So much for people NOT watching.

chooriyah

I'm so sorry. I can't believe people can be so stupid and cruel. I think you are tremendously brave, and I hope you keep it up. Hugs.

JeninBelgium

The correct reply to this individual is "Yes, aren't I inspirational?"

wimeezer

I'm sorry this happened to you. But it is their problem, not yours. They feel bad about themselves and turn that against others who are taking charge of their life and working to improve it.

You are doing a great job taking charge - keep going and show them all.

m16shane

I was just reading about this women named Lizzie Velasquez. She was dubbed "The World's Ugliest Woman" in an 8-second-long YouTube video. People called her "it" and "monster" and encouraged her to kill herself. She was born with a ultra rare medical condition where she cannot create muscle, store energy, or gain weight. She took those horrible things and used them to come out on top. Here is the article that I read

http://shine.yahoo.com/beauty/lessons-worlds-ugliest-woman-stop-staring-start-learning-184400606.html

Many people are cruel because their lack of self esteem or just simply lack of intelligence and maturity. Unfortunately we live in a world that this happens and people are quick to judge.

I know how hard it is to hear those words too, I've heard them. In 2008 I weighed in at 311.5 and me and another guy decided to start jogging during our break at work. I was out jogging which at the time took a lot for me and the VP of the company I work for made a comment to me about "hasn't China had enough earthquakes". Well that and many other things have motivated me to get where I am today. I've lost a 110.5lbs. As cliche as it sounds, DON"T EVER GIVE UP, YOU CAN DO THIS!

allie316

i was walking with my sister, and i had some young teenage kids yell out 'walking isnt gonna fix that fat!!'. as much as it hurt to hear, i also realised that they were stereotyping me. i was put in a category of 'your large, you shouldnt be doing that in public'. if you ever hear something hurtful like that again, think 'im doing the right thing by me, so you can sod off and be vulgar somewhere else'.
use it as motivation knowing one day you will be able to run there without issue, fit and healthy, knowing where you have come from, and your hard work has paid off.

jfrog123

Judgemental jerks are hard to deal with. You know that you are doing something good for yourself, and yet their words still sting. I have been there. I wrote a blog post about an experience that totally changed my outlook. I started walking in my neighborhood. I live two blocks from the local high school, and a couple of times I had teenagers make snide comments about me when they passed. When I decided to start adding in some jogging I just kept imagining the (even more hurtful) comments I would get from them. Because of this, when I started adding little bursts of jogging I no longer walked/jogged around my neighborhood, I moved my workout to the graveyard. There are nice paths, there are usually very few people there, and none of them are teenagers. So I would go every other day and I felt so good because I could just enjoy moving and increasing my endurance without wondering what others were thinking about me. There was this one lady who I saw there quite often but we never spoke. In my mind I called her 7 o'clock lady. She visited the same headstone every time. She would sometimes nod or smile, but that was it. One day there was a small group of people in the graveyard who made it known that they were less than enthused that I was jogging there. They stared at me and grumbled to each other for a long time, but eventually they left. After they left 7 o'clock lady walked over to me and said, "Don't...Stop...Running". She told me she came to the graveyard everyday and looked forward to seeing me on the days I came there. Seeing me work at running reminded her that she was alive. She was not the one who died, and she needed to get moving too. It was a very emotional moment for me, and it really made me decide that I don't care what those other people think. I am doing this for me, and the people that are rooting me on are wonderful but the naysayers can kiss it. I now have the confidence to run on the sidewalks in my neighborhood, and when some random idiot makes a rude comment I just look at him/her and smile. I will run my first 5k on October 13th. Those people who made rude comments to you - their words hurt. No one can tell you they don't. But what you choose to do from here is your call; you can let those words bring you down, or you can use them as fuel for the fire.

lacroyx

I notice people walking by point and laughing at me in Zumba class all the time. Granted I suck, but I have fun and burn tons of calories so I don't care.

nixie70

After I had gained some weight and was feeling self-conscious and not in a good place, I had a relative whom I hadn't seen in a while look me up and down and say , well, - nothing - then turn to my boyfriend (who always looks the same, btw) and say, wow, YOU look good! That was just what I needed to get me going! I've lost 25 lbs in 2 months since then. I have about 15 more to lose before I see her again - then just maybe, I'll look her up and down and say, wow - YOU look EXACTLY the same, I'm sorry about that. (oh, sweet, sweet revenge!)

fireguy262

They were probably young and dumb. Don't worry about it. Remember, your trying to better yourself nd it doesn't matter what others say. When someone makes fun of you or says you can't do something, you just gotta work to prove them wrong. Yea, it hurts to be ridiculed, but turn it around and use it as motivation...Do it for yourself, no one else.

brighteyes31143

I'd like to punch those ppl right in their obnoxious faces!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep at it girl, Im sorry they did that! Ppl often make fun of others to make themselves feel better..You're the better person! Stay Strong!!! PS- Im so out of shape and smoke I WISH I could RUN!!! WTG!

effcla

For every nasty person out there yelling negative comments, there are people out there like me who say a quick prayer for the success and perserverence for the person I see walking. Being on this journey myself, I know what it's like. Take care and don't give up.

