Hey Fat Girl....

HeatherGTaylor

This really hit close to home! I myself won't exercise in the public eye because I'm afraid of the judment and thoughts of "what's that fat girl thinking?! She shouldn't even try being out here all sweaty and jiggly" But reading this...wow.

AmberCHM

I LOVE this!! I constantly struggle with my self-confidence and wonder what fit people must think of the chubby girl running. Thanks for sharing!

Vaibhav_ace

Wow!!! Very true! Well written.

DeannaGregory

Thank you for sharing! What a different perspective from what I, as a fat girl, think that people are thinking when I'm out there sweating and huffing and puffing. :-)

jenbroussard71

Love this! Thanks for posting

jennyb612

I'm amazed how many posters here have such a low opinion of themselves. I see attractive young people hating themselves so much. That made me think of this article:

--

On the boardwalk at Ipanema Beach, it’s a sunny Sunday afternoon in Rio de Janeiro. Skateboarders, rollerbladers, joggers, surfers, bikers, juicers, tanners, vacationers, staffers — they all pass by, skin shiny and mildly naked. Sand and salt and vanity fill the air.

There are small outdoor gyms every couple hundred meters along the beach: bars for pull ups, dips, incline push ups and stretches. A jungle gym for adults. Men stop and quietly pump up their muscles for the day, then move on. It’s a place where everyone is keenly aware of those around them. A surprisingly abnormal amount of men have six packs and bulging arms. A modest, yet in-shape, man can’t help but feel a bit intimidated and envious at the chiseled physiques roaming around. Short, stocky men with barrel chests, powerful backs and perfect arms. He may think to himself: if only he could look like that, the day would be so much better.

And one imagines that the shorter men with chiseled physiques may look at the taller men and think to themselves of how many tall guys there are at the beach today, and how it intimidates them and makes them envious. How can they compete?

And a pale tall man may look around and loathe the guys with perfect tans, for they obviously have better beach bodies and get more attention. And the man with the perfect tan looks at the man sitting with four cute girls and envies him, wondering how does a guy find four hot girls in bikinis to go to the beach with him like that?

And the man with the four hot girls with him is annoyed at how loud and obnoxious his sisters and their friends are and wishes he could hang out with his guy friends instead. Not far away, a man at the beach with his guy friends ignores their games and jokes and looks longingly at the girls laying out tanning topless and wonders how one would go about meeting them.

And the girl laying out tanning wishes her boyfriend were around so the men would stop staring at her. And her boyfriend, wading into the water alone for hours on end, wishes his girlfriend would stop crowding him and demanding his attention all the time. He envies the single men who are able to roam free and do what they want whenever they’d like.

And other girls at the beach lament that the cute boys are always gay. And the cute gay boy is so sick and tired of men who just want to have sex all the time and wishes he could find romance and something more. And the man stuck romancing his wife on their vacation wishes he were still the young, handsome lad he used to be, strutting across the beach, commanding attention on a whim.

The white gringos admire the dark, powerful physiques of the black Brazilians and the black Brazilians admire the blonde hair and green-blue eyes of the white gringos. And the English and American and Australian boys would kill to speak some Portuguese. And the Brazilian girls wish they could understand English better.

The skinny girls wish they had hips and the girls with hips want to be skinnier. The brunettes dye their hair blond and the blond girls wish they were darker like the brunettes. The men playing volleyball wish they could surf and the surfers wish they had the time and money to buy drinks and a nice umbrella to sit under and the men with drinks and the nice umbrellas wish they were young and healthy and playing volleyball again.

The waves crash. Footballs bounce. People splash each other and laugh. The crisp crack of a Skol can opening echoes across every post. Children play in their own little worlds. Meanwhile, the Christ statue watches over all of them from afar, arms wide and unceasing, with stoic, loving acceptance. And the people pass on by.

[Mark Manson, http://postmasculine.com/the-ipanema-boardwalk]

The original post made me cry - Happy tears because I KNOW that I am powerful and I KNOW that the benefits far outweigh any of the doubts or sweat, and I LOVE how I feel. I will smile at every person on my way so that they KNOW they are all of those things too.

