Why notbadforafitfatlad?
Why Not bad for a fit fat lad? The journey. Everyone has a story to tell on how they became a runner, whether they are an elite athlete or aiming to complete their 1st 5km run, everyone has that driving factor behind them. For me, it was not wanting to be that short fat lad who found it difficult to lose weight and shake off the comments that came my way - people can be cruel.
Once you reach a certain weight it is so difficult to lose the flab, and for me (and many others) it's not because of the reasons that people think.
"Just eat less." Whilst eating less would be beneficial in the fight to shed the pounds, food had become a comfort. After a day at work where you had received numerous jibes about your size or how out of breath you were after walking up the 3 flights of stairs to the office, and having starved yourself because each time you ate someone had to remark that you were 'eating again,' food was everything I craved. Food doesn't judge you when you feel upset. Food doesn't look at you and tell you to put it down because you look like you've had enough. Food doesn't laugh or shout at you when you try to do exercise.
Once you reach that weight where other people feel the need to make fun of, comment and belittle you, it is very hard to go outside and make that first step in to bettering yourself. I've seen this first hand so many times when I was working front of house for an upscale gym. There were many times you could see how nervous people were regarding their size and how they would be viewed, and having been there myself you can only try to convince them that they are in a safe environment. But they aren't. It's a sad indictment on society that people who are trying to improve themselves are vilified for doing so.
My low points came whilst playing 5 aside football with my mates, within a group of people who would stand shoulder to shoulder with me in to a battle each week and allow me to be part of this team even though, we all knew, I wasn't good enough to be there. Each week I would receive comments that I was a 'fat Dennis Wise', being called a fat you know what, and generally being made to feel bad for my size. Then some of team mates would join in with these jibes - that's when I knew it was no longer a 'safe' environment for me. This all coincided with the amazing news that I was going to be a Dad for the first time. I took this all as a sign that I should do something about what I looked like so that my family wouldn't be ashamed of me.
The thought of running out of breath chasing my kids around the garden scared me in to putting the shame of the comments that I would receive out of my mind. I decided that if I was going to do this then I would need the support of my friends and family so ensured that my runs were tracked and also posted to social media. Many people post their runs for shallow praise, some do it to show off their bodies - for me, it was a way to let everyone around me know that I'm doing this - please support me.
And they did. There were still comments on the majority of my runs, but I kept putting on my shoes and getting out the door because I didn't want to be that short fat guy anymore. I've had swearing at 05:00am, food thrown at me, drunk people try to fight me and make pig noises - but I kept going. I even played football again. It was whilst playing in goal in a match that I was receiving abuse from a few of the opposition regarding my size I had a 'eureka' moment. We won the match and I had a great game in goal, prompting me to say 'not bad for a fat lad eh?' to the opposition - this stuck. I began posting my runs to social media with the tag line 'notbadforafatlad' - this was back in 2015 when I somehow managed to drag my 5 foot 6, 14 stone body around the Norwich Half Marathon.
During 2016 I managed to complete 5 half marathons and even finish the Bournemouth Marathon in 5 hours 37 minutes - prompting one of my friends to insist that I drop the 'fat' and replace with the word 'fit'. Despite the weight loss (now down at nearly 12 stone) and nearly 4 inches off the waist, I still have my belly but I'm ok with this. I don't class myself as a fit lad, but I'm definitely not the fat lad I was. Having now completed dozens of half marathons, 6 marathons and even a 50km ultra, I am definitely #notbadforafitfatlad.
Me at the Snetterton Half Marathon in November 2018
Once you reach a certain weight it is so difficult to lose the flab, and for me (and many others) it's not because of the reasons that people think.
"Just eat less." Whilst eating less would be beneficial in the fight to shed the pounds, food had become a comfort. After a day at work where you had received numerous jibes about your size or how out of breath you were after walking up the 3 flights of stairs to the office, and having starved yourself because each time you ate someone had to remark that you were 'eating again,' food was everything I craved. Food doesn't judge you when you feel upset. Food doesn't look at you and tell you to put it down because you look like you've had enough. Food doesn't laugh or shout at you when you try to do exercise.
Once you reach that weight where other people feel the need to make fun of, comment and belittle you, it is very hard to go outside and make that first step in to bettering yourself. I've seen this first hand so many times when I was working front of house for an upscale gym. There were many times you could see how nervous people were regarding their size and how they would be viewed, and having been there myself you can only try to convince them that they are in a safe environment. But they aren't. It's a sad indictment on society that people who are trying to improve themselves are vilified for doing so.
My low points came whilst playing 5 aside football with my mates, within a group of people who would stand shoulder to shoulder with me in to a battle each week and allow me to be part of this team even though, we all knew, I wasn't good enough to be there. Each week I would receive comments that I was a 'fat Dennis Wise', being called a fat you know what, and generally being made to feel bad for my size. Then some of team mates would join in with these jibes - that's when I knew it was no longer a 'safe' environment for me. This all coincided with the amazing news that I was going to be a Dad for the first time. I took this all as a sign that I should do something about what I looked like so that my family wouldn't be ashamed of me.
The thought of running out of breath chasing my kids around the garden scared me in to putting the shame of the comments that I would receive out of my mind. I decided that if I was going to do this then I would need the support of my friends and family so ensured that my runs were tracked and also posted to social media. Many people post their runs for shallow praise, some do it to show off their bodies - for me, it was a way to let everyone around me know that I'm doing this - please support me.
And they did. There were still comments on the majority of my runs, but I kept putting on my shoes and getting out the door because I didn't want to be that short fat guy anymore. I've had swearing at 05:00am, food thrown at me, drunk people try to fight me and make pig noises - but I kept going. I even played football again. It was whilst playing in goal in a match that I was receiving abuse from a few of the opposition regarding my size I had a 'eureka' moment. We won the match and I had a great game in goal, prompting me to say 'not bad for a fat lad eh?' to the opposition - this stuck. I began posting my runs to social media with the tag line 'notbadforafatlad' - this was back in 2015 when I somehow managed to drag my 5 foot 6, 14 stone body around the Norwich Half Marathon.
During 2016 I managed to complete 5 half marathons and even finish the Bournemouth Marathon in 5 hours 37 minutes - prompting one of my friends to insist that I drop the 'fat' and replace with the word 'fit'. Despite the weight loss (now down at nearly 12 stone) and nearly 4 inches off the waist, I still have my belly but I'm ok with this. I don't class myself as a fit lad, but I'm definitely not the fat lad I was. Having now completed dozens of half marathons, 6 marathons and even a 50km ultra, I am definitely #notbadforafitfatlad.
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