I DID IT!

jellybeansmamma
jellybeansmamma Posts: 122 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am a big girl. I jog slower than most people walk, and am very self conscious about my size and fitness level. So when my toddler decided to let us sleep in one day last week, by the time I got up and went down the the sport field where I usually run instead of finding a deserted oasis like I usually do, there were council workers cutting the grass, a man doing sprint training with his son, cleaners over at the public toilet, a guy who had to be at least twice my age and ten times fitter running laps and a fitness group of at least 15 people.

So I put my head phones in, slid my sunglasses down, and just did my thing. The worry of what they were thinking of me didn't go away, I spent the whole half an hour wanting to cry, or go home and stuff my face while lying in bed for the day. I could see the father pointing at me and talking to his son. I could see the council workers standing under a tree having their smoko break and watching me laughing. But I didn't, I stuck it out, I did it, and I limped home afterwards with a huge smile on my face, because for the first time ever I JUST DID IT!

It may not seem like much, but for me it was a bit of a break through. This process of finding the newer healthier sexier me is not going to be easy. There will be the same road blocks as every other time, the difference this time will be that I will JUST DO IT. Because that feeling afterwards is better than any bag of chips, bottle of soft drink block of chocolate etc will ever feel!

I guess I am sharing this here in the hopes that others in my situation, that feel too self conscious to go to the gym/pool/sports field, will JUST DO IT! themselves, and feel the same strong awesome winning way that I felt.

Replies

  • Caniwi78
    Caniwi78 Posts: 5 Member
    YEAH!!!

    You have motivated me to just get out there and not care what anyone else says!!

    Thank you
  • blueboxgeek
    blueboxgeek Posts: 574 Member
    GOOD FOR YOU hunnie!!!!!

    Shame on those trying to shame you, you did it and you should be extremely proud of yourself. Those who make comments or laugh..... well who cares what they think, I think their reaction shows their personality and we should not care what people like that think.

    Super well done xxx
  • LiveLoveLift67
    LiveLoveLift67 Posts: 895 Member
    This post just put a HUGE smile on my face! Stepping out of your comfort zone was a big step and i am so happy you pushed on and did what you had to do. Keep doing it. I sometimes exercise at the local park and yes i may look like an idiot doing lunges across the basketball court etc but, i just put the headphones on and pretend i am the only one there.

    Keep DOING IT! It will get easier and it will be worth it.....YOU are worth it!!

    Thank you for sharing!
  • honey_tequila
    honey_tequila Posts: 31 Member
    I wish I could say that I have your courage. You're amazing :)
  • wateryphoenix
    wateryphoenix Posts: 644 Member
    Great job! It takes a lot to finally just get out there and DO it. And, of course, everyone else there probably rarely spared a thought for you. And if they did, it was 'GJ, girlie'. :)

    Keep it up! =D
  • golf4g
    golf4g Posts: 58
    Great posting! Thanks for taking the time to write. So many of us are very "sensitive" about being seen in public trying to get rid of these nasty pounds. I started doing yoga everyday about 6 months ago and incorporating lots of breathing. It has been one of the best things to get rid of the sensitivity and anxiety in my life. Honestly, I'm at the point now where I don't think about what other people think of me. It's not worth the energy……..
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    High five! Put your headphones on, ignore them. You're doing something they probably can't do. Be proud.
  • jfauci
    jfauci Posts: 531 Member
    GREAT post!!! Who gives a crap what others think? GREAT NSV for you!!!
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    good for you for sticking it out, but consider for a moment that no one was even paying attention to you.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    That is awesome! Congratulations!!! :flowerforyou:
  • csk0018
    csk0018 Posts: 219 Member
    You are awesome!! Thanks for sharing this experience with us!! I know it can be difficult to get out of your comfort zone. :flowerforyou:
  • melindabrock
    melindabrock Posts: 91 Member
    Im so happy you posted this!!! It is total motivation for me. I am a lot bigger and have always tried to find secluded places to walk or jog. I get so embarrassed when people stare and I can only imagine what I look like lol but I am going to keep going and get in the gym with these people so in a year or so they can look at me and say wow I know what she used to look like and that's awesome :)
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
    nice job! Way to show 'em!
  • JG762
    JG762 Posts: 571 Member
    Good for you!
    My guess is that the reality of the situation is that 99% of your fears are unfounded.
    Most likely the father was saying to his son look she's working out also, or maybe it was something like I weighed way more than her when I started out. The workers were probably just talking about how much OT they were getting. LoL

