad news doesn't end there, however. The mortality rate rises very steadily throughout middle age. the rate among those in their late forties is about three and a half times the rate for those in their early thirties. And from early forties to early fifties, the rate doubles (that's you, Auntie). You are seven times more likely to die in your late fifties than you were in your early thirties.

 

I did not look for statistics correlating mortality to obesity--reading them might give me a heart attack! :D

 

Statistics are from the CDC web site.

Edited by reveritt
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...Next time you find yourself at a cemetery cache, look at the dates -- they cluster at the very young and the very old. If you've made it past infancy -- and that's most of you -- your odds look pretty good.

I disagree.

 

It is certainly true that there is a comparitively high mortality rate among infants, but there is also a high death rate among teenagers and young adults. The mortality rate is fairly low during the childhood years, and then rises sharply in the teenage and early adult years. It's not infancy that you need to survive--it's early adulthood.

 

I'm afraid the bad news doesn't end there, however. The mortality rate rises very steadily throughout middle age. the rate among those in their late forties is about three and a half times the rate for those in their early thirties. And from early forties to early fifties, the rate doubles (that's you, Auntie). You are seven times more likely to die in your late fifties than you were in your early thirties.

 

I did not look for statistics correlating mortality to obesity--reading them might give me a heart attack! :P

 

Statistics are from the CDC web site.

:P Can you also state the confidence levels that these numbers exist at, the three sigma levels and the populations they were taken from?

As a statistical process control person and a sixsigma certified professional I am very certain that statistics alone are rather useless unless you can truly reject the null hypothesis at each level of constellation.

As an example, I am 5'9'' and 203 pounds and I have a floating body fat weight of approximately 10 pounds.

Statistically I am obese.

According to the US Army percentage of fat to muscle mass I am just fine.

We can choose how far into fantasy land we wish to venture but luring others either willfully or wantonly is not nice. :P

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...

:P Can you also state the confidence levels that these numbers exist at, the three sigma levels and the populations they were taken from?

As a statistical process control person and a sixsigma certified professional I am very certain that statistics alone are rather useless unless you can truly reject the null hypothesis at each level of constellation.

As an example, I am 5'9'' and 203 pounds and I have a floating body fat weight of approximately 10 pounds.

Statistically I am obese.

According to the US Army percentage of fat to muscle mass I am just fine.

We can choose how far into fantasy land we wish to venture but luring others either willfully or wantonly is not nice. :P

I'm sure we are all very impressed with your sigmoid certification, but I am unable to reject the null hypothesis that you are a pompous windbag.

 

As for the statistics I cited, I provided a link for anyone who wants to see the information and where it came from. Perhaps you should do that before you imply that I am

luring others either willfully or wantonly
.

 

As for obesity, I made no claim to know what is normal or harmful, and I congratulate you on your fat-to-muscle mass ratio. Was it measured cranially?

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Instead of calling myself fat, I like to use the more politically correct term of having a low height to width ratio. 

:P:P:)

I'm a woman and 6'2" tall, and overweight. As we British do everything by the stone I have no idea what my weight would be in pounds. I've recently taken up caching as I actually enjoy walking for miles [the caches are a bonus], much to the surprise of my critics who think all fat people are lazy couch potatoes.

 

Most of the cachers I've seen in British photos tend to be slim and small. I havent met any others 'in the flesh' yet, but that might have something to do with them thinking a gigantic Sasquatch is coming the other way when they see me and they run for their lives :P

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There are 14 pounds to one stone....but who's counting 

 

:P heh heh heh

 

Perhaps we weigh in stones instead of pounds because the final amount is less :):P

 

Geocaching gets me out and about off my butt and [hopefully] gets me on the road back to health. I think all Doctor's waiting rooms should have a 'Take up Geocaching' posters as walking is a health benefit to people of all shapes, sizes and ages. B) I just wish I found out about it sooner :P

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A group of us with the Ohio Kentucky Indiana Cachers have started the "OKIC's Biggest Loser" contest to help us lose weight...

:)

Heres good luck to you all. I know how hard it can be losing weight, I've been there. Sadly my thyroid is damaged after cancer tumours so its a bit harder for me now. At least I can tell my Doctor that I am sticking to his advice and walking everywhere :P:P Infact, he's already curious about Geocaching and might take it up himself :P

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I like the idea of geocaching posters in doctor's waiting rooms. I'd love to put something up in the waiting room of the clinic where I work. (Actually, quite a few of the folks who come through the clinic ALREADY geocache. I know cuz I'm a big geek and mention geocaching all the time! "Did you know there's a geocache across the street?" "And there's another one down on the beach." "Go check www.geocaching.com after your appointment.")

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There are 14 pounds to one stone....but who's counting 

 

;) heh heh heh

 

Perhaps we weigh in stones instead of pounds because the final amount is less :D:D

 

Geocaching gets me out and about off my butt and [hopefully] gets me on the road back to health. I think all Doctor's waiting rooms should have a 'Take up Geocaching' posters as walking is a health benefit to people of all shapes, sizes and ages. :huh: I just wish I found out about it sooner <_<

another english cacher 6'7'' but only 140 lbs health probs and cache partly for just the sheer enjoyment but also to combat chronic fatigue. well mainly for the sheer hell of it. ;)

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6'7" Nobby? Wow, and I thought I was tall! People used to call me 'Lady Ramkin' because of my height and build. Am thinking of changing it after some ex-Eton blokes came up to me once and said "We like women like you, built to last" :huh:<_<

 

Perhaps Jeremy could get round to creating a downloadable poster we could print out and place in Medical Centers/waiting rooms?

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