A realization

I have found some of my most motivativating moments are when people judge me incorrectly. Good for you not letting it get you down. I know my ticker says I've lost 100 pounds (and I have) but I am still over 200 pounds and overweight. But I am a fitter overweight then most not overweight people. The other night I had an experience similar to yours. I was at the gym and it was a 4 mile run day. So I hop on a treadmill and just as I'm beginning my warm up a younger and much less weight guy hops on the treadmill next to me. He looks at me, looks at my numbers (pace, incline ect) and literally smirks and snorts. He punches in his numbers and immediately starts to run. After my 2 minute warm up I bump my numbers up and begin my run....He literally turned and looked at me and you could see the doubt on his face. I bump my tunes up louder in my earplugs and keep on going. He ran for about 5 minutes and had to slow to a walk, he rested for a bit then looked at me again and would begin running...I just kept on running, cause I know I have to get to 4 miles and know also that it really isn't hard for me to run 4 miles. I just keep on trucking. This went on for my entire run. He'd have to walk then look at me and begin to run again. I just kept doing my thing. When I finally ended my run and went into my cool down I took my headphones off and he engages me in conversation. Says he's impressed. His tone was baffled. Said he didn't think I could run that long or fast. Said he has never ran non stop for as long as I did. Said he kept on trying because he figured if I could do it he should be able to. I just smiled and told him one thing. Quit comparing yourself to other people. I could have made him feel bad and tell him that not only am I overweight and can run 4 miles nonstop. But thats 3 months post back surgery, with a fused ankle waiting for an ankle replacement and after 7 surgeries in 6 years because of a motorcycle accident. But I didn't tell him all that because I don't know where he's been or what he has been through. I'd just be making assumptions, just like him. So all I told him was quit comparing yourself to others. Worry about you and where your going and where you've come from. Because at the end of the day it really is only about you.

I haven't posted since I posted my intro thread almost a year ago, but I had an experience at work last night I wanted to share.

I use the gym at work. I work for a large sheriff's office, so the gym is used by police officers and corrections officers and is very well stocked. After my shift, I will change in the bathroom and then go to the gym, then go home. Last night, I changed in the bathroom into my (admittedly ugly) work out clothes. As I was walking out there were two girls in the break room, sitting and chatting. One just looked at me in my ugly work out clothes and sort of smirked and made a "what the heck?" face. For a moment, I felt very self-conscious and just wanted to melt into the floor at her obvious derision.

But then it hit me...she is about the same size as me (maybe a little smaller) and maybe my work out clothes are ugly and don't fit perfectly and maybe I look as stupid as all get out in work out clothes at all because of my size...but I am doing something about it. On my 30 minute dinner break I go to the gym and do 20 minutes of elliptical. And after work I do my strength training workout. Meanwhile she is sitting on a couch in a break room, watching TV and eating. So look at me like you think I look ridiculous, make fun of my work out because right now I can only bench press the bar with no weights and have to use the lowest setting on some machines. But at least I am DOING something.

And then, after that thought....I felt great!!

Good for you! Who cares what they think of your workout clothes! You're working out - it doesn't matter what you're wearing. People are ridiculous sometimes.