am i the only person embarrassed to exercise!

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  • pattybernal
    pattybernal Posts: 19 Member
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    I WAS THINKING I WAS THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS FEELING i have 2 toddler girls and they exercise with me cutest thing ever, which am fine even though they give me the crazy look but my husband, oh no i tried it once and he was smiling and it looked like he wanted to laught but didnt and that was the last time ever! i literatly put the treadmill in the garage for me to go their!
  • CaptainGordo
    CaptainGordo Posts: 4,437 Member
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    I can be a spaz at the gym without a care, but feel like a twit working out in front of anyone at home.

    I love playing a sport in front of them, though.
  • nygiantschick
    nygiantschick Posts: 289 Member
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    doesn't bother me...When the weather warms up I like to take my bootycamp routine outside for some warm air. People can look at me funny all they want....if they want a show I'll give it to them....but I'm kinda crazy that way!!!
  • gazz777
    gazz777 Posts: 722
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    <---- this was me. I battled TOO much with what people thought. It caused me to be depressed. Being obese was the least of my concerns.

    Then, one day in March 2011, something clicked ! Don't look back to what people think ! Walk forward !

    I have lost 30kg (66lb) since that day !

    What a life changer.

    Feel free to send me a friend request.
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
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    For some reason I can work out in class at the Y and don't have too many issues. But I don't like to do my DVD's at home if the husband is in the room. Don't know why, just a hang up.
  • Feel_the_Waltz
    Feel_the_Waltz Posts: 29 Member
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    I had a roommate that would laugh every time she saw me work out and it kinda made me self-conscious. Now I'm on my own and without a negative influence, reaching my goals :)
  • busterbluth
    busterbluth Posts: 115 Member
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    I feel weird because I'm a LOT slower than I used to be (I used to run and quit for 5 years). I feel REALLY weird doing weights because I am the biggest weakling ever. But. . .the gym I go to is really supportive and most of the people seem to be in the same boat (they are "normal" folks and not fitness superstars or whatever).

    I think this is the reason why a lot of overweight people stay that way: society judges fat folks when they go out and exercise, but then they also judge them when they DON'T do anything about it. It's a horrible attitude.
  • busterbluth
    busterbluth Posts: 115 Member
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    (Case in point: I saw a pretty obese woman riding her bike downtown the other day. It was SNOWING and she was riding her bike. And these guys started pointing and laughing. I wanted to punch them in the throat, but I just gave them the look of death.)
  • tam120
    tam120 Posts: 444 Member
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    I do feel that way about DVDs but I leave the door open sometimes when I'm on the treadmill (one time I fogged up the windows and I swear it was 10 degrees warmer in that room). I'm gonna have to get over it though 'cause I just spent a whole lotta money on Insanity and I'm gonna get that shirt!

    Funny thing is; when I talk to him about classes at the gym and the guys that are in there he says they're smart and in there for "the view" :blushing: . I try to tell him, it's really not pretty, but he's a freak. :love:
  • Sublimely_Self_Righteousreused
    Sublimely_Self_Righteousreused Posts: 935 Member
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    I can be a spaz at the gym without a care, but feel like a twit working out in front of anyone at home.

    ^^ This!


    Plus my kids will jump on me when I try working out at home. I either do the workout at 4AM when everyone's still in bed, or at 8:00 when the kids are asleep. Those are really the only two times of day I can anyways.
  • afwg1979
    afwg1979 Posts: 170 Member
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    I get the same way...I hated running in front of people, so I choose to run in the dark, but lately I have been running on busier streets and I know I cant avoid people so I've just kinda gotten over it...lol...But I do always tend to choose a time at the gym when I know less people are there...

    I wanted to let you know this: When I see people out for their walk, their jog, their run, their bike ride, playing tennis -- I have nothing but admiration because THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING POSITIVE -- and I wish I were right there by their side! So the next time you are out there, doing your thing, and a car passes, remember what I said: You are fabulous!
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
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    I know where you're coming from but, it's all about knowing you can do it no matter who's watching. I was doing p90x at my sister's place when my nieces and nephews came downstairs. They asked me what I was doing and told them. Then I challenged them to do it with me.

    2 fell out and one finished it with me. Now when they come over I pop in a workout dvd and my nephew will do it by himself with everybody watching. He doesn't care who's watching and neither do I.

    Get over the fear of people seeing you workout. It's not a big deal!
  • JDRBT
    JDRBT Posts: 264 Member
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    I used to feel this way when I worked out at home. I used to feel the same "social anxiety" embarasment when I'd go out to eat with people and I knew that ordering a salad would be better for me than whatever they were eating, but I didn't want to be the "odd man out". Because that's what is really going on - you're the one working out so you're the one that is "different" in the relationship. - but then I changed my perspective.

