[MissKoo]

I will spare all of you the long story but I am fat and unhappy and out of shape and feel bad ALL THE TIME! I've tried every diet. I decided just to get on this support board and see what happens. My doctor has told me, in no uncertain terms, that I desperately need to exercise but I am self-conscious at the Gold's Gym. That place is huge and impersonal and no one makes eye contact with women who aren't workout bunnies.

So, here I am. The only thing I'll promise myself is that I will do something to better myself each day and pat myself on the back.

I hope to find some online buddies!

Salut!
Koo

[foucault]

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.

[amouse]

welcome to the forum i do all my exercise at home .. aerobic dvds and elliptical trainer , i also have a swiss ball and do the workout for that to plus the usually lunges squata push up sit ups ect.. all can be done at home.. i hav lost all my weight at home and i plan on continuing doing the same
i also do calorie counting and use fitday free online account to keep me in check and im finding it fantastic , i looked up my calories to maintain weight then took 500 ish off it and i try to stick to that . the good calculators take into account you hieght and age , and a tryed many of them and worked out my average . and its working fine .

I hoe you can find something equally as good for you .. i find it very easy to stick to it.. no rules just counting .. very easy.

[iowa girl]

a couple years ago when I was much hevier, I was self concious at the gyms in my area. I joined Curves... and LOVED it. Curves is so awesome becuase not only are there no men allowed, but most the women who go there are are fighting the same battle against weight that we are. It was very comforting to me. If you join Curves my only suggestion would be to workout hard for the 30min circuit. It can be a little too easy to not break a sweat if you don't really want to.

[Shorty1985]

I don't have much advice...as i'm new myself. I just wanted to let you know that I first started working out at LA Fitness, and hated it!!!! I never went. I felt stupid there. Everyone there is a perfect supermodel and there weren't any real people there just trying to lose weight. I continued to pay every month even though I didn't show up and didn't continue with my losing weight. Now I am at YMCA and LOVE IT there! Everyone is friendly and say hi to eachother... Everyone is "normal" here. So I suggest taking a look at other places. Do a tour... if the people working out at the time of the tour seem too "supermodelish" then that's probably not the place. Good luck!!!

[oakgiraffes]

MissKoo,

I lost 70lbs. in 15 months by walking 6 days a week and eating less. I didn't really diet. I just worked real hard at the exercise. I now walk 7-10 miles a day, 6 days a week and have maintained my weight loss for a year now. I walk outside. I have gotten used to all the variations in the weather.

Annie

[kappy]

Funny but true -- I managed to get up early enough one day to hit the gym before work. I couldn't believe it was the same gym. Instead of everybody in their own world or just two people chatting they were all in each others faces. It was funny. "hey Joe, what's this 3.0 crap? What, you faking it today?" "Looking great over there Mary, keep it up!" "Does anybody understand or get that commercial?!" I asked my niece who always went at that hour and she said it was always like that at that time. They paid attention to each other and were sure vocal about their support/encouragement with each other. That said I'm not totally sure that's my style. But before you give up on your gym try it at different times of day. Maybe there are time periods that are more to your liking. Maybe not! All you can do is give it a great, full try and then if necessary move on. But don't give up!