August 18, 2015
How One Female Jogger Handled Fat Shaming Like a Pro
When you're feeling self conscious about your body because you're aware you need to shed some pounds for your overall health, it can take a lot of willpower, and a lot of guts to get up and get going. Heading to the gym, picking up a workout class, or lacing up for a jog puts you in the public eye. But knowing that you're on your way to a better YOU, is all that matters.
However, when you get weird looks, or get the one-up from passersby who are in incredible shape, it hurts to know that they might be thinking you're too heavy to be seen. For 25-year-old Lindsey Swift that was exactly the case.
At a size 18, she has decided to take hold of her health after struggling to participate in activities like tennis, jogging and running. To get back on track, Swift stuck to secluded parks and lakes to begin her jogging routine — hoping that after a few months she would feel comfortable enough to begin exercising in a more public setting. Recently, when she began doing so, she was immediately fat-shamed when a man drove past her and began singing "Mika’s Big Girl."
“It was really embarrassing because my boyfriend was running ahead, and I had to explain to him what had happened,” Swift explained. “It was humiliating, and annoying.
“The longer I thought about it, the more I thought that’s really wrong, and if he did it to anyone else, that could put them off running. My friends have had similar heckles in the past, so I thought it might be nice to have a chance to respond in an eloquent manner, and put my point across.”
Swift took to Facebook to write an open letter to the rude man in hopes of bringing awareness to the detrimental effects it has on people. The letter made waves in the social media world, resulting in 26,000 shares.
“People feel like they have a right to comment on people’s bodies,” Swift said. “People say I don’t look healthy and my response is, I know that. What’s constructive about telling me that? What’s the point in telling a large woman she’s fat when she’s running? She knows she’s fat — that’s why she’s running."
Have you or anyone you know been the subject of fat shaming?
Source: Telegraph
At a size 18, she has decided to take hold of her health after struggling to participate in activities like tennis, jogging and running. To get back on track, Swift stuck to secluded parks and lakes to begin her jogging routine — hoping that after a few months she would feel comfortable enough to begin exercising in a more public setting. Recently, when she began doing so, she was immediately fat-shamed when a man drove past her and began singing "Mika’s Big Girl."
“It was really embarrassing because my boyfriend was running ahead, and I had to explain to him what had happened,” Swift explained. “It was humiliating, and annoying.
“The longer I thought about it, the more I thought that’s really wrong, and if he did it to anyone else, that could put them off running. My friends have had similar heckles in the past, so I thought it might be nice to have a chance to respond in an eloquent manner, and put my point across.”
Swift took to Facebook to write an open letter to the rude man in hopes of bringing awareness to the detrimental effects it has on people. The letter made waves in the social media world, resulting in 26,000 shares.
“People feel like they have a right to comment on people’s bodies,” Swift said. “People say I don’t look healthy and my response is, I know that. What’s constructive about telling me that? What’s the point in telling a large woman she’s fat when she’s running? She knows she’s fat — that’s why she’s running."
Have you or anyone you know been the subject of fat shaming?
Source: Telegraph