    See if this can help you:

    I broke it down in a "big picture" kind of way, rather than focusing on the microcosim of the moment. -
    Questions: "What am I doing?"
    Answer: "Making a decision to help reach my goals and take care of myself."
    Question: 'Why does that embarrass me?"
    Answer: "Because I let myself get to this place in the first place so I "have to" do this."
    Question: "Nobody is forcing you to do these. Why does anything I do to take care of myself embarrass me?"
    Answer: "Because they (friends, family) aren't making the same decisions, so I'm afraid they'll think less of me, laugh at me, etc."
    Question: "Why would ANYONE who loves you NOT support you in taking better care of yourself?"
    Answer: "They wouldn't."
    Question: "So if someone that loves you is with you while you're making decisions that IMPROVE your life, what would they think of it?
    Answer: "They'd probably support me, join me, or be inspired by me."
    Question: "Can you control what other people think and do?"
    Answer: :"No. But I can show those I love the path to wellness by example."

    Kinda gave me incentive to "do the right thing" for my health no matter the company. And those that can't support me, don't matter. ;)

    In short -living in shame got me here to begin with. I have to break those thought patterns to break the old habits. (Otherwise it all comes right back.) So while you're kicking butt, kick "stinkin' thinkin'" in the butt too! :)
  • JT1090
    JT1090 Posts: 79 Member
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    I'm the same way! I would kick my husband out of the bedroom and lock the door while I did Yoga or Insanity (back when I weighed much less). I can't stand for him to see me sweat and jiggle around. I also refuse to join a gym until I lost 25 more pounds. Again I don't want peopl seeing me struggle and turn beat red. I'm way too self concious :grumble:
  • tam120
    tam120 Posts: 444 Member
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    Plus my kids will jump on me when I try working out at home. I either do the workout at 4AM when everyone's still in bed, or at 8:00 when the kids are asleep. Those are really the only two times of day I can anyways.

    My dogs... I'm trying to do push-ups, one is trying to lick my face and the other is scooching under me.
  • JDRBT
    JDRBT Posts: 264 Member
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    And if I see someone struggling through a workout who is heavier than me, I am even MORE inspired, because I know how much it must hurt, but how well they are doing through it! :)
  • Pocket_Pixi
    Pocket_Pixi Posts: 1,167 Member
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    I'm working up the courage to go to a Zumba class and look like a total *kitten* and not care . . . I'm totally uncoordinated. I can't even do line dancing!

    I used to workout in the "ladies only" section of our gym, but after losing 25 pounds, I ventured into the coed section. I'm glad I did because the equipment is tons better! (I used to think that only the "fit" people worked out in the coed section; was I way wrong!)

    I keep reading about 30DS but am clueless . . . from what I've read, I don't have the stamina for it, yet.

    I am one of the most uncoordinated people on the plant (no jokes), the first time I went to a Zumba class I was really worried because I had watched the videos on line and had heard friends talking about it. I went, I sucked but I went, I now have my best friend coming with me. Neither of us are good dancers but we do have a lot of fun, and a whole lot of laughs at ourselves. The key is to go in with a good sense of humor. If you are really worried about it you can find a Zumba Gold class thats for beginners and older people so it is slower paced and there is a bit more instruction from the instructors.

    30DS - oh god no stamina over here, I yelled at Jillian the first time I did it, and by the end I cried but by the 5th day I was starting to feel way better, and wasn't crying - I did still yell at Jillian though lol.

    My Gym is co-ed and mainly male occupied (unless you go to a fitness class), the first time I went in I was so freaked out by all the men, a friend of my brothers was working out and he came up and told me to not pay attention and to do the work out he had set up for me, I did and at the end of my work out it turned out I was lifting more than the guys that had originally intimidated me lol. I am really OK with working out in front of total strangers, but so not OK about working out in front of my family.
  • afwg1979
    afwg1979 Posts: 170 Member
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    Tue 12/20/11 03:13 PMQUOTE:

    I can be a spaz at the gym without a care, but feel like a twit working out in front of anyone at home.




    ^^ This!


    Plus my kids will jump on me when I try working out at home. I either do the workout at 4AM when everyone's still in bed, or at 8:00 when the kids are asleep. Those are really the only two times of day I can anyways.

    _______________________________________________________________

    My dog jumps on me when I do floor exercises. I prefer the gym where wimping out is not an option.
  • tam120
    tam120 Posts: 444 Member
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    I wanted to let you know this: When I see people out for their walk, their jog, their run, their bike ride, playing tennis -- I have nothing but admiration because THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING POSITIVE -- and I wish I were right there by their side! So the next time you are out there, doing your thing, and a car passes, remember what I said: You are fabulous!

    me too, I'm thinking... good for you or I'm jealous because I wanna be running out in the beautiful weather but I'm stuck in this... car, office, house...
  • azeria
    azeria Posts: 535 Member
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    I also can not exercise with anyone around. I used to get up really early in the morning, so I could exercise when my fiance was sleeping... now I can do it at night and he knows not to come in the basement where I do my exercises... there were a couple of times that I've started doing it in front of him, but that's still a work in progress.

    I would love to find a way to get him to exercise with me... If only there was a way to do that!

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