Fat Girl at the Gym

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former fat girl, bigger than you, honestly I can say you are wasting your time at this point if you are going because you think you will lose weight.

Put all your energy right now into changing your eating habits. Once you get under 200 lbs, then add in exercise.

This is dumb advice. You can do both. Exercise makes you feel better and increases your self esteem.

And when I see a "fat girl" at the gym, I normally don't think anything. But if do happen to notice I think good for her! People who workout regularly are generally very happy to see others incorporate exercise into their lives.

It's dumb advice for someone who needs to lose 25 lbs or so. But when a person needs to lose 100 lbs +, it's not dumb advice. At 240 lbs, the amount of energy one can expend at the gym is not nearly enough to make a dent in weight loss. After a few weeks, a person gets discouraged becase there is not much change and that leads to a vicious overeating cycle. Believe me, no one gets to 240 without binge eating. The PP who put up the stats are correct and I agree - change what you eat first.

As far as noticing the "fat girl" at the gym. I used to believe that too, that no one would notice but now that I am no longer the fat girl well I can at least be honest and say that yeah I do notice and friends make a lot of snide remarks about them to me now that I am no longer fat so it's just not me that notices.

Seriously? You are coming off as a snarky bitch and you need to go away.

In January of 2012, I was 275 pounds at 5'2". I started by doing the Advocare 24 day challenge and working out on the elliptical 5 days a week. At first, I only lasted 10 minutes but I eventually worked my way up to 1 hour. Fast forward to June 2012 and I was down 65 pounds in just 5 months and was able to do the elliptical for an hour at a incline of 12, resistance 10. On top of that, I did the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. I am now down to 130 pounds, having lost 145 pounds in 14 months. Exercise IS a big part of it. Sure you can just cut back on what you eat and you will lose weight, but not as fast and as much if you add in exercise too. Also, exercising and doing weights helps cut down on the "loose skin" issue.

OP, good for you. Please don't listen to the idiot above. I guarantee NO ONE is judging you. You are in a gym and working out to make yourself healthier. When I now see bigger girls and guys, I always smile at them and think that they are a huge inspiration! Keep it up!!

And you didn't change your diet at all? Really. You lost 145 pounds just by exercising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former fat girl, bigger than you, honestly I can say you are wasting your time at this point if you are going because you think you will lose weight.

Put all your energy right now into changing your eating habits. Once you get under 200 lbs, then add in exercise.

This is dumb advice. You can do both. Exercise makes you feel better and increases your self esteem.

And when I see a "fat girl" at the gym, I normally don't think anything. But if do happen to notice I think good for her! People who workout regularly are generally very happy to see others incorporate exercise into their lives.

It's dumb advice for someone who needs to lose 25 lbs or so. But when a person needs to lose 100 lbs +, it's not dumb advice. At 240 lbs, the amount of energy one can expend at the gym is not nearly enough to make a dent in weight loss. After a few weeks, a person gets discouraged becase there is not much change and that leads to a vicious overeating cycle. Believe me, no one gets to 240 without binge eating. The PP who put up the stats are correct and I agree - change what you eat first.

As far as noticing the "fat girl" at the gym. I used to believe that too, that no one would notice but now that I am no longer the fat girl well I can at least be honest and say that yeah I do notice and friends make a lot of snide remarks about them to me now that I am no longer fat so it's just not me that notices.

+1

Exercise is so important for many things, but it doesn't help with weight loss. Weight maintenance, sure, but not loss.

You have got to be the biggest moron on this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I see overweight people in the gym or out running or whatever, I secretly say to myself, awesome, and everyone has to start somewhere. I am cheering them on. No one is judging you, trust me. Working out at the gym is like running. You are running your own personal race. There is no competition.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Skinny girl here. I always think it is great when I see overweight people exercising. I always want to say something encouraging but dont because feel that would be patronizing. Remember tho that a ton of weight gain is about caloric intake not just exercise...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former fat girl, bigger than you, honestly I can say you are wasting your time at this point if you are going because you think you will lose weight.

Put all your energy right now into changing your eating habits. Once you get under 200 lbs, then add in exercise.

This is dumb advice. You can do both. Exercise makes you feel better and increases your self esteem.

And when I see a "fat girl" at the gym, I normally don't think anything. But if do happen to notice I think good for her! People who workout regularly are generally very happy to see others incorporate exercise into their lives.

It's dumb advice for someone who needs to lose 25 lbs or so. But when a person needs to lose 100 lbs +, it's not dumb advice. At 240 lbs, the amount of energy one can expend at the gym is not nearly enough to make a dent in weight loss. After a few weeks, a person gets discouraged becase there is not much change and that leads to a vicious overeating cycle. Believe me, no one gets to 240 without binge eating. The PP who put up the stats are correct and I agree - change what you eat first.

As far as noticing the "fat girl" at the gym. I used to believe that too, that no one would notice but now that I am no longer the fat girl well I can at least be honest and say that yeah I do notice and friends make a lot of snide remarks about them to me now that I am no longer fat so it's just not me that notices.

Seriously? You are coming off as a snarky bitch and you need to go away.

