Locker Room Awkwardness

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ashandstuff
ashandstuff Posts: 442 Member
in Motivation and Support
Not sure if anyone else has had to go through this, but I work out in the early mornings at my universities gym.

So before class, I shower.

And that means these open, military style, showers with skinny little fit girls trotting around like it ain't no thing to be naked. But then again, there are 60+ ladies flopping around their lady parts too like it aint no thing. Which I mean, you may think that's gross or whatever but I have mad respect for that level of self-confidence.

Soooooo???


I guess my question is

At what point did you get over your locker room awkwardness??

At what point in weight loss/getting fit journey do you say "IDGAF I will be naked in front of all these people and it will be great"????
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Replies

  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
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    I still am shy about showing my undies and bare flesh in the locker room.. but sometimes i overcome it by choosing to ignore anyone or any of my feelings. I feel like no one cares, and if they peek, oh well. i try to use a large beach towel around me, and i also try to put on my shirt first to cover me up. I try to find a curtained dressing room actually. but sometimes i just dont care. i have to make myself not care.. so its a choice to do that.. it doesn't just sort happen, i have to mindfully dont care.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,961 Member
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    seen one...



    Seriously, naked bodies are just naked bodies. Same parts, different shapes. I don't understand being so self-conscious about being naked with a bunch of same sex people. Just go about your business.
  • la8ydi
    la8ydi Posts: 294 Member
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    Never gotten over it - it's just awkward and weird. I don't look at anyone and I hope nobody is looking at me - and I dress in a stall or behind a curtain whenever possible. I think maybe part of that is just me being overly modest - even in my size 2 stage, I still wanted to hide getting dressed.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    I don't like it either. I don't shower until I get home, and I change my clothes in the bathroom stalls (which are inside the locker room). I only let my husband see me naked, but even that I hate, because I hate the way my body looks in all it's fat glory. Perhaps when I've lost more weight I'll get over all of this, but until I feel comfortable with myself, there's no way I'll feel comfortable enough to dress/shower in front of strangers.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I think it is a universal aversion to feeling exposed and vulnerable. In fact, it has always been a military tactic to strip prisoners bare as a means of humiliating enemies. Not very nice--but there it is.
  • DonaGail
    DonaGail Posts: 190 Member
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    Im not sure I ever will be over it. In Middle school we had to shower as a group and it was one of the worst things I can remember.
    Everyone was developing at different speeds and I was in the front of that percentage. My strict Baptist parents made me feel ashamed of nudity and my body too, so add that up and there you go.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    The men's locker room at the gym is just as bad. Old men use wall mounted hair dryers for.. well.. very..

    ..very..


    oh god, I'm c.. crying..



    awkward... awkward things.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    No-one is looking at you naked. No-one cares.

    Once you come to that realization, self-consciousness fades.
  • lachesissss
    lachesissss Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Trust me, the only person who is making it awkward is you. And it's in your head. Unless you're admittedly being awkward, and calling undue attention towards yourself. At some point you just grin and bare it. Use it as a challenge to get more comfortable with yourself.
  • lorenzovonmatterhorn7549
    lorenzovonmatterhorn7549 Posts: 495 Member
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    It doesn't bother me to be naked. Here's a funny story though. I used to workout at L.A. Fitness and there's a wide variety of people that go to this gym. I'm in there one day changing and this old man walks in and he sort of looks like Popeye. Old but he looks bad *kitten*.

    Anyway, I normally try to avoid looking in peoples direction when they are changing but Popeye is completely naked and bends over. Dude had a tramp stamp on his back. I busted out laughing. I couldn't help it.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    I once had a naked woman ask me if I had a tampon t give her. THAT is awkward. People getting changed is normal.
  • 5ftnFun
    5ftnFun Posts: 948 Member
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    It doesn't bother me to be naked. Here's a funny story though. I used to workout at L.A. Fitness and there's a wide variety of people that go to this gym. I'm in there one day changing and this old man walks in and he sort of looks like Popeye. Old but he looks bad *kitten*.

    Anyway, I normally try to avoid looking in peoples direction when they are changing but Popeye is completely naked and bends over. Dude had a tramp stamp on his back. I busted out laughing. I couldn't help it.