    I used to worry about what others thought when I first started going to the gym, then I realized they have their own worries and what I was doing was less than interesting to them, don't beat yourself up over an imagined slight, just get up and do it.
  • captaindle
    captaindle Posts: 30 Member
    Thanks for posting. That was definitely motivating! I think everyone trying to lose any significant amount of weight has felt this way. I know I do. Frankly, whenever I see someone a bit heavier out doing their thing, I do a little high five to them in my head cause they are out there doing it! Hopefully more people than you think are doing that when they see you out there making a positive change for yourself. So mental high fives to you every time you get out there and move. :)
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Way to go! thanks for the inspiration!
  • amylite
    amylite Posts: 40 Member
    you can only assume they were laughing at you. you can only assume the father was pointing to you for a negative reason. Nobody cares about what we look like more than WE do. you did it! and next time, it will be much easier :-)
  • RacquetChick
    RacquetChick Posts: 164 Member
    Most inspiring post I have read today, go YOU!
  • daniellemm1
    daniellemm1 Posts: 465 Member
    Congratulations!! This is a great step you took.

    I started running a little over a year ago and at first I only ran on my treadmill for fear of being seen by others. It took me months to work up the courage to take my runs outside. I felt so self conscious but kept on running and found that no one paid any attention to me. Some walkers and other runners actually nodded or said hello when I went by but other than that I just ran without incident. It felt amazing.

    Keep up the great work and never let anyone else dictate how you feel about yourself :)
  • aliakynes
    aliakynes Posts: 352 Member
    That's awesome, keep it up!
    ... I jog slower than most people walk

    I started off the same way. No worries though, speed will come in time :-).
  • Bibianna2012
    Bibianna2012 Posts: 88 Member
    Hi Congrats to you!! Dont worry what other people think.. chances are the guys were laughing at a joke and not you, and the dad was pointing to you as an example of good form and how to run around the track. Think of yourself as an inspiration... you'll also never see those people again..so who cares..

    You know yourself that when you are working out you tend to be in the zone and not really focusing on others so thats likely what they were doing too..and you misinterpreted their actions..

    Im trying to get my family to play tennis, we totally stink and they are always worried about the "pros" on the court.. the thing is the pros started as novices too...just think of your self as a novice thats soon to be a pro.
  • MeadowSong
    MeadowSong Posts: 171 Member
    Good job! And the guy may have been pointing you out as an example of someone who is facing facts and doing what needs to be done and telling his son to do likewise. It is WAY hard to break out of old patterns and anyone who has ever done it will applaud the others they see. And they might just point them out to their kids.
  • totaldetermination
    totaldetermination Posts: 1,184 Member
    YOU ARE AWESOME !!!!!!!
  • georgiaTRIs
    georgiaTRIs Posts: 229 Member
    Way to go!!!!! Don't worry about the other idiots, they were busy smoking and sitting probably wishing they could run 100 feet :-)
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,159 Member
    Congratulations!! The mental part is harder than the physical part. And you just broke through that quite nicely. I used to only do jogging intervals around the lake when no one was around. I was doing C25K one day early on and the timer was about to go off, with a couple walking their dog a bit ahead of me. I got tired of hiding and just went for it. Scared the dog, but the people didn't notice or care :laugh: It gets easier each time. Now I go down the main road of my subdivsion with cars passing. No one has laughed, gestured or done anything rude.

    Keep going :flowerforyou:
  • LynneW1983
    LynneW1983 Posts: 1,161 Member
    How rude of those people, well done for getting it done. I am not sure I would of been as cool with them going on like that, I would prob of given them the finger so said something.
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    Thumbs up!

    I just keep in my head: I'm not paying attention to them, so they're not paying attention to me. And if they ARE, at least I'm here doing something. Oogle away!
  • CarlaMomOf4
    CarlaMomOf4 Posts: 138 Member
    Congrats for breaking through the stereotype and doing what you want/feel/need to do. Remember, maybe that father was giving his son a lesson on the importance of never giving up. A lesson on taking control of your life and making a difference like 'her' as he points at you. Those workers might have been thinking, remember when we were out of shape and tried running, what a that was, instead of being like 'her' and making a difference. Maybe they are all *kitten*. Point is, you got out and did what you needed to do FOR YOU. You should feel extremely proud of this accomplishment because you can only go up from here!! The first step is always the hardest and you have already taken it. Be strong, be beautiful, be proud. YOU DID IT!!!

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