Being the only fatty in the gym class...
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I am guilty of this. I hated doing classes at my Y when I was heavier because I was the biggest gal in class. I started doing a bootcamp program not associated with the Y and I was suddenly the smallest girl. It made a huge difference, psychologically, for me. I felt that I had to push harder and do more because I was an example for the heavier people or that I was competing. If they can do thirty sit ups in x amount of time, I should be able to do 40. Whereas at the Y, I felt like it was ok not to be able to keep up with the other women because they were in shape and I wasn't. I'm not saying it's good or bad but that's how it was for me.0
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Don't worry at all! It doesn't matter how you look, what matters is that you do your best to make a change
I have 'fatties' (I really don't like this word) in my gym class and I absolutely admire them, cause they are working so so hard. Focus on yourself and on your work I used to think everyone in gym will look at me and criticize or judge the way I look and think that uh here this girl is lazy but seriously? Noone gives a damn and that's awesome. 0 -
Hi Guys,
Just trying to get my internal thoughts clear on this one!
I've just started back doing classes at the gym and have noticed that I am the *only* person there who is fat. I really struggle with the classes (Legs, Bums & Tums, Yoga, PIlates and Zumba) and am literally dripping with sweat after 5 minutes.
In short, I don't know whether to feel motivated that everyone else is thin, or to feel that everyone is disgusted with me and wondering why there is a fat person struggling with the class.
Does anyone else ever feel like this??
look. I have been there. I have been the only fatty in the class. Belly dancing class. Strength training class. Swim class.
Just lift/shake / dance whatever until, I promise eventually it will happen, poof you are the hottie in the class.0 -
don't think about it too much, there's always going to be someone who is slimmer than you or in better shape than you, no matter your size.. you are there for you and no one else.0
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I sometimes have the same thoughts but I take it in more of a motivating way. Just keep at it!0
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Everyone's gotta start somewhere. Like others have said, I'm sure all those other fit people in the class were not always that way. They are probably thinking, good for her for getting out and trying to make a change. Don't worry about anything, just focus on you and what you are doing.
^This. And honestly, most people are watching their form in the mirror or trying to concentrate on the moves/the instructor. Don't be embarassed at all. The more you go, the better you'll get
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As a fitness instructor, I see all different shapes and sizes. Just remember two things... ok three things
1) you're there... which is better than those who have yet to get off the couch
2) This is where you're starting, and you're taking the steps to make it so that you're not staying at this weight/size etc.
3) I can guarantee that people aren't starting at you/judging you, for the most part people are so wrapped up in trying to keep up with the moves they don't have time to really pay that much attention to what you look like, and IF they are looking at you it's usually because you look like you know what you're doing and they can't see the instructor as well. The only one in the class that has to worry about looking like an idiot is the instructor... and the best part, at least for me, is I don't care if I look like an idiot as long as it's entertaining for my participants!0 -
In my experience, fit people sincerely just want everyone else to realize how much better it is to be fit.
^^ THIS!!
When I see someone working out who potentially is a newbie to healthy lifestyle, I tend to think "Go Girl/Boy!" It's EXTRA admirable because getting started IS the hardest part.....Eveyone has to start somewhere, just dont give up. Somewhere down the line you could be the slim/fit girl ready to make a newbie feel more welcome! :-)
This and this!!!
Just keep at it!! Many of those people who *look* fit were probably once in similar shoes to yours. I know I was. I started at my current gym almost 50 pounds heavier than I am today. And just the other day, I saw someone at my gym whom I haven't in a few months, and I noticed she has lost a ton of weight! (And I didn't originally notice her because of her weight - I noticed her because she drinks a Starbucks coffee while on a stationary bike. I think that's weird.) The point is, just keep at it. No one is judging you, and if they are, then they're just an *kitten*. Many people have been in your shoes and all anyone will be thinking is that it's admirable that you've decided to get healthy.0 -
Good for you for going to the gym. For every one of you, there are hundreds sitting at home saying I should go to the gym but don't make the effort. No matter what you do that is new, whether fat or skinny, you always feel uncomfortable or the small fish in the big pond until you have been doing it awhile.
