To be petrified of going back to the gym...

[Emlou07]

I joined last year weighing nearly 14st. Lasted a month or so but mainly spent my time in the jacuzzi

18 months on I'm wanting to go back as I'm in and out of bouts of depression, nearly 2st heavier and just generally really unhealthy.

BUT. I'm so bloody self conscious. Nearly 16st on a 5'3 frame seems huge. I don't carry weight well. Hips and face.

I'm planning on rejoining tonight and just going for a decent swim to start. I just have visions of everyone looking and laughing.

From experience I know most people are too busy with what their doing. In the gym. But in the pool (at our gym anyway) seem to linger the bikini clad.

Any tips?

I spend a lot of time in gyms. Most people are too busy checking out their own reflection to notice what anyone else is doing/looks like. Honestly.

Go!
I started gymming at 16 stone.
Now I'm under 11 stone.
When I see women or men with weight to lose, I think, good for you! Or admire their workouts, or gym clothes, or something.

I was over 16st when i started at the gym, id wear a zip up light cotton type jacket over a vest top to hide my stomach. I never noticed anyone look at me at all. Swimming i would have never done though, too much on show.

Thanks Hipp (for reading my random musings).

Maybe there is a need for Gym Supporters (thing is, I'm a PT who used to work at my local gym, so they'd think I was trying to train clients while not working there, which is a very bad thing for PTs to do, but there's clearly a need for support and 'standing in front of the machine to block the view, just until you're confident that everyone else is pretty self-obsessed and actually, you're doing fine').

I'm with you on that op I've got to get myself motivated to go to gym tonight 4 months after my baby and 2st heavier 😢 its going to be tough and I'm the same I get paranoid that people are looking at me in the gym my fat bits wobbling but I'm sure everyone is busy with their own workouts to care too much about me.

Good luck op on your road to fitness and healthy

I don't have any good advice except to say that everyone worries about how they appear to others in a gym class. I'm slim and reasonably fit and I do a HIIT class three times a week. The thing I love best about my gym is that my classmates run the full gamut of size and fitness. I truly don't pay attention to or judge anyone else around me except to be relieved that everyone is is getting as sweaty as I am (I seriously sweat buckets!)

Emlou... How did it go today? All ok? :)