    :laugh: That made me laugh just imagining it.
  • FineFiddy
    FineFiddy Posts: 3
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    LOL... that was a cute post! Made me laugh, I mean just the way you expressed it. My answer is, confidence definitely comes from your state of mind and self image. It makes absolutely no difference if you're fit, fat or 60, as you've seen. I've seen drop dead gorgeous women in locker rooms very timid and hiding in far corners to dress and undress away from everyone else. So, don't wait for a particular stage you get to with regards to weight/fitness. Be proud of your beautiful self! (and I can see from the pic you really are!).

    (I am brand new here, so nice to meet you all!)
  • FineFiddy
    FineFiddy Posts: 3
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    Oh that post was to ashnstuff (gotta learn how to quotenpost) ;-)
  • cstoney2013
    cstoney2013 Posts: 167 Member
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    It doesn't bother me to be naked. Here's a funny story though. I used to workout at L.A. Fitness and there's a wide variety of people that go to this gym. I'm in there one day changing and this old man walks in and he sort of looks like Popeye. Old but he looks bad *kitten*.

    Anyway, I normally try to avoid looking in peoples direction when they are changing but Popeye is completely naked and bends over. Dude had a tramp stamp on his back. I busted out laughing. I couldn't help it.

    :laugh: That made me laugh just imagining it.

    I work in a prison and that is one tattoo I have not seen yet! Yikes! I have seen the naked lady on a guys back though...
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Not sure if anyone else has had to go through this, but I work out in the early mornings at my universities gym.

    So before class, I shower.

    And that means these open, military style, showers with skinny little fit girls trotting around like it ain't no thing to be naked. But then again, there are 60+ ladies flopping around their lady parts too like it aint no thing. Which I mean, you may think that's gross or whatever but I have mad respect for that level of self-confidence.

    So I'm showering after my pool session, which is what I normally o. Well, it's a little different this time. Guy comes in, starts showering.

    He has three legs.

    I still feel inadequate. I'm sure your issue pales. PALES.
  • ostrichagain
    ostrichagain Posts: 271 Member
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    I like to take a page out of my daughter's book (we got to the YMCA as a family). She doesn't know to feel awkward and she doesn't. She just goes in there and does her thing. She'll even wave at kids she recognizes and they'll look back like 'WHY is that naked girl waving at me?!?!?!'
    I'm hoping as I slim up, I'll feel less self-conscious, but I doubt it.
  • SpeSHul_SnoflEHk
    SpeSHul_SnoflEHk Posts: 6,256 Member
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    Not sure if anyone else has had to go through this, but I work out in the early mornings at my universities gym.

    So before class, I shower.

    And that means these open, military style, showers with skinny little fit girls trotting around like it ain't no thing to be naked. But then again, there are 60+ ladies flopping around their lady parts too like it aint no thing. Which I mean, you may think that's gross or whatever but I have mad respect for that level of self-confidence.

    Soooooo???


    I guess my question is

    At what point did you get over your locker room awkwardness??

    At what point in weight loss/getting fit journey do you say "IDGAF I will be naked in front of all these people and it will be great"????

    boot camp. It was either get over it, or never get clean.
  • mkfrazee
    mkfrazee Posts: 6 Member
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    From my observation, usually the people I notice that feel more comfortable are older. I don't think it has to do with a number (weight or age), but the realization that there are so many more important things in life than what others think of you. And you have no reason to apologize. It's a locker room and you're expected to be naked; if they don't want to see something, they shouldn't be looking. Simple as that.

    On a related note, I always try to think the following in a situation where I feel uncomfortable with myself: almost everyone I know has something they don't like about their bodies. It could be weight, acne, unwanted hair, or something that's just shaped different than the way they wish it was. Because they feel imperfect, they would feel better to know that others have imperfections too, and they are probably more likely to be friendly to someone who they aren't scared/jealous/intimidated by.
  • evviamarshall
    evviamarshall Posts: 80 Member
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    For me it was awkward because I just don't want to see other women's parts, and when I joined my gym and started using the locker room it was culture shock for me. I still don't want to see other women's parts, even if they are in shape. I do undress now at my locker instead of making a b-line to a stall because I just don't have time for that all the time. It still gets awkward when I remember that even though we're all women in the locker room, not all of us are heterosexual. So I could be entertaining eyes that I don't want to entertain.

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