Maria Kang fails, again, at imagining other people complexly. 

Oh my God, get over yourself.

HellO GUYS.. I personally know maria and i think this awesome. When Maria was in highschool she was overweight. All the boys that she liked never liked her because of her weight status. She was picked on by classmates. Now that she is older i feel her innerchild has influenced her workout. I feel that america has definitely a weight problem and need more fitness regime. Maria's approach in influencing america is definetly the wrong way. THe most important thing in a humans life is to be happy. She is stating that overweight woman are not what woman should look like. No matter how fat a women is unless she is happy t hat is what reallhy matters. I think what happened to maria in the past she is now on the other side picking on overwieght woman.. Now she is saying that overweight woman is not the cultural norm. Well what if someone is saying that women in there 20s should not have 3 BABIES.. or that woman should not wear make up. i feel that maria is a troll and this is more about herself and her inner child rather than helping america and weight problem that we have in america. 

While I don't agree that this picture would count as "Hate Speech" or a form of fat-shaming, I do believe that the question "What's your excuse?", though playful, can actually be interpreted in a condescending manner when placed out of context. I'm sure Maria did not mean to offend, but it's not really up to her if she does or not - it's up to the interpretation of whoever sees the picture. And while the picture was meant to be "fitspiration" geared towards those with an interest in it, it happened to reach elsewhere, too. I think Maria looks great, but something about this article just wasn't quite okay with me. Forget fat people, entirely. The problem here isn't that it may offend fat people (in fact, I've noticed there are fat people who aren't offended by this in the least), the problem here is that it makes people with NORMAL, HEALTHY weights think that there is something inherently wrong with themselves for working out, eating well, and not looking "fit" as such. The simple truth is that not everyone will look like that with a good diet and exercise routine because -Newsflash!- we are all different. Priorities and circumstances are different for everyone. That's not an excuse for overweight or obese people, that's just pointing out that different variations of healthy bodies exist. I get that the point of this was to motivate people to work out and achieve their fitness goals, but it can also have the effect of making feel just plain bad about themselves.

More importantly, I wanted to just highlight that what I've seen in some of the comments is a complete disregard for other people's mental health. If someone is a little offended or concerned (which may not make sense to someone else, but everyone is entitled to their personal interpretation), someone else will (unkindly) state "Well you must have some serious insecurities then." Um, YES. EXACTLY. WE ALL HAVE INSECURITIES. We are only human. We are not proud of our insecurities, and we may do what's in our control to fight them, but they are there. This is why ANY TYPE of shaming should not be happening. Try to be a little sensitive to other people, because not everybody is completely stable when it comes to the subject of weight and appearance. As much as you can believe that nobody has an excuse, you don't know for certain. People have eating disorders, mental health disorders, and huge stresses in their lives that can hinder them - and they are aware of this. I don't agree that being overweight is normal, nor should being unhealthy be celebrated. However, if people are happy with or discouraged with their bodies - whatever the case may be - that is something an outsider should really have no place in. When self-esteem and confidence is hard to come by, while eating disorders are far too rampant, we should be cautious in how we approach the subject - especially with strangers over the internet. 

I don't think Facebook needed to take down Maria's page, nor do I approve of all the nasty comments directed towards her (death threats?? Really??) and I don't think she's selfish at all for wanting to look good and take care of her body. However, I do think that her message missed the mark. Someone here said that people would not be so offended if the image was of an amputee running a marathon, and that is true - because it's a photo of someone who has overcome a really difficult obstacle and it shows that person DOING something, it would be showcasing their abilities. The reason that so many people took offense to her 'What's your excuse?' photo is because she is simply posing there with her kids, looking good. I could have seen where that was supposed to be inspiring to people to work harder, and maybe if she was bench pressing a few hundred pounds (or hey, bench pressing all three kids) people probably would have loved it.
This article seems pretty prejudiced towards overweight people though, and honestly to complain about clothing companies accomodating the overweight due to pressure from 'fat acceptance' advocates & using Abercombie & Fitch as an example of that was in poor taste considering that this is what their CEO has been quoted as saying recently when asked why they don't  sell larger clothes: “It’s almost everything. That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that."
Rather than trying to inspire everyone to be fit and healthy, she now seems to be arguing that being thin is what's necessary and that is what people take issue with, not the encouragement to eat right and exercise.
I personally have never had a weight problem, even though I have eaten whatever I wanted for a very long time and don't work out as much as other more overweight people do. I don't have any big issue with insecurity about my body, just in case one of the angry commenters here want to sling that at me as they do anyone who disagrees with Maria's viewpoints. 
I don't think it's right to insult her for being fit like some have, but I think she is going to alienate rather than inspire the people who could use it most with her current argument. I also feel that her supporters who choose to insult the people who are trying to clarify what they find wrong with her message only help to intensify the feeling of hatred towards anyone who doesn't look fit according to her standards. Though it's true that obesity is a big problem and that in some cases it's due to poor diet or no exercise, that is not always the case and it seems a lot of people trying to defend Maria feel obligated to throw in cracks about the other commenter's looks, weight or habits when they actually know nothing about these people's lives.
Exercise and eat right, yes, but you don't have to look like her, and in so many cases you won't. People who are trying as hard as they can should not be judged because they are heavier, and unless you know them personally you are making a blind judgement. 

