the-exercist:
rayguncourtesan:
the-exercist:
mealswithmelissa:
This is so true! I always think to myself “good for you” when I see a person who is obviously at the beginning of their fitness journey. We all have to start somewhere! #gym #goals #weightlossjourney #weightloss #fitnessjourney #havetostartsomewhere #bekind #goodforyou #slowandsteady #encouragement #motivation
What makes a fat person “obviously at the beginning of their fitness journey”?
Why can’t a larger body be seen as inspirational without implying that they’re a beginner, just starting out, or are trying to change themselves?
The use of fat bodies (that are typically devoid of heads and faces) for your own motivation is objectifying, disrespectful and demeaning. These are just regular people at the gym. That’s it. The fitness community needs to stop acting as though we can tell a person’s entire medical history and lifestyle just from looking at their appearance: There honestly isn’t anything that inherently separates a thin and a fat person at the gym, unless you count the way that fitspo uniquely shames each of their bodies.
It is kind of hard to remain fat with a rigorous exercise regime though. Absent rare medical conditions calories in > calories out is how you get fat and calories out > calories in is how you stop being fat. That’s not politicising bodies, that’s biology.
Some things are fat-shaming. But assuming that someone whose substantially overweight and at the gym is probably going to lose fatty tissue over time and this is probably one of their goals is not outlandish.
I suppose you technically could just increase your caloric intake by the amount you burn to remain fat…but, why would you do this?
#morbid obesity is actually dangerous #and this addresses a real concern of people with weight problems rather than one you’ve dreamt up #you are in hipster territory #if you keep trying to be counter-culture for the sake of it you end up just being culture
No, this is still fat shaming.
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Fat professional athletes exist.
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Fat personal trainers exist.
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Fat yogis exist.
—> Fat marathon runners exist.
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Fat people are active, educated and talented.
Fat people’s experiences and expertise don’t go away just because they are fat.
I mean, there are literally people in the comments talking about their own personal experiences exercising while fat. Fat people, right here, have been talking about their years of experience in the gym that were overlooked due to their appearance. For any outsider to look at their bodies and just assume that they’re beginners or are pursuing their passions specifically in order to lose weight? That’s ridiculous. It’s a way of refusing to treat them each like individuals who have their own goals, abilities and lives.
Don’t be that person who strives to inform complete strangers about their health concerns. Trust me, a person at the gym knows about their own medical history better than you do. So rather than assuming you know what’s going through their mind, just leave them be. There is absolutely no reason to praise them or demean them simply for performing an everyday task that others are allowed to engage in without commentary.
These are still just regular people at the gym. That’s it.
