Stop Thinking, “Hey Fatty! Stop Running!”
A man who looks as if he weighs 300 pounds is out on the street in Idaho Falls, ID. He is wearing basketball shorts, a baggy cotton t-shirt with a big picture on the front, and an old pair of sneakers he is using as running shoes. Its hot. Really hot. And sweat is dripping down his face. But he is only walking at a slow pace. Every once in a while he runs a few yards then walks again. The look on his face is one of misery. You can tell all he wants is to sit down on the lawn and have an ice cold Coke.
Most of us have seen something like this. Or maybe you have seen something similar while at the gym. I have seen this time and time again. While I was in college, while I was manager of a running store, and after I moved to Salt Lake. It happens everywhere, everyday.
Often when I see something like this, I also hear someone say “What are they doing? They are so overweight and fat. He isn’t a runner.” Accompanying the “please stop” talk, is a stare that follows the person. I have seen it, and at one point in my life I said it too. I have also seen it where a car of high schoolers drove past him and threw their 44 oz Coke at the guy.
I have never been in this guys shoes. I have never been so overweight that I got stares when I workout. But I have been heavy enough to not be happy with my body image and not been able to perform at the level I expect in sports.
What we all need to realize it that the guy described above is out there. Not only is he out there but he is every day. You aren’t. You might be sitting in a hammock or on a blanket at the park having a picnic. Or you might be driving by or getting the mail in your driveway.
But he is out there putting in work. He is putting in the effort. He is sweating. He is fighting. He is strong.
We do not know what caused this man to gain weight. It could be diabetes either from poor diet or hereditary. It could be a knee injury in high school that makes it hurt every time he walks. Maybe he has been stressed out at work or is going through a divorce. Its possible that his parents were very sedentary and didn’t set a good example of how to live a healthy lifestyle.
There are infinite reasons people can gain weight. And infinite reasons people lose weight.
But them losing weight is not the issue. It is that we are so fast to pass judgement.
Why are we judging in the first place? Could it be that we are self conscious about our own situation? Think about it. Yes its gross to see fat bouncing around when people run. But maybe that is why you don’t run. You don’t want people to judge you. So instead you judge them.
Maybe we have put on a few pounds and lack the motivation to work it off. Would people judge less if they “looked better”? Sure. Everyone has something they would change about themselves.
Some would add height or remove it. Some would add muscle, remove fat, heal the shoulder, be smarter, add hair, and the list goes on.
The thing about this guys is that he is doing something about it regardless of what others think. He is trying to get fitter through running. He is changing his diet so he is eating more whole foods and less processed food. He is walking and working up to a run.
We do not know why. Maybe to be able to go camping with his kids. Maybe to go backpacking and see more of the world. Maybe to get diabetes under control. Maybe he had a heart attack and wants to be there for his daughters wedding.
Who knows? And who cares? He does. And that is all that matters.
We are not here to judge others for things they can or cannot do, but to encourage and uplift those who are struggling.
It is not about the number on the scale but what you can do with the mass of flesh and blood that stands on the scale. He is working to make that mass do so much more than it could. Even if the goal is not weight loss, running will make you healthier.
He see’s how running will change his life and make him happier. Because he see’s the benefits, he is willing to go through the ridicule and hate. He is motivated to go out in the heat of the day or the pouring rain. He doesn’t care about what people think. He cares about what he thinks and how he feels.
It’s sad that some people make fun of him for doing something they don’t want to do or can’t do.
With all the bad things we hear about everyday, is it really necessary for someone to hear it about themselves? Can’t we all be the solution and not the problem?
Next time you see someone who looks to be struggling during a workout, or appears to be “out of shape”, yell out the window something encouraging, or honk and wave at them. Don’t yell at them and tell them to stop.
Even better than that. Let them be a motivator for you to get up off the couch, down off your high horse, and go out and begin to get better.
I learned, through workouts, when I see others working out I began thinking “They are awesome! Its great that they are putting work in to be better.” Changing myself and motivating myself helped me to judge others less. It gave me more empathy and sympathy for what they are going through because I have been there.
I still laugh when people struggle to walk after a marathon. But I do it because I know how they feel (and most of the time they look funny using stairs). And seeing it is another motivator for me to get out and train.
Just like a team, we as humans are only as good as our weakest link. Let us raise up others and watch the world improve faster than ever. Watch yourself improve even faster.
Don’t let your insecurities cause you to treat others poorly. Instead let them be paths of sympathy and empathy. Let them be motivators to get out and be better when you see someone else doing the same.