ok I'm bearing my soul here...
I've never been one to get changed in the locker room or take a shower in the locker room... self image issues. 
today I managed to say fck it and took my bathing suit off and put on my sweat pants... it was WAY to fcking cold to toss my sweats over my bathing suit..
I do water aerobics twice a week and I wear my shirt in the pool when I do them

Im not the only one who has these issues right??  and they do go away when the weight comes off right?

I hate being so damn self-concious

I've ALWAYS been that way. I failed Gym class in High School because I refused to change into Gym clothes in front of people. I was the heaviest in my class and it just wasn't going to happen.

I have to say that after 15+ years of humiliation ...those fears have not gone away. I can fit into a medium bathing suit now which gives me a WIDE variety and I've already been looking at some type of cover up to wear at the beach this summer. Argh! But then at look at it like this ...this will be my first summer in a bathing suit in YEARS so I guess I'm taking baby steps.

I would do water aerobics if I could wear a shirt over my bathing suit. Where do you go. Gym was the worst I hated changing clothes! Congratz on having the courage to change a long time habit.

I go to my local Rec Center.  And you can wear whatever you want.  Most of the women in my class are fairly large women with knee and hip problems.. apparently doing it in the water is real easy for these kind of issues.

You are definitely not alone in this.  I have always had a problem changing in the locker room. For me, as the weight has been coming off, my confidence has greatly increased.  I am not nearly as self concious about things now.  On friday I actually went to a club and went dancing...  by myself!

  Last week I was at the gym and had to leave straight from there to go to a doctors appointment, so I actually showered at the gym.  That was a huge deal for me, since I would have never done that before.  And even though I still have some belly and (yikes)  love handles that have appeared, I now feel ok going without a shirt in the pool when I do laps.   So yes, it does get easier, at least it did for me.  I wish you luck and am excited for you as you continue on this journey!

you are DEFINITELY not alone.......i still hate to undress in front of everyone....but then up come my legs and then no one cares....oh did I say that out loud????  LOL  seriously...i still hate undressing in front of people because not of the fat, I have TONS of loose skin......i have enough loose skin to make a trenchcoat  LMAO!

um yeah, that was out loud LOL

I have some loose skin, but am sure I will have more, but the odd thing is that I have hardly any problem undressing in front of people now.  It's like "time to get naked, who cares who sees"  

and btw, remind me to not be drinking protein shakes when reading your posts, cause the trencoat line just made root bear float flavored protein come out my nose, and  it is NOT a pleasant feeling!

yeah I understand.......I'm still really uncomfortable and I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable even after plastic surgery......with the scarring and stuff........I mean I'm still happy I did this as I am the healthiest Ihave ever been in my life but self-image is still way low.....I look good with clothes on and that's about it LOL

oh and I'll post a warning about the jokes ;)  MUUUUAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

man... I thought as guys we didnt have that big of an issue with loose skin

well handsome...not many people have been 500 pounds for the better part of the past 10 years :)