In the locker room
I just finished reading Leslie Goldman’s Locker Room Diaries. It was interesting and made me vow to quit being so shy when changing clothes in the locker room. I’ll never be comfortable with walking around undressed, as some women are (more power to them), but at least I can try to become less self-conscious.
In any case, having just read Leslie’s book, which devotes a lot of discussion to "scale behavior," I was aware of the woman who hopped on the scale last Friday. She and I had begun and ended our workouts about the same time. She was probably about my age and had obviously come from work to do her workout.
She stepped on the scale, and I looked away, knowing that a lot of people feel self-conscious on the scale.
A couple of seconds later, she let out a minor whoop and said to me (there was nobody else around), "I’ve lost eight and a half pounds in a month!"
I said I thought that was fabulous and told her that I’d lost about 30 pounds a little more than a year ago. Then we had a little chat about how much harder it is to lose fat when you’re 40- or 50-something.
She said she’d been completely ignoring the doughnuts and junk food people bring to work, and then we got to talking about why people bring in such lousy food as "treats." Anybody of normal intelligence knows that cookies, doughnuts, enormous muffins, and so on are special-occasion food—not the sort of fare anybody needs on a regular basis. But how many people bring bananas, fresh strawberries, homemade low-fat muffins, or fresh vegetables?
I know, some of you probably work at enlightened companies where that’s the norm. But in my case, I bring (my own) food from home every single day–and almost every single day make a decision not to eat the chips, cookies, Krispy Kremes, and other junky offerings that magically appear in our kitchen.
Here’s a challenge: If we do have occasion to bring food for everyone, let’s make it something that actually does our co-workers good.
And here’s a horrible (apparently true) story: The successful loser of eight and a half pounds said that one of her co-workers brings Krispy Kreme doughnuts to work almost every day. She commented to the KK-bringer that it must be expensive buying doughnuts so often.
The colleague replied that she had a family member who worked at Krispy Kreme, so she got a discount–and then she added that perhaps by eating lots of doughnuts some of the older workers would vacate their jobs more quickly and create promotional opportunities for the younger ones.
I said, "I hope she was kidding." My locker-room companion said, "Knowing her, I don’t think she was."
Yikes: Career sabotage via Krispy Kremes!
August 31st, 2006 at 9:43 am
I adore the co-worker of mine who’s been bringing in cherry tomatoes from his garden for the last few weeks. Yum! We don’t get too much junk in the kitchen, but it does happen on occasion. Luckily, it’s often really sweet stuff, which I find less tempting than salty savory stuff.
And I echo that “Yikes” about the Krispy Kremes.
September 17th, 2006 at 2:47 am
Back in high school I was more shy than the other girls when it came to communal showers after gym class. Actually I should just say that I was shy unlike the other girls in my gym classes, because I think I was the only girl who seemed to be embarrassed being seen nude in the locker room?
However, I am happy to be able to say that once I started working out at a health club as an adult I was able to overcome my shyness with being seen nude by other females.
I had heard that one of the local TV news-anchor-women from my town was a member of the health club that I joined. And ironically after my first workout I did see her in the women’s locker room, and nude in the locker room at that. She is one of the most recognizable women in all of Cleveland Ohio, and one of the most well-respected too. So when I saw how comfortable she was being nude in the locker room I figured what the heck, why should I be hung-up about it either?
The news woman is actually anything but shy though, seeing as she even does her hair and makeup standing totally nude in front of the mirror.
But anyway, I found that after the first couple of showers you just get used to it and grow to be comfortable with your state of undress.
September 18th, 2006 at 3:44 pm
Hi Mary,
I just saw this post and wanted to say thank you for reading my book and writing about it! I’m glad Locker Room Diaries had an effect on you…and no, we don’t need to all be walking around the locker room naked! Whatever suits us is just fine!
I’ll keep checking back. Keep up the good work.
Best,
Leslie
lrdiaries.com
October 3rd, 2006 at 1:59 pm
I have a membership for the rec center at the university where I work. That means when it’s time to hit the locker room, I’m sharing it with up to a dozen women who are, for the most part, at least 10 years younger than I am, and with barely a jiggle of cellulite on them anywhere. Yet they change in the shower stalls, or discreetly behind towels. I have tried to emulate them — to adhere to the mores of modesty, and just to not be flaunting my own oversized carcass. But … I can’t do it. I change in the shower stall, and my clothes get wet. I try to change behind a towel, and it slips.
So I’ve decided, “Screw it.” I’ll change out in the open, and try to change as quickly as possible, but I’m not going to contort myself or wear soggy clothes for the rest of the day just to avoid being seen nude in the locker room.
November 7th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
This is a pet peeve of mine - why do we resent spending a few bucks on healthy food but we’ll drop $3 or $4 easily for some sort of fried, packaged things?? Same with all the baked things. No one gets all upset that a pie is around $8 but they go all crazy to spend that amount on apples or bananas!!! Anyway, enjoyed the topic!
Dee