Skinny ppl at the gym
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ps: I go to an all-women's gym where "respectful" attire is mandatory...sleeves are a must!0
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I hope you don't mind if I present a little different side to this....:flowerforyou:
At my tiny, small town YMCA, I AM the skinny girl. At the time of day I go in, there just aren't any other ladies my age that train to the extent that I do. It makes me stand out. And being a somewhat shy person, I don't like standing out.
It is really hurtful when I see the disgusted looks that get thrown my way. The feelings the OP shared....let me say that those feelings are NOT hidden, and we "skinny girls" notice and feel them. And it is hurtful. Because we have sweated blood to get what we have, and most of us would be more than happy to encourage and share information....if you would give us a chance. But most of the time, my smiles don't even get returned.
I don't say this to sound defensive at all, but rather to say that for me, personally, I go to the gym to work on MY body. When I see less fit individuals in there, I am silently CHEERING for them, because I think ANYONE who gets out of bed and makes an effort to better themselves deserves a round of applause. That's just my two cents worth.
Awesome post Allie!!
I'm not a huge muscular guy, but I am in pretty decent shape these days. Now that I bought my first pair of tri shorts, I will be wearing them when I go swim. They are tight and fitted but I wear them for ME because I need to practice in the equipment I will be wearing on race day. When I ride the bike at the gym on nasty days, I wear bike shorts that are also tight and again, it's for ME. I know I will be on the bike for an hour minimum and, without my bike shorts, my *kitten* would HURT!!
For people who don't like the "skinny people" at the gym, you are entitled to your opinion. However, many of those people worked their tails off to get their results and don't deserve to be shot dirty looks for being in shape any more than someone deserves a dirty look for being overweight. That actually seems pretty hypocritical to me.
I'm with Allie; I support and encourage everyone who is at the gym as they are all making good choices to live a healthy life and improve themselves. I hope that everyone can learn to do the same.
Allie - possibly the best reply I have ever seen here on MFP. Thank you! And I might just have to Friend Request you!
Also a nice follow up. I'm also a fairly small guy but have worked VERY hard to get in shape and add a little muscle. I do 3 spin classes a week and wear tight bike shorts for that. Plus that room gets SO hot that I usually wear a sleeveless shirt. When I go back out to 'the floor' to finish up with a little core, stretching or a quick mile run I used to feel a bit wierd about my outfit but I got over it. I'm there for me. I agree there are exceptions, but most of those skinny people work hard to be that way and should be motivational.0 -
I hope you don't mind if I present a little different side to this....:flowerforyou:
At my tiny, small town YMCA, I AM the skinny girl. At the time of day I go in, there just aren't any other ladies my age that train to the extent that I do. It makes me stand out. And being a somewhat shy person, I don't like standing out.
It is really hurtful when I see the disgusted looks that get thrown my way. The feelings the OP shared....let me say that those feelings are NOT hidden, and we "skinny girls" notice and feel them. And it is hurtful. Because we have sweated blood to get what we have, and most of us would be more than happy to encourage and share information....if you would give us a chance. But most of the time, my smiles don't even get returned.
I don't say this to sound defensive at all, but rather to say that for me, personally, I go to the gym to work on MY body. When I see less fit individuals in there, I am silently CHEERING for them, because I think ANYONE who gets out of bed and makes an effort to better themselves deserves a round of applause. That's just my two cents worth.
So well said - cheers to you!!! :flowerforyou:
I'm the fat girl at the gym, and it doesn't bother me at all. In fact, it's kind of inspiring. One time at the gym I saw this girl running hard on the treadmill in a spandex sports bra and shorts. With every step she took you could see every muscle in her body contract - I couldn't stop watching her (like a total creeper). She looked like a gazelle, it was so...beautiful. I thought, someday I'm going to look like her when I run...not a jiggly, gasping fool. :laugh: And you better believe, after years of battling my weight and working my @$$ off to finally get to the point where I want to be, I'm going to be showing the whole world what a hot body I have. :drinker: Some day I'm going to be old and wrinkly and everything hanging to my knees so I'm going to flaunt it while I got it, girlfriend!
Conversely, if I see a larger person on the treadmill walking, all I can think is how amazing they are for trying to change their lifestyle. I am with Allie - I'm celebrating them. It must take everything in them to come there and overcome fears that they may be judged or people will stare. I know, because I am that person at times. And I just want to high five them - yes, one more day closer to victory. Go US!
