[PrcStar17]

Ahh gone are the days where I thought "Oh my goodness I am TOO big to be at that gym..." I HATE being around people who used to make fun of me and give me dirty looks but it's hard to avoid them in the size of my town... one gym... 7 days a week and right beside the schools? Ouch... But I've come up with ways to beat the whole "Oh I feel so stupid here" thoughts.

Whenever I see someone I used to think was nice (but I found out they aren't all that nice) I realize... "hey wait a minute... they came in the gym at the same time I did and... they're leaving already!?" I'm not a big fan of switching machines while you're working out. I know lots of people weight train like this but I've never caught on... it never felt good for me, like I wasn't even doing anything. I stay at the gym for a good 2 hours and if "skinny" people come in and do 20 things in 20 minutes I think "Wow... did they even feel that?" It just makes me think I have so much more willpower and motivation than they do... like they're going just to say they go.

Also, I listen to music at the gym and one time, I couldn't help but laugh. Someone I didn't particularly like was in there with his friends and I saw him lay down on the bench in front of me... well, after that I couldn't see him because the treadmill panel is in the way... but all of a sudden his friends started laughing and grabbed the barbell and lifted it. Now, I didn't know what happened because I wasn't listening or anything but my mind ran away with it and I started to laugh. I didn't mean to because it was mean... but just couldn't help it. Needless to say, that made my day at the gym. Laughing made me feel good. (Though laughing at someone else isn't right... I know, I know...)

Sometimes I ask my friends to go to the gym with me because they all complain about their weight. Well, I try my best to motivate them into going but the one time I did get 2 of them to come with me... they stood there for 5 minutes and left! They went swimming. I felt like screaming at them at that point because they were excited all week not being able to wait until we could all get together at the gym... then they just left. Swimming is cool and all but we had plans!!! I turned my frustration into a great day at the gym though. I do that a lot. If I have a bad day or I'm angry, I get it all out at the gym and don't leave until I'm too tired to care about it. It just makes me feel really good about myself that I can stop things like that from getting to me and benefit myself rather than hurt myself by eating or sleeping all day.

I know some of that post made me sound like a bad person but I'm really not... I have frustrated days but they're the best for me believe it or not. I can make up things in my head to make me laugh or work out so much I feel good instead of bad.

Anyone have anything they do at the gym to stay motivated? Come on... confess any secret thoughts, like giggling in your head about someone you see at the gym, the funny noises they make, or even when you see someone else who's working as hard as you and you feel like you have a buddy who can say, "I may be big but I'm at the gym, aren't I?"