If someone sees a man in a gym, no one thinks twice about it, it's a way of life for men, the social norm. So why is it when someone sees a girl in the gym or finds out that a girl works out consistently, it's a foreign concept? The first thing someone would think of the girl who works out is that it is because they are trying to better themselves by looking and feeling better... for a guy.

No boys, I am not in the gym for you. I'm in the gym for me.

I am a 19-year-old girl and am a member of a gym that I attend almost every day while at home. Even at school, I make it a point to still be in the gym as much as possible. I go to the gym to better myself, I do it to feel stronger, be better, and feel more confident.

What I do not go to the gym for is to get hit on by guys who think I joined a gym just to go and stare at them lifting weights. On the flip side, it is not attractive when a guy goes up to a girl at the gym who barely has your breathing intact just because they thought she was hot in whatever workout gear she's wearing.

What we wear, whether it's a sports bra and spandex or a t-shirt and leggings, is not us thinking before we leave for a workout

"I hope a guy finds me hot in this," trust me.

How we dress is wondering ahead of time on how we're going to feel as we are dripping in sweat after running a mile or two.

What I definitely do not go to the gym for is attention.

When I go to the gym, one of two things is going on.

1) It's my workout for the day and it's time to get it done.

OR

2) It's my workout for the day, but I'm also working on some stuff going on in my head or personal life.

My gym is my happy place and when I train, there is no room for anything else in my mind besides how much weight I'm squatting or how fast I'm running. I workout to prove to myself that although my body was one way when I was younger, it does not have to stay that way.

Often when I try to explain that to someone I hear,

"But every body is beautiful."

And while that is true, I have my own definition of beautiful, just like every other person in the world has their own definitions of other things.

I don't go to the gym for compliments, I don't go to the gym for guys, I go because I want to make myself better. I want to look in the mirror and be proud of the way I look and the hard work it took to get me there.

I want to prove to myself that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. So while I am in the process of changing my body, it is to suit my wants and needs, not anybody else's.