I'm 20 years old and this is my first time posting on this site. I gained a lot of weight senior year of high school and college because my dad was sick and in the hospital so all we ate was fast food and drank soda and did no exersice, I gained over 100 pounds! I've been walking and trying to eat better and Ive lost 41 pounds. I went from 370 to 329 in a couple of months but in the mist of that I got off course due to a death in my family.

Right now i'm 329 and ready to get back into the game, my problem is gym fear! Anyone else feel like you are being watched at the gym? I like going to feeling the acomplishment but I feel so out of place while I'm there! My boyfriend is very fit and we do activities together but just that isnt enough! Any ideas what workouts at the gym are best for my size since I cant run much!

Also any tips for totally cutting out soda? It's time for me to get my game face on and get this weight off! I turn 21 in December and my goal is to be at 290 for my birthday and then 200 for next summer! Ultimately my goal is 140, I'm 5'7 so that would be right at normal weight for myself. I do not look 330 pounds, everyone is always shocked when i tell them so 140 might look too small on me but we shall see! Any tips or motivational stories or suggestions would be great! Thanks everyone!

Welcome to 3FC =)

First of all CONGRATULATIONS on making changes and losing over 40 pounds! Amazing!

I guess my question about the gym is.. is it necessary to actually GO to the gym? If the annoyance outweighs the benefits there are about...oh, a bajillion ways to get in extra activity without heading into a building that was made for gym equipment.

There are a ton of DVDs, and even simple modified bodyweight exercises that will help you work up a good sweat and get moving.

If you can't run. Walk. I'm not speaking metaphorically there, either. (Although it does remind me of "If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl.") Seriously, walking at any pace is great movement. You can build up to a brisk walk, or even go out for a stroll.

Of course, if getting to gym gets you moving it's all good! Check out the Exercise section of the forum for even more ideas about activity

Cutting out soda: Many methods. You could quit cold turkey. Challenge yourself to go two weeks without drinking any soda whatsoever, and only drink water. It might be weird the first few days, but after the two weeks you'll likely feel more normal -- and you might even try a small glass of soda after the two weeks and be surprised at how sugary it is!

You could also work in steps if that fits you better. Get rid of regular soda, and go to diet sodas or calorie-free flavored drinks only. And then as time goes on if you wanted to cut those out you could, too.

Just keep in mind that this whole process of losing weight and becoming more active can take a while. Keep setting healthy goals for yourself. Keep making healthy choices. And don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake, simply get back to your healthy normal. You'll never regret getting back up and dusting yourself off. You may regret "waiting until Monday" to get back to plan.

Best of wishes and I hope to see you around the boards during your journey and beyond!

Congrats on the 40 pounds, first of all, and coming here is a big step as well. I've only been around for a couple weeks (if that), but I've found a lot of helpful tips, etc. here.

As for the gym:
I used to have that fear, so what I did was join a cheap gym (for example, Planet Fitness often runs a $9.99/month sale, or $19.99 if you want to bring a friend), figuring that if I couldn't get up the nerve to actually go, then it wasn't a huge loss. What people say is true: at the gym, nobody cares. They're interested in getting their exercise in, they aren't interested in what you're doing. Everyone just puts their headphones on or watches their TV (or both) and minds their own business. The only time anyone will pay attention to you is if you don't wipe your equipment off.

As far as the soda goes -- I used to drink it constantly, but I've given it up for Lent every year for the past five years or so. I figured if I could decide not to drink tonic for 40 days at a time with no problem at all, then I could give it up in order to be healthier. Tried cold turkey, but really wanted some (it was like the forbidden fruit, I guess?!)... So, I switched to Coke Zero, and then weaned myself off of that soon enough. If you really need something fizzy, then maybe try seltzer - it's pretty much just flavored water with bubbles - it's sugar free, etc., so it shouldn't mess with your plan. Worth a try if you need to bubbles!

Or, you could always drink a TON of water, and then you won't really feel like drinking anything else. In an effort to buy less bottled water, my office gave us all company-monogrammed water bottles -- I drank some water before we got them, but not much because the bottled water wasn't in a convenient place for me to keep refilling -- well, the new water bubbler is 10 feet from my desk, and my bottle is 22 ounces... so, over the course of a day, I'm drinking at LEAST 88 ounces of water now, and it makes me not want soda because I'm not thirsty. The thing about tonic is that the sugar content is usually so high that it doesn't quench your thirst... if anything, it makes you want more, where water fills you enough that you don't feel like you need other drinks. I say go with the H2O!

Either way, good luck, and keep at it!

You could walk on the treadmill, or you could try couch-to-5k - google c25k and you'll find the site (I'm too new to post links) - it's a program that could have you running a 5k race in as little 9 weeks... basically, it's intervals - walk for X minutes, run for like 1/3 of X, rinse and repeat. If you WANT to run, then it's a great plan. If you aren't into running, I recommend the elliptical or a bike. I don't have the best endurance on the elliptical, but I love the workout!

Congrats on your loss. I was addicted to Diet Coke while I was in college...just awful! The day I started this journey I just decided that Diet Coke had to go...and that was July 25th of this year. I did have a few sips about a month ago and didn't like it anymore-very odd. So cold turkey worked for me.
As for the gym, I plan to join one in the winter. Right now I am just walking. I started out at .5 miles and am now up to 1.5-2 miles a day. I love it, it is a great stress reliever.
I also suggest you drink a lot of water, it makes a BIG difference!
Good luck on your journey. You are smart to do this while you are young!

I was in the 300s when I went to the gym. I went and did a bike most days. I reaaaally wanted to try the elliptical but I thought people would be thinking about why would someone my size even try it. . . I tried it and I've been working on elliptical ever since. People reaaally don't care what you are up to at the gym. Everyone is focused on what they're doing. I've actually had people come up to me and say that I'm doing a great job! So I hiiiighly suggest trying out the elliptical, even if you can only do a few minutes at a time.


DIET SODA! It may taste weird at first but you totally get used to it. Also, I like to make lemonade when I need something that isn't just water. I take water, add some lemon juice and add a packet of splenda. Yum!


Anyway, welcome to the site and congratulations on your 40 pounds!

I'm also going to throw in with the diet soda here. It's the only soda I've ever really had, and to me, it tastes normal. I always used to be a little jealous of people who could lose weight by cutting out soda, since that wouldn't make a difference for me.

And welcome. I'm 5'7", as well, and have similar starting and goal weights. I didn't start at the gym until I reached around 305, but, in my experience, no one gives a crap. No one's watching, no one makes comments, and if they think them, I don't care, as I'm not Professor X, and therefore can't tell.

Personally, I have very little endurance with running, and am terrified of hurting my knees. Most of my gym-based cardio tends to be either on the recumbant bike or swimming. I love swimming. The tendons in my right shoulder do not. You seem to have a lot of zeal, so just be careful; we can totally get hurt, and it sucks.

You might also want to try weight machines, or free weights of some sort. I started those about a month ago, and I can already tell the difference. It's neat to feel muscle under all the fat!

I also suggest springing for a few sessions with a personal trainer if you can afford it. I did so, and it's been really helpful. It's nice to have guidance, and they really don't seem to be judgmental. They're there to get you in shape, so they don't expect you to already be.

Welcome and congrats on the 40 lbs! That's great! Like what the others have said, don't worry about people at the gym. They don't care. You are there to do you, don't worry about anyone else. I used to feel the same and now I don't care lol..
As far as the soda, I am still struggling with that. I have found that quitting cold turkey worked the best for me in the past. I don't drink as much as I used to but I still drink it sometimes.
Good luck!!!