I had the same experience on Monday. It was my first day, and I walked into the weight room and it was all these men looking at me like I don't belong there. Made me feel awkward.

Don't give up! I decided I"m going to go back there and not let them intimidate me! In the end none of those people will be there to share in our victory or failures, it's up to us. We can do it! We just have to keep going and not care what others think!
I'm sorry you had a bad experience, I hope it gets better!

the more often you go, the stronger you will get. the stronger you get, the more confident you will be. At my gym, everyone is super nice and helpful...looks can be deceiving!

Geez! You all have active imaginations. I don't think the guys in the weight room have the intention of intimidating anyone. No one enjoys a crowded weight room, but every guy I have ever encountered in the free weight area (except one scrawny a-hole one time) have been courteous, or at least not discourteous.

People in the free weight area are focused on their own workouts and generally keep to themselves and lift heavy things. Sometimes they rest in between lifting heavy things and they gaze off into space while trying to catch their breath and get ready for the next lift. While you shouldn't expect everyone to stop what they're doing and welcome you with a hug, I also doubt that anyone was deliberately trying to intimidate you and get you to leave the weight room.

I know that I am to a point where I know most of the regulars in my weight room. Lifters are not chatty or social, but are generally nice and helpful if need be. I focus on getting the very most out of my workout every time I'm at the gym. The only thing I care about (and I'd guess this is true for the guys, too) is that you not be rude and you not interfere with my workout.

Walk in there and claim your space! If you show up on a regular basis, you will eventually be a regular and feel comfortable.

I do lunch-time work-outs because the gym is less crowded.

I don't think it's always about "intimidation" - I'm just not that comfy in crowds, and I HATE waiting for equipment!

Go get your work-out in, however you can - it's IMPORTANT!

My first experience with the free weight section was awesome. I asked one guy where the squat bar was and another helped me by setting up the squat rack for me. It has been my experience the guys are more than willing to help before they even think about passing judgement.

This is a current source of anxiety for me as well. I haven't done my first workout yet. I'm not done reading through the book yet and don't plan on starting until I do, but I'm already nervous about it.
My gym has a high percentage of homeland security, secret service, other law inforcement types in it. I know in my head they aren't going to care that I've stepped off the treadmill and I'm going to be joining them in the weight corner but I feel like my incompetence is just going to become a burden to them. They are going to try to keep me from hurting myself and it will keep them from doing their own thing. My gym is a little less anonymous than most since it is an office building so people do have a little more interaction with each other than at most of the gyms I've been to in the past.
I was thinking that it might help if I set up an appointment with one of the trainers first to go over all the excercises so that when I walk in the first time I'm not asking the guys which thing is the squat rack.

Glad you are sticking with it. I have let intimidation run me out of the gym numerous times. Actually as I was reading the OP it sounded exactly what I did a few weeks ago. I went in the gym in the afternoon, looked around and just could not bring myself to start. Walked around for five minutes trying to get up the nerve, then just went and got on the eliptical. I kicked myself all night that night.

I have been going at lunch now, which is better. I think I have it figured out though - I need to remember that no one there is in competition with me so why would they be sizing me up? Women included. The other day there was a woman in there that I was pretty jealous of and was getting that, "I am about to bail" feeling. Just in time for the woman to tell me that she just had surgery on her wrist and she's not sure about the size of the weights she's about to use. She was worried about what I thought! Guess that's kind of an NSV too?

I am seeing changes, but not quite as much as I had hoped. I haven't lost any inches in about a month. I feel great, but I am getting a little down. I'll keep it up though, I know that it will work - it can only work. Maybe not in the time I had prescribed in my head, but soon enough.

I did try to change my diet and stick to the 40-30-30 thing a little tighter and I think that backfired bad (I ended up all over the place and overeating). It was stressing me out to try and make it all work - too much thought and I already have to make too many decisions everyday. I've backed off that & just gone back to calories in & out with the goal of getting at least 1/2 of my body weight in protein. That was working before & we much less stressful for me. One thing at a time.