If you could eliminate 1 thing in the world that has caused you embarrassment due to being overweight, what would it be?

One of my top - Chairs with arms on them

I find them at Restaurants, Dr's offices, and many other places and they usually cause a problem. It's very embarrasing asking for an armless chair when we go out.

For me, it used to be turnstiles. I would always stress about how I would be able to fit through, particularly if I was bundled up for an athletic event. I always had to go through sideways and suck in. I always hated that.

Well, this is obvious I suppose, but I've always been horribly embarrassed to be weighed. Even before I was overweight, it was something I didn't want anyone else to know -- ever.
I think part of it is because I don't think I look like I weigh as much as I do. I'm not in denial or anything, but people are usually shocked if they find out how much I weigh. Even in high school ---- 125 pounds -- people were surprised I was that heavy. Not that anyone called me fat, aside from myself anyway. But lots of my classmates were 100 - 115 pounds. I didn't look much different, but was heavier.
I've also noticed that people feel comfortable discussing other people's weight around me. Like if they are commenting that someone has gained a lot of weight, or I've heard comments like 'man, she must weigh 200 pounds!'. I really don't take part in these discussions, but I also don't think the people making these comments realize that I used to weigh 200 + pounds, and now weigh about 190. Either that or they are so dense and stupid that they can't make the connection that I might be offended by 'fat' comments, even if they are directed at other people.
Anyway.... I just wish we could do away with scales. They are getting better. Most of the time Dr.s offices don't even say it out loud anymore.
I can remember when I was pregnant going to the Dr., several years ago. They never put the scale back to zero, so I always knew what the person who had gone ahead of me weighed. Little thing, but it really bothered me.

I would get rid of tables with the chairs attatched to them. For someone like me, who is top heavy, when I sit in one of those, I have to compete with the girls for table space.

lol...not being rude here hair.....but as I use to tell a friend of mine (a female of course) that was very top heavy...I use to say to her she already had a table so no need to wait for one...of course I understand what your saying...here but thought Id try to make lite of it...(oh..i was joking with her when i said this, i always loved her top size, even though she was just a friend, i told her it was one of her best features...lol)

My self, Im not as big heavy as some but I would get rid of the tables that are fixed with the seas so close that you cant move them back a bit...my gut all pressed into the table, and to me.....makes me feel lots bigger then I am...makes me feel like the one who set up the place was like 100lbs soaking wet and only need 20in of space between them and the table for a comfy seating setup....

I'd get rid of school desks and use tables and chairs. As a current student (but not after July 5th thank goodness!!!), I have classes at the local high school and I have to sit in seats made for 13-18 year olds. Its hard enough to get into one but once I'm in, there is no way for me to move to get comfortable because everything is pressing against everything. LOL They are very uncomfortable to sit in for three hour classes. I feel sorry for the kids who are in high school who are anywhere close to my size.

I also hate the booths in restaurants where you can't move the seats.

Make it a great day!
~Christi

What about some of the names of plus sized stores?
Ok, so we have Lane Bryant -- which is just fine. But I know there are other names that would have been laughable, had they not been offensive. But darn if I can't think of one now!
Men always have the 'Big and Tall' shops.
Maybe they have cooled it on the 'big girl' stores, and the reason I can't think of any of their names is because they aren't around anymore. If so -- I guess we already got rid of something embarrassing!

How about trying on clothes in general? I have lost nearly 40 pounds and it still sucks to try on clothes if they don't fit right. I have lost more in some places rather than others and it just isn't fun yet.

I couldn't agree more. The armless chair thing for me is huge. Whenever I walk into an office or resturant, its the first thing that I scan the room for. Nothing is worse than having to squeeze yourself into a chair with arms. My second pet peeve is paying for two tickets on an airline. I understand that some people are bigger and actually sit in two seats, but I've learned over the years how to contort myself into places that most people my size cant. Not only is it embarrassing, but its expensive. I wanted to go see a friend of mine up in NY for the fourth of July but cant because tickets are like 500 to 600 dollars for two seats.

I would do away with the seatbelt situation on airplanes and roller coaster/thrillrides. I anticipate fear every time that I know I am going to have to strap myself in one of these, knowing it is not going to be easy. I have to let them all the way out and sometimes that even is not good enough. The whole time , some skinny guy sitting in the seat next to me is thinking "great, I get to sit next to the fat chick instead of some hot girl I can flirt with".

Well, that is my thoughts on doing away with one of the most embarrassing things for me. There are many, but I don't want to seem phsyco

My first thought is this...maybe easy maybe not...dont worrie about what the skinny jerk next to you thinks...your there to have fun just him and everyone eles...so your a big girl/guy...we can still have fun, and just like the airlines, they have seat belt extentions for the bigger people...embarrasing? ya sure...but we still had a good time right...so S*** what other think that day and just have fun..

