Are there any others like me, who are just starting out and are really nervous...?

[ConOfScience]

Comments made to me over Christmas...

"Are there no Slimming World classes where you live?"
"You only need to lose a stone or two"
"ChunkyMonkey" might use this as my username

Um thanks for that even though I didn't ask your fucking opinion.

So.

Have my induction at the gym tonight.

1st one to one session (of 5) with a 21yr old boy!

I've bought t-shirts, tracksuit bottoms, have had the same pair of trainers for 10 years (since my last gym session ), sports bra etc etc...all pretty cheap from George.

The thing is I'm really nervous about going to new places, meeting new people, everyone will be looking at the new girl, the one who has no clue

I'm also going to book classes, I have support at home and I'll also try a bit of jogging...

I'm so unfit I can literally feel how unhealthy I am.

Is anyone else in the same boat?

Does anyone have any tips...?

What do you wish you had known when you started out at the gym - the sooner I feel comfortable the better, because it will make me stay, and I want to stay so much...I want to notice the changes.

Ah, so it's just me then

No gym for me

But I an starting out on some exercise. Just power walked my old running route!!! Can't believe how unfit I am! I need to lose 5 stone too, but need to stick at this

How do you plan to stick at it?

I seriously lack the motivation and I feel guilty for being out the house after working.

DP is SAHD you see and I always rush home to give him a breather.

I thought the only way to make me stick at somehting is if I'm paying for it Albeit a 3 month contract, so 3 months and I can give up if I want but you never heard me say that right!

other gym-goers will be far too absorbed/worried about what they're doing to notice you other than of the cursory, "there's a new person" passing thought.
that's what gyms are for, the 21 yr old may well be a laugh and should be trained to do what he's doing.

Most important things?

• "doing-it-for me and won't give up" attitude
• a good sports bra (so you're fine)
• for high-impact-running you DO need proper running shoes but for general gym, yours will be fine
• comfortable clothes - not too loose

- try out different cardio classes to find the one you like, you may love aerobics or prefer running or spinning, experiment and then stick to what you like, you'll be more motivated then.

Good luck!

Thanks Expat!

It is actually my attitude that is preventing me, so I need to look at it differently.

After I've been I bet I'll feel great, it's just the lead up to it with nerves etc.

I just need to concentrate on me and no one else don't I.

Hi Con, just wanted to say good luck at the gym today, I'm sure you'll do fine and hopefully enjoy it. The first session is always a bit awkward and it's not too fun having the instructor watch you while you're learning how to use the equipment, but the first session you then do on your own and try stuff out for yourself was always more enjoyable for me. I tried to stick to the more simple stuff like treadmill, cross trainer, bike etc to begin with, and watch other people using the other equipment so I'd feel more confident before trying it myself. Also I had my MP3 player stuck in my ears most of the time and just concentrated on my own workout (you might be more sociable than me though!). As Expat says, most other gym-goers will notice you are new but then will be much too interested in their own workout to pay attention to you. You'll also earn respect and admiration if they see you are committed and motivated, no matter what you are wearing etc.

All gyms are different though, some are full of (usually male) posers who spend most of their time looking in the mirror and the staff might not be very interested, but smaller gyms usually have more 'normal', friendly people in.

Come back and update later if you can? I'd be interested to know how you got on. I used to go to the gym a lot a couple of years ago but combination of having my DS and laziness got the better of me. Would love to start back but a bit apprehensive as well.

Sounds like a good plan Cat, thanks for that encouragement. I've just posted on another thread about starting again and announced to my DP I would go for a run tonight (your thread has inspired me!).

Good news that you will know someone else at the gym, she can probably introduce you to other people as well. Again, good luck tonight!

Good luck! I'm not sure how you are for time at the gym, but I find that doing a nice thing while I'm there after a workout motivates me to go e.g a steam, or a coffee and a little read of magazines or a nice shower with good smellies that I don't use at home etc. Also, there are website like mapmyrun that you can log how much you've done and see how you're getting on (it isn't just for running). Also, no one will be looking at you, they will all be absorbed in what they're doing. Unless your instructor is hot and then they may peek over

I was exactly the same as you. I was fairly podgy (well... very podgy at 16 stone and 5'7", really) and had a bit of an epiphany and joined a gym. 2 years and 5 stone later I'm a proper exercise nut - feel weird if I don't get at least 4 workouts a week in. Got a 1/2 marathon coming up at the end of Feb for which I want to run 1 hour 55 minutes. The difference between me then and me now is staggering - outlook, motivation, confidence.

At the start I went to the gym in my old trainers, baggy t-shirts, baggy sweat pants. Nobody batted an eye-lid. As I become more committed to a regime I found it worthwhile to invest in non-baggy gear (as it's easier and more comfortable to work out in) and decent trainers (as I found I loved running and they prevent injury).

I DO look at other people in the gym, but only in the following cases:

1. Super-skinny woman in revealing gear, working out in a totally non-committed way, obviously there just to pose. I look at her and go 'oo just piss off, would you?'
2. Large chap obviously just decided to go to the gym and tries to sprint/row/cycle off his beer gut in just ONE almighty session - obviously hasn't listened to guidance on how to start an exercise regime slowly/with structure. He attracts the eye as whatever he's doing is SO obviously wrong, and you expect him to keel over from a heart attack at any moment.
3. Fitties. There's a kickboxer who trains at my gym now (on Tuesdays and Thursdays between about 6.30 and 8pm... not that I've... you know... been stalkerish enough to memorise his schedule... ahem) and he's so amazingly athletic, you can't help watching (I'm sure he loves it, poser).

