To all my PLUS SIZE girls!!!!

Hey, all my fellow ladies. I was wondering do anyone ever get intimated when you are at the gym working out on a treadmill or any other machine and a skinny girl comes up to the machine next to you, does that intimidate you. AS of today i am currently 202 lbs,(trying to get to 180), and sometimes when I'm on the elliptical I kind of get intimidate because I feel like the other person is saying" yeah, she needs to loose weight" but then it makes me work out harder just to keep up with them. Does anyone feel that way also?

I think you should relax.  I'm not exactly 'skinny' but when I see a plus size lady down at the pool, jogging round the park or working at the gym the only judgement going through my head is ..... "well done". 

no, i'm relaxed..lol.. but sometimes I do get stares when I'm on the elliptical working out. They sometimes look at me like i can't believe she is on it that long. But everyone is not as kind hearted like you. I even had a couple of girls who were like a size 2 talking about they needed to join weight watchers to loose weight and no joke they were a size 2. I felt like they were directing it towards me since i was on the treadmill next to them. But it only made me work out harder.

I get a little insecure sometimes just bc im going so much slower than them. But oh well. And then when she gets off at 20 minutes and im still on 20 minutes later i dont care.

exactly. i'm the same way. but sometimes when they're going fastr than me, it sometimes motivates me to try a little harder.

People are at the gym to work out, not gossip about others' weight. No offense but I think it's a little self absorbed to think that people would talk about YOU instead of focusing on their own weight loss efforts. Those girls probably really thought they needed to lose some more weight. Maybe they have to work out for hours a day and eat really poorly? Maybe they needed guidance so WW was a good idea?

I've seen women three times my size working out and you know what I think? "Good for them" and not "Wow, look at her!"

I get self conscious walking down the street *sigh*  But I have pretty low self esteem.  That's why I try to exercise at home and take long walks.  It really is self absorbed but that's just how I feel :-(

trust me, no offense taken. but i think it's kind of unrealistic to think that there is absolutely NO ONE in the world that doesn't think that way. i simply posted this topic to see if there was anyone that felt like I did. As I mentioned before, I HAVE gotten looks when I've worked out. There are some shallow people in the world that do look down on heavier people. You see it everyday. I simply wanted to know if and how people dealt with it. I personally think that those girls were trying to be funny. When someone who is a "size 2" says they need to go on WW and then glance over at you, tell me what are you suppose to think? You can't help but feel they are directing it towards you when they glance over at you. But don't get me wrong, I'm not BITTER about it, because I know that I will reach my goal and negativity only makes you stronger.

I know how you feel, but support from friends and loved ones, I think will help with self-esteem in the long run.

For those of you thinking... that no one ever thinks, "wow, that guy/girl is fat... is living in a fantasy world."

I weigh 175@5'6" and I was on a machine next to an older man in good shape.  An older woman who was probably 200@5'3" got on a machine a few down from us and he looked at me and said, "good thing you're here now, you don't want to look like that when you're older."

He then told me, "good job, I see your progress and you're looking great."

I got off the machine, told him thank you and moved down to the machine next to the older woman.  We had a nice conversation, and she told me the story about having heart surgery, being bedridden, and that she is so excited to be back at the gym.  People do judge others... w/o knowing the story or how many kids she has had or whatever problems people may have.

This world is very harsh, and to think it's not is only failing to see the whole picture.  For the most part I think 'good' people mean well, however we all have our dislikes, and many people dislike fat people.  It's just the facts.

