Cause it took quite a while to collect enough information, experiences and anecdotes to support this premise.
But, I think I've got enough evidence, at least personal experience, to conclude that....
People like Pretty People!
Let me stop right here and state a few qualifications....
- By no stretch of the imagination do I consider myself a "Pretty Person".
- This is not a Fat and Ugly bashing effort...
- I am not criticizing or judging other peoples lifestyles, habits or appearance.
- I am simply documenting and reporting my own experience and the correlations and conclusions from that experience.
- So without further adieu....Here goes!
3 years ago.... I was much heavier... like 45 lbs heavier.... basically I looked like a blowed up toad.
I was the same outgoing, friendly guy I am now.... well maybe not quite as outgoing and friendly.... but still pretty much the same guy.
Starting in Spring 2012, I began a Total Lifestyle Change Program of:
- More Exercise
- Better Diet - (Paleo)
- Better Sleeping Habits
- Less Work
- Stress Management
- Alternative Methods of Working Out, Physical Therapy, Rotation of NSAIDs for Degenerative Arthritis, Healthy Supplements, New Tools and Techniques for Recovery - Kinesiology Tape, MyoFascial Release with Foam Roller / LaCrosse Ball, Increased Range of Motion through Stretching, etc.
- Making a Healthy Lifestyle a Priority by Scheduling Time and Effort for all the above.
Counter to my Technical Background and Analytical Nature, I did the Non-Scientific Approach to determining Cause and Effect by Adding and Changing a Lot of Things ALL AT ONE TIME!
I call it the Shotgun Approach.... I threw a lot of stuff at this Life, Mind, Spirit and Body simultaneously and continuously.
I don't know how much to attribute to any one element because, again, I did a lot of things at one time.
But the effect has been dramatic.... especially since March of this year - March 17th to be exact....
That's the day I went Strict Paleo (or at least my form of Strict Paleo) - creating the Diet and Cooking Program that I illustrate in this blog repeatedly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet
Also about the time I started CrossFit at CrossFitWMD on CR44 in Angleton - www.crossfitwmd.com
Basically, I dropped from 195 lbs to 165 lbs in about 2 months and have then maintained 165 - 170 lbs for the last 4 months while continuing to increase the variety, frequency, duration and intensity of my workouts -
CrossFit - Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Fat Burner, Zumba and Boot Camp - Tuesday, Thursday
Body Pump - Saturday
My Own Workout - Sunday
I am probably averaging 1-1/2 - 2 hours of some form of stretching, exercise, physical effort per day.
What's the point of this listing of information and activities?
Patience - I'm getting there.
Bottom line is that I have gone from an unhealthy, overweight middle aged guy to a middle aged guy that works out to a middle aged guy that is getting in really good shape to a middle aged guy that....
Is Fit, Muscular and Ripped at 52 years of age (again - not tooting my horn - just repeating comments I have received).
Here's the Deal and the Hook for this Post....
When I was over 200 lbs, I couldn't beg a look or a conversation from a Man, Woman, Child or Dog.
Seriously - I mean Not a Swinging Whatever or a Wagging Tail would even give me the time of day.
When I started losing weight and working out consistently a few times per week and got below the 190 lb mark, I began noticing that women would glance my way and smile. Conversations occasionally popped up from nowhere.
As I increased my workout frequency and intensity and decreased my weight below 180 lbs, there was a significant change in the way people related to me....
Some of it was from me.... Obviously when you feel better about yourself, you project yourself more positively to the World around you... but still, even with that taken into account....
People paid attention to me.... I met many new people.... Everyday.... People I didn't know would come up and initiate conversations with me or ask me about my diet or workouts or whatever.
Even Guys started talking to me.... As I walked through the gym... I could feel their eyes follow me and see them nudge their workout buddies and whisper something....
At 175 lbs, the frequency and duration of attention, interaction, conversation, etc increased exponentially....
That's when my facial features really started changing.... my face and jawline getting that Lean Lantern jawed look... the cheekbones beginning to show and getting that hollowed out place between the cheek and jaw...
