Woman Calls Out All The People Who Judged Her at the Gym, And It Gets 397,000 Likes

When are people gonna learn? Don’t ever judge a book by its cover. Seems like a lesson we’re all taught when we’re very young, but it just never sinks in for some folks. This is the story of what happened when a stranger took it upon themselves to judge Stephanie Lynn Holdmeyer.

Photo Credit: Facebook, Stephanie Lynn Holdmeyer

Someone wrote a nasty post on Facebook about Holdmeyer and her boyfriend thinking they were “hot shit” because they wore weight belts to the gym they frequent.

Photo Credit: Facebook, Stephanie Lynn Holdmeyer

First of all, why does that matter? How petty do you have to be to make an issue of something like that? And little did the post’s author know that Holdmeyer wears the belt because of a surgery she had on her back.

Photo Credit: Facebook, Stephanie Lynn Holdmeyer

Holdmeyer decided to write a lengthy response. It reads as follows:

When Chris & I first started working out at the Rec, we were judged hardcore. Someone even posted on Facebook about the “buff couple” & how they “thought they’re hot shit because they wear their belts all the time”. This was about two months after my back surgery & I did indeed wear my lifting belt during almost all of my workouts for support. My point is, everyone gets judged. People don’t bother to understand where you’re coming from or why you do the things you do. 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. That guy with the skinny legs? He’s had seven knee surgeries & he’s currently trying to strengthen his legs. It’s just a long hard process. That skinny girl you think “really needs to eat”? She’s actually super self conscious about her thin figure & has been trying to gain weight, but her metabolism is super high.

Photo Credit: Facebook, Stephanie Lynn Holdmeyer

She continued,

That kid who follows you around & watches everything you do? He looks up to you and wants to learn your workouts, he’s just scared to approach you. That girl with really bad form? She had to mentally prepare to enter the weight room because she was terrified of people judging her. She second guesses every exercise, but she’s too intimidated to ask anyone for advice. 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. That woman taking too long on the equipment you want? She’s a single mom exhausted from working two jobs & raising three kids. She’s trying to push herself to finish her workout, but she needs a little extra rest between sets. That old man doing strange exercises and talking too much? He decided to get a gym membership to stay active & socialize after his wife passed away last year. Talking to you makes his day & has helped his depression. There’s more to people than what you see. Instead of jumping to conclusions or making judgements, take a moment to consider someone else’s perspective. Don’t judge a book by its cover.