Fat folk at the gym

motherofstudents

Nobody will bat an eyelid at the gym. As people have already said, try your GP, they can recommend a local authority gym and you will get a reduced rate for the first 12 months. There will also be people there who have had strokes and heart attacks so many different ability levels. I don't think people have time to look at what anyone else is doing, you just concentrate on doing your own thing. If I ever notice someone really big or coming in a wheelchair, I just think it's amazing and I am full of admiration.

You don't need to join a gym to exercise that's true, but you don't get the same support and structure so it depends on your motivation.

scooby088

The only tip I have is when going to the gym never do a night session as your metabolism will still be quite high when going to bed thus leaving you restless and tired in the morning.

I had the same issues as you OP when I first joined the gym that everyone was looking at me but they weren't they were there for the same goals as me. I lost 11 stone with a mixture of diet and exercise, sadly though I have gained the majority of that back since my inactivity and over eating kicked in again. But I know I can do it and will be going to the gym again in the next few weeks.

I have always thought that exercising at home to be futile as you are in the comfort of your own home, somewhere you relax and watch t.v. and associate with being comfortable in general. Join the gym it can improve your social life, the amount of people I got talking to was unbelievable and made some friends there too.

OP I do hope you dont give up for the fear of failing. And the money you invest with the gym is an investment in you and your future well being, good luck OP.

Also OP I am waiting for a referal from my GP for WW but I have done these clubs before and I found it to hit your confidence more than anything I did at the gym, there is no one judging you at the gym, but at WW you have a room full of people who make nothing but judgements even the group leaders can sometimes make you feel inadequate.

andygb

Welshwoofs wrote: »

I have a Polar heart monitor watch and that tells me that the last 4.5 mile walk (approx half of it up a steep Lakeland peak and half coming back down again) I did burned just over 3,000 calories.

It's nothing to do with length of walk or duration, it's to do with how long your heart rate is elevated into a fat burning zone for.

Exactly hence my comment about the "intensity" of the exercise being so important.

FBaby

I have been a member of a quite exclusive gym for some years. Every January, there are new members and a vast majorities are overweight. When I seem them, my first thought is always 'good on them'. I can understand how they might feel a bit self-conscious amongst the usual fit crowd, but beating the feeling of self-consciousness is part of successful weight loss anyway.

The only thing I will say is that probably 75% are not seen back after 3 to 6 months and that is what I find sad, firstly because it shouldn't be about losing weight only but also changing one's lifestyle and introducing regular exercise, but also because the memberships that are usually 12 months minimum are very expensive and so often result is much wasted money.

aliama

Go for the gym membership, 100% percent.

A few people have mentioned that diet is more important than exercise for weight loss -- this is absolutely true, but what it fails to take into account is the role exercise plays in KEEPING THE WEIGHT OFF, which frankly is the hardest part. No really, losing the weight is the easy bit.

And I also second the comment about doing resistance exercises (weights) as well as cardio. Aside from increasing your muscle mass (which should improve your metabolism long-term), it's also good for your bones.

Of course you can exercise at home or outside, and I admit exercising outside is a better option than the gym in many ways as exercising in the fresh air has a more positive effect on your emotional levels (can't think of a better way to put that), but there are other factors to take into account, such as whether you have children to consider (and therefore need creche facilities), whether you want to try classes or swimming, and of course a gym will have better resistance equipment than you can likely by at home (although never underestimate free weights). Booking yourself into a class will be more likely to ensure that you'll actually go.

But all of this ignores the OP's actual question, which related to fat people at gyms. And honestly, I don't think you've got anything to worry about, although it does depend on the gym. Generally, most people want to concentrate on their own exercise, although you will get the occasional a******e.

Finally, there are alternatives to WW. There are a couple of free tracking websites floating around (although I can't think of any at the moment, which is pretty useless of me, I'm afraid. Is Sparkpeople one?)

But honestly, if WW membership and Gym membership is the same price, then the gym membership seems like it's by far the better value.

(Man, I miss my gym.)

VestanPance

Welshwoofs wrote: »

I have a Polar heart monitor watch and that tells me that the last 4.5 mile walk (approx half of it up a steep Lakeland peak and half coming back down again) I did burned just over 3,000 calories.

No chance did you actually burn 3000 calories on a 4.5 mile hike. I wouldn't do that running a marathon flat out.

I'd take any readings of calories burned with a large pinch of salt. These gadgets no matter how good they are at other functions like GPS tracking etc are often wildly optimistic at calculating calories used up.

PurplePow

By the sounds of it, although you enjoyed WW you mentioned you want to be fit. This can only be done through exercise as diet won't improve your fitness!

I honestly wouldn't worry about people looking at you. To be honest I might look at an overweight person in the gym but I think good on them for getting here!

The people I would look at most are the girls who come in dressed up, fully covered in make up, are too busy texting or chatting on their phones whilst 'working out' and barely make an effort! Also everyone's different, some people sweat more than others. I'm the type who sweats tons! I don't let it bother me, I get red faced, sweaty etc but just take a towel and feel great afterwards for having done a good workout.

I love using MyFitnessPal as a motivator. I'm a slim person so not losing weight but I like to watch what I eat and maintain my weight, so it's nice adding my calories burned to it and reviewing what I've ate. Quite similar to doing WW online but free!

VestanPance

fannyanna wrote: »

Also diet is the main factor to losing weight. Exercise is important but I remember hearing something like weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. Those amounts probably aren't accurate but you get the point - diet is more important.

Those estimates are reasonably accurate. Although exercise will help tone/shape the body.

If you want weight loss then the diet should be full fat (yes you read that right), high protein and low carbohydrate with lot's of vegetables. Best results involve cutting out grain. No bread, cereal, pasta, rice etc.

Full fat for most items as they are often better for you. Most low fat goods are loaded with sugar to replace the fat, which is actually worse for you. Just check out the sugar levels in a full fat yoghurt versus a low fat one. Pretty much anything marketed as "diet" or "low fat" should be treated with caution. It's marketing, nothing more.

Also full fat goods in a high protein diet also sees you feeling full and curbs snack craving.

Seanymph

I'm so sorry - this post should have been on a completely different thread! I wondered where it had gone.

ignore me.

SailorSam

I must get back to the gym i've not been for ages but use to do 4/5 a week.
I don't think many people got stared at in our gym, everyone was of a different standard and just got on with it. Our gym was only a Council tun one, so it wasn't like perhaps the boxing club were they're all supa-fit, so maybe keep that in mind and join one were people aren't out to be olympic champions but just a bit healthier,