LittleMissRainey

One day there was a small group of people in the graveyard who made it known that they were less than enthused that I was jogging there. They stared at me and grumbled to each other for a long time, but eventually they left. After they left 7 o'clock lady walked over to me and said, "Don't...Stop...Running". She told me she came to the graveyard everyday and looked forward to seeing me on the days I came there. Seeing me work at running reminded her that she was alive. She was not the one who died, and she needed to get moving too. It was a very emotional moment for me, and it really made me decide that I don't care what those other people think. I am doing this for me, and the people that are rooting me on are wonderful but the naysayers can kiss it.

I welled up at that. Bless that woman, that was probably very difficult for her to say aswell, as she'd be thinking of who she had lost.
Well done to you, keep it up.x

DJTJ34

Use it as fuel when you dont really feel like working out or jogging!

zyxst

I'm so sorry that happened to you. People can be so inconsiderate and hurtful. There are a few people who will always be jerks, no matter what, but not everyone feels that way. Someone posted this a while ago and i thought it was beautiful.

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

Hey, Fat Girl.

Gods, I hate that post!

I empathize with you. I'm more confrontational than most because most of the time, people who hurl insults despise being caught and publicly outted. Anonymity is their shield.

knk1553

I know it wont be easy, and I definitely understand what rude remarks do to someones self esteem, its awful and its even harder to pick back up once someone hurts you that bad. However, you can't let them win, go back to the park, keep running, or even just walking, just KEEP AT IT. You can't let them win, and just think, one day you'll look at your body in the mirror and remember how much your hard work has paid off. Keep at it, you're doing this for YOURSELF and your health. Some people are just so rude and need to put down others to try to feel better about themselves. Just keep your head up and keep at it. xx

macpacman

They got nothing on you. As you know, some people do mean things. We're all here struggling to be fit and healthy. It sometimes gets hard with mean remarks like that but you know what? You're doing this FOR YOU! They can go F* off. Keep running!!!

rml_16

When I started adding little bursts of jogging I no longer walked/jogged around my neighborhood, I moved my workout to the graveyard. There are nice paths, there are usually very few people there, and none of them are teenagers. So I would go every other day and I felt so good because I could just enjoy moving and increasing my endurance without wondering what others were thinking about me. There was this one lady who I saw there quite often but we never spoke. In my mind I called her 7 o'clock lady. She visited the same headstone every time. She would sometimes nod or smile, but that was it. One day there was a small group of people in the graveyard who made it known that they were less than enthused that I was jogging there. They stared at me and grumbled to each other for a long time, but eventually they left. After they left 7 o'clock lady walked over to me and said, "Don't...Stop...Running". She told me she came to the graveyard everyday and looked forward to seeing me on the days I came there. Seeing me work at running reminded her that she was alive. She was not the one who died, and she needed to get moving too. It was a very emotional moment for me, and it really made me decide that I don't care what those other people think.

In Buffalo, NY, there's a cemetery in the middle of the city that's huge and beautiful and there are some famous people buried there. They give trolley tours and people go there to picnic and sunbathe and I imagine exercise.

BeingAwesome247

I'm so sorry that happened to you. People can be so inconsiderate and hurtful. There are a few people who will always be jerks, no matter what, but not everyone feels that way. Someone posted this a while ago and i thought it was beautiful.

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

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.

I love this post! I've seen it before.

Hold tight to the positivity and screw those lil *kitten*

For what it's worth, I know when I'm driving or whatever and see someone heavier jogging, I cheer for them! Good for you! Way to be. More people are quietly cheering you on than you realize

roguestates

It's tough, but people are never going to stop being jerks. I get leers and nasty comments whenever I step outside because I currently live in a very fatphobic community. You can feel the judgement even when people don't say anything. But not to worry, these people are NOT shy about saying something, anything nasty to your face.

There are days when it gets to me, and I force myself to find healthy ways to cope with it. Working out hard is always the best way. The endorphins feel much better in the end and I can let go of the ****ty day.

Sometimes, by virtue of being fat in a thin society, surviving every damn day requires superhuman strength. Remind yourself that you've got that strength.

mrpurdy

I have so much respect for anyone who is putting maximum effort into a workout, regardless of the exercise or state of fitness! It's hard to get started and it's hard to keep it up, but your body and mind will thank you. Keep challenging yourself. Try to listen to all the people on here giving you props- not the few unhappy people who yelled at you.