Hey, Fat Girl.

123468

Replies

  • Lextmg86
    Lextmg86 Posts: 102 Member
    This is such a moving story and makes me want to go and run my heart out!
  • mrdalton
    mrdalton Posts: 95 Member
    Thats me through and through. Tear
  • MizMliss
    MizMliss Posts: 20 Member
    Cried my eyes out.
  • tryinghard71
    tryinghard71 Posts: 593
    Wow! This gave me chills. So powerful! Thank you for posting because it is so true.
  • Wuggums
    Wuggums Posts: 339 Member
    Love this! I still often feel like the "fat girl". But there are many times when I feel more like the fit girl; and whenever I see someone in the same place where I was three years ago - struggling to get around the block, but still out there moving every single day - I want to give them a hug and tell them it's worth the fight!
  • ziggyc
    ziggyc Posts: 191 Member
    saving this for a rainy day :-)
  • THINk_kkaybbyx0
    THINk_kkaybbyx0 Posts: 89
    Loveeeee this =)
  • stacnm
    stacnm Posts: 47 Member
    Most excellent.
  • lax75
    lax75 Posts: 118 Member
    Just beautiful and well written. This makes me change my mind about running in my neighborhood. I sometimes take my dog for a jog and will stop and walk when I see a car coming or people walking, then start jogging again when the coast is clear.

    LOL - I do the reverse! If I'm tempted to walk I force myuself to keep going until the line of cars or the other person goes by. I don't care if people see me walking instead of running, but I don't want them to see that moment where I weaken and "give up" to walk. (Someone I work with, who runs a lot, commented that he drove past me "looking good!" while I was out running one day, so now I'm paranoid that someone I *know* would see that moment of "weakness"!)
  • twinkychops
    twinkychops Posts: 228 Member
    Brilliant, made me tear up too
  • lax75
    lax75 Posts: 118 Member
    AWESOME!! i wish every overweight person that feels this way would read this.....this is just what they need to hear.
    ty for sharing!!

    I don't believe this post should be specific to 'overweight' people. This post has a much deeper meaning that applies to *everyone*.

    Absolutely - a general lesson about not supporting and not judging others' efforts.

    I run outside and I'm the slow one not because of weight but because of age and medical issues. I always hope that the young whippersnappers who go flying past me think "Jeez - hope I'll still be out here at her age." And I do appreciate the gasped "morning" or even just a nod from the people going the other direction - makes me feel like I'm being recognized as part of the "fraternity", even if I'm the slowest one in it!
  • DaisyMomOf4
    DaisyMomOf4 Posts: 15
    I  this.... Thank u so much 4 posting.. Gives me tha confidence 2 keep going!! 
  • Redtango76
    Redtango76 Posts: 144
    Incredible ... Gives me those goose bumps ! Because I know how it feels to be that runner !
  • tmt2003
    tmt2003 Posts: 176 Member
    Whenever I see that girl, I want to shout "you GO girl!!"

    That was me, still is me. Never.give.up : )
  • bombedpop
    bombedpop Posts: 2,239 Member
    To all who say this is condescending or less than inspiring - don't think of it that way! :( It hits home for me because I am always conscious of everyone around me, and want to encourage where I can. This made me tear up because it's what I want to say to everyone who's starting something for the first time. The reason it's address to "hey, fat girl" is only because it's much more of a challenge at first when you start, and because of that, I respect you all the more. Sure, I have a fair amount of respect for committed athletes/bodybuilders, but they don't usually need extra encouragement because they get enough shallow (or otherwise - I'm not insinuating!) praise from those around them. It's encouraging those who took a much more brave and intimidating step that I am speaking of - because you deserve it. I am awful at art. And as such, when I get praise for my assorted, previously-thought-of-as-junk-work from an art major or a natural artist, I'm very encouraged. Don't think of this as condescending. Think of it as admiration for stepping out of societal stereotypes!

