Gym Humiliation

^^^ This. If the gym is how you like to go about it, then you should go for it. :-) If you're really that nervous though, you could try working out at home. I do Zumba and that gives me a pretty good cardio workout. There are a ton of other excercise programs that can be done at home, too. You can find a lot of full length workout videos on YouTube or games for the Kinnect and Wii. Whatever floats your boat. Best of luck to you.

Remember: everyone had to start somewhere.... these people at the gym were most likely.. at one time were either too thin or too fat..

No one starts out awsome.... ^^

go early in the morning or late at night-this way you avoid the people who go just to mess around! this way there's only the people who focus on their workout!

I was really embarrassed about going to a gym also because I didn't want everyone to stare at the fat person. So I started out taking classes and hid in the back- still do lol. When I use the machines I put in my Ipod and feel like the only person up there even though I am not. I guess now I go and don't care what people think because I go to get healthy and lose weight and I feel great when I leave Join a gym it really does it better! Plus I swim but I am still definitely not confident in a swim suit I just wanna hide till I get in the pool but then when I get there I realize there are other heavy people in there doing the same thing I am. Good luck

“You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

No one cares! Go to the gym, get sweaty, and don't worry about anyone except yourself!

Ha, that's a good quote.

You'll probably be amazed at the different shapes and sizes you get in the gym. Like the other posts have suggested everybody is too busy doing their own thing too be noticing any one else. (Most of the vain ones will be too busy looking in the mirrors any way ) if you bite the bullet and keep going regularly it will soon get easier.

as someone that goes to the gym regularly i will tell you... i get upset when someone makes me notice them... most often I could care less about other people on the machine...

and personally i would rather see a fat person exercising then a young pretty girl texting on the bench press...

--ms

There's no reason not to go to the gym. You'll probably start seeing results pretty fast, but I wasn't a gym person, and I started out with walking, which is nice and solitary, if that's your thing :happy:

I echo the sentiments that most people don't actually care. I don't mean that in a cold and impersonal way, but most people really don't concern themselves with other people and are just there to work out like you are. I've always seen all kinds of people of different shapes and sizes at the gym. Good luck!

Really, no one cares. Nearly everyone has their own workout, their own agenda. The few that are judgmental can pound salt. So go get 'em, and focus on your workout. My gym has folks from ultra-buff to hundreds of pounds overweight. We're there for the same reason. Get a decent workout in.

I would not worry about it the more you go the more you will get used to it. If you stick with it you will one day realize you are in fact a gym rat and you do belong. You will smile when you notice a new person and hope they also stick with it. I felt the same as you , I went super early at first to avoid the crowds. I also have my workout preplanned so I don't dilly dally , I get in- and get it done before I have time to panic.

That being said there is a lady at my gym who treadmills walks with one leg, there are many overweight people and many skinny teens I wish I could look like, but the one who inspires me and makes me want to try harder is the lady who was 9 MONTHS pregnant and still jogging on the treadmill every morning.... If that don't make me have no excuses to skip... I don't know what else would!!! My point is we are all different, no matter if we are fat, tall, short, one legged, preggers , or body beautiful. We are all there to be HEALTHY!! Go join - do it for yourself because you love your body.

“You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

No one cares! Go to the gym, get sweaty, and don't worry about anyone except yourself!

I sure wish we had "Like" buttons for posts like this.

I ALWAYS used to feel like this. I've never been greatly overweight, but I've also never been active in my entire life so my stamina and strength are very low. I used to think I could never work out in public, and tried to find programs I could complete at home alone. I wouldn't even work out in front of my (ex) boyfriend or our other room mates.

I'm not sure exactly when the shift happened for me but one day I just thought *kitten* this! No one gets fit without starting somewhere. The people in the gym around you don't really care about you, they're more focused on themselves (much like how you're not judging them, but instead worrying that they're judging you.)

I'd say just go for it! Huff and puff and groan and pant and die and even throw up all you want lol if someone judges you for wanting to better yourself, they're the ones who are in the wrong, not you!

Only for a split second before I remind myself that they're in the gym for the same exact reason I am, and that they suck at being subtle.

With an office job/sitting around all day and having an under active thyroid I can't just eat healthy

This part doesn't have anything to do with joining a gym, and you need to fix it separately from your need for physical activity. You need to learn to set a calorie goal and eat at/under it every day. Working in an office and having an under active thyroid have nothing to do with eating at a calorie goal.