Working Out, My Necessary Evil
July 14, 2009
There are many awesome things about the lifestyle; uninhibited friends, fantastic parties, hot sex, and so much more. One of the great side effects of being so social is that we’re motivated to look our best. I know (several) girls who were size 14-plus before they started swinging and, with MUCH hard work and behavior changes, are now sizes 2 – 6. I know guys who were previously self-admitted “lazy fat guys” and are now sculpted Adonis’s.
Dieting is okay. I have no problem eliminating starches and sugars. And avoiding alcohol except at parties is pretty easy (save for the glass of wine or liquor here and there at home).
Exercise is another issue altogether. As a former athlete I spent my childhood and early adulthood working out in the gym and on the field. It was a slog then, and it’s REALLY hard to get into it now. Working out is like treading through a muddy field; time just drips by. I don’t enjoy pushing myself to get the “high”, even though I do like the results I see in the mirror. It’s just not fun.
But a little while ago we were playing with a group of people. All the guys had perhaps 14% body fat between them, and there I was feeling like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Self conscious, uncomfortable. To me, unacceptable, that’s not the self-image I want to have.
You can work out like a Banshee but unless you also cut starches you will never get sculpted. Likewise, I can diet all I want but unless I exercise I won’t shape up. So this just has to be a way of life whether I enjoy it or not. I guess I have to suck it up and just do it; it’s worth the effort.
On our trips to Europe over the last year or so we’ve noticed that guys have moved away from the ubiquitous “Entourage” style t-shirt and are wearing polo shirts. This is true at parties, on the street, and at casual restaurants.
Americans are usually a year or two behind Europe in terms of trends (especially guys), so I’ve been watching for signs. And they are starting to appear. Ads in magazines, even girls magazines, have more and more guys wearing either polo’s or collared shirts (still a lot of t’s as well though). Stores catering to hipsters in LA, NY & Miami are carrying selections of polo’s. And even Affliction, the de-facto swinger t-shirt label, is offering polo’s.
I’m keeping an eye on Rolling Stone and Maxim, where most of the pic’s are guys wearing t-shirts. So we’ll see.
What’s this mean? Fashion changes, styles come in and out. We’ve gone though a long period where it has been in to be a bit shabby. It may be that the winds of fashion are blowing a little more upclass now. For my part though, I really don’t care what the guys wear, I guess it’s cool if they dress a bit more crisp…as long as the girls get to keep wearing the sexiest and skimpiest damn outfits possible when we go out to swinger parties and vanilla venues with our friends.
Where are all these swingers parties? Check the party listings on Kasidie
