Woman Sets the Record Straight After Being ‘Fit Shamed’ at the Gym

Amy Capetta
A female weightlifter who was shamed at the gym takes the high road with her accusers. (Photo: Getty Images
A female weightlifter who was shamed at the gym takes the high road with her accusers. (Photo: Getty Images

It seems that people are being shamed for just about everything these days.

A female weightlifter shared her recent experience of being “fit-shamed” at the gym via Imgur. And her heartfelt words have struck a chord. Her post has been upvoted more than 19,600 times and has received nearly 394,500 views and more than 1,700 comments over the last three days.

Displaying an image of herself that was snapped mid-workout, the young woman (who goes by the name SauceOfTheBoss on the social media site) began her post by admitting that she has been judged “hardcore,” because of her toned physique.

A fellow gym member felt the need to refer to her and her partner, Chris, on Facebook as the “buff couple” who “thought they’re hot sh*t because they wear their belts all the time.”

This female body builder who was “fit-shamed” at the gym says she’d like people to stop judging each other. (Photo: Imgur)
This female body builder who was “fit-shamed” at the gym says she’d like people to stop judging each other. (Photo: Imgur)

However, SauceOfTheBoss explained that this Facebook post was written about two months after she’d undergone back surgery. The purpose of her weightlifting belt, she said, was to provide support and help prevent injury.

She then pointed to a few types of people we may encounter at the gym — or anywhere else in everyday life — who are likely to be criticized for their appearance. For example:

“That overweight guy? Someone judges him because of his weight, but little do they know he’s already lost 100 pounds & has changed his entire life around,” she wrote. “That buff dude you think is cocky? He grew up in poverty and working out was his alternative to drugs or alcohol. He’s not cocky — just focused.”

She concluded her post by asking others to put an end to the constant shaming.

“There’s more to people than what you see,” she wrote. “Instead of jumping to conclusions or making judgements, take a moment to consider someone else’s perspective.”

Developing empathy is a basic life lesson, yet it seems that adults need to be reminded to walk a mile in someone’s shoes, because body-shaming, along with cyberbullying, has become so prevalent.

“People who judge others tend to be very judgmental of themselves,” Stacy Kaiser, licensed psychotherapist, relationship expert, and author of How to Be a Grown Up: The 10 Secret Skills Everyone Needs to Know, tells Yahoo Beauty. “They see the world through a more negative lens and direct that view towards themselves and others.”

Kaiser explains that the reason some people are so dogmatic is because “they honestly believe their opinions are right and that others should follow those opinions,” she says. “These people often lack flexibility and an ability to put themselves in another person’s shoes.”

After all, one’s perspective is just that: an impression from a particular angle.

“The biggest problem with these judgments is that we decide that they are reality, when in truth, we do not have the entire story,” continues Kaiser. “Social media has opened the door for people to rush to judgment based on a photo or video — and their comfort level to be critical becomes larger, because they aren’t face-to-face with the person.”

But in the words of SauceOfTheBoss: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

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