If you bitch about absolutely everything, congrats, you are a real woman.

People spoke out against the normalization of ultra thin, why can't people speak out against the normalization of obesity? She is right. And people actually do get offended by fit people, and call them shaming even if the fit person doesn't open their mouth or type anything. Either way I saw her facebook post; it wasn't hate speech-people are too sensitive. Replace almost all models with women who eat enough, but not too much, eat healthy and work out-that's what people need to look up to. Fit people do represent an attainable body; a fit, strong, healthy body is attainable.

I think because of people's initial negative response to Maria Kang's "What's your excuse?" photo (and perhaps her delivery of her messages may not be the most compassionate), they are failing to understand what Kang is trying to say. 

First, who is shaming who? I didn't see Bougon's company mentioned anywhere on Kang's blog post and it wasn't like Kang posted this on Bougon's personal page or on the Curvy Girl's site. I was actually expecting to see Curvy Girl being mentioned in the post but there was none. Bougon seems to be twisting the facts to better promote her company. 

Kang does raise an important issue that is very rarely mentioned today. There is way too much celebration and embrace for a body type that is scientifically NOT HEALTHY. This is all the more perplexing because we live in a country where obesity is a pandemic and is being called the "new cigarette." I agree that the stick skinny body type is an unhealthy and unrealistic image but does that mean we have embrace and praise the equally unhealthy image of clearly overweight obese bodies? Scientific studies say that there is NO SUCH THING AS HEALTHY  OBESITY. In the long run(over 10 years) they have a much higher risk of death and cardiovascular disease. 

These terms "curvy" "plus-size" "voluptuous" are euphemisms for what it really is: fat, overweight, obese. Just like there was a anti-smoking campaign there needs to be anti-obesity,overweight campaign for this country. 

My husband isn't a stay at home dad and I have a job that isn't centered around what my body looks like... that's my excuse.

 Méét 5O+ singlés viα my nαme

Let me begin by saying that, considering you had a child less than a year ago, you look absolutely amazing, and you should be proud. I have been overweight my entire adult life, and have constantly struggled with losing and gaining weight, and the self-esteem roller coaster that comes with it. I don't think what you said was hate speech-perhaps a little self-righteous and preachy, but not hate speech. I don't think you are considering the multitude of thins which affect a person's weight, many of which are not within their control. Some people, no matter how hard they try and how much they commit, will never be "in shape." I see nothing wrong with people accepting who and what they are, and asking others to do the same. Self-acceptance has been a long, hard road for me, and I welcome a day when I can be accepted and valued for the person I am: smart, funny and compassionate, rather than my dress size. I think you are a "real woman": you obvious take care of yourself and your children, and have a good deal of self-confidence. But, I consider myself a real woman too, for reasons far deeper than the surface, and the fact that you're thinner makes you no better than me, or worse. The people who flagged you as hate speech were either jealous, pissed off at your tone, or just trolls. But, weight is a sensitive issue for many people. and I think in the future, you should try being a bit more sensitive with your choice of words. Your message is valid, but delivery is everything. Just something to keep in mind the next time you feel like venting. All the best.

