Locker Room Awkwardness

Hi, I'm 20 and the REC Center (gym) at my university is a state of the art gym, so it's usually crowded (no excuses to not go when Uncle Phil flips the bill (Nike)). Anyways, there are a LOT of fit people at the gym at all hours, and the shower scene can get pretty awkward, especially on days when you aren't feeling all that great about your appearance. What I started doing, and this is just what works for me, is pretending like I don't care. Usually when you feel awkward or self conscious, it shows. So I started to focus just on the tasks I was doing (showering, dressing, packing my gym bag up, etc.) and not on the people around me (which included both students and professors). I basically made the decision that I really don't care how old you are or what shape you are in, I don't want to see your bare naked butt. I just want to get out of this locker room and go on with my day. Try focusing on the task at hand and and remember the gym is tone of the few places that you should look like sweaty mess while leaving.

blast some music in the showers

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"????

When I was standing in a military shower with 93 other naked dudes. I realized it's only weird if you're the one looking.

Rigger

I could watch this all day. lol

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.

I bet its awkward for you to go a lot of places.... Since we are EVERYWHERE...

I mean I don't know about anyone else but I only go to the YMCA for their open locker rooms.

There are gay people everywhere? *faints* I am so hot women cannot resist throwing themselves at me, or straight men either, it gets so hard to leave the house sometimes :embarassed: *sarcasm font*

You are only "entertaining" their eyes if you are doing a little dance as you dry off, otherwise get over yourself.

I have seen too many rusty bullet holes during my time at the gym to feel awkward now, what has been seen cannot be unseen

There is a older lady at my gym who is a "naked, one leg on the bench, moisturing" kinda lady. I don't go that far but being naked/changing doesn't bother me too much, as long as my pants are nice..........

In this, and many other circumstances (eg if you feel awkward doing presentations at work) I remember the 'spotlight' principle. Most people go through life believing that there is a spotlight right over their head and everyone is aware of their every move/thought/action etc. However if you remember that everyone else feels like that too, and is far too worried about what -they- are thinking/doing it is easier to switch off your own spotlight.

also, I don't care what other people think of me or my body. My validation doesn't come from them!

I hope my girls (aged 4 and 6) grow up to feel the same way - the fact they both sleep naked, and wander round the house like that happily, is a good start

...
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.
...

How do you know it ain't no thang for them? Don't make assumptions.

Wow, the prudery, not to mention the homophobia! Do the homophobic people *really* suppose that people who are attracted to the same gender 1. Are obsessed with sex all the time in every context, 2. Have no partner preferences and automatically find everyone of the same gender attractive? Do those things apply to you with regard to your gender of choice?

I've never felt that my body was a shameful thing, and changing clothes in a locker room is not sexual. It's absolutely no big deal.

No-one is looking at you naked. No-one cares.

Once you come to that realization, self-consciousness fades.

This

I remember when I joined the gym at my heaviest of 325 pounds. I did water aerobics and used a few of weight machines, bikes and treadmill. Especially after water aerobics there would be a herd of ladies in the locker room trying to get showered and changed. At first I would always wait for a bathroom stall to change until I just decided who cares. It wasn't like everyone was standing looking at me. Everyone was pretty much standing facing their lockers and was busy drying off and changing themselves. They weren't looking at me and even if they were oh well.
Now 140+ pounds lighter with loose and saggy skin, I still don't care. It's just no big deal anymore. I just had to get over myself and then it was all good.