How do you exercise in public?

18

5'4

227  lbs

Okay, I'm eighteen years old and MAJORLY self conscious. I always feel like everyone is looking at me, especially when I'm exercising. I have tae bo tapes, but that gets old fast. So with the limited resources available to me, it is easy to make up excuses not to exercise. I absolutely HATE exercising outside. I like the experience, but not the paranoia of the stares. How do you get over that?

Another question, anyone looking for a weight loss partner? I really need some kind of support. I've done this by my self before, but I really need some one to hold me accountable. I can be very weak at times. (Family not so supportive, set in their old ways. I come from a long line of overweight people.) Please email me to inquire.

I started walking at 340 pounds- and boy was I self conscious.  I think you just have to want "it" badly enough.

If you really want to lose weight, you'll go out and do it.  That was my attitude.  Ignore people!  It's really easy one you get used to it.  Now I march right into the gym with my head high at 204, jump on the cardio equipment, throw my headphones on, and pretend I'm the only one in there!  After all, at the end of the day you're the one who has to live with your weight- who gives a crap what they think?  You just gotta stop caring.

I'd be happy to support you in anyway that I can :-)  Just PM me.

I started out at 250 lbs  walking on the treadmill at the gym WITH a personal trainer, so I had no choice but to just DO IT!

It gets easier as you get into the habit of working out, ANDas you shrink in size.  JUST DO IT!  You'll be glad you did, trust me on that.
~H~

i think hiring a personal trainer might help u in motivation area. and it made me feel much comfortable in the gym. about the public though, i usually keep checking on other's treadmill, like how many miles have they gone, their speed, etc and push me to 'beat' them. that's why i like exercising in public more than in privacy.

hope i could be any of help. good luck to you :)

I run at a local park but I haven't gotten the courage to join a gum just yet. I'm definitely intimidated.

I just don't care what anyone else thinks about how overweight I am, AS LONG AS I'm doing something to fix it.

 

I was walking around the neighborhood the other day, which I do twice a day, and I noticed a yuppie couple in an SUV driving through. They were POINTING and LAUGHING at me. Seriously!? Are we in grade school!? I think not.

 

Anyway, it didn't bother me, except that it solidified them as arseholes and motivated me even more to go on out of spite. And jiggle a bit more past them. Whatever.

 

I used to be really bent out of shape and cry all the time about how fat I was. I'm still REALLY overweight, don't get me wrong, but there is power in changing your life for the better, and no one can take that away from you. So jiggle a little extra in their direction and laugh. With the couple, I just thought of a year from now when the same couple drives by, the husband might point at me, but the wife would slap him if he did. Because I will be dropdead gorgeous. :)

Original Post by mortalmonkey:

I run at a local park but I haven't gotten the courage to join a gum just yet. I'm definitely intimidated.

 Once you start going to the gym on a regular basis, you'll soon realize that the ppl there aren't really interested in you or what you are doing.  When I first started to go, I ONLY went on the women's only side.  As I lost weight, and started to feel more comfortable in my own skin, I started the co-ed side.  Now I ONLY go on the co-ed side.  I've now become one of the 'regulars' and we all say good morning to each other every day.  Mind you, when I go early in the morning, it's 90% retired older men.  They are SOOOOO sweet!

~H~

get a jump rope with a counter on it and use it in your back yard. i jump on either leg and jump normally and listen to music while doing it.

monoxi is right on.  I started jumping rope in high school to lose weight...and I lost 25 lbs!  It's great, and you can do it in your back yard (or your home if you have a big house...)

I feel your pain. I started walking in my neighborhood first them wogging. I got some stairs I am big girl 5'9 216lbs. But also some cat calls too. Get some cute sweats or wahtever you feel comfortable in and just walk. Later when you lose some you may feel more comfortable to join a gym but I am not the gym girl. I prefer working out at home with my tapes. I would love an exercise class though. so maybe soon I will join for that. But don't rush your self you can still lose by working out at home. A couple of weeks ago I went to the park with my kids and brought my jump rope. I didn't think about it until later but I must have been a sight to see boob every where LOL , but I was so anxious to sqeeze in a work out I DIDN"T GIVE A DAMN! 

I agree with haley - gym goers definitely are not interested in what other people are doing. They're there to put in their time and are busy focusing on their own workouts. I never pay attention to people, unless they are standing in the way of the television! hahaha  I find that if ANYONE is looking around, it's skeezy guys who are just standing around wasting time on the weight machines and not really working out, and trust me, they are not people anybody needs to be caring about! haha

So please, don't feel self-conscious! I know it is hard, but probably 99% of it is just your own thoughts and fears about weight loss getting protected onto other people. If anything, regulars will be happy to see another face, and they will be proud that you are joining the fight! I am always happy to see somebody new working hard at my gym. Don't use other people as an excuse for slacking off on your own personal battle against the scale. Grip your fear and rip it! :)

I was paying for a gym membership every month and going, like, twice.  All because I felt like people were looking at me and thinking "wow, she's got a hell of a long way to go-" then, about 3 weeks ago, I linked up with a girl I work with and she joined my gym and now we go every morning together.  We have so much fun and keep each other going and it doesnt even feel like anyone else is there.  Having someone else there did wonders for me, maybe ask around and see if anyone wants to go with you! :)

Walking/jogging at the park there are fat people like me, with the red/purple faces barely able to handle it.  And there are the skinny-mini's that have been jogging for a long time and aren't even sweating.  then there are old people strolling and young moms walking with babies or jogging with the strollers.

One thing that I like to do that easily explains why people are looking at me weird is to sing the music (Hank3 or Ricky Martin) I"m listening to or to dance and punch to the music.  I don't have to wonder why the funny stares.