    How about this - dump fat from it and make it just `Hey, Girl look at you sweating and running. So inspirational because *girls* don`t do that.` Or switch it to weights, `Hey, Girl, look at you all lifting weights because *girls* don`t do that.`

    Written that way, I guarantee there would be women all up in this thread recognizing it and calling it out for the condescending garbage it is.
  • NAcetoLang
    NAcetoLang Posts: 517 Member
    That's awesome :) Thanks so much for posting this.
  • RunningGranny
    RunningGranny Posts: 35
    Thank you! :flowerforyou:
  • Kityngirl
    Kityngirl Posts: 14,304 Member
    :heart:
  • 120weeks
    120weeks Posts: 242 Member
    I was given encouraging words and lovely "good mornings" when I first started this in March and into April. Last week I ran 6 miles and I still think of the runners that were nice to me. My mind is shifting in that....I'm less of the fat girl that I identify so closely with in this blog post....and becoming the fit girl. I won't ever forget what it felt like to start out, to start over. Yes, I cried reading this.
  • BlueJean4114
    BlueJean4114 Posts: 594 Member
    LOVED THIS.............there is a real heavy gal in our neighborhood, who i often see out there, every single day,
    rain or shine or snow,
    working it.....all she can do is walk, but, she is walking as fast as she can, swinging her arms, sweating and going for it, day after day.........the skinny ones run right by her, but, she keeps on going, every day......she never gives up. this post reminded me of the admiration i feel for that gal.
  • BlueJean4114
    BlueJean4114 Posts: 594 Member
    I'm 5'2" and over 200 pounds, and I would feel absolutely humiliated if someone had said that to my face (especially the "hey fat girl" part). Once again singled out and scrutinized for no other reason than my weight and defying what you assume to be the stereotypical behaviors of a person whose body looks like mine. I don't need a pat on the head from a beautiful, fit person for my workout regimen (or self-esteem) to be validated.

    Maybe I'm wrong to think this way, but statements like this make me feel objectified and just a little less of a person.



    woah, sorry this post hit you this way. Me, i'll take encouragement from anyone who offers it, be they fit or fat. I have felt the power of others egging me on. Yes, yes, i AM doing this for me,
    but, i am a human, and i am vulnerable to another person's kindness, and their encouragement.

    I DID understand the gist of the post, about feeling out of place, or 'less than' due to weight. We "shouldn't" feel that way,
    but,
    many of us do. I do think, for many of us, it does a special kind of courage, to join in running a track, taking an exercise class, or whatever, joining in places where fitness IS the focus.................hard to explain, but, i did understand just exactly what the author was describing in that girl.

    but yes, i certainly hope the author did not actually say the words "hey fat girl" cuz that would be cruel, but, i sort of thought those were words which were not said aloud,
    but, instead, meant only as an att'n getting headline of the post.
  • BlueJean4114
    BlueJean4114 Posts: 594 Member
    This is super condescending. Y'all find it inspiring? Srsly?

    You know that gym goers are more their own workout, not staring at fat people.



    i suspect, this person might not have ever felt the awkwardness some of us do feel when we join in places where fitness IS the focus.......

    and no where in the post
    no where
    does it imply that ppl at gyms are only workouts (?).
    wha?


    but, if you have never been fat,
    never been stared at or snickered at for being fat,
    never caught that "look" on others' faces as you pass by,
    or
    never observed how heavy ppl can be teased, stared at,, etc,
    that's great! Hard to believe, but great!!
    where do you live? must be some kind of Wonderland! Lucky you!
  • ANB22
    ANB22 Posts: 64
    bump!!!
  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
    Awesome!!
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    :heart:
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
    AWESOME!! i wish every overweight person that feels this way would read this.....this is just what they need to hear.
    ty for sharing!!

    I don't believe this post should be specific to 'overweight' people. This post has a much deeper meaning that applies to *everyone*.

    Absolutely - a general lesson about not supporting and not judging others' efforts.

    I run outside and I'm the slow one not because of weight but because of age and medical issues. I always hope that the young whippersnappers who go flying past me think "Jeez - hope I'll still be out here at her age." And I do appreciate the gasped "morning" or even just a nod from the people going the other direction - makes me feel like I'm being recognized as part of the "fraternity", even if I'm the slowest one in it!

    The "runners' nod" is very powerful. It is one of my favorite parts of running...so much conveyed without a word exchanged.
  • jforferris01
    jforferris01 Posts: 71 Member
    OMG....This story made my day...Thanks for posting it...It was the greatest gift I have gotten all day...Thanku...
  • LanaeCarol
    LanaeCarol Posts: 158 Member
    bump
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    Love this, if only people REALLY felt that way. Not just the few. I too, am the fat girl and always have been. I just remember all the giggles when I'd try to run, no respect. This is why I bought an elliptical and work out at home =)
  • TM2794
    TM2794 Posts: 51 Member
    this made my day, thank you for sharing.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories