Well today was day number 2 at Planet Fitness. Last night I went with my best friend Julie which was alot of fun, and we went at like 10:30 at night after work. There were only a few people there and i really felt comfortable. Tonight i went at 5:30 pm ... OK big mistake! Almost every machine was taken, finally i found a treadmill in the back and realized that all 225 lbs of me was surrounded by twigs! I felt so out of place. I turned my ipod up higher than i probably should have (my poor ears) and tried to just get in the zone but i have to admit it was really hard! I saw all these girls running fast for long periods of time and i can only run for 5 minutes.. I know its better than nothing and I keep trying to tell myself that someday i will be running right along with those girls. Someday I will be skinny(well skinny-ER anyway..)
Tomorrow its supposed to snow, so i dont know if i will be able to go, but I really want to. My muscles hurt all over but i feel like if i dont push myself to go that I will stop going, and i really dont want to do that! So im going to try and set my alarm for 7am, and get outa bed and get to the gym! I need to figure out what times the gym is *ahem* empty *ahem* lol and go during those times until I get comfortable.

You know what? You deserve to be there just as much as the "twigs". You deserve to run as long and fast as you can and feel INVIGORATED and thrilled that you ran like you did! You deserve to feel proud that you were in the gym, hurting, and working!!!

Hold your head up high!

Yeah I feel ya with that. I feel the same when I go to the gym and I'm just like ugh. My fav time to go to the gym is at night for some reason *go figure* but i dont know lol... I don't have a gym membership as of now... but I'm looking. I can only do so much from home.

Hey, I felt the same way when I went to the gym. I was gasping for breath after 5 minutes and everyone around me was running and talking, lol. But when I watched the show Ruby on style network, I felt to encouraged watching her take classes. I try to exercise in the mornings before work, but I have gotten out of that habit. I feel terrible when I make excuses not to work out. I miss going to the gym, but right now I can't really afford it.

Those girls ALWAYS have bothered me. At 240 they bothered me and at 152 they bother me. There will always be someone stronger, faster, and skinnier than all of us (and that is especially evident at the gym), but that doesn't mean that we don't deserve a healthy lifestyle or an invigorating workout!

And those girls started somewhere too.... every runner had a point where they couldn't go for more than 5 minutes. Even if it was when they were younger.

How do "those girls" bother you? I mean, pardon me, but that's very offensive.

I'm one of those girls. I run untill I can't run anymore. I don't do it because I think it will make me skinny, I do it because every extra minute I go, is a triumph. The flush in my cheeks and being soaked with sweat after 6, ten minute miles is pretty damned awesome.

I started off not even being able to run 1 block. After 9 months of hitting the pavement every day, I was up to 10 miles.

uh, back to the actual post....

just thought I'd share that I have the same self-conscious feelings when I go to the gym and I find that is least empty between 8 & 10am and 8-10pm.... I know we live in diff places but I figure those times are typical as people go earlier before work, others come in on their lunch 'hour' whenever that may be and Most people go after work which is in the 5-7pm range. But I had to go several diff times to figure out when was the least busy at my gym, cuz I hate exercising in front of a bunch of twigs, especially when I have a bunch of Bosnian teenage girls talking in their language and pointing and laughing at my 'fat arse' working out. But I won't let those type of people dissuade me from working out! I go at a time when I know I will be comfortable there.

Thank you for all the support. Its nice to know im not alone. I know these feelings will eventually pass, i think most of it is because i just havent been to the gym in a long time (been a couple years for me and even then i didnt frequent it much). Ive got some serious self conscious issues, i always think people are judging me and looking at me, even when they arnt. Guess its just something im going to have to work thru.

I also have found that, other than the immature teens, the people that are fit and running or lifting are not really paying attention to me (thank the Lord!) I do just what you did, turn up the volume and try to let my thoughts take me away.

To be blunt - who cares WHAT other people think of you?

Just be proud of yourself and what you're accomplishing

This is coming from someone who was chronically shy and still can be from time to time. Heh...the first time I went to a gym I wore all baggy clothes for ages.

Six years on and I'm in little bike shorts and singlet tops sweating fit to break the drought single handed and not giving a crap

From my own perspective I don't pay very much attention (if any) to other ladies in the gym (It's a women only gym) - I'm pretty much totally self focused.

I HURT to much to care what other people are thinking hehe.

Just go, have fun, sweat, get smelly - everyone else is doing the same thing

Thanks again for all the great support! I knew i would get some kinds words when i came crawling back here after a month or so of being MIA lol. Ive just been so embarassed that i gained weight back. I dont get how i let myself do this all the time! Well anyway, i woke up this morning and im completley sore all over, so i guess thats good! haha Its snowing now, but if im not as sore later tonight and if the snow lets up i may try and go to the gym again. Thanks again guys!

I have the same problem, but I'm going with my sister during peak hours, and taking classes in the evenings, about 5-7. It's not so bad once you get used to it. I also prefer ladies only, which I do not have atm!

I used to feel that way to, but I realized that they too had to start somewhere. As I can increase my work outs - I slowly feel like i'm becoming part of some "club" haha. I use all the skinnies at the gym for motivation. But, there aren't many at my gym, so that's nice.

For me I actually always wanted to work next to those girls. While I was self-conscious they pushed me harder because they were healthy like I wanted to me. So I'd challenge myself to try and workout longer. It might sound silly, but it always helped me stay at the gym for a longer time.

Plus, the others are right, generally other people are in such a zone they don't even notice you.

Go work yourself out

I think that if anyone notices you at all, it will be in a positive way. I've seen people that weighed a LOT more than you at the gym, and my thoughts were invariably: "Good for him/her, that's awesome that they're here." I think anyone who is health conscious probably has the same reaction, including those skinny girls (unless they're completely immature, and then who cares what they think?).