I hate being the fattest person at the gym.

Trust me most people don't care. They are there to do their work out. There are much more entertaining things to see... like guys loving each others muscles, touching them and posing incessantly in the mirror hahaha! And in my case a guy who came in batman pj bottoms, legend, and a 60 year old lady who decided to walk round naked and stand talking to me in the changing rooms... seriously woman, get a towel, I do not need to be seeing your minnie!!!!

Keep at it, you are making yourself healthier and use it to motivate you that one day you won't be

xx

When I walked my fat 232 lb *kitten* into the gym the first time and nearly died after 20 minutes on the threadmill, one thought kept running through my mind -

One day, instead of laughing and commenting about how fat I am, these people will say "Wow, isn't that the fat chick who passed out of the treadmill? Look at her now, she looks great! And look how heavy she lifts!"

I bet you are one of the most beautiful people in that gym.

Awesome that you are working out and that you keep going back!

I am the biggest at my body combat class but I never miss a beat and I'm right there jumping and kicking just as much as the fit ladies and then I notice very thin ladies struggling to keep up or improvising.

It was hard looking at myself in those mirrors but in the month that I started, I have lost about 10 pounds and its just going to keep going down, it's easier to look in the mirror now.

Ignore them, or better yet, use their bodies as motivation for what you will look like!!

And in all honesty, NO ONE IS LOOKING AT YOU! Almost everyone is focused on they way they look themselves, and looking at themselves in the mirrors, which are there for a reason... ;-)

If it makes you feel good to go to the gym, KEEP GOING and don't let them discourage you! You are there for YOU, not for them to possibly be judgmental! They should be impressed that you are motivated and doing whatever you can to get in shape!

This!!

I get discouraged seeing super fit girls atthe gym BUT then I think, "what are THEY doing to get llike that?!?!"

I'll totally check them out and their workouts. And keep going! Eventually you'll be smaller or fitter or whatever and you'll feel great.

If I see ANYONE doing a kickass workout I look and I am impressed no matter what their size. I think that is pretty across-the-board too.

Most of us are there for the same reason. To get healthy and fit.

Also, this is a good indication that all the work you're putting in will WORK. Something got those people that amazing looking... and now that you're doing the same thing... think of it as looking into the future at your new hot body!

Best comment I saw on this once: Many of those people all started where you are.

You will soon be "most improved", so keep at it. You'll earn their respect. : )

(this was posted in the forums a while ago - seemed appropriate to resurrect it)

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.

My mother and father in law are both obese. My father in law is nearly 400 pounds. My husband and I hope and pray that someday he'll find the motivation to get off the couch and get some exercise. However, in the 13 year I've been a part of their family, I've not known him to lose any weight or do any exercise, only gain year after year.

I started my personal weight loss journey back in February. I was 154 lbs and considered overweight according to my BMI. Before I started, I felt like losing 24 pounds would be the equivlent to climbing Mount Everest. However, I've now lost 18 pounds and am now at a normal weight. I look at how far I've come in these months and I feel GREAT about myself. My Mount Everest was 24 pounds and it took me 2 years to talk myself in attempting to climb it. So when I see someone working to climb their Mount Everest of say 100+ pounds, yes I do stop and take notice. Not because I'm making fun of them or whatever. Simply because I'm admiring their courage and determination!!

I'll be honest here, I noticed a woman at the gym the other day who was very big (you're small in comparison) and it was noticable.

But she got in there, she was serious about what she was doing, and you could tell she was working hard, and I haven't paid it a second thought since (she goes pretty frequently). I'm glad you're keeping it up and I hope you will continue to. It might take a while but the good thing about loosing weight is that so long as you're progressing, you're continuously looking better and will likely feel better too.

Just some background, I've never been over weight but I'm short for a man 5'4, and I'm sure people notice that when they first meet me. But just like anything else, so long as I literally keep my head up and get on with my buisness most people just forget lol I kick *kitten* in the gym and I strive to operate in a way that people can't help but respect me

P.S. It's a bonus you're pretty too