As far as sweat goes, even when I was at the top of my game, I sweat. When I finish my run, my hair looks like I just washed it because it is soaked in sweat. I wear a head band just to keep it out of my eyes. Often my clothes and underwear are drenched. I don't measure it as being out of shape.
Keep pushng through and don't let that little voice inside tell you negative thoughts. Be positive and it will come through in your class. Just remember that it will get easier in time and you will feel better too.0 -
I've lost 80 lbs, and I still get soaking wet with sweat during every workout I do. Like all the previous posters have said, no one is paying attention. And if they are, screw them. You are there for you and no one else. Awesome job going to class and working hard. One day you won't be the "fatty" because of your dedication.0
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I used to do legs, bums and tums and wasn't put off by the fact that the rest of the class were woman it gave me added motivation as it's not a class you'd associate with guys.
Get stuck into the group at the end of the day you're all there with the same end goal, to get yourself in the best shape that YOU can. Go with the flow and if you think they're fit then use them as inspiration to help you achieve your goals. Enjoy it.0 -
Try not to think about it so much. The "fit" people in class were probably not always that way. They may look at you and think "good for her. I remember being there once". If you exude confidence and stick with it they may start noticing changes and you may even get some compliments! I'm also sure you're not the only one in class not happy with your body at the moment, everyone is there for a reason.
This. I used to hide in the back of the class when I first joined the gym. Months later I was up there at the front, killing it with everyone else.0 -
awwwwThis applies more to running than classes but I think the message is still appropriate. Someone posted this a while back and I keep it printed at my desk with a picture I found on FB of a guy running with the words "No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone on the couch". These have both motivated me and calmed some of my anxiety. I hope they help you as well. Good luck!
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.
no, that i'm not crying, why do you ask? must be some allergy or something...0 -
Trust me, people are more impressed that you're out there than anything. I've come to realize that at most gym classes people spend 90% of their time trying to make sure that they look their best while doing the exercises, and 10% actually listening to the class instructor, they don't have any focus left to give those around them more than a passing thought!
THIS and I'll add I was very nervous that I was the fattest one in my spin classes but there are a handful of "regulars" that go and they have been the sweetest most supportive bunch! They keep me coming back they helped me figure out the settings on the bike and the end of every class they tell me what a great job I did ... maybe the people in your class just aren't as vocal but keep going and I would bet the regulars will notice and welcome you with open arms! :flowerforyou:0 -
Hi Guys,
Just trying to get my internal thoughts clear on this one!
I've just started back doing classes at the gym and have noticed that I am the *only* person there who is fat. I really struggle with the classes (Legs, Bums & Tums, Yoga, PIlates and Zumba) and am literally dripping with sweat after 5 minutes.
In short, I don't know whether to feel motivated that everyone else is thin, or to feel that everyone is disgusted with me and wondering why there is a fat person struggling with the class.
Does anyone else ever feel like this??
No... It should not matter. This is about you and no ones else. Just focus on doing it right, forget the world.0 -
When I see someone who is bigger in the class it makes me happy. It shows someone who is working towards their goal and that gets me motivated to keep working towards mine. Don't worry about what you think people are thinking. Keep doing your thing chica!
Side note.... I love Zumba and I know I look like a crazy fool when I do it but we have some bigger women in there and when I tell you they are getting it in they are getting it in!! They are in there like it is the club and high 5'ing and everything. They are the most fun ever!!
Do you chica!! You are doing amazing! Woot! Woot!0 -
Trust me marajade, I understand. But I don't feel inadequate in gym classes. I feel inadequate at home.
Both my parents train 3-4 times a week at the gym, my dad also uses his bike daily and my mom is a runner. My baby brother is a muscular basket player. So at home, I'm the only fatty and get reminded of the fact almost daily either by their behavior or their words.