I want to post this just to point out something.  Shame comes from a consciousness of guilt.  If you have nothing to feel guilty about because of health issues and the such, then there isn't shame.  There is perhaps jealousy, sadness, frustration but not shame.  It is very intersting how many women are willing to let another woman dictate their mood for the day.  She is fit.  She looks good.  She has every reason to be proud of herself.  Go find something...not just fitness to be proud of yourself about and this will matter much less to you.

From Websters

Shame:  A feeling of guilt, regret, or sadness that you have because you know you have done something wrong.

I'm not a hater, but I don't really understand what your picture has to do with physical fitness. A low BMI and visible abdominal musculature don't necessarily translate into good performance at anything, or even necessarily indicate good health. It's what a person can do with his or her body that's meaningful, not what he or she looks like.

Maria Kang, you are so disingenuous. No one believes being thin or fit is hate speech. You only got chastised for continually bullying OTHER women by insisting they need to "improve" or had no right to be in lingerie on Facebook. If you could manage to talk about your business for thirty seconds WITHOUT insulting other women's lives or bodies, no one would even pay attention to you. As it stands, you keep relying on other people's lives to feel better about yourself and crying when someone accurately describes what you're doing.

Why is it you can't talk about your own "fitness" stuff without insulting people? Are you that insecure?

I find it interesting and kind of demoralising that Facebook would deactivate your account for something so benign, yet earlier this year it took a full blown media campaign and boycott to get them to block actual hate speech encouraging violence against women . Also, as an average (if tall) woman who has a child with another on the way and a full time job - I find your photo and blog intimidating and encouraging. 

Having said that I am the middle ground in my friends. I am 6' tall, and constantly flirt with the top end of my healthy BMI range. To keep myself flirting with it, rather than sailing over it, I must watch my dietary habits and maintain a good exercise regime of hour long walking/running, cycling or yoga sessions several times a week. But mostly, I remain average. People walking past me would not put me in the overweight category or the underweight. However,  I have three very close female friends all of whom would be and are judged for their bodies. One is only an inch or two shorter than me but is three dress sizes smaller. She eats like a horse, never exercises and struggles to put on weight. One ranges from between one dress size smaller to four dress sizes larger and is a good 5 inches shorter than me. She has a thyroid problem that makes her exercise and diet all but superfluous. What control she has is won by her levels of sheer determination and her faith in nutritional medicine. Last is a woman who has always been a couple of sizes larger than me. She is also a good five inches shorter. She runs half marathons, charity 5k and 10k runs and frequently takes her two toddlers hiking for several km's on the weekends. She eats a normal amount of healthy food. 

These women are the 'realest' women I know. They are strong, intelligent, compassionate, generous, petty and for the most part healthy. I'm sure they have their own self-esteem and body image issues, but are smart enough to take those inflicted on them with a grain of salt. They might disagree with parts of your blog, but they wouldn't stoop to calling it hate speech or cursing you for being strong and disciplined in your own life. They'd simply close their browser tab and move on to reading something else. How is that hard for any of us?

Maria, in your picture you asked what "my excuse" is? I was a very active person who injured her knee while playing sports. I have had 3 knee surgeries in the last 3 years. With severe restrictions on my ability to walk without a walker or crutches, let alone exercise, I gained 30 lbs and 2 dress sizes over that period.

I am working to lose the weight I gained while I was unable to walk normally or exercise. But I guess if you or your supporters saw me in public, you would dismiss me as "mediocre," "lazy," and "entitled" for expecting to be treated with the same respect and courtesy as "fitter," "more hardworking" people.

And that's fine. I'm secure in myself. I don't try to puff myself up by claiming I'm "better" than people I've never met. But I don't care if someone decides to judge me thusly. Some people are just insecure.

I also don't presume that I could assess somebody's life story, or understand the journey that has made them who they, based on their body weight.

This method - labeling something as hate speech - when it is just something we feel different about is an outgrowth of the liberal mode of calling racist every time someone tells an inconvenient truth. Easier to call someone racist (and hard to disprove that one is racist) is easier than arguing facts or relying on rational argument.

