Just wanted to start a motivation thread for any 300 club ladies who work out in the gym.

I have been in and out of gyms my whole life and coupled with years of yoyo dieting always brought me back to square 1.

Now I'm back in the gym after a 3 year hiatus....have been working out there for about 3 weeks now. Still going through that initial gym intimidation phase that i really hate, where i'm the noob and people shamelessly staring sigh.

What i have noticed is that with time everyone gets more or less used to you and everyone pretty much seems to concentrate on their own workouts.

My biggest friend in there is my ipod, i turn the music up loud and block out all the "noise"...and find that i am able to get through my workouts quite well.

Would be great to know of others experiences too

Today did 1 hour moderate walking on the treadmill and 20mins on the recumbent bike.

Awesome job!! I really need to get back into the habit of going to the gym, but just haven't been able to get motivated lately. I was going 5x per week for about 3 months and then just fell off the wagon. You are doing fantastic!

As for my experience... I go to the YMCA, so I have a feeling there might be less judging than at a "regular" gym, but I'm not sure. I'm the shy type who avoids eye contact with anyone and I just go about my business without noticing who might be staring. It works for me! Lol. I usually listened to my ipod or read my kindle on the treadmill.

Awesome! Keep up the great work, you are doing amazing.

When I first started, I was in the mid 300s and so afraid to start exercising. I had to literally push myself out the door and walk.

This won't help in the gym but for anyone who is reading that might not want to go to the gym yet, every time I walked outside I wore my sunglasses so I'd be "invisible" to anyone looking at me. Sounds silly but if I didn't have to make real eye contact, then I was in my own safe-mode. I agree with blasting music too.

So much of our weight loss journey is mental in addition to the physical.

@Stephanie: thanks for the encouragement I know what you mean about taking a break from the gym and next thing you know 3 months has gone by (in my case 3 years sigh)....but feels good to be back. I too hate making eye contact with anyone there, I just mind my own business hop on the machine and once i'm done i'm outta there lol!



@TheLastStraw: Wow i think sunglasses is a great idea! Never thought of it before...as I too hate making eye contact. I've always wanted to just walk outside which would be much easier and less time consuming but just as you say this journey is mental as well as physical and my mind just won't let me do it. I am really glad i managed to somehow get myself back to the gym, it was really hard initially but now getting used to it thank goodness.

40mins strength training, 40mins elliptical machine

Cherry, when I went back to the gym in 2013, people were really nice to me. Willing to help if I needed it, and give advice for free. A personal trainor talked to me one day and told me that some of those people were larger than I was then, when they started. Sometimes people just look because you're new. Many of them don't mean to be offensive. I've since quit the gym because I was spending 6 out of 7 days there. I did Leslie Sansone's 3 Mile Walk To The Hits today. Not a gym thing, but I feel good. I jogged through part of it, which I never thought that I would be able to do. I did modified tricep dips today, which I was afraid to out of fear of injury, as well.

Thanks tootsieroll I needed to hear that...somedays are better than others... I try and get there at off peak times when there's not that many people and i got used to that bunch of gym goers. Today I got there late at peak time and it was packed! And those insecurities/fears resurfaced because there was so many people but i managed to get through the workout So will definitely stick to off peak hours where i'm more comfortable.

I love the leslie sansone videos! I actually have been doing them on and off for years and love that it's a workout i can do comfortably in the privacy of my own room. I was doing them late last year and it helped give me the guts to take things a step further and join the gym.

Keep going. Keep doing it. Get better at it. And start judging the people that once judged you.

That's what I do. And it's hilarious.

Leslie Sansone kicks my butt LOL, it's easier to go to the gym! Her videos can be so deceiving, don't you think? They are HARD!

Yes, they are definitely deceiving. The one and two mile ones that I first found were easy. Then I found this one and was like what the h e double hockey sticks.

@IanG: Thanks! I should definitely try that approach lol!

@LastStraw: Yep Leslie Sansone kicks my butt too! Any of the ones over a mile I start counting down the seconds till its over lol.

@tootsieroll: I now know to give it some time before I try out that one lol!

Yesterday did not manage to make it to the gym but made sure to eat right.

Today I stepped on the scale and I had finally broken the 330 barrier (had been on a plateau for about 4 weeks that damn nearly broke my spirit)....and found I was down to 328lbs. Which brings my total weight loss today to 50lbs yay!

My next major goal is to break 300 which I haven't been since high school (sigh).

Will update in the evening once I'm back from the gym.

PS: I am really happy for me....and not trying to be negative but it kinda sucks when not a single person around me has noticed (haven't told anyone other than family)...i know i'm doing this journey for me, but it would be nice if others could see the blood sweat and tears that i've put into this (i guess it comes with the territory when loosing weight at such a high starting weight). But it's okay, initially i couldn't see the changes but there is a pair of jeans i tried before i started and it could not get beyond my thighs but now fits me! (abit snug yes)...but it fits! It makes me know that i'm not going crazy, that my body actually has changed. And for that I am grateful

3 days ago I went to see my doctor for a follow up for test results. It turns out I have high uric acid levels, high total cholesterol (hdl,ldl and triglycerides were normal but total was borderline high), and high blood pressure.

This is after having lost 50lbs (makes me wonder what these were before). There and then he prescribed 3 medications for each of the above problems, I took them the first night and as a result have been violently ill the past 2 days throwing up constantly and with a killer migraine.

If this is what modern medicine is then I do not want it. Ever since starting on my lifestyle change I have not been sick once in months and my headaches vanished. But within afew hours of taking these meds I had this reaction? I've literally been in bed for 2 days.

I have decided I will continue with my lifestyle changes for now(have read up on foods to reduce uric acid levels and cholesterol etc). I have more or less been eating healthy but need to tweak some things.

I am to see my dr in 2 weeks, if my lifestyle changes have not made any changes in the readings then maybe i'll have to try a different set of meds, but if there is a change then i am not going to take the medication. It is actually setting me way back instead of helping.

I feel bad that i let my body go this much, i purposefuly didn't go see my doc for 2 yrs, I wish i did then as it would have prevented where i am now. But it is what it is, and I am fighting to get my health back and giving my all.

Congratulations on the loss, cherrygarcia. Try to remember that sometimes you won't see a difference in scale, but your body composition is changing. Especially if you are lifting weights at all. Muscle weighs more than fat. Sometimes, it's water weight as well. Your body can have anywhere from a + to - 3 pound difference in any given day as a result of this, so don't let it make you lose heart. Just keep going.

You may like to check out FatGirlPHD's blog. She keeps me motivated. Just Google her.

Been doing the 3 mile Walk With The HIIT's Leslie Sansone workout every other day. I am noticing that I'm having less trouble with it. When it gets easy, I plan on trying a four mile one.