In January of 2012, I was 275 pounds at 5'2". I started by doing the Advocare 24 day challenge and working out on the elliptical 5 days a week. At first, I only lasted 10 minutes but I eventually worked my way up to 1 hour. Fast forward to June 2012 and I was down 65 pounds in just 5 months and was able to do the elliptical for an hour at a incline of 12, resistance 10. On top of that, I did the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. I am now down to 130 pounds, having lost 145 pounds in 14 months. Exercise IS a big part of it. Sure you can just cut back on what you eat and you will lose weight, but not as fast and as much if you add in exercise too. Also, exercising and doing weights helps cut down on the "loose skin" issue.

OP, good for you. Please don't listen to the idiot above. I guarantee NO ONE is judging you. You are in a gym and working out to make yourself healthier. When I now see bigger girls and guys, I always smile at them and think that they are a huge inspiration! Keep it up!!

And you didn't change your diet at all? Really. You lost 145 pounds just by exercising.

PP here...please re-read what I wrote. I said that I started off by doing the Advocare 24 day challenge. That helped me re-learn how to eat better with veggies, lean protein, fruit, etc. But exercise was a HUGE influence in my losing all that weight. If I hadn't exercised, I wouldn't be nearly as close to my goal as I am now. Just changing my diet would not have helped me lose that first 65 pounds as quickly as I did. It would have taken a year +. Yes, OP does need to change her eating habits but telling her that it's a waste of time to exercise is the dumbest thing ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread makes me feel better. I'm fatter than I've ever been and have been too ashamed to go back to the gym. Thanks OP!

Same here. I am one of the posters about a home workout DVDs. I need to do something to get myself motivated and back in shape. Thanks, OP! You have just inspired me to bight the bullet and buy the dvds that I have been putting off and putting off.

PPs have said it much better than I can, but don't worry about others at the gym or what they are doing for their workouts, everyone has their own journey. Good for you for getting there EIGHT times in two weeks! Awesome commitment!!! Keep it up!!!! This is for YOU!!!

[Anonymous]

Not reading all this bs. Just wanted to tell op, you rock! Keep at it!

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. I think you are awesome. For what it's worth, I wanted to say I've lost 65 lbs over the past year. I had this epiphany that as long as I was fat, there would be people who judge me and make fun of me. And those people are assholes. Why should I let that prevent me from doing something good for myself? Better to be the fat girl at the gym than the fat girl on the couch. Eating cookies.
Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I used to believe that too, that no one would notice but now that I am no longer the fat girl well I can at least be honest and say that yeah I do notice and friends make a lot of snide remarks about them to me now that I am no longer fat so it's just not me that notices.

You are friends - and remain friends - with people who make snide remarks about people working out at the gym? Are you 13 and trying to be popular?

OP, please recognize that this person is the rare exception. As others have mentioned - when I go to the gym the most I think about other people is 'I wonder how much long they will be on that machine?' If I do have a more significant thought when I see a heavier person at the gym it would be one of inspiration. I have never been over weight simply because of my natural disposition, but I still have a hard time getting motivated to go to the gym. To see people there who are facing and tackling a more difficult challenge than I am are an INSPIRATION to me. Don't listen to this toxic message of the PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I used to believe that too, that no one would notice but now that I am no longer the fat girl well I can at least be honest and say that yeah I do notice and friends make a lot of snide remarks about them to me now that I am no longer fat so it's just not me that notices.

You are friends - and remain friends - with people who make snide remarks about people working out at the gym? Are you 13 and trying to be popular?

OP, please recognize that this person is the rare exception. As others have mentioned - when I go to the gym the most I think about other people is 'I wonder how much long they will be on that machine?' If I do have a more significant thought when I see a heavier person at the gym it would be one of inspiration. I have never been over weight simply because of my natural disposition, but I still have a hard time getting motivated to go to the gym. To see people there who are facing and tackling a more difficult challenge than I am are an INSPIRATION to me. Don't listen to this toxic message of the PP. [/quote

lmao +1111111111111111111111111111111

[Anonymous]

Keep going and don't worry about what anybody else thinks - like someone else said, most people are absorbed in their own workouts and goals to notice or care about others. One thing that did motivate me when I first started to work out was to pick out someone that I wanted to 'be.' I worked up a nice little competitive streak where this person was concerned (didn't know this person at all, just picked them because they were fit and really into their workout!) This was more than 20 years ago and I still remember it and, to this day, pick people out that I want to be like. I like having that motivation. As for the weight loss issue, the posters above are absolutely correct; for weight loss you have to really watch what you eat. Exercise doesn't really work as a weight loss tool and you have to be very careful that you don't use exercise as an excuse to eat more. You're doing great - keep going!

[Anonymous]

You go, Fatty!

I'm also a fatty at 5'4" and 235 and am TERRIFIED to walk into a gym, and not sure I can do it without crying.

[Anonymous]

Congratulations to you OP for even making it to the gym!! You're doing great!

[Anonymous]

I see lots of overweight or obese people at the gym. Many of them are drenched in sweat and working very hard.

I assume that these people are starting or restarting an exercise program, and I think they are strong and courageous and admirable.

So when you're at the gym, please imagine that me or others like me are there to (and I'm sure some of us are), silently thinking very positive things about you.

[Anonymous]

too*