Paying it forward

  I was at the Y last night and there was this  young looking man that had 2 small children and they were running around and watching kids play basketball.  As I walked around the track getting in my cool down I noticed he was  having a great deal of trouble keeping up with his tots due to his size. 

Now the big question, do you say hello and share your story or mind your own business? Through the years I have found 99% of people welcome your story especially if you carry a before photo. You get one or two that want to smash your face in  

When I finished and hit the lockers I was leaving and he was there again.  I walked up to him and commented on his children and we started talking.  He was very interested in what I had to say and gave me his email and said he was going to follow up with researching his options.  I always wonder if I did the right thing but when I saw him tear up looking at his kids I knew I had.

I never was able to talk to a skinny trainer or rail thin doctor, but when you talk to someone that has walked in your shoes it's a totally different story.  Pay it forward if you feel you can, it comes back to you 10 fold.  

I carry my picture around too and yes it is a slippery slope but I find I know how to approach people and it is all in the approach.  I make sure I am not approaching people like some had did to me in the past when I was weighing 500 pounds.  People did not get it how offensive some of them were.  I always speak to people who are super morbidly obese and manage to make it in the door to a gym because I have been there and I know how hard it is to just come to the gym with all the stares, etc. 

I know this helped me feel a lot more comfortable and it helps others who  are uncomfortable too.  I love the support I get at my gyms. 

There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.  Keep up the good work!

 Your right Molly...  I just say hi with him talked about the kids and then it just happens to flow into m being at the gym, my trying to take a few pounds off after WLS and then if they are interested we run with it, if not very kindly move on...

Thanks your input !