Thanks momma! :-)  I've been very thin and very heavy. Two extremes. When I went to high school I was a little chunky but not really bad.  But the thin girls would make fun of me and really say hurtful things.  Then I got married, pregnate and ballooned up to 220.  Had my child and stayed heavy for about 2 years. I began to lose it and got pregnate again and went back up to 185.  Then when my second child was 2 I went to college (I was 22) lost a LOT of weight probably weighted 135, felt good about myself. Got out of college, got a job at a casino lost MORE weight, weighed about 117 at my thinnest.  Then the girls who were a little chunky to very heavy would tease me about being a stick and it was disgusting how thin I was.  Now I'm 32, back up to 244.  So in this world it doesn't really matter.  People who have good hearts are nice and those are the ones you need to pay attention to.  People who are ugly on the inside will find something bad to say about you no matter what you are just to make themselves feel better.  I admit it doesn't make it easier when I feel as bad as I do about myself but sometimes ya just gotta do what you gotta do.  I may feel like a cow walking down the street *sniff* but I will STILL walk down the street *small smile*  I totally understand where you're coming from...  

I know what you mean.  I am 186 and only 5'3" and have come to realize that exercise clothes are all skin tight!  I still wear some of the tanks though because they just breathe better and make it easier to work out.  But when that skinny little girl comes and works out next to me it makes me very aware that I slightly resemble a stuffed sausage.  I am learning to get over it because I know that no one cares but me.

I feel the same way sometimes, but I feel it more when a hot, buff guy walks by.  I feel like they must be thinking "another fatty trying to work out - haha!".   The way I work out on the elliptical every few minutes I go slow backwards and I swear, everytime guys like that walk by I'm going really slow backwards.  They probably wonder why I'm so sweaty when I'm hardly movin!  Oh well, it doesn't bother me too much - it's more funny than anything.

I get what you all mean. But I've been lucky that I workout at a gym at work , where I'm the only one in the gym. I'm not so conscious about my weight as I am about how unfit I am. I'm 25 and have seen women 1 1/2 times my age run on the treadmill and I can only walk at 3.4 mph at my fastest. But I am going to get there some day, until then I'm happy with the gym I have all to myself

I work out so much now compared to before that when I see someone who is skinny I just say to myself...she/he wasnt here yesterday when I was sweating it off.  I have very high self esteem!!! I just think to myself that nobody looks better than me at ANY weight and if by chance they do...then I must have a better personality because I'm bright and bubbly!!!

 Seriously. I have h ad women look at me and ask if I just had a baby and when I say no they shrink back and feel bad.  And thats ok because I'm there to not look like I just had a baby. 

If you feel like someone is looking at you with disgust just either ignore it or my personal fix would be to go find another full-figured gal and the two of you look at them with disgust!!! Just kidding...never go to their level.  Maybe just think it in your head. 

exactly "r6riderchick". I'm glad you did that, Way 2 go. In my case I put on the weight by having two kids. I had c-sections with both of my kids. So the point, I'm making is that no one knows whats the reason behind a person's weight issues. We need more positive people like you.  I need you as my motivational coach..lol..

LOL... I like the idea of full- figured girls getting their work out on.

HI

I hear you Girl and i know what you mean, lets bee Honest, yes I do get gelos, and that gives me Motivation, yes I'm a bad person,  but hay its working.:)

Although I'm not a full-figured gal I am a big guy and have been for most of my life.  People are cruel and they think nothing of it.  Since I've lost some significant weight (and I'm still a big guy) people at the gym now make those snyde (sp?)remarks around me about other, men and women alike that are there trying to make a difference and get into shape.  It annoys me and I usually make a comment to them like they have to start sometime and God bless them for dragging themselves in to get going.  I also try to encourage anyone I see new at the gym and welcome them with a simple hello and good morning. Everyone needs to feel welcomed and accepted or they may loose their motivation and if they feel alienated they will stop comming all together. 

Peopel are cruel. Try to not let the turkeys get you down.

 

thank you "staps065". there need to be more people like you. I have ran into people like you in the gym that told me to keep coming and it will payoff soon.

I agree with staps065. People are very cruel and they don't think before they speak most of the time. I've been a large girl for all my life and have such bad self-esteem thanks to put downs that started in elementary school. Its funny how things change though. A few centuries ago, large sizes were the thing....I always thought I was born way to late! Anyway, those people like staps065 are one in very few. I don't think people understand how much it means for someone to step out and make them feel welcome in a situation that makes them intimidated.