This is for all the non fatties

Ok. Time to dive into my mind and get a glimpse at the crazy rolling around in there.  Hopefully this makes sense.  Going to the gym is a completely different experience for non fatties.  While both fatties and non fatties have there own set of insecurities I think ours is a lot harder to over come.  We can't blend in with the rest of the crowd at the gym.  We stick out like a sore giant sized thumb.  And that in itself is a huge obstacle.  Now before I go any further let me clarify that the thoughts I'm about to share are my thoughts only and not reality.  Before my first trip to the gym I felt everybody would stare at me due to my size.  Maybe talk amongst themselves about how pathetic I am to let myself get so fat.  From a male perspective I don't want women looking at me thinking "awe look at the wee fattie go.  Good for him".  There is also the worry about the machines themselves.  They are not built for people of my size so I tend to stay away from them because I am afraid if I try to use them I won't fit and then I will look like a jack ass.  There are personal concerns too.  See, when a normal sized person lifts their arms and their tummy shows its no big deal.  But when I life my arms and my gut is hanging out, well nobody wants to see that!!!!!  Then there is the profuse sweating and heavy breathing.  All these things and more make me want to avoid the gym.   But the reality is none of those things happen.  (Well, except the not fitting into the machine thing.  I avoid those at all costs.)  In fact, the exact opposite happens. As far as I can see nobody really gives me a second look.  Everybody there is trying to accomplish the same goal.  Some are just closer than others.   So don't let thoughts in your head scare you off from things you want to do.  Not just the gym, but anything.  Don't let your weight or anything else for that matter hold you back.

Now here is a special note for the non fatties.  If you want to help inspire somebody to lose weight  the single best thing you can do is follow Jeremy's example.  I was at the gym today and after my workout I was sitting on  a bench catching my breath before I left.  A guy walks up to me and introduces himself as Jeremy and tells me he's seen me in there a few times now and in his words "you're crushing it man".  He then went on to tell me if I needed any help with my workouts to feel free to ask him and he would be happy to help in any way he could. That is a huge mental boost for me.  Not only is nobody pointing or laughing but they are taking note to how hard I am working and beyond that they are offering help if needed.  For me, I don't need help but not everybody is like me.  I was an athlete in high school so I know my way around the gym.  But some people have never been to a gym or lifted weights and to have somebody offer their assistance is priceless. So to Jeremy I say Thank You for taking the time to give me words of encouragement.  I only hope others will follow suit.