Does being physically fit give you a sense of superiority?

[Anonymous]

I used to feel better than others about being disciplined enough to workout everyday. Not about my actual looks, because I didn’t look that much different. But circumstances change and I don’t always have the energy these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course not.
It gives everybody else a sense of my superiority.

This made me chuckle.

[Anonymous]

lol no. I feel great about it, but because it's good for my physical and mental health. I'm proud of my effort and progress, but don't really compare myself to others.

[Anonymous]

No, but getting fit took away years of insecurities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope. I feel light and quick and capable of anything. I see a hill and think "Let's f***ing GOOOO!" instead of "ugh, how can I get out of that/I'm going to sweat/will there be anywhere to sit down".

When I used to eat poorly I felt sluggish and a tiny bit nauseous all the time and didn't even realize - when I changed to eating healthy I felt my body thrumming with energy and it was a very distinct difference.

Sometimes I feel a little sorry for someone clearly out of shape, that they don't get to experience what I do. But I don't think I'm a more worthy person or better than them. Just lucky to be going through life this way, and hope they get there somehow.

This is feeling superior

[Anonymous]

Yes. But that’s not why I do it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you feel like you are better than everyone because you are fit?

Not better than anyone and confidence yes —when I was. We all get old and less attractive at some point.

[Anonymous]

I work out regularly and it doesn’t take much to do it, honestly, it doesn’t, so I know that I’m more disciplined, more consistent, less impulsive, less lazy than most people. I’ve also taught myself a lot about nutrition. I don’t understand why people don’t bother, or don’t try. There is so much information out there. Not superior feeling more like smh.

[Anonymous]

No, but it does give you confidence.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think I’m morally better because of it. Do I feel good about myself that I have discipline and will statistically have fewer health issues as I get older because of it and that I visibly look like I care about myself? Yes. Does it feel good to be able to walk into a store and buy almost anything and it looks good on me because I’m in shape? Yes.Does it feel good to have people compliment my arms? Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you feel like you are better than everyone because you are fit?

No. I'm an OT and I've seen that there are so many circumstances that can limit what you can do physically. It does make me feel grateful.

I look at it as though I’m playing the long game. Every workout I do, every time I increase my weights, every time I choose movement over sitting, I think of how in the future the older me will be still mobile, still agile, able to travel and play with her grandkids, and maintain muscle mass and bone density. It does pay off in the short term but now that I’m 39, I’m looking out for myself 25 years down the road when I work out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes- depends on the scenario.

Out of shape people at the gym wearing outfits to display their rolls of fat or (my favorite) guys in fitted tanks with a gut so large they cannot see their feet but strut around like they are built like Thor from the movies or something I cannot help but judge.

At the beach this week I felt inferior to a couple of ladies with better abs than me, but they were the only two out probably a few hundred people on the beach I saw.

In typical life outside of those types of scenarios I do not think about it.

Why would you judge people who are trying to do something about their weight and health?

[Anonymous]

I feel fortunate to have great DNA a good life fortune.

So much goes into it.

I have 2 obese friends and both were raped as teens. I think the trauma, cortisol, etc contributes so much to their obesity. I love them both so deeply and wish they didn’t have to think every day about food and be on WW for a decade + but the reality is we eat the same, they are obese, I don’t know why.

OTOH, I have a few super in shape people and one clearly has childhood trauma and I think being able to control 1 thing in her life is important to her so it’s her weight.

I see people ant either end of the spectrum and I feel empathy for what perhaps led them to that.

I’m very, very athletic.., a bit overweight… I was literally born that way, athletic not overweight. My fit, workout friends are frustrated when I don’t train but beat them at a 10K, only 1 friend (also overweight but played d1 sports) can beat me at Pickkeball so we are usually playing with the 30 somethings (we are in our 50’s) and my fit friends are like how do I get better? I mean sure training but you’re still never gonna beat a truly athletic person, I was born like this. Am I happy to be good, sure, do I think years of hard work got me here… no obviously not.

I can consistently drive the golf ball 200+ yard straight. Could you (my thin fit friends) learn to do that? Sure … I mean maybe but can you? I mean you’re not all that coordinated nor truly athletic, the fact is maybe with 100000x more work than me. I’ve only been golfing for 1 year.

I went to a yoga class that was doing holds like crow and headstand. Lol I don’t even know if they are called holds. I’d never done those but I could easily by the end of this 90 min class. The yoga teacher was like can u do a headstand and I was like I could when I was 10, she said okay try and I held a headstand for a minute and was like can I stop now.


The reality is I’m not superior because I didn’t really have to do all that much to be thin (when I was), relatively fit now or very athletic.

I think people who are proud of being thin and fit don’t realize how much less work they have to put in to be that way than another person would need to. I took it for granted most my life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you feel like you are better than everyone because you are fit?

No, it just gives you more confidence and you fell better/happier as you go through the day. I can see how it could come across as “superiority” to unfit and unhappy people that lack confidence. I was there once and it takes daily discipline to not revert back.

[Anonymous]

I feel capable. I’m out of shape right now (toddlers) but when I was is shape I mostly gloried in what my body can do. And I still do when my elderly parents are visiting or I’m chatting with chronically ill friends — I’m so grateful to have a functional body that’s still pretty strong and that I still have the option to make it stronger. I don’t think less of anyone who doesn’t have time/energy/health to be fit but I do envy/admire really fit people pretty much always.