To give up on the gym?

[ShittyFingers]

I joined the local gym around a year ago. Went once … didn’t go again until last month. Had a personal fitness plan created and then went 3 times the week after, twice the week after that, 3 times the following week and then once last week.

I don’t bloody like it that’s the problem! I don’t enjoy it! That fucking cross trainer thing kills me and I could just about manage 5 minutes on it before feeling like I’m going to melt in a heap.
I do not like being hot and sweaty, I find it incredibly stressful. Why am I paying for this??

Well, I have a stone to lose … doing calorie counting. Do I need the gym, I mean … do I really need it??

I do around 10,000 steps a day without the gym.

Weight loss is 90% what you eat tbh.

Find a different way to be fitter when you're ready.

Yeh give it up!

Do something you enjoy.

Could you run outside instead? It’s free! Realistically weight loss is mostly diet.

If you don't enjoy it you won't go, I've always been my fitist when my lifestyle was different, when I walked everywhere. I walked to work and back, walked into town, walked absolutely everywhere.

I voted YABU as I love the gym! But I also hate the cross trainer, maybe find something else to do at the gym? You get less sweaty doing weights.

Just to add, I’m chronic anaemic (on treatment but still struggle with a ferritin level of between 5 - 20 (20 being the highest result I’ve ever had, my last test I was 6).

I’m not overweight, just very unfit and heavier than I want to be)

Yeah give it up. You definitely don’t need it. Eat healthy and stay active

Well, you need to exercise, but that doesn't have to mean the gym. 10,000 steps a day is great but you need some resistance work with weights too. You could do that at home with dumbbells, tons of free content on YouTube or you could sign up to an app like Alice Liveing for example. And weight loss is mostly about changing your diet, but you probably know that already

Life is too short to do exercise you hate

I much prefer home workouts. They are totally flexible in terms of what you do and when, plus nobody is watching you.

I left during 1st wave and haven't been back. I now do weights at home (bought from Argos), les mills online and run
Yesterday I did 100 steps so I'm doing way less than you

Could you do things you enjoy at home instead?
I love doing body combat and also enjoy a run a couple of times a week.
Try couch 2 5k if you're not a runner

More calories out than calories in will mean you'll lose weight, whatever you do for exercise. I suggest you find something you enjoy doing instead of this particular gym. I go to a transformation gym where sessions last 45 mins and there's a maximum of 6 people in a class. It's like having a personal trainer and over in a flash. Keep up the walking and find something you enjoy for exercise instead. Weights are good to support weight loss - building muscle means you burn more calories even when you're not doing anything. Added benefit for women is that lifting weights helps build bone density.

I'm not a gym bunny. I watch what I eat and walk my dogs. I stay slim. Weight loss is 80% west you put in your mouth and 20% exercise.

There's no point doing exercise you hate, because it's so hard to stick to it. Fitness is really important for good health, so I'd suggest you try a few different things and find something you enjoy and will stick with.

I do running, cycling, karate, and Les Mills classes - I get bored just doing one thing! 😂 I love all of them, but it took a while to find exercise I enjoyed.

Before you give up on your gym membership, are there any classes you could try? If you don't like getting sweaty, pool classes might work.

Try classes instead. I don’t use the gym, just classes.
Or give it up and go for a power walk in the fresh air, getting vitamin D while you’re at it . I quite like walking in the rain, there’s less people about.

I used to love karate, don’t have the confidence for that now though 😞 I almost got to brown belt 😫

I tried the tone up class at gym, it’s ok but after just 15 minutes I’m watching the clock willing it to end. It’s on this morning actually at 9:30 … I’m supposed to be going but I really can’t be arsed 😞

And all those people saying "weight loss is about what you eat", well, yes, but being thin and unfit is a fairly pointless goal unless looking good is all that matters to you. Maintaining good cardiovascular health, muscle tone and bone density is far more important for long term health.

You need to find exercise that works for you. I don’t love the gym for cardio - running on a treadmill to nowhere I joined a ladies weightlifting gym last year and I absolutely love it! However I don’t weigh myself, I’m focused more on strength and losing girth! Try a few different things and find what suits you.

Put some music on and have a dance!

You don't need to go to the gym if you hate it, but if you're so unfit that you're tired and sweaty after 5 mins on a cross trainer, you need to be doing more exercise.

You need to find what works for you, but c25k is a good start. Three runs a week plus weights/yoga/bodyweight exercises is a good base.

All this stuff about weight loss being 80% /90%/whatever about food is nonsense. It really depends how much exercise you do. The truth is most people don't exercise enough for it to impact on their weight loss - but, equally, you could exercise loads, eat a lot, and lose weight, if you're burning more calories than you take in (I do, after years of failed dieting).

You just need to find a balance that works for you and that you can keep up long term. That won't work if you hate the exercise you're doing.

You need to find out what you enjoy and what works for you. There is nothing worse than trying to do an exercise you hate as you won't put your all in it. It doesn't have to be the gym or a fitness class- going out for a long walk/hike/surf in the sea all counts too.

For me, I hate running, so I avoid it like the plague. Same with Yoga. I much prefer Spin/Body Pump/Pilates classes, so that's what I focus on.

At the end of the day, weight loss is in the kitchen and fitness is whatever exercise you can do. Think about your goals and what you enjoy and try to get them to align.

This is the second thread in two days where a poster wants to exercise without getting sweaty.

The sweat is the point. You need to embrace it. If you really can't, exercise is probably not for you.

@AnnieLobeseder

And all those people saying "weight loss is about what you eat", well, yes, but being thin and unfit is a fairly pointless goal unless looking good is all that matters to you. Maintaining good cardiovascular health, muscle tone and bone density is far more important for long term health.

Absolutely this!!! Your future self - especially your muscles and your bones - will thank you.

Wear wrist and ankle weights when you do your 10k steps.

Work out at home if the gym doesn't do it for you. (I'm the same...)

Try YouTube trainers like Rebecca Louise, Heather Robertson, Joe Wicks, Lucy Wyndham Read, Caroline Girvan........ there's loads out there. Find a couple that click with you and do 30-40 minutes a day.

All you need is a yoga mat, 2 sets of dumbells and some good quality resistance bands.

You would probably get more out of weights tbh.

Try weight training instead.

Oh god i absolutely loathe any cardio. I love walking but couldnt stand any cardio machines.

I do 5 minutes on them to warm up and then move onto weights. Works for me and i enjoy the gym. I still struggle with the motivation to actually get ready for it and go though

@AnnieLobeseder

And all those people saying "weight loss is about what you eat", well, yes, but being thin and unfit is a fairly pointless goal unless looking good is all that matters to you. Maintaining good cardiovascular health, muscle tone and bone density is far more important for long term health.

Absolutely!

Find something you do enjoy. I hate the Cross trainer too. Maybe try some different classes or get into heavy lifting. Learning to do proper deadlifts, deadrows etc is really empowering and will do wonders for your bone density (as well as burning calories, building strength and helping you get some muscle definition).