Basically it comes down to judging others based on their appearance. It's not right. I urge you to look inside yourself, who are you really uncomfortable with? I used to spend a lot of time always worried about what people thought about me and in the end, what does it matter? I know who I am. I am a strong, beautiful woman with a big heart. I don't need others approval to make me feel better about myself. And once I discovered this, I became a much happier person.
I challenge you to see those people in a different light. In your mind, cheer them on and praise them for getting to a point that you hope to be someday. Try putting that good karma out there and watch it come back to you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSDZCK3PKKw&feature=related
"Be the person you wish to see in the world" -Ghandi
*edited because I can't figure out how to get the blasted link to work. #@$^!0 -
I'm with you. As much as I enjoy my workouts, I still get that pang of jelousy and discouragement when I see the cellulite free bleach blondes with perfect everything at the gym! However, I know that I still look better than some of the other people at the gym and smile to myself.
But you shouldn't be judging anyone! It really shouldn't be about scales or who looks hotter than who... I just find that ridiculous! I know I don't go to the gym to see who's skinnier and who isn't than me... I go because I want to tone my body and feel better about myself, but I do that by working my socks (and *kitten*) off, not by validating my own insecurities by projecting them on to someone else.
Bump.0 -
To be honest I never notice other people at the gym lol! Big or small doesn't matter because gym
time is me time and I'm only focusing on myself !!! Put on my music and zone in on my workout!0 -
I don't workout at a gym but I do Taekwondo in a building with many windows on a busy street corner in my town. We wear uniforms so there are no hot people showing off body parts but we are on display. At first it was a little intimidating to think of working out where everyone can see me but now I don't care. I'm in there sweating and working hard and if the people on the other side of the window think I'm ridiculous, well I really don't need their affirmation!
Besides, I have a wicked roundhouse so I doubt they'll say anything to me. :devil: Maybe they'll even decide that if a middle aged, overweight woman can do it maybe they can too.0 -
Here is the thing...there are silly people of all shapes and sizes at the gym. There is a woman in one fitness room I use that takes up one of the two treadmills, reads a book and walks very slowly. She walks faster to the locker room and her car an probably burns more calories in her very elloborate bag packing routine than she does o te treadmill. When I am using tat particular room it is because I am seriously strapped for time and the weather stinks so I am hoping to squeeze in an intense running workout...get the most bang for my buck...The notion that this woman wasting time is keeping me from my treadmill but that is only a fleeting moment as it only takes a second for me to rejoice that she is trying to do a good thing for herself. I don't know why she does the workout the way she does.
There are tons of reasons why she may work out that way. Maybe she really likes to walk and doesn't live in such a nice neighborhood. Maybe she used to run marathons and now has bad knees and/or ankles. There is no way to know and it's actually quite astonishing to me reading the replies in this thread judging skinny people. Most people here are trying to become that skinny person and when you judge skinny people for being skinny you are "attacking" someone for having reached goals that you are trying to reach. It just doesn't make any sense.I know how you feel about losing "friends" over weight loss. I have a friend, supposedly one of my best friends, that doesn't want to hear about how I am trying to get healthy. She is jealous because I will be "skinny" and she won't. Instead of being proud of me or even joining me, she just doesn't want me to talk about it in front of her or to her. It's really sad because I thought she was someone I could tell anything too and she has always been so supportive of other things I have done in my life. It really brought me down at first but I just have to realize that it is her problem not mine and I have other real friends that are there for me that I can talk to...and MFP
I am an honest person and try to be, but sometimes my responses come off as "rude" to the people that don't know me. However, that is never my intent. So with that disclaimer, I really don't like it when people talk to me about what they ate that day or what kind of exercise they did. Unless in a forum type thing like this one, or the topic of the conversation I am having with someone is particularly related to diet/weight loss/exercise, I can't stand it when people tell me about what they've ate, and I will tell them so. I realize that you want your friend to be supportive, and hopefully she is supportive and rooting for you. But just because she doesn't want to talk about it in conversation doesn't mean she is a bad friend.0 -
I don't workout at a gym but I do Taekwondo in a building with many windows on a busy street corner in my town. We wear uniforms so there are no hot people showing off body parts but we are on display. At first it was a little intimidating to think of working out where everyone can see me but now I don't care. I'm in there sweating and working hard and if the people on the other side of the window think I'm ridiculous, well I really don't need their affirmation!
