i really wanna swim cos its good for you great excersise and all that but when iwas a kid i used to love it. but i got this complex thing about swimming in a public pool. you know the everyone is pointing at me and looking at me feeling. the lets all stare at the fat bloke thing.

does anyone else get that feeling? like when you enter one of those fitness suites? its not a gym one of those places with skinny people in spandex? the kinda place you feel you need to lose weight before you actually go in there? if so how did you deal with it. any suggestions

Do not care what other people think. That is my suggestion. You have just as much right to be there as they do.

Also, you will find when you get there that not everyone is staring at you, the world does not revolve around you as much as you think it does. At least, that is what I found.

Si, I spent too many years just sitting on the side and watching my kids swim. I was the mom sitting on the side, under an umbrella in pants and a T-shirt. When we joined the Y, the younger kids weren't allowed to swim unless I went in with them. It was one thing for me to miss out on the fun, but I wasn't going to let my kids miss out on the fun. I had to just bite the bullet, buy a suit, and go in with them. I was so glad I did!! I had so much fun in the pool and I was so mad at myself for all of the years that I missed out on.

Don't let weight be the thing that keeps you from doing what you want to do. Besides, you've already lost a lot of weight and should be proud of yourself, not embarrassed. Just go for it and have a great time. You'll feel better and be glad that you did.

Go to a pool where no one knows you if it will help, will you ever see these people again? Do what you want to do, for your own health. The **** with everyone else. I think at least you are out trying to exercise and have fun, for any size that is a plus! You go girl!

go girl? go...... GIRL??????? its not the weekend

*rofl* Do you turn into a girl on the weekends?? This I gotta see!!

On the swimming thing.. I echo completely what Mom Goose said.. I couldn't let my kids miss out, so I sucked it up and got a suit - and you know what? I was so busy having so much fun and feeling great I couldn't have cared LESS what anyone thought! Enjoy!!!

I started exercising by swimming....I found it quite traumatic that first time...I cried before I went - I was so scared!! What I have since discovered is that people are so worried about how their own bottoms look that they don't really pay much attention to what everybody else looks like. I have found that this rule pretty much holds true at the pool, as well as the gym. Once you get out there that first time, you will realize that people aren't nearly as judgemental as you think! Hope that you enjoy your swim!

Kris
261-188-155

If I put on a bathing suit no T-sirt ANYONE ELSE CAN! I got a big round belly, chicken legs, and NO ***! The bathing suit is so baggy in my butt region all the water collects there as the low point when I get out and I have to pull up all the loose material and wring it out. Sexy huh! SO think of me and get your sexy butt in the water! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!

Miss Chris

when i was in the bahamas a couple of months i go i went to the beach and swimming (in a T-shirt). I wouldn't worry what everyone thinks, they don't know you!.

I won't make any comments about your weekend inclinations to cross dress.

Yeah same here... If I can get in you can too. I have a big belly, big legs, a REALLY big butt, and big uhh... "flotation devices" to boot. So yeah here I go to the pool and I just hurry up and jump in when no one is looking and then I stay there... hehe... I went swimming once with this guy that I work with... pretty hot.. no REALLY hot... nice body.... and he had to change clothes so I got in before he saw me, and then I was really embarrased to get out in front of him, but I had to.... and guess what??? we're still friends. The pool that I go to is in the apartment complex I live in, so it's people that I will see again because I live with them, and it's not so bad. Just don't care what people think about you, they don't have any right to judge you anyway.

Well, I am drop-dead gorgeous in a swimsuit, so I love to swim!

OK< that's not how I really feel. In addition to the "wow I'm fat and there's nowhere to hide it" feeling, I'm also self-conscious in a swimsuit for other bizarre reasons. My parents believe that men and women co-swimming is evil (unless they are fully dressed). They call it "mixed bathing" (which, is a very funny phrase to me now). So, the first time I wore a suit around boys was when I was in college. It made me feel very naked and vulnerable! I thought all the boys were lusting after my chubby little body!

At any rate, even with all this garbage going 'round in my brain, I swim because it's good for me. Once you get in, no-one can see below your neck for the most part. Stay in the deep end!

You can do it, Si! I hope you get up the nerve - it's really great for you and you don't get hot and sweaty. The perfect exercise!

Good Luck, Si...let me know how you do. I just got back from vacation and I still cant get up the nerve to be seen in a swimsuit! I promised my kids I'm not going to give up til I reach my goal weight, then next summer we'll hit the water parks. I felt awful but I just couldnt do it. They did get to swim some, but hubby went with them, not me. How sad is that?? I know it's ridiculous, but I honestly could not make myself do it. Dont be like me...just do it! The rest of these folks know what they're talking about....I should have read here before vacation.

MIKI

I do friends pools with no problem. Haven't hit the beach, water Parks or Public Pools this year. But if it comes up, I;ll just suck it up and go. I love swimming too much to miss out.