The only thing that gets me going is knowing that in about 2 months, the results of my efforts will show and that maybe they'll finally shut up. Maybe. They never stop talking about my weight. Ever.0 -
Who cares what they think. If you ever hear a rude comments thats when you come in your skimpiest outfit stand next to them and fart raunchy egg farts.
They wont say anything though. Everyone is there for him or herself. You are there to get healthy so focus on your body getting stronger on the movements on feeling good.
Focus on you not anyone else.0 -
Probably the best thread I've seen on this. From what I can tell this is pretty much women's #1 concern with the gym... not looking "cute" lol Even a girl that I lift with, who has a really level head, not pretentious, made sure when she started squating and benching with me that I would let her know if at any point she started looking anything but lol ...
So this is a real problem for most women, and I think that's a good thing for the women who have this problem right? Chances are the other women in the class will appreciate what you're doing because they understand. Maybe it's not pretty lol, but if there are any jerks in the class, especially given the nature of this problem, they are probably just making themselves feel better.
It's probably unavoidable, but you really don't need to be ashamed or embarassed. Just keep at it. The good thing is that being unfit and/or being overweight are not character traits, they are the result of doing the opposite of what you're doing now. The embarassment will only be temporary, because you WILL get to looking and moving better with time.
If I can say one thing though... don't get too caried away with expecting others to notice little improvments. Give it some time, and people will notice on their own. The best part about all of this though, is that with every bit of progress you make, you will look and move better... so you'll be reaping the rewards of working out well before you reach your end goals.0 -
Feel whatever it takes to get you to the next class and get you through it.
I started running at 234 lbs. I was the fat chick running around town. Instead of being self-conscious about it, I decided to imagine that people who saw me were rather impressed with the fact that I was out there doing it. Who knows...may a few actually were!
Just remember - every time you exercise, you run circles around the fatties that are still sitting on their couch eating bon bons. :flowerforyou:0 -
feel motivated that you can actually go through the whole class with teh rest of the fit people! i really do think that if you surround yourself in a fitness class where you see yourself as the weakest you will learn quicker and be more challenged. its been like that for me in spin, pilates and strength training classes and i think i'm a hell of a lot better because of it.0
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Hi Guys,
Just trying to get my internal thoughts clear on this one!
I've just started back doing classes at the gym and have noticed that I am the *only* person there who is fat. I really struggle with the classes (Legs, Bums & Tums, Yoga, PIlates and Zumba) and am literally dripping with sweat after 5 minutes.
In short, I don't know whether to feel motivated that everyone else is thin, or to feel that everyone is disgusted with me and wondering why there is a fat person struggling with the class.
Does anyone else ever feel like this??
Just the fact that i am struggling in a class would be more than motivation for me. I guess it's the competitive side in me but I don't give two fcks if everyone else is thin but if they can do it then I should be able to.
You don't need anymore motivation, just look at your performance. You should have the mindset of "FCK YES I CAN DO THIS" instead of "QQQQQQQQQQQQQQ everyone else is thinner than I am and I am sweating more than a wh_re in church".0 -
This applies more to running than classes but I think the message is still appropriate. Someone posted this a while back and I keep it printed at my desk with a picture I found on FB of a guy running with the words "No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone on the couch". These have both motivated me and calmed some of my anxiety. I hope they help you as well. Good luck!
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 was trying to remember where I'd seen this, because I thought of it immediately! Glad you did! :flowerforyou:
If it helps? I felt the same way back in January, before getting back into MFP...I started *ahem* jogging on my block, only then, it was more like lumbering, because while never graceful? I was even less so at my starting weight, which was an all time record for me. I just KNEW all the neighbors were sitting by their front windows gawking and laughing at the fattie trying to move her lard@$$ around the block.
I was sharing this with a friend at work, and she put it in perspective: If they WERE, in fact, watching me, they sure weren't moving, and therefore, I was already doing more than they were, and that made me feel better.