Besides, I have a wicked roundhouse so I doubt they'll say anything to me. :devil: Maybe they'll even decide that if a middle aged, overweight woman can do it maybe they can too.
Nice!0 -
To be honest I never notice other people at the gym lol! Big or small doesn't matter because gym
time is me time and I'm only focusing on myself !!! Put on my music and zone in on my workout!
Lol, I was lifting yesterday and one of my friends walked in and was standing right in front of me, apparently for almost the entire set. I did not notice him at all. Usually I am pretty observant, but I did think it was kind of funny that for that bit of time I just entered my own little world. I major in cognitive psychology and biology so instance was pretty interesting to me. I've read studies about this happening, but it's a lot different when it actually happens to you. 0 -
I used to feel intimidated as well by those people, but I used it as a motivator to make myself better when I was out of shape. Its the same concept of a skinny person saying an overweight person shouldn't be able to wear a tight dress. I feel that everyone has the right to wear what they want. Look at it in a positive way and let it motivate you to get (or stay) fit I personally wear a shirt at the gym but I don't knock the girls and guys that like to show what they have earned off 0
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This is RIDICULOUS.
They're probably thin for a very good reason. Heck, I bet some of you would wear the tighter variety of gym gear if you had a new found body to be proud of. Isn't that the goal for most people here? To lose weight and feel good about themselves? Why not just be proud of what other people have achieved and instead of feeling intimidated, let it push you harder and spur you on.
I really don't get the mentality of some people. That's like someone saying they go down to the gym to keep in shape and the last thing they need is overweight people taking up the exercise equipment.0 -
The last two days I've been working out at a Gold's Gym (first time) and I'm fairly certain that it's more about a fashion show for some people in there. Who in the heck needs to wear a fitted baseball cap, cocked to the side, while running on the treadmill, with no socks, shoes untied and on top of it all...they aren't even running shoes.
I wasn't impressed with this specific Gold's Gym, I'm sure there are nice ones out there. Places like the Hollywood 24 Hour Fitness, some guys go there particularly on their cutting cycles to show their bodies off. When they are bulking they'll work out at other gyms...why? Because everyone knows all the hotties go to Hollywood 24 Hr. Fitness.
What a wold some folks live in.
I go to Planet Fitness and I love it. There's all sorts of people there, from in shape to obese. Everyone just goes and works out and minds their own business. Nobody's trying to show off or judge others. I don't know if all Planet Fitness gyms are like that (I know that's how they market themselves, though), but mine definitely is!0 -
This is RIDICULOUS.
They're probably thin for a very good reason. Heck, I bet some of you would wear the tighter variety of gym gear if you had a new found body to be proud of. Isn't that the goal for most people here? To lose weight and feel good about themselves? Why not just be proud of what other people have achieved and instead of feeling intimidated, let it push you harder and spur you on.
I really don't get the mentality of some people. That's like someone saying they go down to the gym to keep in shape and the last thing they need is overweight people taking up the exercise equipment.
Amen, sister! Totally agree.0 -
Can someone pleeeeeease let me know where these gyms that have hot women wearing nothing but sports bras, thongs and teeny shorts are located? They are not in my gym!
Oh, no. The only view I get subjected to is sweaty, muscular men grunting like over exicted piglets as they deadlift. Hmmm, maybe I should leave the free weights area once in a while....
On a serious note, it's not cool to judge by appearances. Oh, I know sometimes it is hard not to but I think everyone knows on some level that you can tell just about nothing about a person from the way they look.0 -
This is RIDICULOUS.
They're probably thin for a very good reason. Heck, I bet some of you would wear the tighter variety of gym gear if you had a new found body to be proud of. Isn't that the goal for most people here? To lose weight and feel good about themselves? Why not just be proud of what other people have achieved and instead of feeling intimidated, let it push you harder and spur you on.
I really don't get the mentality of some people. That's like someone saying they go down to the gym to keep in shape and the last thing they need is overweight people taking up the exercise equipment.
Amen, sister! Totally agree.
*Brother ;P0 -
This is RIDICULOUS.