I found Mrs. Kang's photo inspiring.  I had a baby 3 months ago and have been working to get my prepregnancy body back.  I was encouraged by her success not offended by it. I took the message to be "don't give up because you can get your body back if you don't give in to excuses"

 What makes me sad is that if the picture were, for example, of an amputee running a marathon with the slogan "what's your excuse?", no one would be mad. If it were a picture of someone who had grown up in poverty and still managed to get into Harvard and become wealthy and successful with the same slogan, no one would be mad or say the subject was "dumb shaming" people who don't get into Harvard.  Women feel threatened by other women, especially those who are attractive and successful. Get over it. Maria's success takes away NOTHING from you, and if you feel personally attacked or "shamed" you definitely have some self esteem issues to resolve.  Get up from your computer and do something that burns more calories than spewing hate at this woman.

Generally speaking, for me it all goes down to the modern-era mentality of the weak/mediocre: people don't want to excel, don't want to work hard, don't have ambitions, because of a lack of willpower, skills, or both.

For this reason, this mentality basically sets mediocrity as a target, and those who want to excel are categorized as mean, or obsessed.

Add this:nowadays, no one can comment anything anymore, because otherwise you sound "offensive" or "aggressive".

E.g.: You are not fit? Work out and/or accept reality, instead of criticizing those who do work hard.

I link strength and had work to dedication, passion, willingness to get better. I will never accept a mentality that denies these things.

Facebook's ban is just another example of liberal fascism.

I JUST read the things she said on CNN about Curvy Girl's lingerie photos and I'm sort of not so sure I disagree with the Facebook ban now. 
http://jezebel.com/fit-mom-to-curvy-girl-you-can-just-tell-if-a-person-1474820560

*Add: I say replace almost all models because some models are fit, and eat healthy.

@RiannaRobinson Exactly! Her message to inspire if that is what she is really trying to do, is not hitting home because her message is not being delivered clearly. Maybe she needs a publicist?

@PatrickJ.Kiger Sometimes when people get in an argument with someone, they will get so focused on winning that they make a point that even they know is spurious.  

I hope that this is what happened to you when you wrote that.

@KimLaCapria Actually many on tumblr thinks otherwise. I can't post fitness anything without it being considered hate speech.

@KimLaCapria I also made this account just to post here. Your post is like a case study in cognitive dissonance.  So in an effort to be helpful to you rather than plainly dismissive, as you are in your post, let me refute what you have said.  Ms. Kang has in no sense insisted that other women need to improve, nor that they shouldn't be on the internet posing in lingerie. She asserts - and this you must take as axiomatic or concede to being a troll - that people are getting fatter, that this is unhealthy, and that this in turn costs money.

As for your comment about security, this is so hilariously ironic I barely know what to say about it. You're so insecure that you've imagined a whole subtext that isn't actually there devoted to insulting your lifestyle choices. I bet when you see bike lanes or a water fountain instead of a soda machine, you think "persecution!"

As it is your comment is immensely silly.

@KimLaCapria lmao fattie crying

@Jothika I know what you mean, but for me it is just laziness and procrastination, not an injury.  Also, I agree with you.  Once upon a time I ran every day, but I ate like a PIG!  During this time I lost 30 pounds while overeating and exercising.  Inactivity does a number on your body.

@Jothika Your sob story about persecution at the hands of people that "just don't understand" makes me think you are not, in fact, secure in yourself at all.  As for her question, she asked, you told.

@Jothika You do know that exercise burns very little calories at all. An hour of moderate exercise burns about as many calories as a slice of cake. Weight loss is almost entirely what you eat not exercise. Of course if you were actually telling the truth here you'd know that.

@LDGracy Baloney. This is a right wing thing that started with southern losers crying about people not attending church. The left wing got to this trick late.

@kfmerc Worst of all if she used to be morbidly obese and then did this she would praised as an inspiration to all women on the globe. Just doing it because you want to be healthy and you want to look good is a sin, apparently :P

@timewise >liberal >facism

are you dense

Why not just promote your program without being negative about others? Why not say "I feel good and like how I look?" Why bring other people into it?

@MikeyT @KimLaCapria I'm a writer. I've quoted Ms. Kang extensively. I suggest you read the words she wrote and said on TV before this post before you make incorrect statements. 

@jimprofitswithmagic And yet, you have no picture. I'm sure you're just as good looking as she is :D

No sob story, just a critique of this woman's judgmental attitude. She asked what my "excuse" was, and I answered. I've had 3 knee surgeries in 3 years, and I think that's a pretty damn good excuse to put on weight. My point is that you should not presume that you know anything about someone based on their body condition.