I know how you feel! I just jog in my back alley--it's great because barely anybody sees me. But sometimes when I have too much homework or something, I'll opt to go running at night on the street in front of my house. It's a bit safer than the alley and, again, nobody can see you :). Good luck!

The truth is, people are looking at you.  Some people will be mean and make snide comments in their head.  Most people will think, "Good for her! I'm glad she's exercising!"

I can tell you that even people who you might think look good, still feel self-conscious while exercising.  I'm a runner and I get sweaty and my hair flies everywhere, and sometimes I honestly just feel plain ugly when I'm running.  But who cares, it's your health, your body.  You'll probably even motivate some other people to be out exercising too.

If it helps, go to a place where you won't know anybody.  Then you have the comfort that even if I look bad, it doesn't matter, I'll never see these people ever again.

Nycolea,

I still have over 50 lbs to lose...and I used to think the same thing.. "Won't everyone be looking at me and judging me?" But something I have realised from talking to people on here... NO they are not!!

Before I ever went to a gym for the first time, I was intimidated.. I thought it would be full of skinny people or people with giant muscles, looking at me and thinking that I did not belong there. But that is not the case, there are people at the gym of all different shapes and sizes and ages.

I have realized that at the gym, everyone is there to work out. They are concentrating on their own body, their own routine, trying to get the best out of every minute spent there (I know I am).

Secondly, IF I happen to notice someone who is bigger like me (or older, or a newbie etc)..

You know what I think? "GOOD FOR YOU!! Good for you, for getting off the couch and improving your fitness. Good for you, for taking that first step (or second or whatever) to making your life better. Good for you, for making the effort to come here and work out when it is SO much easier to sit down and eat another slice of pizza and think about dieting another day.  Good for you, for chosing to eat a healthy diet, for making the right food selections every day to sustain your body in a healthy way.

So don't worry about what other people think. You are doing something that is going to improve your life, that is more important than worrying about what other people think. You have every right to be there and I don't think you should let your shyness keep you from getting fitter or losing weight or doing anything that you want to do.

Something else I wanted to add.....I used to let being shy, or worrying about what other people think control my life. It stopped me from doing SO many things and trying anything new...I was a BIG girl, I felt like I had to be nice ALL the time so that people would like me. Otherwise why would they waste their time talking to me? I convinced myself that no one wanted to know my opinion on anything.

Then one day I had an epiphany.. What was I thinking?!! Did I really think that only thin people had the right to say what they wanted or do the things they liked to do?? That's crazy! I thought, WHY do I care what "they" think of me? There is NO WAY that I can please everyone. It's just not possible. Why can I not just be myself and do, eat and say the things I want to?

I decided that day that if I was going to have a happy life, I HAVE TO BE TRUE TO MYSELF. If what I do, or say, or choose to eat is not hurting someone else, why should I care what other people think?

Now I realise that everyone's ideas and thoughts are valuable, including mine.  One of the things I like about America is that everyone has "The RIGHT to pursue happiness" That is just an amazing concept, have you really thought about that? .. I have the RIGHT to do the things that will make me happy! SO DO YOU. You have the right to go outside and take a walk if you want to, you have the right to go into the gym and work out. Don't let anyone else stop you from doing the things you want and need to do.

Now, I realise that slim and fit people have insecurities too. They still worry about the way they look.. like... "my arms are wobbly" or "my thighs are too big", "my nose is lumpy" or "I have horrible skin"... Your size does not free you from insecurities.  

I say GO FOR IT... prove all the negative people wrong, make them see that you are strong, that you are beautiful and that you CAN do it!

I started waking up right before the sun comes up and exercise outside while the sun comes up.  not too many people out that time of morning.

ditto what everyone else up there said PLUS one more idea:

make a CD of music that makes you feel good!!! strong. powerful.

whatever those songs are for you...get your music together, put your headphones on, and block out the world... focus your mind on two things: your workout and your music.  everything else gets pushed out. 

for me one of those songs is Cristina Aguilera's song "fighter"-- love these lyrics
I wouldn't know just how capable I am to pull through
So I wanna say thank you
'Cause it makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

There are also workout DVDs and online videos that you could use in the privacy of your own home or dorm room.  I use the 10 Minute Solutions Pilates and the Leslie Sansone 3 Mile Walk DVDs.  They were realtively inexpensive ($15 and $10, respectively) but public libraries also often have a selection of workout DVDs that you can check out.  It might also keep you from getting bored with a single workout. (OK, I just checked online and my university library also has a wide selection of exercise VHS tapes and DVDs I'm going to have to check out.)

I use the walk at home DVD because it's somehow easier on my knees - the level surface and variation in movement, I think.  But I can also see where someone who was very self-conscious might want to avail themselves of these resources to loose a little weight and get just a bit fit before braving the outside world.

Best of luck,

Patricia

Well, I usually go to the park to jog or walk.. What I do is, I bring my headphones, and then I just ignore everyone else. Just look elsewhere, don't bother about other people. And you might realise, other people don't really bother either.

Also, I've tried going to the gym. Again, bring headphones, or watch TV while you workout. Just remember you're doing this FOR YOURSELF :) Good luck!

 

I exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  I am sure many people can relate to being self conscious about their body, regardless if they have a few lbs extra or not.

People may look, or may not.   You have to remember you are doing this for you!!

Try different exercises, sports, and figure out what you enjoy to do.  That will help keep you motivated.  Also set mini goals, then larger goals.  Give yourself a reward for each met, that way it won't be as easy to come up with an excuse not to exercise.

Take care.