I am going on a limb here so please dont think i am a bad guy ok..first off i am a big guy, i think im 5'7 245 lbs and no not all buffed out...i need and want to lose about 100 to 120 lbs, id love nothing more then to go on TBL, not for the cash but for the chance to get rid of my gut and build some mass so i can look,and feel better about my self...i hate the way i look, even though my wife says she loves me just the way i am....she dont see me as big as i see my self...i tell her, maybe cause she loves me she cant see what i do...shes like 5'8 130 lbs, i want to look good for her....

ok now my deal for this topic....i would get rid or at least change the places they put certain gyms at....i dont think i can names names here....so i wont...i see them all the time right next to a dounut shop and pizza place a fast food/chinse take out place....what gives, its already hard enough to get some of these people to a gym with ut have the smell of good (bad for you) eats coming theru the vents as you are doing your poloties ball eh....(i spelled it wrong but you know what i mean)

another thing...in stores why are all the low calorie non surger foods, that we need to be eating, is always on the same isle as the chips and cookies? that needs to change to...its embarassing to think that the guy/girl in the isle is probaly thinking (or at least i do at times) that if he/she ate that stuff before they wouldnt be fat now eh...so i say put in a isle all alone or at least in a different isle...thats my biggest embarassment i guess,

That is one way to look at it I guess. Having grown up the "fat girl" I am really not effected as much as I used to be, but that was the one thing I could think of that just bites.

I am gonna try to use my weight loss ticker after this post, so if it comes up messed up, it is because I am still trying to figure out where to paste it in my profile. Any suggestions???


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Perhaps this is stirring up a storm a bit... why change those things that cause embarrassment due to being at an unhealthy weight? Turn-styles, bolted down chairs and tables, store names... Why not focus on how you can get to a healthy weight rather than what you hate about the world at your unhealthy weight? Why focus on what you would change about the world to support your unhealthy body rather than getting healthy so that you don't even have to worry about it.

This goes back to an oft discussed topic here. Plenty of people feel offended that they are required to purchase a second airline seat when they are too large to fit into one seat reasonably. The world is not built for obese people, and despite the trend towards more and more obese people, it should not be. We should not build a world that makes it easier to live that unhealthy lifestyle, we should be building a world that makes that lifestyle impractical or hard to maintain. I am very pleased that in a few short weeks I will start taking the commuter train into work and then walking ten blocks to my office.

Oh goodness gracious. So so true! Get rid of them things.

You know, I totally agree with you. Even if life throws us a few curve balls, the emphasis should be on getting well. That's a good, healthy way to think about it. Could be a good motivational tool as well.

My biggest fear is getting on elevators when other people are on there. At 328 I still worry about the elevator clunking when I get on.

Ocellaris 328(367) 123 to go.

I think theres way to just put it on your signature....I forget how, but you can ask Vibs...shes the one that told me how to do it, your comes up, but not sure how you did it...

The thing I would eliminate is restaurants with tables that are tacked down so you can't move them to get into them. When I go out with my family I have to ask for a table not a booth all because the tables will not move. It might sound weird but when I go to restaurants I look under the table in the booths to see if it is tacked down. If it is I sit at a regular table instead of booth. I hate when people look at you when you eat also. Like come on am I the only thing for you to look at. I know I am beautiful but come on lol. Well there is my beef about stuff.

Sha

To me, this topic was supposed to be a way to relate to others about difficulties we have had as overweight people. I am focused on changing my life and getting to a healthy weight. That doesn't mean I haven't had struggles as an overweight person. It is just nice to know that it isn't "just me" when it comes to certain things.

I agree that's it would be humiliating to have to buy 2 plane tickets for 2 seats, or 2 theater tickets. But these places are selling seats --- meaning space. The more seats they sell, the more their profits will be. And I have had to sit next to someone at a theater event who was very obese, and she did infringe on my space. I do think that's wrong. Why should I be squashed in my seat because someone is spilling over the arm rest and also into my leg room?
I also felt kind of bad for her, because she couldn't have been to comfortable either. But she didn't seem to care, and seem almost oblivious to the fact that other people were also there to watch the performance-- so when people seem rude to me, I tend to not be very sympathetic.
I too am over weight. Not as extremely as she was, but still overweight. I would be devastated, even if I had to ask for a seat belt extender on an airplane. I don't know what it would do to me to have to buy two tickets to anything I wanted to go to. I guess that is a motivation for me.
I can see both sides. I just hope if anyone has to go through anything like this that it is handled as discretely and with as much tact as possible.