Why do some people at the gym always look the same?

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  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,521 Member
    edited June 2015
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    There's a woman at my gym like this. She's relatively fit, works out everyday, but hasn't changed in appearance in 3 years.

    The other day she was benching and was arguing with her spot about how many reps she had done. Spot said 7, she said 10, I counted 7. I suddenly realized WHY her appearance hasn't changed.
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
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    lisalsd1 wrote: »
    There's a woman at my gym like this. She's relatively fit, works out everyday, but hasn't changed in appearance in 3 years.

    The other day she was benching and was arguing with her spot about how many reps she had done. Spot said 7, she said 10, I counted 7. I suddenly realized WHY her appearance hasn't changed.

    haha!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    andympanda wrote: »
    randomtai wrote: »
    Why do you care?

    Maybe to learn from other people's mistakes.

    so seeing someone of an hour or so a day is going to allow you to know there mistakes the other 23 hours in the day…really?
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
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    Perhaps they are there to maintain their weight? If they didn't go, I would think the change you'd see would be in the other direction (they'd be much larger).

    I've only lost a few pounds since getting back in the gym, so I doubt I look any different. I also only ever run on the treadmill - if you really paid attention, you'd see that I've dropped my 5K time by over a minute. I've gotten a lot faster since my first visit to the gym.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    you can't out train a calorie surplus. There is a lady in my gym who has been going as long as I have which is about a year and a half now and she looks the same, which is overweight. My guess would be that she does not track calories, or maybe she does not care. At the end of the day it is none of my business.

    +1............this is exactly what I've found. I started at my gym in Sept of 2013 and while I've lost a little over 60 lbs and my body has changed dramatically from that and lifting weights, there are several women who started at the same time who haven't really changed a bit. I assume they've gotten stronger but they basically look exactly the same. A few of them ask me what I'm doing and even compliment me, and all I can say is I'm doing what you see me do here 5 days a week and at home I'm eating at a calorie deficit. That's when their eyes start to glaze over......
  • UhOhJess
    UhOhJess Posts: 1 Member
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    Staying the same is a pretty big accomplishment, in my world. :)
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    http://www.leangains.com/2011/09/fuckarounditis.html

    This should answer all of your questions.
  • kerbeya1
    kerbeya1 Posts: 53 Member
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    Thenonlynanswernisnthey put the work in at the gym but don't put the work in where it really matters and that's the kitchen
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    HappyCampr1 wrote: »
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    There appears to be a bit of a misconception that going to the gym means wanting to lose weight. Some people aren't trying to lose weight and don't feel the need to moderate their diet, and achieve fitness goals despite this.

    This. I'm at my goal weight which is borderline normal/overweight BMI (which, in turn, might lead some to think I'm there to lose weight). I've been maintaining for ten months. People who pay attention to me might think I'm wasting my time. What I'm really doing is trying to improve my hip and ankle mobility. I'm rehabbing a hurt meniscus & patellar femoral syndrome. I'm trying to correct muscular imbalances in my legs so I don't reinjure myself. It's been 8 months since I hurt my knee doing step ups with a barbell on my shoulders. People watching me do hip circles, box leg dips and squat-to-stands don't know this and are probably wondering what the heck I'm up to. I know and that's what matters.

    Ha, I hear you. I do "wall pushouts" and a bunch of other silly-looking physio stuff, and then stuff with bands and the cable machine. Pretty sure I'm getting judged, but whatever. (Part of it might also be the ginormous motion control shoes I wear :/Those are embarrassing.)


  • blue_eyes1978
    blue_eyes1978 Posts: 127 Member
    edited June 2015
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    I stopped going to my local gym for 2 reasons
    #1 it was a big social gathering I felt rude telling people I paid good money to go their to get into shape, the lady that was soposta be helping new members learn machines was a gabber. I had to try and learn them on my own, ask other people who knew how to show me , or learn by watching others use them.

    #2 It was a lot of money and I had a hard time finding someone to watch my kids.
    Now I work out in the AM before my kids are out of bed. No drama gossip and the like.

