My god, grown adults! Yes, they are the ones who should be embarrassed ... of what rotten excuses for human beings they are. These are people nobody should want to know, anyway. I guess at least they advertise themselves as such, so you and anyone else who is decent can avoid having anything further to do with them.

I can't tell you how sad this makes me feel, reading your post. That is just terrible, that people would make comments or laugh. Disgusting, actually. Ignore them, you are so much better than that. Just enjoy the weather and enjoy knowing that you are doing something good for yourself.

Screw what other people think...all that matters is what you think about yourself. I used to care a lot about what others were thinking or saying about me until I realized what other people think about me is none of my business. I hope you don't take that the wrong way. Its their problem, not yours hun. Keep your head up and work toward your goals, you can do it!

Lillian I didn't notice before but you are in NJ just as I am.Maybe if we are close by we could meet to walk together?

Lillian sweetheart,
Don't let them get to you. You are doing a good thing for yourself and you can and should be proud of yourself for it.
small-minded people will give pea-brained responses. remember they are small-minded, not worth giving your energy to.
You just use your energy for loving yourself enough to take care of yourself, body mind and spirit.
And if you need some positive feedback, just show up on 3FC and we'll be there for you!

That is a terrible feeling, and it's so hard to shake. No one should be made to feel so self-conscious that they won't leave their house to get some healthy exercise and fresh air just because they're afraid of what strangers will say. Yet it happens all the time, and it's the main reason I stopped exercising for many years and got up to my high weight.

Last summer I was on a bike ride with my sister and brother-in-law (at the time I was around 190, I guess), and a group of guys (frat-boy types, around that age) rode by in a golf cart and shouted something horrible about me. It really ruined the ride, which I was not enjoying to begin with because I feel so self-conscious on a bike to begin with. But you know, when we stopped and I said something about it to my sister, she thought they were shouting about her. All 140 pounds of her! She's just as self-conscious as I am, as it turns out.

I weigh a lot less now than when I started, but I am still too self-conscious to run in front of strangers. So on the days when I run outside, I get up at 5:30 am while it's still dark and run while the rest of the world is mostly still asleep. It's going to take a long time to shake that self-consciousness, I guess, but it hasn't stopped me, and I'm glad to see it's not stopping you either.

Y'all, there is something seriously wrong with people that make fun of other people. They do it to try to deal with their own problems. Just feel sorry for them and keep on with whatever you were doing.

It doesn't matter what we look like. There are morons like that everywhere. I gave up walking last time I lost weight because I got alot of catcalls and beeping horns. I am rather well endowed and I've always been self consious about it. This time out, I am taking it as a compliment. At 44, I could use all the attention I can still muster, LOL

I would probably get some use out of my middle digit when idiots stare! And I always remember what my mom always says, "I may be fat, but I can diet....Your stupid and nothing can fix stupid!

Keep doing what you are doing. You will feel so much better about yourself and stupid people will bother you less and less.

Thank you for opening this post! And some posters here are right - I remember when I was around 135 when I was in my twenties (after losing weight) I was riding my bike in my then ritzy suburban neighborhood and a bunch of guys came by in a car screaming lard-a-- at me. I didn't get back on my bike again for a long time. I really thought I was fat and of course I wasn't. People can be real jerks. That's why you gotta let your inner punkchick out! You just keep doing what you have to do for you - whether you wear earphones and listen to music or walk in the evenings. Or just hold your head up high. Hey - when I see someone doing something that takes courage I probably stare too - but because I want to go tell them how great I think they are, but I don't know if that would offend them. We live by one of those catholic monuments - a huge Jesus on the mountain. And we went one day and there was a woman doing some sort of penance climbing all of those hundreds of steps on her hands and knees. She was overweight and crying and her husband walked with her holding their babies. I was overwhelmed. I wanted to just put my hand on her shoulder for encouragement but was afraid too - I am not spanish and afraid they would be offended. I regret that. But still don't know what I should have done. Yes - I peeked look after look. But I didn't have evil thoughts behind my staring - okay????!!! So you think that at least half those people are cheering your courage okay?! They just don't know how to tell you. Big hug and you hang in there! Give yourself some time and they'll be staring at you because you're so beautiful! And that'll be the best revenge.

Arg. That makes me so mad that anyone would do something like that! Realize that anyone who does that is doing that b/c they feel the need to make themselves feel better cause they are so miserable. I'm not sure if that helps you, but I know it does to me, cause I actually feel sorry for anyone who feels the need to make fun of anyone, cause they only do it to TRY and make them feel as low as they feel. Don't let them!

If someone did that to me, I would probably smile and wave just to p*ss them off. They are expecting a bad reaction, and this puts them in the embarrassing position.

I think that DCHound got it right here! I think they are trying to make themselves feel better about themselves by putting other people down.

Yes, men are cruel. But I think they didn't do it on you just because you're fat or something. They do it to everyone whether you're fat, skinny, etc. Men will always find a flaw in you. So there's nothing to bother especially if you don't know them personally. Because your true friends and loved ones who matter to you won't mind your physical appearance. If there is anything you have to worry with your weight is your health. Stay strong and happy always.

I'm glad you are not going to let small-minded, ignorant people deter your from making improvements in your life. You are doing something that these cruel people would never have the gumption to do...making a life altering change. Loosing weight is not for the weak, they can't handle it.

I'm in Jersey too...does this state just have a bunch of jerks or what?

I don't walk or run outside for exercise for the same reasons, so I have a treadmill where I can go all out. One time I was walking and some guys were commenting on all the girls that walked and have jiggly thighs when walking... so every since then I've been even self conscious about wearing shorts.

It's always easier said than done, to just ignore it and do what you have to do... but I think even unconsciously it effects us, and unfortunately the people that make the comments usually don't realize the impact they have when they make comments to us