I made the mistake of wearing workout clothes while walking the dog today, and a stranger called out across the street, "good job! You'll get there!"

When you say "encouraging" things like that to fat people: you know you're just calling us fat, right?

Here's the logic of an "encouraging" comment for fat people:

(1) I notice you are fat
(2) I notice you are moving
(3) You must hate being fat
(4) Therefore, you must only be moving in order to lose weight
(5) You need my encouragement, or else you'll stay fat

It was honestly really, really frustrating--in no small part because the person who told me was so proud of themself for commenting. They had the pride of someone who'd done their good deed for the day.

But they didn't think about the impact of their "encouragement."

Those kinds of "encouragement" comments are what drove me out of gyms. They shine a spotlight on me. They make my body a spectacle when I'm just trying to walk my dog. And, like nearly any comment on my body, they are unwanted and unwelcome.

I don't need any stranger commenting on my body or "encouraging me" with food or fitness because that "encouragement" is always refracted through the prism of their values--which almost always prize thinness and weight loss above all else.

Remember, when you see a fat person doing ANYTHING and feel moved to share your thoughts--whether it's something you approve of or something you disapprove of--you always have the option to keep it to yourself.