Just go do it. Chances are nobody's watching you (and if they are? They are admiring the fact that you got there and did it!), and enjoy yourself and know what you're doing is for YOU!!!!
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I hope this thread is sending you happy vibes OP - it has me! I am not fit, but I am not the fattest person at the gym either. When I see someone dripping in sweat, whether fit or fat, I am so proud of them for getting off their *kitten* & moving. I know exactly how hard it is to do that.
I have been embarrassed in classes because my face tends to turn really red without a whole lot of exertion. I was new to a step class, and between my clumsiness and red face, the instructor must have asked me 5 times if I was okay! A few classes later, she figured me out, and left me alone other than the usual encouraging stuff :-)0 -
Skinny does not mean strong. I did a class once were everyone was bigger than me and I was pretty confident going in until the class started and I saw how everyone could do stuff I couldn't.0
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I am one of the Biggest people in the classes I attend. For me, I look at it as a challenge to keep up with the smaller gals. I am NOT embarrassed because they could have been where I am. I ALWAYS stand in the front as if to say, YES I am here to rock this class...TRY ME Lol! Just go in there ROCK IT with everything you have! Blessings to you :flowerforyou:0
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I am always the fattest woman on the tennis court when I play women's doubles. When I play mixed doubles, I am probably heavier than 95% of the men even now after losing 45 pounds. It doesn't stop me from playing - perhaps because I have been playing for years and our tennis community is (for the most part) like a giant family, but mostly because I just love the game. They have seen me at all different weights
but I still get asked to be on league teams and I'm far from being the last person chosen
Having said that, I have had the same feelings/qualms about joining a gym. I probably won't even consider it until I lose at least 50 more pounds. BUT, that is me and I do agree with all of the posters here - that is my own 'head' problem. (Also, I have an elliptical at home and tennis is my favorite exercise of all!)
So, I applaud you - you are kicking butt!! You've done the hardest part to me - going the first time!0 -
I highly doubt anyone is disgusted with you. If I was in a class and you walked in I'd be thinking "Good for you!" and hope that you kept it up and didn't become discouraged and intimidated by everyone in the class. Sure there are some skinny minnies in there however you don't know if they have always been that way. They could have started off just like you and kept at it and transformed their bodies into what you are seeing now.
Don't give up and don't stop going. Use them as motivation.0 -
People know I kill at at my gym- constantly. ti's what I'm known for really. But at my own thing.... and I recently started spinning...the first 5 minutes of a spin class I thought I was going to die- I couldn't even get UP off the seat with out holding on to the handles for dear life- and once I was up I was good for like 5 seconds and my thighs gave out.
You know what's sucks as bad as being the fat kid in class WHOSE TRYING!? Being the ultra fit one who can't keep up and you KNOW people are looking at you judging you.
It's awkward as hell.
I personally LOVE seeing big girls come in there and kill it. they are trying- they are taking steps to improve their life. Get in there and kill it. It''ll get better. The steps will get easier- the flow will be more natural and you'll be able to get way more out of the workout.
I can tell you for certain- the more self-conscious you are about it- the less you are going to get out of the class. So don't hamper yourself- let it go shake wobble roll whatever it takes. The more you put in- the more you get back!!!0 -
It may seem counter-intuitive, but it has helped me to go to the front of the class. For me, it was seeing everybody else getting it and looking so fit and not huffing and puffing that made me feel discouraged at times. I could almost pretend it was just me there with the instructor. True, more people could see me, but as soon as I got into the workout I no longer thought about them seeing me because I couldn't see them. I don't know if this makes any sense . . . The other thing is to pick activities that are mentally absorbing, which it seems like you've done. The one type of class that I have loved are circuit training classes. You get the companionship and energy of a class, but everybody is doing the circuit activities on their own and at their own pace. Everybody is so absorbed in their 50 second segment that they have no clue what anybody else is doing.0
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