Did you really just justify that?

           A few days ago I went to the gym a little early in hopes that I would be able to get in a few minutes of tanning. Well, I was wrong. When I walked back to the changing area which is also the tanning waiting area it was packed with people who clearly were only there to tan.

            I decided to just go change and do some extra cardio. So I went into one of the changing stalls and realized that was the first time during the day I had a chance to sit down. I decided to sit and chill for a few minutes and that’s when I heard some fantastic conversations.

            The first one came from a group of ladies waiting to tan. Simply enough they were talking about how they wish there was more time in the day to workout. I was very confused by this conversation. I wanted to go over there and say, “Excuse me, but you’re in a gym. You obviously pay for a membership here. Instead of sitting here for 30 or more minutes waiting to tan why don’t you go walk on the treadmill?” Obviously, I just sat there in my little stall staring at the wall with a look on confusion. I’m pretty good at thinking horrible things, but most of the time I can keep those thoughts to myself. I was in shock that some would say something like that in a gym, but more shocked that the other people waiting were agreeing with it!

            Then they started talking about what they were going to eat for dinner and a different lady that was over there started talking about how she’s been really good lately and she thinks she deserves dessert after dinner. That’s cool; I guess, but she was talking about how she made a pie and brownies because she couldn’t decide what dessert she wanted, and was probably going to eat both. Ok, that’s just friggin’ overkill. Come on now! Really??? Pie and brownies? Maybe some of that time you spent making desserts could have been better spent at the gym. I know I shouldn’t care what these ladies do with their time, but I don’t want to hear about it. The gym is an awful place to have conversations about eating dessert and wanting to workout but never finding the time. To me, you just look silly.

            The other conversation I overheard is not really a weight loss conversation, but a phone conversation that really got my blood boiling. So a woman was changing in the next stall and she was on the phone. (Side note: our gym has a no cell phone policy. There are signs posted all over the place. No one pays attention to the signs. They are there so the other members don’t have to be bothered by other people chatting it up on the phone while at the gym. I wish this lady would have followed the sign.)  So I’m gathering that this lady was talking to her child because she was asking about games, conditioning, practice, and fees. Anyway, here is what I heard.

Lady on the phone: “Well wasn’t the last game last night?” (pause) “What do you mean conditioning starts tomorrow?” (pause) “No basketball is over.” (pause) “So baseball conditioning starts tomorrow?” (pause) “I don’t have time for this sh*t. I have a life too.” (pause) “Well, I just don’t even know. How much is this sh*t gonna cost me?” (pause) “Well, we’re gonna have to talk this over. Don’t expect me to come to all of these games too. I have to workout. I’m hanging up.”

            Ok, I’m going to omit my thoughts about this lady’s parenting skills, but what flippin’ message are you sending to your kid? I’m glad that you think it’s important to workout, but you need to pass that same message to your kids. At least this lady’s kid wants to play sports. Let him! Encourage him! Don’t let him develop lazy, unhealthy habits and become an obese adult! I really, really wanted to say a few words to this lady, but I just glared at her when we both walked out of the stalls.

            So, the gym is never a dull place. There is always something going on. After I heard those conversations I was frustrated for a multitude of reasons, so I tried to channel all of my frustration into my workout. I think it worked because I was wiped out after I left the gym. I still wanted to tan, but I figured I would snap if I had to sit, wait, and listen to people whine about wishing they had time to workout!

I was at the gym forever today...the line to tan was ridiculous!

I think she tans at my gym.

My gym offers tanning free with membership; does yours? It’s a nice perk. I like to get my tan on from time to time. I can’t do it at my gym though, because the same 6 people are always sitting in the chairs waiting to tan. It’s a stand up bed, which I love, and based on the shade of orange they all are, I’m assuming they all go for the max time. If I want to tan, I have to buy a package somewhere else and tan on my own time.

I think she also tans at my gym.

Here’s what I don’t understand; you’re gonna sit in a chair, at the gym, for nearly and hour just to tan! I really don’t get it, but here’s what has made the situation worse. The gym I go to is a small chain in my area. There are about 5 gyms in the area. If you join one, you join them all. At the other gyms they have a good system for the tanning beds. If you want to tan, you sign up, go about your wan, and they call you over a P.A. system when it’s your time. The one I go to the majority of the time doesn’t do it that way. The owner that runs my gym doesn’t think tanning beds are healthy or natural. She doesn’t even want a tanning bed in the gym and she won’t put more than one in the gym. She won’t do the sign up and get called system either.

I completely understand her reasoning and I support her reasoning. I just get seriously annoyed when I look back toward the changing area and there are 6 or more people sitting on their asses waiting to tan and you hear them bitch about waiting so long to tan! If you just wanted tanning, why did you join the gym? A tanning package at a tanning salon has to be cheaper and take less time out of your day! I guess they like that they can say they spent a ton of time at the gym, even though the only thing they lift and move is a chair to sit in.

They also talk about their crash diets as well. That’s hilarious to me. I want to tell them to look around and realize they are in a gym. Geeze people, there is tons of equipment around you! Get out of the chair and do something!

Get your GTL on. 

           I know this is an awful rant, but it’s frustrating. I feel like if I got off my butt and started doing something about my weight, so can all of these people that use the gym for tanning. I don’t think that’s what the Jersey Shore freaks mean when they say Gym, Tanning, Laundry. I think they actually mean work out, go tanning, and have clean clothes! Basically, the people sitting around my gym only have the tanning part under control.

           It’s also frustrating because its been really nice out the past few days. I’m upset that I have to be in the gym working out for the past few days! By the time I’m done working and going to the gym it’s too dark to go for a walk or do anything outside. I know it’s just going to get cold again in a few days. I guess I feel like everyone wants to be outside, so when I see these people sitting around, wasting their time for a tanning bed I just want to scream!