Does anyone else chose gym over social stuff??

iwantniceabs

Not all the time, but often times I find myself having to make a choice between getting my workout session in, or meeting up with friends/family for dinner or an event. I don't do it all the time, but quite often, I tell them I can't make it and go to the gym instead - I feel like if I go to every social thing I'm invited to, I will lose out on a lot of the workouts I told myself I would commit to doing. Here's my question.....I'M okay with that choice, but sometimes people ask why I can't make it, and then I'm super hesitant to tell them...um, I'm skipping your event to go to the gym. A lot of times they have not made the same commitment to work out, and that is 100% fine, but then they don't understand why I would skip and I feel a little like a jerk.....does anyone else do this? What do you tell people if/when you chose the gym over their norwex party???

takumaku

Meh, who cares what other people think. I treat gym night like other people treat kid's night, date night, pizza night, worship day, family night, etc. It's something I have committed to and I respect that commitment by sticking to it.

CyberEd312

I ate myself to 560 lbs. and was pretty much trapped in my house for over 2 years, I alienated everyone in my family over the course of a decade do to my seclusion and not wanting to be involved with the world that was going on around me.. It took 4 1/2 years of dedication both mentally and physically to regain control of my life and my relationships with those friends and family that never gave up on me. I do not take anything for granted anymore and my time with my friends and family is in my mind THE Most important part of my life. I can (and do) alter my workout schedule so not to miss any events in my life now... It is easier for me to get up at 4 a.m. and get my work out in on a Saturday morning so that I can make my grandsons wrestling meet, or getting together to play trivia, or etc.... Life is far to short and I wasted way to much time making it all about me in the past and all my problems, so today my priorities have changed.... But everyone may be different this is just me........ Best of Luck

dnamouse

I adjust my workout schedule around events. But I don't have a lot of events to go to LOL

BurnBabyyyBurn

Me me me! Total introvert here. I'd rather work out than go to the bar or clubs. I don't even drink so it's not even fun going to those places anyway... Also, it depends who I'm gonna be around when I'm out haha.

Capt_Apollo

i've actually canceled things with friends because i have to work out in the morning.

myth4ever

The gym is my social gathering as I go in with headphones on and hoodie covering my head! Party over here!!!!!!

Joehenny

Always, sometimes over work too.

PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot

First of all - your screen name is the best name ever. I concur 100%.

I tend towards being an introvert. As such, I'd much rather go out for a decent hour-plus run than do many other things. Unless I'm very comfortable with someone, I almost find any social scene tiring, I tend to worry far too much about what people think of me, and would rather get some decent alone time to recharge.

laurenrrogers

I have several times been invited to dinner and passed it up to go to the gym. I just tell them if they move the time a little later I can join them, but if not I will try the next time. I can't justify going to eat dinner, knowing my love of food that isn't good for me, over the gym. I have invited my friends to go for a 3 mile walk with me and sometimes they actually come with me. This allows the social time with my friends and gets a good cardio workout in at the same time. I figure my friends will have to learn to love the healthy me better than the me they have helped enable to get fat (my friends have always enjoyed hanging out with food and adult beverages).

SunofaBeach14

Find friends who like to work out and then do something afterwards. I'm missing my old running group for this reason. We would always get our run in, hit an onsen, then go out for the night.

skierxjes

I gave up drinking in college so I could go to the gym at 7, 8, 9:00 every night. It was primo. No one there and I gave up booze and lost lbs like cray cray.

TruckersWifeTruckersLife

We live in a small country town so not much happens here but when it does I do my workouts so I can go to the events and it don't hurt to have a rest day it does the body some good not that I have many rest days but its nice to socialise and talk to people that you haven't seen in a while

DebraYvonne

I live away from family so connections are important. I can work around my workouts to see my friends. I def. need to do better with my workouts

gloriaeffe

I find myself in the same situation very often. Friends organize dinners, drinks, meetings... and all I want to do is go to the gym. So I do it.
I tell them that I prefer to go to the gym and if I feel up for it I will join later. They complained for months about it and couldn't understand, I think they still don't really understand but at least they stopped complaining and treating me like someone who needs help.
it's about priorities, mine at the moment have the gym towards the very top. And it's also about what makes you happy, and I feel great when I am at the gym, so my friends will have to wait.

resistance_freak

I go to the gym at least 5 times per week, so I will frequently have to tell people that I can't make some event due to a commitment I made to myself to take better care of myself.

Now, I will try to move things around my schedule to accommodate other things that I want to do, but in most cases, gym time has priority over anything social.

This might be selfish, but it's my MO anymore. And I do like the results I've seen.

