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.

My personal experience is that weight loss is 50/50 food and exercise. One is not more important than the other as above posters are suggesting.

It's calories in/ calories out. You can cut down what you eat, or you can continue eating as you are and do more exercise, or do some combination thereof, as long as you're burning more than you're consuming.

Whatever you do though, the gym isn't necessary - you just have to find a form of movement that you enjoy.

If you're doing 10,000 steps every day and eating healthily for your lifestyle and BMI, then you should be a healthy weight or on your way to it.

I like to alternate between an outside run, using c25k, and doing a little routine of light weights and stretches at home using a kettlebell.

I am now mixing in some swims too as I find that the hardest thing of all to do!

I agree with you OP, I find it very hard to actually get out the door to the gym or to set classes. Being able to do it in my own time from home helps a lot.

@ShittyFingers

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 😞

Oh, please go back to karate! Some classes are all toxic masculinity bullshit, but our class is run by a women, and it's just such fun! Full of families (mostly parents who got bored of watching their kids and decided to join). So you might need to look around to find a club that suits you, but it would absolutely be worth it. I went back to karate around 10 years ago after giving up in my teens, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

What works for me is doing a class that doesn't feel like PE, to avoid activating the Sulky Teenager in my head. I shock myself at how regularly I pitch up at the gym to do Zumba and Body Pump, just because it's dancing and pretend Olympic Weightlifting.

@AnnieLobeseder I think that’s the problem, the class I was at was full of alpha males, I was the only woman there. They were great blokes, no issues with any of them but the class was very old school and they loved kicking each other’s heads in … the sparring was aggressive and I was too intimidated to join in. I was also the only non black belt there

With you op I get bored. My solution is stationary bike and watch Netflix documentaries or audio book. Do an hour on that followed by weights sit ups most days. Don’t get bored as just watch tv! Do other fun classes too but daily turbo works for me. Burn 500 calories then don’t eat til linch. Lost 2 stone in 2019 and kept it off. Size 14 to size 10

Oh no, that karate class sounds like a nightmare! Definitely look around because it's a popular martial art and there will be nicer classes out there. I do a different martial art but the karate classes at our place have a mix of kids, mums, the elderly (our oldest member just turned 80)... keeping the alpha males in check

Definitely a good idea to stick with a sport you enjoy

Try a body combat class. I live group fitness. You can get the Les mills + app for about £10 a month with loads of classes on, but your best checking out a real class first. I do a class every single day. But I HATE the gym floor. It’s so boring.

@Haus1234

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

Being outside suits me better too. Gyms smell and feel claustrophobic. Try running outside. See if there's a local beginner's running group.

You really don't need the gym, people managed for centuries without them.

Getting your 10000 steps a day is an excellent base. If you wanted you could buy some hand held weights and do some exercises with those - I do a few sets in between calls. Or find an outdoor class - our neighbour runs one and I go with my friend so it's a lot of fun.

I don't like doing my own thing at the gym. I tend to just give up after 15 mins. But, I find group classes much more motivating. Bodypump, crossfit etc are great. You can stand at the back and just do light weights to start. I love them and go at least twice a week. Do you have different classes available?

Do something else! try hiking/walking? I lost quite a bit of weight doing this in the last year.
You could just diet, but I find it easier to stick to if exercising as well, and you see the results quicker which motivates you

Yep, I've managed for most of my adult life without a gym and kept my weight down. I used to run and do YouTube fitness videos. (I'm now a member of David Lloyd but that's not the point!!)

My two cents:

When I started exercising for the mental not physical benefits I got hooked. Have run and off for a few years. Never liked the gym but recently found one very close by and I do the classes only. In and out in an hour or less. Loving the weights and realise how much I was knackering myself just doing cardio. Really enjoying it.

No point doing something you hate, you won’t stick at it. Do it for the feel good factor and it’ll happen because you’ll want that high not to try and lose weight. I agree with PPs that weight loss is mostly diet anyway unless you’re really pushing exercise to the limit. Good luck!

Have you tried working with a PT? I was the same with the gym. Went once and had a "personalised plan" put in place for me, which was essentially an hour of the woman beasting me to the point of nearly breaking. I honestly could barely walk up/down the stairs without nearly crying for about 5 days after. I tried going on my own once or twice more after but the whole feeling of being there and hating the equipment on my plan meant I of course gave up. About a year later I started seeing a PT once a week and it was a huge difference. Working with someone who starts at your level, rather than the generic level the set everyone at and works with you every week makes such a huge difference. You still have to work hard and sweat buckets, and you still ache the day after but I've found it actually enjoyable. I've been going solidly for about a year now.
I also do a lot of miles - mostly just fast paced walking - every day like you and can feel a real difference in both fitness and body strength. I lost a couple of stone in a year as I was calorie counting too.

I should add the stuff I do with the PT is mostly weights/strength training with a bit of cardio chucked in.

I'm with you, I hate it.
I've started walking instead.
To put it in perspective I walked 5 miles and burnt 400 calories according to my app, that about the same calories as two small bars of chocolate 🙄
I'm still going to walk (quite enjoy it) and I've got weights and kettle bells at home.
My OH is a gym bunny and even he says it all about calories in to calories out.
So count your calories and use weights to tone up, also you could try yoga for beginners, plenty of free videos online.
Good luck

Give up the gym and find something that you enjoy. I have just started couch 2 5k. It is v good as it makes you take it at a v steady rate so you don't knacker yourself and decide you want to stop all together.

It doesn’t make sense that you can manage 10000 steps but not 5 minutes on the Cross trainer.

I don’t enjoy doing any form of Hiit ,
The way I see it, working out is not an enjoyable experience. But it’s a must and the end result is worth those 30-40 minutes of being uncomfortable.

No: I’ve lost 3.5 stone since Feb last year doing low carb high fat.
Zero exercise.

I joined the gym in December to purely tone my body.

Actually rereading what you said about Karate, you could try Body Combat. Similar exercises but no coming into contact with others.

I used to do a circuits class with a bit of sparring and in the end I had to give it up
As some of the men there made it a point of honour to go as hard as they could against your pads if you were female.

You’re never going to go if you don’t like it so end your membership and stop wasting the money. Look for something else that’s more fun, like swimming, dancing, hiking, cycling etc.

If you were intimidated at karate could you try capoeira?

@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.

Not one poster before you advocated not doing any form of exercise. Not one.

I agree OP I find gyms quite challenging places. At times something akin to a medieval torture chamber. I have found classes much more useful than gym sessions. Also (difficult one for me personally), the heavier focus needs to be on what you eat rather than exercise. A good gym workout for me will take out maybe 600-700 calories. Through my head then goes the thought I have earned something nice (muffin or a bacon role). If I do this, I can easily undo all my good work