Other than that, as other people say, you're in your own little world and the favour is returned by other users. It can be fairly hard to attract another person's attention, actually, if you need to ask them a question (i.e. "are you using those set of 4kg weights?") - people are so self-absorbed that you would literally have to walk up to them and kick them to make them notice you.

Wow - I hadn't realised how unfit I'd become

Had my induction, wore tracksuit bottoms and a not too baggy tshirt, good trainers and a sports bra - which I love btw.

It was not the 21yr old as he was with someone else but a guy around my age (30 ish) and he was lovely.

He talked me through my goals, took my weight and other measurements - we both laughed at how nervous I was - it was actually like going to first day of school!

Anyway that was the easy part!

X Trainer - couldn't even do 10 minutes, so did 5
Bike (the sitting down one) - did 10 minutes on the variable pattern

told him I didn't want to do the treadmill so then went back on to the X Trainer for 5 minutes.

TBH, I was knackered after that and I went home

So 20 minutes of 'training' and I should've been able to do more!

I have made an appointment with the same guy tomorrow morning 07.30am, and my plan is

10 mins X Trainer
15 mins Treadmill - fast walk/jog
10 mins Bike

At least I went, I did something, I know I'll get better.

Thanks for all your comments, good luck with the 1/2 marathon Undertone I wonder if I'll ever be at the stage you're at! That would be an achievement!

Sticky Did you go for a run last night?

Well done for getting started. That's more than many achieve. When I first started running I ran with a friend which was fantastic and we got to covering 10k over 3 or 4 months running once or twice a week. Then I got pregnant and it all stopped.

I started running again in November, doing the couch25k programme and posted on here for company since I was too eratic to be able to join anyone else. It's been fab.

A fair few folk have passed through the thread (can't link to it, am on phone but its c25k November 2011 or similar) but 3 of us have stuck at it. Whether we would have stuck at it individually I don't know but I love going out running and coming back to tell them all about it. That its specified programme helps too because I know how much further ahead of me they are and I don't want to get any further behind!

There are lots of websites promoting health and fitness with communities so you can buddy up and compare notes but I have to say my mn friends are great because we're all in the same boat re children and associated issues.

It's much easier doing it with moral support.

Well done CatHair! Very impressed about the 7.30am session, bloody hell! Hope it's going well and you're not too achey. I did manage a run thank you, the same day, and I only managed a bit but I agree it felt great to start doing something positive. Hope we can both keep it up! x

Oh Oh Oh! I just had to run back here and tell someone!

Just been to the gym, this is becoming a regular occurence - am I actually starting to enjoy it?

Anyway, had a sneaky go on the scales and found that I'd lost 3lbs!!!!

Chuffed to bits.

Sticky the 07.30am session didn't happen, I cancelled that because I had to go to work straight from the gym and the changing rooms do not have plug points - very odd! No way was I going out without straightening my hair

But, I went on Saturday morning at 09.00am, and I'm just back this evening.

I also blew up my birthing/gym ball from days gone by and I've been doing sit ups and press ups each night.

How's the running going? How do you manage to fit it in? I'm finding it difficult as DP is SAHD and I always feel guilty for being out of the house, when I'm not working. He's supportive though, but I need to make sure I don't take the piss.

Thanks to all who have replied so far, if you don't mind I will come back to update - even if no one is reading, I'm using this as my 'get fit diary'

Good for you Cat, really good news that you're getting on so well! What's the gym like then? Is it friendly? Are there many posers? What stuff have you been doing there? (Sorry, so many questions, I'm just nosey and interested!)
I went for another run on Sunday, this time in the countryside, it was hard, but brilliant, and so nice to have some time to myself. I guess both of us find it difficult to find the time, but it is possible. I took DP with me on Sunday, he looked after DS while I ran and then I came back and took over and he rode his bike for a while. I hope we can make it a regular thing. Is your DP up for doing some sport or something like that as well?

Please do come back and update, it's lovely to share the motivation and successes. x

Hi Sticky

Just back from the gym again, and had a really good session. Did 20 mins on treadmill, 15 minutes on bike, could only manage 3 mins on X trainer and the personal trainer guy told me he had made up a plan on the weights (I think he was struggling for time tbh) So, I've got a plan and I'm sticking to it. I see the Personal trainer (PT for purposes of this thread) another 3 times and then I'm on my own

When I started my weight was 13st 1lb and tonight after being weighed by PT I am 12st 8lbs! That means I've lost half a stone What an incentive to keep going and I actually enjoy it!

The people in the gym keep themselves to themselves really, but if you catch someones eye they will smile so I'm ok with that. Staff are excellent and to my delight, no posers. Some of the girls are in with full make up on, but all in all loads of different shapes and sizes. So I fit in quite nicely :)

Love the fact that you went out with your family and were able to go for a run in the countryside, I can imagine how hard that would be, I bet you felt great afterwards! Good on you! How far do you think you ran? Do you ever feel half way through that you could just stop because it's so hard? I find it hard to push myself when on the X trainer and give up easily - it's my nemesis

DP just mentioned badminton to me, so I think we'll book a session when we can get an hour on our own but we're taking dd swimming every Sunday morning from now on.

Hope you're finding time, even if it's a quick run round the block, you're getting out and doing something productive.