Nearing goal but struggling to incorporate exercise. Help??

[PinkLemons99]

I’ve been obese since my late 30’s. I was naturally slim (size 8/10) and active until about 30: walking, riding bikes in the city/countryside and a bit of swimming and the odd aerobics type class. I moved house, lost my old uni friends and I’ve done zero formal fitness activities for the last 20 plus years.
With WLI, I’ve lost almost 5 stones and am now slim.

I recently joined a sort of gym where they do small group 45 minute classes with an instructor and I signed up and paid for 18 sessions. I’ve done 5 sessions over a couple of weeks but today, I really wanted to run away halfway through today’s session.

I felt completely out of my depth as the other participants have clearly been going for a while so know what to do and they can lift the bar with heavy weights etc. but I’m still doing hand weights and a kettle bell. It’s different people at each session as there wasn’t a specific new starters group. I couldn’t lift my legs up in the air when lying on my back doing the floor exercise, at all. I can’t rotate a plastic bar down my back past my head. I felt very old, unfit and that I didn’t really belong.

Will it get better? I’m also struggling to afford the jabs and fitness sessions so neither can be long term options.

What do other people do if they want to stay healthy and slim long term?

Home workouts. Youtube has plenty. Get some cast iron adjustable dumbells, or a light and heavy kettlebell or resistance bands...
Then try once per week. Increase to twice, then three. Make an appointment to do exercise like you would a Dr or dentist appointment and stick to it. You are exercising for your heart health, bone density and to keep the weight off, not to lose weight.
Reframe why you need to do it, that really helps. Then, seeing how quickly you can progress is a good motivator.
But most of the time you wont be motivated you will do it because you have to.

invest in a walking pad. i love mine and use it on days i cant make the gym or on days i just want to walk.

@PinkLemons99 will you lose the rest of the money for the remaining sessions if you cancel? Or can you transfer to something else?

It will likely get better the more you go as you get more familiar with the activities. Can you feed back to the instructor that as a beginner you aren't finding the class suitable and is there anything they can do to suggest adaptations to the exercises or alternate exercises for new starters?

I wouldn't be concerned about using lighter weights than people who have been doing the class for a while, that's surely to be expected. I can't quite imagine the bar behind your head rotation exercise, but it sounds like it's for flexibility? Could you practice that at home? Doing it daily would quickly improve your flexibility.

If you don't want to continue with the classes, I would also recommend a treadmill or walking pad for cardio. Then you can get resistance bands, weights, kettle bells etc at home and find a video or exercise plan that you like doing and do it at home instead.

Or, is there a sport you'd like to try? That might be more enjoyable than an exercise class if you can find the right thing.

Just keep on going - it takes time - in 2-3 years you’ll be strong (if you push yourself and eat enough protein!). I go to similar classes most days today I was benching 50kg for 8 reps others where using an empty 15kg bar.

I messaged the main trainer to tell him that I was struggling in the last 2 sessions and he’s got back to me and offered to do a 1:1 class to run through the various exercises and to find suitable alternatives for the ones I’m really struggling with.

I’m feeling much more positive about it all today, so thanks everyone for your suggestions.

To maintain my weight loss after MJ (8st), I track every single thing I eat and I walk 20K steps a day. I also pick up heavy shit and put it down. Never stepped foot in a gym or seen a personal trainer.

That’s great!

I go to a weights class. Plenty of people are lifting 20kg+. I do 2 x 1.25g. It doesn’t matter. I’m there, not at home on the sofa eating. And I’m getting better. Last week I did some with 2.5kg. And the crunches are definitely getting easier. I still can’t do tricep dips etc but it will come. Or it won’t. I’ve booked some 1:1 PT sessions to try and improve so hopefully your 1:1 will help too. Try to talk to the other people - they might have a similar story to tell, they’re just further along the path than you.

Well done on the weight loss!