    One evening after working out I seen a girl I used to go to school with in the changing room. I heard her ordering take out on the phone. This was during the evening hours. I am not sure how long she had been going. I have seen her just around Easter and she has lost a lot of weight. I congratulated her on her weigh loss and she told me she had the gastric bypass surgery. I am happy she lost weight I just hope she can maintain it after all she went through. :)

  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
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    Curious to know how many people on this thread will tell the newbies that they shouldn't feel self-conscious in the gym because everyone is too busy concentrating on their own workout to notice them.
  • blobby10
    blobby10 Posts: 357 Member
    edited June 2015
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    I've been going to my gym for 18months and dont think I've changed much, I certainly haven't lost any weight (but I am honest and know that this is because I dont control my eating well enough but I enjoy working out and getting sweaty!). However a few people have commented in the last few months that I've changed shape/slimmed down/increased muscle definition but these people haven't seen me for a few weeks.

    Maybe if youre seeing the same people every day you wont notice a gradual change!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    gotolam wrote: »
    Curious to know how many people on this thread will tell the newbies that they shouldn't feel self-conscious in the gym because everyone is too busy concentrating on their own workout to notice them.

    do I look at the people at the gym, yes.

    Do I give two you know whats as to what they look like or what they are doing, no. The only caveat to this is if people don't follow proper etiquette and invade my space.
  • blue_eyes1978
    blue_eyes1978 Posts: 127 Member
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    gotolam wrote: »
    Curious to know how many people on this thread will tell the newbies that they shouldn't feel self-conscious in the gym because everyone is too busy concentrating on their own workout to notice them.

    I have seen and heard how the locals in my own area talk and see what they say about people who frequent a gym they share their thoughts on facebook, it's not nice new or old gym members it's sad. Our Local gym is clich'e and I didn't like it. I wasn't going their to impress anyone but it seems they were all there to hang out it wasn't for me.

  • thesupremeforce
    thesupremeforce Posts: 1,207 Member
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    I don't think I pay close enough attention to what other people are doing at the gym to notice whether or not their bodies have undergone change over the course of a the year. I guess if one of the regulars made HUGE changes, I'd notice, but otherwise, I have no idea what's going on under their shirts (nor their pants).
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    thesupremeforce wrote: »
    I don't think I pay close enough attention to what other people are doing at the gym to notice whether or not their bodies have undergone change over the course of a the year. I guess if one of the regulars made HUGE changes, I'd notice, but otherwise, I have no idea what's going on under their shirts (nor their pants).

    I was reading this thread last night and couldn't post at the time but what I've bolded is what I was thinking about. At this point, all of my physique changes are happening in places that the general public is not going to see--under my clothes. I'm guessing that if I saw somebody in the gym in December and then just saw them again today they might think that I look the same now as I did then but I really do not.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    3laine75 wrote: »
    Maybe they have fitness goals, not aesthetic ones?


    Nailed it on the first response.


    I don't look much different. A little, but not much. That said, I had one of the regulars (a guy I've had spot me on bench a couple of times) come up to me a few weeks back and ask me about my programming, because he noticed that I've put quite a bit on my lifts over the last year or so. I train for strength - not aesthetics. Apparently, my time in the gym hasn't been wasted. Also, I wear shorts and a t-shirt - so it's not going to be obvious, if my body changes a little.
  • hstull82
    hstull82 Posts: 116 Member
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    Haha. Ya I've thought the same thing...I've also been that woman at times. It wasn't until I got very serious about my food choices....being very HONEST with myself. I'm happy to report that not until I got serious about tracking honest food choices here on mfp did I start making noticeable changes that have resulted in nearly 30 pound loss...people are starting to make comments now.
  • sarahlifts
    sarahlifts Posts: 610 Member
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    gotolam wrote: »
    Curious to know how many people on this thread will tell the newbies that they shouldn't feel self-conscious in the gym because everyone is too busy concentrating on their own workout to notice them.
    Does not compute.

    If someone is new....how would one notice a trend in weight loss?

    Day in and day out over long periods of time you notice the ppl who are there all the time...you notice if they have lost remained the same or gained.

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