Koo, you can totally do this. Everyone here is so supportive and friendly, not to mention knowledgeable on all the methods of weight loss.
Personally, I'm counting calories and fat grams. I keep a food diary that details everything I eat and the calories/fat in each food/drink. It has allowed me to lose over 25 pounds, and it is so easy that anyone could do it. No need to strike things off your list and tell yourself you can never eat them again. You can eat anything as long as you plan for it. Just try a few things out, visit the forums for all the different plans, see if something catches your eye.
On the exercise front, you don't have to go to a gym to get some good exercise in. I started out walking a little less than a mile a day. I worked up to two miles a day. Due to the cold weather and early sunset, I've been walking at noon during my lunch hour. I can fit in a good 1.5 miles in 30 minutes. On the days I'm not walking, I strength train at home with some dumbbells I bought at target. I also do crunches, push-ups, leg lifts, etc. I've been doing the strength training three days a week for two weeks and I've already noticed a big difference. I also do fitness videos at home. I don't have a gym membership just yet.
If you aren't comfortable with Golds, then maybe you should look around a find a new place where you are comfortable. There is a snobby gym a couple blocks from my house, but I'd never go to it. About a mile away, there is a healthplex that one of the hospitals in town built. It's used by a lot of people who are elderly or recovering from injuries or people who have been ordered there by a doctor to lose weight. I've already checked into it, and it sounds like the perfect place for me. They have someone take you around and show you how to use all the equipment properly. They monitor your progress and make suggestions. Great stuff all for $35 a month. See if you can find a place like that where you live. It may not have gym in the title, but it works the same.
Good luck with your journey to healthy living! If you ever want to talk, drop me a message. I'd love to chat.
|