AIBU to think everybody in the gym will be size 10

[toofatforgym]

I guess I know I am BU but just need confirmation and experiences.

I am in my 50's, size 20/22 and have recently started to look after myself. For the last month I have cut down portion sizes and eat more healthily which is beginning to tell but I now need to start exercising.

I am thinking of going to a gym but have never been before and have this vision of everybody there being all slim and toned and that they will look at me and laugh. (Not normally this paranoid but its fear of the unknown I guess).

So, tell me please, do you go to the gym and judge others?

I am an avid gym goer.

The only people I see get judged are the ones acting like dickheads. Like sat on equipment while using their mobile or kicking off because their preferred treadmill is in use. Thankfully these people are few and far between.

My new gym has only a few over weight people. But that's because its a small gym aimed at people in competitive sports.

In my previous gym there was lots of people above a size 10. I was a 24 when i started there. I never saw anyone being judged.

If you're going to join you'll probably be shown around before you sign up so you'll get a chance of a look at the clientele!

I go to a fairly upmarket gym (big swimming pool, spa, cafe etc) and I'd say there's a very wide range of shapes, sizes and ages of people who attend. When I go, I see a couple of older ladies who need walking frames to get between pieces of equipment, and a guy with one leg (which was a surprise the first time I saw him leaving with his "gym leg" under one arm!)

You might find that the demographic is different depending on when you go - I used to go after work and it was mainly younger people, but now I go in the day and there's a broader cross-section.

I'd say go for it, though - most other people will have their earphones in and be concentrating on their own jiggly bits far more than yours!

No one will judge you - or, probably, give you a second thought.
And as my 11 year old always reminds me "it doesn't matter what you look like when you exercise Mum.....you are lapping everyone on the couch!"
Go for it.

Hey, research has shown that fear of judgement is a HUGE barrier to women exercising !!!
Hence the This Girl Can campaign !
Go,for it OP
m.youtube.com/watch?v=aN7lt0CYwHg

yabu. I expect there'll be a great mix of people.

The council run gym I go to has everything from cardio rehab classes to overbuilt weight lifters. I only judge the excessive chatters.

have fun and work hard .

I go to a big chain and there are all shapes and ages there too (including me). Very friendly. Go for it, OP, and as others have said, try different times and different gyms (most will let you have a free taster session and show you round). Also, classes like aqua often attract more women in their fifties and older, and are very good fun. Don't worry about anyone else - find something you like and enjoy it. I barely notice who else is there.

People of all ages and sizes at my gym. Go for it!

In my exprience a lot of people are too busy checking themselves out to bother with other people. When I first went I was quite skinny I thought other men would judge me for my puny arms turns out no one cares.

The only thing I ever think when I see an overweight person at my gym is "good for you", and that's if I notice them at all. Usually I'm too busy wheezing away on the rowing machine whilst trying to find my happy place.

OP, go for it. I'd managed to diet from 24 (only just squeezing into) to a 22 /20 on a good day, but felt like you, that I needed exercise to help the process.

I joined the local upmarket chain club, after being shown round - I like you thought people would look at me and think/say "what the F@@* is she doing here" - but in fact it was full of the widest range of people imaginable. I've found people to be really supportive and encouraging - I've even had people coming up to me to say they think I'm doing really well etc, which is incredibly motivating. Within 6 weeks I'd started regularly attending classes like body pump and I've never looked back.

Go for it - you've nothing to lose (except hopefully a dress size or two if that what you want!)

I go to a very naice private gym and I can honestly say that there would be nothing but encouragement and friendship for you.

A woman in front in combat of me was at least a size 20 last week and she got loads of encouragement and people saying how well she had done and to come back for the next class.

My gym has a huge mix of really fit people, some normal people and some people who are massively obese (me included). I've never felt judged.

I'm a size 16, but under my wobbly I'm hard as a rock cos I spend lots of time in the gym. I like to think that I'm keeping my muscles well insulated!

There are people of all sizes in gyms. And quite often the bigger ones are fitter and in better shape than the thinner ones.

You'll be fine!

I'm a size 18/20 and I go, and to my knowledge am not judged. I think most people will just think ''good on you'' for going. I'm in a private gym (Virgin Active). There are plenty of others my size and bigger.

First of all, good for you! I think it is a very brave step to make the decision to look after yourself. You are already so much further along in your journey by making that decision.

Secondly, I am a gym-lover and I completely understand your concern but from my experience, not one person in the gym will judge you, because everyone has to start somewhere and most people are in their own zones thinking about the farting !

It is hard not to feel self conscious at first but the results will be worth it and really quickly you will see that everyone in the gym is there to improve themselves and support others doing the same!

Finally, my mum is in her 60s and recently joined the same gym as me. She was like you and really self conscious at first but after three months she has lost 10inches from her tummy and LOVES it - even got my dad to join!

Good Luck on this journey xxx

Wear whatever you feel comfortable in, OP. I understand the thought of it can be quite daunting at first, but tbh, nobody really pays much attention to anyone else. There are all shapes and sizes at the gym I go to and I'm sure nobody feels judged.
Good luck

I go to a private membership club gym (not posh or stealth boasting, I get a discount) and there are honestly women of all shapes and sizes there, yes some people are very fit and young and stuff but there are lots of older ladies, bigger ladies, everyone really. Put it this way, if people talk about you and say you are fat when you are at the gym, then they are talking about somebody who is trying to improve herself and look better and you can use that thought to stop yourself caring about their talk, whereas if they talk about you while you are at McDonald's or something having a giant meal then there's not much you can say you are doing about your insecurities.

There are people of all ages and of all shapes and sizes at my gym. Nobody looks at each other. Everyone concentrates on what they are doing individually.

People of all sizes go to ours, and the gym instructor who did my induction told me they're especially supportive of bigger people who go because they know they worry about being judged and just getting started is the hardest (but most important!) part. Have fun!

I look like a troll at the gym. Sweaty and red and squinting because I don't wear my glasses. I am usually far too busy focusing on not fainting or vomiting to notice anyone else. I go mid-morning, it's not busy and there are lots of people who are bigger/older. Everyone just gets on with it and it's a nice friendly atmosphere!
Good on you OP, you won't regret it!!

Thank you everybody for your kind words, reassurance and motivation :) x

People at the gym are generally delighted to see new people starting out and getting stuck in - many of them will have come from a similar place fitness-wise. Don't be afraid to ask the staff or other members if you need any help.

My younger sister would only be a little smaller than the OP (a 18/20) and she is just starting out too, having piled on weight in her late teens and early 20s after quitting football. She has started going to the same gym as my mum (early 50s) and both of them get nothing but encouragement.

Don't be afraid to try a few gyms around your area too - you may find the atmosphere or facilities at one gym suits you better than others. Try the classes too, you may find the group exercise setting to be more fun, particularly if you think you might like Zumba etc.

I don't think people judge others at the gym. There's more of an "us and them" divide between the clients and the staff IMO . I find that wherever you're starting from, everyone is heading in the same direction, at their own pace, which is more bonding than divisive iyswim.

You don't have to go to a gym to exercise. If you want to, that's your choice, but you could go walking/running/cycling etc instead?