FYI, I don't feel "persecuted" in public because my extra weight distributed into an hourglass shape. If anything, guys checking me out, hitting on me, making comments about my "perfect ass" when I go out on the weekends make me uncomfortable, but that's a whole 'nother topic.

BlackRabbi, I'm confused by your response. You seem to think that I'm lying about my story?I played tennis all through high school and college, I also boxed, swam, did free weights and cardio at the gym, and did martial arts. When I was active, I had a much faster metabolism and was able to stay fit while eating healthy. After I had my first knee surgery, and meniscectomy, some of my extra muscle mass converted to fat. I've talked to guys at the gym who did a lot more weightlifting than me, and they both reported muscle converting to fat when they stopped weightlifting for more than a few weeks.After my second knee surgery, which was a high tibial osteotomy, I was severely restricted in my ability to walk (a broken tibia will do that) and I had to literally spend months on the couch with my leg in a CPM machine. Ditto with my third surgery, which was a meniscus transplant and an ACL reconstruction.I don't know what your experience is with prolonged inactivity, but staying for months on the couch, using a walker to go to the bathroom, not able to shower myself without help, caused me to gain 30 pounds and 2 dress sizes. I have buddies who have been in the military, and had amazing physiques until they injured themselves, like a back injury, and then they really packed on the pounds. Enforced inactivity, especially post-surgical enforced inactivity, seems to pretty uniformly cause weight gain in pretty much everyone I have encountered. It seems to be a widely accepted phenomenon, so I don't understand why you're accusing me of lying.

BlackRabbi, I'm confused by your response. I played tennis all through high school and college, I also boxed, swam, did free weights and cardio at the gym, and did martial arts.

When I was active, I had a much faster metabolism and was able to stay fit. When I had my first knee surgery, and meniscectomy,

@KimLaCapria ugly shaming!!

@jimprofitswithmagic And also because you are ugly lmao.

@KimLaCapria I made this account just now so that i could reply to you

I might also assume that someone who has a few extra pounds probably works long hours behind a desk that produces a product or service useful to society, is busy raising children and so might have to make the Midas choice of focusing on their appearnce or their child's development, could be working overtime to make ends meet and likely is not blessed with a naturally fast metabolism or is facing another health concern. My sister looks like Ms. Kang without a day of exercise and I suffer from hypothyroidism and have been overweight since I was 4. I went to my first nutritionist at 6. I have spent my life on a yoyo diet and have even resorted to weight loss surgery so that I can stop feeling hunger and be able to live off 1000 to 1200 calories because if I consume over 1600 kcal i gain weight. In fact, eating apx 1100 per day I have only lost 1.5 pounds in three weeks. So the reason someone saying "what's your excuse" comes across a bit harsh is that it is laden with judgment without any apparent attempt to understand the challenges facing the individual. However, I also agree it's not hate speech. Just ignorance and pride at work.

@Jothika 
No, it's not a good excuse. You are the weight you are because of how much you eat, not how much you exercise. It's entirely possible to lose weight without exercising. Your "body condition" tells one an awful lot about you. If you see a person in public with large muscles and low body fat, you'd naturally assume they exercise a lot and don't overeat, right? It's the same if you are obese. If you are obese, it means you eat too much, period. If you gained a bunch of weight after a knee surgery, it means you continued to eat even though you are moving less, which directly lead to your weight gain. If you got fat after knee surgery, it's not the knee surgery's fault, it's yours. YOU saw the extra weight piling on after the surgery and YOU chose to do nothing about it. You have no excuse.

Actually, I said "muscle MASS" converted to fat. I never said that muscle fibers convert to fat cells. And this is a pretty commonly observed phenomenon for people who stop weightlifting, attributed in news articles and bodybuilding forums to metabolism input demands (hunger) no longer matching output in the gym (exercise).

You've never met me, and, thankfully, I'll never be forced to meet you in real life, so you're welcome to use the anonymity of the Internet to hurl whatever accusations you like at me. All you're doing is proving my point, that you cannot take somebody's body weight and assume that you know anything about what they've gone through in life, or what caused them to be that weight.

I wish you all the luck and success the world. Have a nice day.

@Jothika You are delusional, as well as extremely unaware about the human body. It is not physically possible for a muscle cell to convert into a fat cell. It's like a cat eating food and turning into a dog.

You can make as many excuses as you want, but you gained weight by over eating.