Being made fun of at the gym?

Wookinpanub

First, you are an attractive girl - very pretty face. Second, you are an attractive girl.

Don't pay attention to what others think unless they are family or close friends that can help you. I belong to the local Y so maybe there's different clientele there than the hip scene at your gym. I did feel self conscious at first as I was 60+ lbs overweight and terribly out of shape. I started slow and easy on both cardio machines and weights and built myself up and am now a Y morning regular. Keep at it, be strong.

MyM0wM0w

I can be kind of a **** when stuff like that happens. I would immediately start laughing my *kitten* off, and when they asked what was funny, I would say "The blatantly obvious overcompensation. I mean, is it a micropeen or premature ejaculation that you're covering up with that inflated ego?"

dbmata

I've never heard of this happening before. Holy hell.

I've seen friendly **** talking, but that level of *kitten*-atry? It's a bit unreal.

expoduck

I'm a fattie and I still try.

F**k the haters.

luvhaleiwa

Today was my first day at the gym. Ever. I'm recovering from broken kneecaps and just got the go-ahead from a doctor to start doing some real exercise. I'm still a bit dubious and thought I'd try out slow, to build up my confidence.

Now I'm the first to admit that I'm overweight, however I wouldn't say I'm huge. My before and after pictures are not going to be like those 'miracle product' adverts. I'm definitely the biggest person in my gym that I've seen though - everyone seems to be muscular, toned, and out of some Hollister advert. Good for them etc.

(This is all besides the point, sorry. I'm just trying to paint the scene.)

I was listening to music whilst doing an exercise, when it stopped, I heard laughing from behind me and a few men commenting on me and how 'pathetic it was that the fatties still try' etc etc etc. I ignored them, which was hard, because they kept going at it for a fair few minutes. In retrospect, maybe I should have turned around and defended myself.

Luckily I have pretty thick skin, and I don't really give a s**t what others think, but I can imagine that some people might never go back to the gym after something like that. It's a bit sad really.

I basically, in a very long-winded way, wanted to say to people who have been made fun of at the gym or those who will be, just ignore the idiots and don't let them get to you. Cliché advice but :flowerforyou:

I have WAY too big of a mouth to be quiet. I would have had to say something along the lines of, "Hey, I was just wondering why the bulge in your shorts is so much smaller than all the other guys around here?"

Wow, what jerks. Good for you to keep on keepin' on and not let it get to you. You are a stronger person than I am!

sculli123

meh screw that, just keep at it and ignore or complain to the front desk. But I haven't seen anything like that happen since high school.

centexhusker

I would report them. Whatever you do don't let this discourage you.

dbmata

There is a local radio personality that goes to my gym. I never see him working out, he is always standing around talking, and apparently he is under the impression that because (in his mind) he is a "celebrity" everyone wants his opinion.

I used to be on the radio, I could see that happening... we were all *kitten*. My station PD was that guy around the office until I got him to go workout with me and made him throw up every time because of intensity.

guys like that just need to be handed something heavy and then have their narcissism attacked until they break.

daychasingnight

There is a local radio personality that goes to my gym. I never see him working out, he is always standing around talking, and apparently he is under the impression that because (in his mind) he is a "celebrity" everyone wants his opinion. One day he came up to me and asked me, loudly and in front of several others, if I had tried an exercise called "push aways". When I said no, he started laughing and said it was called "pushing away from the table". I was mortified... I left the gym in tears and to this day (that was months ago) I avoid the gym whenever I think he will be there. When I told my boyfriend about it, after the initial anger passed, he gave me some really good advice. He told me I should have looked this guy dead in the eye and said "Why would you say such a thing to me". It's amazing that direct eye contact and a simple sentence can shut down someone being totally thoughtless and obnoxious. I haven't tried it yet because I've not seen him, but I am prepared the next time he offers an unsolicited comment.

I'm sorry you went through something like this - public humiliation is never fun. I'm also sorry that he managed to make you cry, because he's definitely not worth it, and that you avoid the gym when you think he's there. Nobody has the right to make anybody feel like that. :flowerforyou:

It's sadly another case of someone somehow thinking they are above others, when they aren't. Even if he is a 'celebrity', it doesn't give him the right to make a single comment about anyone else. So irritating.

I'm glad your boyfriend was able to give you some good and supportive advice! I'm going to try and use the ol' eye-contact and simple shut-down sentence next time... well hopefully there won't be a next time but you never know.

AsaThorsWoman

I'm so sorry that happened to you.

I even work out in a University gym weight room and NEVER NEVER got some bull**** like that.

245lb down to 180lb, nothing.

Although, I live in Oklahoma where now at 180 I'm considered "skinny."

They don't call us corn-fed for nothing.

There are some HUGE people here.

