I started power walking this last week (thanks to you guy's encouragement) the only place to do this (until I save up for a treadmill) is a public track by my home. There are lots of runners there, I'm always SO ashamed when I round half a mile and I'm breathing hard. I know I need to exercise but this is such an issue for me...anyone else going through this? How do you stop from feeling bad??

Ugh, I have to get over it, but it's just SO tough. I know I'm fat, I just hate making a big deal about it, by panting around a track..I mean, I'm WALKING for god's sake!!

I was having a conversation about this with my best friend yesterday. She is ~100 o/w and wants to start swimming but is embarrassed to be seen in a bathing suit.

Here's what she told me: she said when she sees someone seriously o/w exercising she think "wow, good for them for making the effort" yet she herself feels self conscious.....

I bet those runners think it's great that you are making an effort. You'll be walk/running soon.

Good for you for power walking!!!! Keep it up!

Julie

I was going to say kind of the same thing that Julie did, but add in one more thing. Here is my gym experience....I was totally embarrassed to join a gym years ago, but decided I needed to. There I was in my sweat pants and over sized t-shirt, while a lot of hard bodies were there encased in spandex. I was mortified the first few times I went there and then I discovered something. No one was paying attention to me. All the hard bodies were concerned about were themselves and basically only looked at themselves in the mirror! The few people that I did meet and talk to were people like me, over-weight middle aged women who were trying to better themselves and they thought it was great that I was there and I thought the same of them. Chances are that the runners are so focused on themselves, that they don't even notice their surroundings. I say...Good job! You should be very proud of what you're trying to accomplish! Everyday you are out there, you get stronger, fitter, and more confident! Keep at it and don't worry about what others MIGHT think! ( I know, easier said than done...but true )

Thanks for the words!!! I know those people probably don't care...it sucks to feel shame tho. I'll be glad when I'm fit and don't have to feel embarrassed going for walks...

Follow track etiquette and you will be fine. Always look before stepping on the track so you don't get run over. As a walker stay in the lanes designated for slower traffic. If someone comes up behind you and yells "track" it just means they are coming through and please try to give them a little more room. (People yell to be heard, not to be rude!) Or sometimes people will yell, "On your left (or right)!" Which means they are about to pass you on that side. I particularly like when bikers do that when I am outside on the street and they come up so fast I don't even know they are there.

If you can choose your time of day, I would suggest going on the morning. Where I go that is when the less intense older crowd goes. Towards the end of the day you get the hyper always in a rush on the way home from work crowd.

If you can get over the intimidation factor of the first few times then you will become one of the regulars. We all had to make that first step at one time!

I had the same problem a few years back. The only place to exercise was the community track where the high school track teams went to practice. I wish you could have heard the insults I got. But one day my son was sitting near the coaches and one of them said" Man, I wish some of our guys were as determined as she is." Just ignore everyone else and do your thing. It's your right.

You know what? You come to a point where you simply can't worry about everyone else. Yes, its hard to walk now and you're huffing and puffing, but in a couple of weeks, you won't be huffing as much, and in a month you'll be right there with them!

I belong to Golds', and I am still very intimidated. I also started running on my treamill. I am working up to 30 minutes daily. It is easier in the comfort of my own home. When I started a week ago, I could barely do 5 minutes, now it's easier and I"m adding time and speed.

I also just bought Tae Bo and will start that next week when I figure out how to use it!

I'm keeping my membership open, I think in 5 months I'll be in a much different place and I wont' feel so intimidated.

Keep up the great work, it does get easier!

I agree with what all the other posters have said. People started at me (at least I thought they were staring) when I first started walking, but I tryed to just thing "at least I am out here doing it". I really don't think people are paying as much attention as we think that they are. Just keep taking it one day at a time..you will be surprised how fast you make progress and soon you will be one of the fit ones at the track. There will be no better time to start than now.

Self consciousness whileexercising happens to men too. I remember going for a run 2 summers ago. The route I usually took wnet past a highschool and I didn't have much choice in paths so I couldn't avoid it. I remeber running up to a bus stop and 2 teenagers were there waitng for the bus. One of them says to the other motioning at me with his head " Hey check this out". I took that to mean " look at the fat guy running", or "Check out the bouncing man-boobs". It stung and made me mad but it didn't stop me nor did it cause me to vary my route. I wonder what they'll look like when they're pushing 40?

Unfortunately the unkind people are the ones who are vocal. The people I most admire at the gym are those who are older than I or much less fit, yet continue to come day after day. There is one 80 year old man who comes every morning wearing his neckbrace and pushing his walker. He pushes his walker up next to the treadmill, climbs up and walks for 30 minutes. Now that is tenacity!