The second article quoted here made me smile. Both becaue its true and eloquently told, and because of the lovely image of Christ watching over all of us - imperfect, worried, wanting, connected and beautiful souls.

Princess_Sameen

bump!

Suzieqt81

Excellent post and writing abilities...

19Simone67

I am the biggest, the oldest, and the least fit of the women at my bootcamp class but I still show up to every class and work my butt off. Bravo to fat girls everywhere!

PaulaJKelly

This is a blog entry from flintland.blogspot.com.

I am in love with this person!

Hey, Fat Girl.


Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.

You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.

You are awesome.

If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others.

You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible.

You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again.

You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration.

I bow to you.

pamelaf2

Love it!!! So glad you shared this.

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination.
- Tommy Lasorda

Jenerferzzz

This is such a great an ispirational post! I'm glad you shared this with us. Thank you so much for posting.

:flowerforyou:

Sumo813

B U M P!!!

DaBossLady24

My fat girl run means a little bit more now... thanks for posting! :flowerforyou:

ball858

such a good post

I remember being that Fat girl, and now I smile and say hello to others that are just starting out as I did many months ago

theaimster30

Great entry! I had a patient that used to be a "fat girl" runner. She started out running around her block before the sun came up (so nobody would see her). She now runs competitively. Very inspirational!!

FammaMel

Wow. An amazing writer who can really bring the story to life... for so many of us. This is wonderful!!

Skinny_Jeans_Soon

I was at the gym on wednesday night and sat in the sauna for 10 minutes because I was too chicken to get on the treadmill because there were only 2 open out of 50. I was so very scared, I finally went and ran and had a great burn. I am only 3 lbs from goal, wear a size 6 and an average body fat % still have my all the same issues as when I was the fat girl (240lbs starting weight) at the gym. I hope the intimidation part goes away soon, I really want to hit the weights section at the big gym I go to instead of lifting only at my neigborhood gym. I love this article and it helps me to turn that page in my fear of the gym!!

_Bob_

<---- This guy shed a tear reading this. thanks you for posting it, I'm a 300+ pound man that is forcing himself to run

Lindz2323

Love it! Thanks for sharing!

amberm912

such an amazing post!!! More people should have that mentality :happy: :happy: :happy:

Hi my name is Amber :-). First off Amazing Job so far!!! You look GORGEOUS in your profile pic :-) Congratulations, that is an awesome achievement, not a lot of people can say they have done. You are def an inspiration, as you can see your own household has been inspired :-) I can only hope to achieve half of what you have!



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cbeutler

This is awesome!

kaymarie78

This is amazing...Thank you for posting it!

Neahpata

Thanks, this brought tears to my eyes because I am the fat girl. The obese chick walking on the treadmill, while the fit people are running or doing the elliptical at level 3 while others are at 15 or 20. I keep my head down and my headphones on not making eye contact or talking to anyone. This gives me more motivation to keep going.

kyrstin__1188

this is awesome.. thanks

emilywagers13

Thanks for posting :sad:

blukttn66

This is awesome!

Tobi1013

This is awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing!

itgeekwoman

That was me at the gym. I don't run, but same story on the bike or working weights. Thank you!! I recognized this and I make it a point to tell the people at the gym that are now where I was 10 months ago, how well they are doing. How much they inspire me is something that I must share.

Thank you for sharing that. You have brightened my day!

tigtigs

3 years ago I was the fat girl...100lbs heavier than I am today, just starting to run after years of not running! It was a very difficult road, and not without frustration, and shame. But like everyone else, I kept putting one foot in front of the other, and building my time and mileage!! Through diet, running and other cardio and weights, the weight came off...I still run and I still love it...I try to encourage others out there with me as we are co-sojourners on this road of running and fitness...no matter what level or what pace! To anyone that wants to run but doesn't know where to start...go get yourself fitted for the right shoes, load up your Ipod, throw your hair in a ponytail, and just start doing it!! There is no feeling like it! I will be doing my 3rd marathon this year...it is true...once running gets in your blood, it is who you are...fast or slow...you are a runner!! :-) Good luck to you all!! :-)