PRMinx

There is a local radio personality that goes to my gym. I never see him working out, he is always standing around talking, and apparently he is under the impression that because (in his mind) he is a "celebrity" everyone wants his opinion. One day he came up to me and asked me, loudly and in front of several others, if I had tried an exercise called "push aways". When I said no, he started laughing and said it was called "pushing away from the table". I was mortified... I left the gym in tears and to this day (that was months ago) I avoid the gym whenever I think he will be there. When I told my boyfriend about it, after the initial anger passed, he gave me some really good advice. He told me I should have looked this guy dead in the eye and said "Why would you say such a thing to me". It's amazing that direct eye contact and a simple sentence can shut down someone being totally thoughtless and obnoxious. I haven't tried it yet because I've not seen him, but I am prepared the next time he offers an unsolicited comment.

WUT?

I would have found out which companies sponsor his radio show and then, if any of them are related to health, food, women or fitness, I would have sent them a letter.

Wookinpanub

Although, I live in Oklahoma where now at 180 I'm considered "skinny."

I am in Ky and I just need to go to the local Walmart to make myself feel better.

martinel2099

People can be mean, sorry that happened to you. I'm not a violent guy but someone would have ended up with a black eye after that comment, or if I was in a good mood I'd find the manager and report them.

Pay them no mind, haters like to hate and they won't be laughing when you are out-doing them later down the road.

Anniebotnen

First of all, good for you for going to the gym. If they had talked about me like that, I would have cried, then cursed them out. You showed a lot more restraint than I would have. I would, however, recommend reporting them to the gym staff if they ever do that again. Aside from being just horrible, it also drives away gym business so it is in the staff's best interest to intervene.

I agree. That's completely unacceptable. Those guys should be kicked out.

KaruBlack

Wow, so in their tiny minds the only people that should exercise are those like them? That would have been a great time to talk to management and try to get their membership taken away for harassment.

mank32

someone would have to get kicked out of that gym if that had been me. and it would have been me, because i would have smacked some mouths. douchecanoes usually don't learn from words real good.

maria0104

This unfortunately kind of happened to me before. When I just finished c25k- a massive achievement to me, I finished my third proper 5k sweaty, out of breath and feeling like I would die but I was ever so proud of myself. The man next to me who was a middle aged bloke with rather a shirty attitude decided to tell me he was worried I'd have put the treadmill through or dropped dead before laughing. I then told him that at least I would drop dead from trying rather than from being smited for being a complete s***!

I was still proud of that run and still am, don't let jerks like that detract you from what's important


xx

rsclause

Sounds like they are the insecure ones in the gym. I would give them a "really?? grow up for Gods sake". Of course they would then feel pressured to insult you again because they are still insecure so be ready for it. They will one day think back and realize what jerks they are. On the bright side they probably won't be able to reproduce.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Good for you for not letting it get to you.

What's truly pathetic, are the small people who feel compelled to make themselves feel bigger by openly mocking others. THAT is parthetic. There is nothing but the OPPOSITE of pathetic about people who actually try to change. That takes guts and hard work.

The next time you hear them mocking you, complain to management. Most gyms have an absolutely zero tolerance policy of harassment, and most likely they will be thrown out on their high horsed *kitten*.

azymth99

I was on a blind date once with a girl that was "plus size"- to put it plainly. Anyway, I like her I thought she was funny and we hit it off right out of the gate. However, we here at a Comedy Club and she had an annoying laugh that was quite loud. A trio of jerk-wads were at the table next to us and one of them said:

"Hey, why don't you shut that fat beech up."

I immediately stood and yelled "Apologize, right now!" The entire place went silent. I interrupted the guy's routine, but I didn't care. After a moment of tense silence, the comedian said: "Sorry." And the rest of the club laughed. These three were still being adzholes, swearing at us, telling me to F-off, making pig noises at her etc. So I took her hand and started to leave. She noticed that the Three Stooges were getting up too.

"There's three of them, what are you going to do?" She asked me.

"I'm going to hit the first guy hard enough that the other two will think twice." I responded. When we got outside, I stood just outside the door and stood there like I was lighting a cigarette. The door was such that only one of them could come through it at a time. As soon as the first guy came out the door, he started to say something but I shortened his sentence by elbowing him, cross-check style right in the nose. He fell backwards into his buddies arms with a face full of blood. His two companions eye went wide and they both turned about 3 shades whiter. I stood with my fist clenched, ready to go, but his two pals wanted none of it. They just picked up their friend and took him back inside.

Needless to say, she appreciated me standing up for her. I was a chubby kid, so I had an idea of how she felt. No one deserves to be treated that way. If I had to do it over I would have followed them inside and made sure each one of them had a taste, but I probably would have gotten arrested for that...

*kitten* are everywhere. Just ignore them. (Unless you have a chance to break one's nose- it is a pretty good feeling).