Naturally, I was spending more time outside.... so the skin tone darkened and the highlighted hair didn't hurt.
The weight loss required purchase of new clothes - new workout clothes, new casual clothes - clothes that fit a leaner, trimmer body... clothes that made me look better.
At 170 lbs, people started looking at me sideways, like WTF is going on with this guy....
I was asked "Are you a runner? Are you a bodybuilder? Are you a wrestler?"
People who had already been suggesting that I stop losing weight really increased their banter at this point....
I just told them... My body will tell me when to quit losing weight.... I already knew what the bottom was....
165 - 170 cause that's what I was my Senior Year in High School and the weight I maintained throughout college...
It was a logical weight resting place for my body....
And sure enough I hit 165.... and looked really lean and thin.
At this point, the new and random conversations in all places - gym, grocery store, on vacation, the beach, restaurants, wherever I went - from established acquaintances and new and random people - was continuous.
"What are you doing? What are you eating? You look great! How are you doing this?"
Again - No Conceit or Self Acclamation here - I'm just a Fair and Balanced Reporter - and I'm not complaining about the attention.... just relating a real life experience.
I could draw a graph of the # of interactions as a function of weight over the last 6 months and it would show a direct and exponential (not linear) correlation between my decreasing weight / increasing fitness and increasing attention from and interaction with the general public.
The more Weight I lost, the Leaner I got, the More Vascularity and Muscularity I attained....
The better I looked....
The more people liked me!
So what's the key takeaway from this little Essay of Extroverted Experience?
Well - If You Want People to Notice You.... to Pay More Attention to You.... to Talk to You....
Work on Yourself...
Hmmm.... this little theme sounds familiar....
How many times have I said on this blog...
"Take Care of Yourself First - it's the Most UNSELFISH thing you can do!"
If you wanna make a real difference in your life, focus on Changing and Transforming Your Mind and Body....
It never ceases to amaze me how much Time, Money and Effort Women spend on Hair, Makeup, Fingernail Polish, Mani's and Pedi's...
But they ignore the Core Vessel - their own body!!!
I can't speak for Every Man but would be willing to bet I speak for a majority when I say I would rather see...
a Lean, Fit, Woman that works out regularly and eats right standing in a Tote Sack with messed up hair, no makeup, finger or toenail polish....
Compared to....
An Overweight, Unhealthy Woman that smokes and drinks and eats like shit and doesn't work out, with a $200 perm and $400 in hair extensions and caked on makeup and heavy eye shadow and finger and toenails garnished with 3 murals, imbedded jewels and whatever else you can glue or paint on nails.
And just so you don't think I'm a Woman Hater, here's my takeaway on the Guys....
I see a variety of Guy activities I don't understand:
- Guys work out with heavy weights and eat like shit and have these big, bulky bodies with 25 - 50 lbs of extra weight covering up all that beautiful muscle they're fighting so hard to create.
- Here's an idea Homey - why not work out less, quit tearing your body up with the heavy weights, Eat Clean, Get Lean and Ripped and Look Twice as Big and be 40# lighter!!!
- Or Guys spend an inordinate amount of money on Fancy Trucks, Boats, ATV's, Travel Trailers, Golf Memberships, Hunting Leases - you name it - so they have to work more overtime to pay for it all - which means they have less time to work out, eat right and sleep sufficiently and they end up In Debt, Fat and Unhappy... but Hey - they got a New Truck with a Lift Kit and Big Tires - so that's all that counts - Right?
Geez - Wills - a little harsh there aren't you? I thought we were talking about your own experience....
Hey Butch - it's all related...
The Good News.... The Encouraging News.... The Light at the End of the Tunnel is that....
No matter where you're starting from or what you're starting with....
You can Work on Yourself and...
Make Positive Changes in Your Mind, Spirit and Body that will make you....
Be Healthier and Look Better.
I have never seen an example of a Person who didn't look better....
and Prettier or more Handsome....
When they were Leaner and Thinner and Exercising, Eating and Sleeping Properly.
Build it and they will come because....
People like Pretty People!!!
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