I confess. I am also a gym starer. But, I'm a people watcher by nature. I usually make up stories about them- always good. I use it as motivation. I try not to be obvious about it though!

For me, I'm just enamored with "non-gym" people. People that are in there busting booty that don't look like Barbie or Ken. We have a senior gentleman that works out at my gym, oxygen tank and all! I think he could kick my butt, and it's sometimes hard for me to look away from him because I admire what he is doing so much. I love when I see women my mom's age in the gym, because I picture them leaving PTA meetings behind and taking time for themselves. I try not to stare, but sometimes I just can't help it. The truth is, I am just impressed by every single person that gets in there and does their thing. Watching them motivates and inspires me.

Ha - I make up stories about the other folks at the gym too! It keeps my mind busy!

So do I!!!! Hahaha!

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I laughed outloud at this. I have seen those girls... the ones who are wearing perfectly coordinating everything with the makeup and the hair done, and they sit on the bike and read "Galmour" and talk on their cell phones. They leave after a half hour and their hair is still in perfect fashion and there isn't a drop of sweat on their face. Makes me laugh... I am in mismatched clothes with my hair plastered to my face with sweat and I'm beet red and soaking wet... makes me feel real pretty, lol.

I am sure the woman wasn't staring at you and thinking bad things. She was probably just staring off into space... I do it all the time... especially at the big muscle guys, lol. My eyes just kinda navagate towards them.

Me three!

I am a people watcher... sometimes i don't realize what i am doing could be interpreted as rude!

Also, i am a zoner-outer. I can be "staring" at someone and not looking at them at all. In fact i got caught in that tonite at the gym. This girl gave me a funny look over in the circuit training area... i realized i had zoned out looking at a machine over there while i was on the elliptical.. and in the meantime she had gotten on the machine. LoL.

Ditto!

I am really nearsighted and wear glasses. I always wear a head band to keep sweat from dripping on my face and glasses coming off, but sometimes I forget it, so I take off my glasses. I see absolutely nothing but after all, I don't need to see anything while doing the elliptical (treadmill, now, I don't try that in these situations!) I could be looking right at you and have no idea what I was looking at, since I can't see it!

I agree with the earlier messages, most people are so busy thinking about themselves they have no time to think about others. The gym has been my best friend in losing weight. Good luck to you!

Reading these posts almost makes me paranoid of looking at people at the gym... The other day I smiled at a girl that was bigger than me, and I thought, good grief will she think that I am "laughing" at her because I smiled, or "felt sorry" for her because I smiled... I often look at the ground and don't even make eye contact anymore, and people probably think I'm a snob...I can't win, damned if I do, damned if I don't ...

I had another thought (and I guess I thought the world would be better for it? Anyway...)

I am guilty of this situation. I am not good at recognizing people and if they leave their familiar contexts, forget it (like for instance my dental hygenist at the grocery store). People can be thinking (I have thought) - she looks familiar. Am I supposed to know her? Where from? Kid's school? Doctor's office receptionist? Did I go to school with her? I don't want to be rude and ignore her, but, I'm not sure if that's her or someone who looks like her? Plus I can't remember her name? Esp. if she says hello, then what? Do I pretend? Agggghhh!

So I'm staring desperately at someone and this is going through my mind as I frantically search my memory. Never thinking the other person sees me looking...

I am sooo soooo guilty, GUILTY of not recognizing people out of familiar context .... Expecially gym people I see regularly and then I don't know them from Adam when I see them dressed in street clothes... I feel like such a loser when I do this, the worse is when they seem to know me soooo well , I feel sooo badly...

That's so funny! I get the same thing at the rink. Someone will come in that hasn't been in for a few months, and they're like, "Cheryl!" and I am just having NO clue who they are, so I cover with something lame, "Oh, wow! How are YOU? It's been...well, too long!" Then I go sneaking off to see if anybody else remembers this person's name and who they are, before they figure out I don't know them from Adam!

LOL I kinda went through this the other day. I could've swore I KNEW this guy from somewhere. I stared at him repeatedly. He'd look over and I was like a deer caught in the headlights and would quickly look away. I felt like he caught me quite a few times looking at him. Finally I just couldn't take it anymore and had to go grill him and explain that he just looked familiar. Turns out we worked for the same company 20 years ago.