"The Time to Make Fun of the Fat Girl...

I think this is a lovely sentiment and I hope it's what most people think.

However every time there's one of those gym rant threads, I suspect that people are more judgmental than that. I've made my peace with the fact that I am likely being judged while I'm at the gym. I just try to remind myself that I shouldn't let other people control whether or not I reach my goals, and I go anyway.

The only thing someone looking at you at the gym should think is "Wow, she has an amazing rear! What can I do to look like that?!" You've made amazing progress, and I know that emotionally dealing with the very public space that is the gym is part of it. :flowerforyou:

OP: it was a wonderful post. While I'm no longer one of the largest, new people at the gym, I remember the feeling. It can be a pretty daunting hurdle.

awwww! I heart you.

I have definitely felt anxious at the gym, especially if I am trying something new. I worry that the pros are getting a kick out of the fat chick. I am especially wary of venturing into the weight room, even though I would rather do that than cardio. I hope you're right about people being supportive and thinking positive thoughts, but it's hard sometimes to discern why someone is looking at you--is it because they are thinking about how awesome it is that you are there, or is it because they are amused by your jiggly body on that machine?

I have also felt some serious negativity at health food stores and healthy restaurants. There's one in town called Greens and Proteins and it's next door to a gym. I've eaten there many times and I always feel like there is at least one catty woman there who is throwing me sidelong glances because I'm not fit and in workout gear. :ohwell:

I think this is a lovely sentiment and I hope it's what most people think.

However every time there's one of those gym rant threads, I suspect that people are more judgmental than that. I've made my peace with the fact that I am likely being judged while I'm at the gym. I just try to remind myself that I shouldn't let other people control whether or not I reach my goals, and I go anyway.

Exactly. Those threads have made me more self conscious than almost anything else. All I can think during my workout is am I breaking unwritten gym etiquette? I just left the horse barn, do I stink too much to be here? What if they don't know I have makeup on because I just left my second job of the day? I hate those threads. And when I'm at the gym, its screw the world, I got this!

95% of the gym rants have to do with borish behavior that would be a rant done anywhere. We could do a workplace rant and people would have similar rants...ie not replacing the toilet paper rolls ...my biggest one is like not racking weights...or wiping your nose while typing could be like not wiping down the equipment. I might rant about a history teacher who likes to hog the copy machine to make cool booklet like things when there are lines of people getting ready for the next class or the next day and want to do it quickly...and that would be like the person who is walking super slow talking on the phone on a treadmill when someone is waiting for their turn. Most of the rants are about people at the gym with poor manners.

I have seen no comments about fat people not belonging there. I have seen no one ever make fun of someone working hard. I have heard people think they are being judged but I have never really seen it. I pointed once to a very heavy woman on the track many years ago. I was coaching cross country and I was admonishing my runners for a crappy effort in that day's practice. I pointed to that woman because she worked hard EVERY day and they should be inspired by her effort and determination. I am so sorry now that I thought highly of her and pointed as I am sure I ruined her resolve to work out forever because she likely assumed I was judging her negatively.

bump i like this guy

I don't. Here's a quote from him on the MFP girl eye candy thread:

You just pimped out your MFP friends for a limited time to prove you have hot friends. Sadly this was poorly done as all friends are beautiful, but many of yours are not "hot." If I need MFP when I am over 40, London, you have my permission to kill me. Lastly, this is not a dating site for one reason: no one here wants to date a fat person. WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE HERE. That being said, I admit I have made "love" to a pudgy. I make no excuses. I apologize for nothing.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1037694-mfp-girl-eye-candy?page=2

Yeah I was thinking this post was a bit out of character. I agree with the sentiment, though.

"I have made love to a pudgy" Lol!

I think this is a lovely sentiment and I hope it's what most people think.

However every time there's one of those gym rant threads, I suspect that people are more judgmental than that. I've made my peace with the fact that I am likely being judged while I'm at the gym. I just try to remind myself that I shouldn't let other people control whether or not I reach my goals, and I go anyway.

Exactly. Those threads have made me more self conscious than almost anything else. All I can think during my workout is am I breaking unwritten gym etiquette? I just left the horse barn, do I stink too much to be here? What if they don't know I have makeup on because I just left my second job of the day? I hate those threads. And when I'm at the gym, its screw the world, I got this!

95% of the gym rants have to do with borish behavior that would be a rant done anywhere. We could do a workplace rant and people would have similar rants...ie not replacing the toilet paper rolls ...my biggest one is like not racking weights...or wiping your nose while typing could be like not wiping down the equipment. I might rant about a history teacher who likes to hog the copy machine to make cool booklet like things when there are lines of people getting ready for the next class or the next day and want to do it quickly...and that would be like the person who is walking super slow talking on the phone on a treadmill when someone is waiting for their turn. Most of the rants are about people at the gym with poor manners.

I have seen no comments about fat people not belonging there. I have seen no one ever make fun of someone working hard. I have heard people think they are being judged but I have never really seen it. I pointed once to a very heavy woman on the track many years ago. I was coaching cross country and I was admonishing my runners for a crappy effort in that day's practice. I pointed to that woman because she worked hard EVERY day and they should be inspired by her effort and determination. I am so sorry now that I thought highly of her and pointed as I am sure I ruined her resolve to work out forever because she likely assumed I was judging her negatively.

That's true, but I have seen plenty of people have a go at women who wear make-up, or people who take selfies, or people who check their phone between sets, or people who told on to the sides/top of the treadmill when they walk, etc. I think all of these examples are perceived as people not working hard. Whether or not it's justified criticism isn't for me to say, but the point is that people are critical, and it's not just about gym etiquette (I also get annoyed when people don't rack the weights).

You do have a point though that I've never read a comment about fat people not belonging there. I think that one is more a case of someone projecting their own insecurity onto others.

great post.. it's nice to see there are people with heart and souls out there... I have realized that fitness is a culture unto itself.. and we embrace anyone who wants to evolve and grow to a healthier self... Thank you for adding something very positive to the message boards.. :flowerforyou:

Its nice to step away from all the bullsh*t that goes on in these threads to see something uplifting such as this.

Thanks doll, great post!! :flowerforyou:

I am intimidated of the gym, because I have never been an "endurance" girl,,and I feel like the other gym goers will look in disgust at me after I quit the treadmill after 10 or15 minutes because I am out of breath.
Once, I worked up the nerve to go check out a gym to see if I would feel comfortable. I asked the trainer showing me around about the clients, if they were diverse, if they were generally supportive, etc. He walked me out of his office and pointed to a very heavy woman that was working out, and said, "Well, she is here, so you shouldn't feel bad". Needless to say, I did not sign up for that gym, I didn't want to be the girl he was pointing out to the next potential client.

bump i like this guy

I don't. Here's a quote from him on the MFP girl eye candy thread:

You just pimped out your MFP friends for a limited time to prove you have hot friends. Sadly this was poorly done as all friends are beautiful, but many of yours are not "hot." If I need MFP when I am over 40, London, you have my permission to kill me. Lastly, this is not a dating site for one reason: no one here wants to date a fat person. WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE HERE. That being said, I admit I have made "love" to a pudgy. I make no excuses. I apologize for nothing.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1037694-mfp-girl-eye-candy?page=2

Yeah I was thinking this post was a bit out of character. I agree with the sentiment, though.

I don't like people using MFP as a dating site or to prove their friends are hot. As I said, all friends are beautiful here. But thank you for following my posts. Not that I blame you..

Remembering one of your posts and following your posts are two separate entities. Maybe if you got over yourself and came back to reality, you'd realize that not everybody has you up on that pedestal on which you've placed yourself :flowerforyou: