Gym Fear

Does anyone else have a fear of joining a gym? I don't want to be mocked because of my size and lack of coordination. I have been doing exercise videos at home but would love to add strength training and machines. Does anyone know out of all the big name gyms if one is better than the other? I live in the Omaha area and there is an array of gyms to choose from, I just don't know how to pick one and how to get past this fear that everyone will be making fun of the "fat girl" at the gym.

Thanks for any advice.

I did... I was sad and ashamed about the way I looked. I had a lot of anxiety and fear about going in and looking stupid.
BUT I did it...I faced my fear, told it to (blank off) and went...

Every time it got a little easier...you can do this
Feel free to look in my pics...there are some before pics from a year and half ago

I recommend strength training.
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs

Everyone's busy doing there own thing at the gym. so trust me when I tell you that no one will even notice that you are there. Good luck to you

Personally, when I see people at the gym who you might call the "fat girl", I feel admiration for them. I know how difficult it can be to commit to exercising, so anyone who does it deserves a little admiration. But it's more challenging for people who are more overweight simply because they're carrying more weight on their bodies than an average-weight person.

So, think of that when you hit that gym! Sure, there are going to be a couple of shallow people who have negative opinion of you, but those aren't the types of people you'd want anything to do with. For the most part, people working out at the gym are doing so because they're trying to improve themselves and they'll think positively of you for doing the same!

You gotta start somewhere! People are going to look at you and think you're there to get healthy, that you're making a change, that you're doing something great for yourself! The serious gym goers aren't even going to notice you.

Don't overthink this. Pick the closest one to your house that you can afford. And then go. No one is going to mock you for your weight. Just go work out.

This. The hardest part is just getting there.

I'm a big girl that goes to the gym 4-5 times a week (5'9, 275, looking to lose 100 lbs). I work my butt off in there. I sweat like a pig and do strength training and interval cardio.

When I first started going I would get headaches just from doing the elliptical. Now I push myself harder and harder, and get my heart rate up higher than ever before - with no headaches. I've already made my heart healthier.

All the employees know me by name. A lot of the members too. Everyone knows I'm in there to better my health in 2013 and they're all proud of me. I'm not always the biggest person in the gym, but frequently I am. No one says anything but encouragement.

Heck - I went in yesterday in my work clothes (I usually change into my workout gear before I get to the gym) and everyone was telling me how beautiful I look in "non-gym" clothes.

Tour the gyms which are closest to your work or home (the ones you're most likely to go to) and see which feels the best. When you pick one to join, get to know the employees as well as the other members who go at the same time that you do. No one will judge you for anything other than something positive. They will see that you are there for your health, and they will admire you for it. Trust me on this, as I really am the big girl at the gym.

I was terrified when I first started going for the same reasons you are. Once there I realized no one even looked twice at me. They were all there for the same reason I was, to get healthy. I know how hard it can be to try something because you are afraid your size will make you stand out, but most people I have talked to are in awe of you doing what you are doing to make a better you.
You can do it girl!

A few other thoughts:

1) Different gyms have different vibes, so you need to find one that feels right for you. Maybe just visit a few gyms for a tour just to familiarize yourself with the different options.
2) Is there an all female gym like curves in your area? That might be less intimidating for you.
3) You can absolutely get a good work out at home with free weights and DVDs. Don't let your fear of the gym hold you back from incorporating some strength training at home.

Good luck!

Don't your gyms do a free try out, ask a friend or relative to go with you and see if they make you feel comfortable or not. Never ever feel embarrassed to go to the gym. When I see a bigger person in the gym I think how great it is to see them working out... And think - crikey they are running fast!!!!!

After all - anyone can sit in the house doing nothing!
And...
To be fair, all the ones with perfect mascara and skinny bodies make me laugh - they usually stand around chatting looking in the mirror at themselves, too self centred to care about anyone else... (and they never ever sweat!!! I mean it's a gym!!)
The muscle builders are so focussed on their exercise regime, they are not interested in anyone else.
The rest of us are there with a nice smile, an encouraging chat and the need for our own encouragement!

SO DO IT! Join that gym and meet new friends like me!

Everyone has to be a beginner at some point.... so no matter what fitness level they are presently at, they all had to walk into that gym for the first time too!!! Don't let that stop you ~ chances are that everyone in that gym is focused on what they are doing, NOT what you are doing. Just bite the bullet and get started - YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Does anyone else have a fear of joining a gym? I don't want to be mocked because of my size and lack of coordination. I have been doing exercise videos at home but would love to add strength training and machines. Does anyone know out of all the big name gyms if one is better than the other? I live in the Omaha area and there is an array of gyms to choose from, I just don't know how to pick one and how to get past this fear that everyone will be making fun of the "fat girl" at the gym.

Thanks for any advice.

I work in a gym.....you need to find the gym where you feel comfortable....I guarantee you that MOST people that look at you when you walk into a gym are NOT thinking look at the fat girl...they (if they are true gym rats) are thinking, YOU GO GIRL!!! YOU ROCK FOR TAKING THAT 1st STEP because we KNOW how hard that step can be!!!....THAT is what they are thinking...and in REALITY...who CARES what they think (telling myself this!!!) It is hard WORKING in a gym and being the biggest one here, but I am working on ME and the support you will get if you stick with it is AMAZING!!!!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

When I first started working with my trainer, I was out of shape with a back injury. I was hard on myself because I couldn't do the exercises and thought I looked silly. He grabbed me by the shoulders, looked me right in the eye and said, "But you're here."

It's been a few months now, and all those "strong, fit" people who used to intimidate me at the gym say hi to me now. I became one of them just by showing up and taking care of my body.

You're at the gym to take care of yourself. Not to impress others.

Surprisingly no. And I joined at 390 lbs. Doubly surprising because I am not very comfortable in public situations. I wanted it and want going to let anyone stop me (even myself). Once I got there and realized everyone is focused in their workout and not everyone elder I was 100% fine. I love the gym; I'm there 6 days a week, twice a day sometimes. My comfort there is nothing short of a miracle. Please don't let your fear keep you from doing what you want to do. Go for it!

You need to read this.

Hey, Fat Girl!

Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.

You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.

You are awesome.

If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others.

You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible.

You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again.

You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration.

I bow to you.

From: http://flintland.blogspot.com/2012/05/hey-fat-girl.html?m=1

This is on my inspiration board.