They're probably thin for a very good reason. Heck, I bet some of you would wear the tighter variety of gym gear if you had a new found body to be proud of. Isn't that the goal for most people here? To lose weight and feel good about themselves? Why not just be proud of what other people have achieved and instead of feeling intimidated, let it push you harder and spur you on.
I really don't get the mentality of some people. That's like someone saying they go down to the gym to keep in shape and the last thing they need is overweight people taking up the exercise equipment.
Amen, sister! Totally agree.
*Brother ;P
Whoops! My apologies! AMEN, BROTHER. :-)0 -
Theres people of all shapes and sizes at my gym and i never really notice any of them. I just get on with my own thing, and as far as i can tell, noone looks at me either.
In my experience people just want to get on with their own workout. The only times i felt embarrassed were maybe the first two times i went, then i realised noone was looking.;0 -
bump0
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I'm the complete opposite--
if I see larger people working out (in what usually isn't proper workout attire...ahem...pajamas?! Really?)
I want to leave the gym. The thought of them gooping up the machines with their sweat and then NOT wiping down the machines makes me gag.0 -
Fortunately my gym isn't very glossy so its not uncomfortable to be there. And I also go at 6 am every day so I really don't share it with many people. No show-offs at that hour!0
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I'm not the fittest person at my gym, by far. But if and when I get shot looks cause I happen to wear a sleeveless tee or that I'm too skinny to be working out, I love it. It lets me know that I am in shape. That they might be envious. It just motivates me more. Then I see the people with <10% body fat and defined muscles and that motivates me more. I want to get to where the fittest people are and at the same time not dissapoint the ones that think I'm already there. If I'm in the gym, there's no where to go, but up.0
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If anything, I use them as a goal and motivation of what I want. Trust me, I'm one of the biggest people at my gym.0
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Why?
They're living active healthy lifestyles and isn't that the future you.
Instead of discouragement, you should feel motivated to change yourself around and become skinny.
Isn't that what we're here for anyway?
i agree.
i think your post was very rude. i may not be stick thin, but i think of myself as relativly skiny, and i don't like the way you judge skinny people... isn't that what you think "skinny people" are doing to the "fat people" at the gym??? judging them for the way they look. it shouldn't discourage you. you should work harder so you can be that "skiny person" at the gym.0 -
no, because i have no idea what those skinny girls have gone through. maybe they were once as big as i was, or maybe they have had a eating disorder, or maybe they've just been flat out healthy all their life! i dont know their story so im not one to sit back and judge..BUT however, if you walk in looking like a hot mess then i will judge, and look at you crazy *i aint gonna lie* and hell if they're confident enough to work out in a sports bra then more power to em! even if i do get skinny i just dont like the attention it would bring to me.0
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anyone ever feel discouraged by the hot, skinny people at the gym. At my gym girls wear sport bras and spandex to workout. Im like really?!? I hate feeling like that when im supposed to feel motivated
Don't be discouraged! You will be one of them someday!! 0 -
I think it depends on the person. I don't mind the sports bras and tight clothes because it may build up that person's self esteem while working out. If I was fit, I would do the same. It is no different than a beach which is also a public place.
However there is a line that I draw because I have seen women or young girls come in the gym with their butt cheeks hanging out. Not only is that disgusting but it is distracting.0 -
frustrating topic on so many levels0
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I deal with a little of the same problem but mine is about my embarrassing lack of strength. I am the weakest rat in the pack and that is humiliating for an old ex-athlete (college level). Not use to everyone in the gym being stronger...men, women, larger and smaller..... doesn't matter. Coming off of an old injury makes it more difficult but it hard to go and not feel a little intimidated.0
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I'm the complete opposite--
if I see larger people working out (in what usually isn't proper workout attire...ahem...pajamas?! Really?)
I want to leave the gym. The thought of them gooping up the machines with their sweat and then NOT wiping down the machines makes me gag.
[img]http://www.freesmileys.org/custom/image/tongue%5E_%5Earial%5E_%5E0%5E_%5E0%5E_%5ENot Cool!%5E_%5E.gif[/img]0 -
anyone ever feel discouraged by the hot, skinny people at the gym. At my gym girls wear sport bras and spandex to workout. Im like really?!? I hate feeling like that when im supposed to feel motivated
So, when you get that feeling, see if you can change it around. You can replace those negative thoughts with something more positive, like..."I am SO on my way to looking that good"..it just takes some practice. Try it 0
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