JMel86

I tend towards being an introvert. As such, I'd much rather go out for a decent hour-plus run than do many other things. Unless I'm very comfortable with someone, I almost find any social scene tiring, I tend to worry far too much about what people think of me, and would rather get some decent alone time to recharge.

This. This is exactly how I feel.

FoxyLifter

I have pushed back a Friday evening workout to Saturday afternoon in order to attend a social event, but it doesn't happen often. All of my friends and family (especially my husband) understand that working out is an important part of my life. I have no problem arriving a little late due to a workout session as well.

rybo

I rarely have to make a choice. And when I do its almost always the social obligation because that's the anomaly.

Nicolee_2014

I try to do gym before a social event, having said that, I try not to be too social because it usually means food & drinks and I can't help myself.

Mr_Bad_Example

I choose pretty much anything over social stuff. This includes -

- washing my car
- doing dishes
- cleaning the bathroom floor with an old toothbrush
- organizing my sock and underwear drawers (see what I did there?)

amandakev88

i find myself preferring going to the gym over seeing people and socializing more and more lately. can't tell if its ****ty people or that i love exercising lately. meh. who cares.

BurnBabyyyBurn

I also think it's the fact that I like working out more and more

David_AUS

As long as you are not using it as an avoidance tactic (procrastination) then you should stick with what you feel most compelled to do. It is up to you to decide your values over priorities - If we consider this at an extreme - an athlete will put training first - perhaps over family, work or other social values. What could be worst lets say the reverse is true you use social events and find every excuse to avoid going to the gym (this would the the reverse avoidance tactic). Certainly it is all about living a balanced life and your friends / family will not be insulted if they know you well and know that you are doing this because it is important to you and that you have the strength of character to follow through with something you said you were going to do. What would be rude is to say yes to the social event and not turn up "blow them off" to go to the gym. Be honest and forward and confident that you are in control of your life and you know what you want / need to do to achieve your goals; if people around you do not respect that then screw them anyhow.

dorkyfaery

I generally don't have this problem because I do my workouts in the morning. In fact, I started doing my workouts in the morning because inevitably work or some other thing would come up and I would run out of time. I'm also a chronic insomniac so if I exercise in the evenings it tends to get me amped up and then I can't sleep.

dakotababy

Sometimes Friday nights when I choose not to go out, I think to myself "While everyone else is out drinking their calories, I am here - burning mine".

33Freya

I tell them that I have goals I must stick with and invite them to work out with me. My fella got tired of me always being go e to the gym so he got a membership too and often works out with me. Stay strong sistah!!:glasses:

tgsoe

I think it is all about balance.

My partner and I are what you could define as 'gym junkies', generally doing two sessions a day - we love it. We aren't big on the 'club' scene which is kind of ideal, both calorically (is that even a word) and financially. But, we do enjoy occasionally heading down to the Pub for the members draw, or a countery and having a couple of drinks.

We just make sure that we have done our workouts for the day, and I ensure that I have pre-allocated the 'worst-case scenario' dinner on MFP so I know how many calories I need to have burnt in order to go out and relax with that meal and those couple of drinks.

But, it is definitely about balance - and doing what you love. If the gym is your love, do it. Just please don't become obsessive and miss out on life...............

RobynMWilson

My friends know that my workout time is part of my non-negotiable things to do each day. They may not totally "get it", but most of them accept that about me b/c I've been doing it so long. Sometimes, if I have advance notice, I schedule the workout at a time where i can still attend the event. Bottom line is that my friends will not be paying my medical bills if I get sick and they sure as heck aren't offering to carry my groceries, shovel my snow...all the things I can do with ease b/c I work out. So, no, I don't feel guilty, either lol

thefitnightowl

Nope, I never feel bad because I have goals in mind. Going to the gym is only like half of getting a better body. I do it for my mental and emotional health and if people cant understand that, then I dont want them in my life anyways. People who dont work out always tend to hate on those that ARE doing good things. But, even if they do hate....they are still watching you make improvements for yourself, so stay positive!......and ask them to JOIN you!!! Maybe they are getting tired of going out to the bars but are hesistant to ask you about fitness or nutrition....make that extra step and people will appreciate it! Good luck, and yes...Ive skipped many events to work out. I have priorities, plain and simple and my HEALTH is at the top of that list!
Good luck and Feel free to add me!

-Shannon

annie61702

I do. Sometimes I will rearrange my workout schedule for an event, but I really prefer to keep my regular schedule. Probably a little OCD, but it has worked for me. It really bothers me to miss a work out, and it is my time to think and recharge.