Weight Loss, Gyms, Personal Trainers

[AlohaPolynesian]

Hey all! So a few months ago I ran into a girl in the sorority I used to be in. She looked great and told me that after getting a personal trainer she had lost almost 20 pounds in just a few months. Two nights ago, I walked right past her in a bar - she looked like a different person! She said she had continued to workout with a personal trainer and recently changed her diet, too.

Anyways, I need to lose weight. But I hate going to the gym because I feel like I don't know what I am doing and I think everyone is staring at me. It seems like everyone in there is already in shape! So I am thinking about getting a personal trainer, but had to check in here to see if anyone has any tips. I need to lose about 30-40 pounds.

What was the best motivator for weight loss for you? How did you finally lose it? Any tips or ideas would be appreciated!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I highly recommend a personal trainer. You will have to get to the gym and he/she will not let you slack off. It is hard to push yourself to get to the gym first of all, and then really work out to your maximum once you are there. Plus you will have someone to talk with and keep you company.

 

[redlight]

I lost 25 lbs this summer by changing my eating habits and by jogging. I've gained a little back, and will be back to dieting after the holidays. It's really about changing your intake at least as much as it is about exercise.

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

Thanks guys! Congrats on your weight loss

 

[redlight]

Do you have a picture of yourself when you were at your best? That's a great motivator. As is thinking about being like your friend who is wowing people.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Good luck on your journey. I just signed up for a gym today with my DD14. Hopefully she will keep me motivated. Unfortunately, I've really let myself go and need to lose about 100 pounds. I really need to buckle down and be patient, which is not my strength. I'm an immediate gratification kind of gal.

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

That's awesome! Congrats for taking the first step. Usually when I start to work out, if I don't see results right away I stop. So I know where you are coming from. Thus the need for me to figure out a real solution! Good luck!!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I joined a gym and got a personal trainer. I just started, but so far have lost 5 lbs. I know myself, without that person holding me accountable I will eventually stop going and that will just become a waste of money.

I love my trainer. He is very nice (the manager asked me if I wanted a nice person or a drill sergeant.) He still works me though. I am the kind of person that I like to please, so I always do what he says without complaining. If I were stronger willed, I could see where a drill sergeant personality would be better.

He designs a new workout for me each week and asks me how I am doing when I go into the gym. One thing he helps me with is figuring out machines. Sometimes the machines end up not working for me or I have to get creative in how I get into them because I am so short. So that helps me a lot.

He also has me doing exercises I would never in a million years have thought of. I feel like instead of just doing this random half assed attempt, he is helping me to d oa focused workout that will help me reach my goals. One thing they told me is that the average member experiences injury within the first three months of joining because many people are doing things the wrong way or are trying to do things that are beyond their level. A trainer can help you. He always corrects me when I do something wrong.

The other thing that is helping me is the Bodybugg. It was a splurge, but worth it. I wear it and it calculates how many calories I burn. I can then enter food and it will show me what my surplus or deficit is. Between that and the gym, I've been having more success/

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

Awesome! That sounds really cool. Thanks so much and congrats on your weight loss. Ill have to look into the Bodybug. Is that what they have on the Biggest Loser?

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Yes, it is the same thing. I used 24 hour fitness as a gym because they have a discount for employees of my district, and they sell it there. I am very happy with it.

 

[FireDancer]

Personal trainers are a great if you are unsure of what to do at a gym. Most new memberships will come with at least one session but be prepared for a hard sell as evidenced by a thread on this forum a few days ago. There is also a lot of information out there for free that you can find with some Google searches. Check out the fitness magazines at the local bookstore and visit their websites for free tips if you don't feel like spending $100 on a bunch of subscriptions.

Have you checked out the WISH boards? There is a lot of good advice over there and some good weight loss challenges.

I schedule my gym time like I do work meetings so they aren't optional. What time of day will depend on your schedule but I bring my gym bag to work and go strait there when I am off. It is more convenient for me and there is less chance of getting home and deciding not to go out. I am always signed up for running events because they keep me motivated. Sometimes when you have a 2.5 hour training run staring at you that is much needed motivation.

As far as the weight loss goes diet is just as important as exercise. There are volumes of books filled with information and research so one post won't have it all but I believe that both cardio and resistance training are important. There is a misconception that cardio is the only way to lose weight but weight training in some ways is even better. Muscle consumes more calories just maintaining itself so for each pound of fat you replace with a pound of muscle your resting metabolic rate goes up. That is the amount of calories your body needs just to maintain itself. Resistance training also continues to burn calories longer after you are done with the workout. Your body has to rebuild those damaged muscle fibers. After weight training I recommend a protein shake or meal replacement as your body will need protein and good carbs and if you don't supply them you won't maximize your workout.

The best way to look at the diet is to not look at it as a diet at all. Look at it as a lifestyle change, they are more permanent. Remember that food is no more then fuel. It isn't a source of comfort or a way to replace something else in your life. It is fuel not a friend, this is an often repeated motto on the WISH boards. I try to eat as natural of food as possible. Evolutionarily our bodies are still cavemen and not designed to eat processed food full of chemistry experiments. I avoid sugar as much as I can (I don't even have any in the house) and avoid artificial sweeteners, even Splenda, like the plague.

The best advice I can give for the diet is to eat a healthy breakfast like eggs or low sugar oatmeal and eat many small meals throughout the day. It will keep you feeling fuller than 3 large meals and will keep your metabolism spiked. Eating a hand full of raw nuts and drinking a tall glass of water 15 minutes before a meal will make you feel fuller once you do eat. There is a delay between being full and you brain knowing you are so wait 15 minutes before going for seconds and eat slowly. I also don't have anything in the house like cookies or candy. If you have a food that you know is hard for you to avoid don't even buy it. If it isn't there you can't eat it.

Good luck, there is a lot more info out there both on the WISH boards here and on the Internet in general.

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

Personal trainers are a great if you are unsure of what to do at a gym. Most new memberships will come with at least one session but be prepared for a hard sell as evidenced by a thread on this forum a few days ago. There is also a lot of information out there for free that you can find with some Google searches. Check out the fitness magazines at the local bookstore and visit their websites for free tips if you don't feel like spending $100 on a bunch of subscriptions.

Have you checked out the WISH boards? There is a lot of good advice over there and some good weight loss challenges.

I schedule my gym time like I do work meetings so they aren't optional. What time of day will depend on your schedule but I bring my gym bag to work and go strait there when I am off. It is more convenient for me and there is less chance of getting home and deciding not to go out. I am always signed up for running events because they keep me motivated. Sometimes when you have a 2.5 hour training run staring at you that is much needed motivation.

As far as the weight loss goes diet is just as important as exercise. There are volumes of books filled with information and research so one post won't have it all but I believe that both cardio and resistance training are important. There is a misconception that cardio is the only way to lose weight but weight training in some ways is even better. Muscle consumes more calories just maintaining itself so for each pound of fat you replace with a pound of muscle your resting metabolic rate goes up. That is the amount of calories your body needs just to maintain itself. Resistance training also continues to burn calories longer after you are done with the workout. Your body has to rebuild those damaged muscle fibers. After weight training I recommend a protein shake or meal replacement as your body will need protein and good carbs and if you don't supply them you won't maximize your workout.

The best way to look at the diet is to not look at it as a diet at all. Look at it as a lifestyle change, they are more permanent. Remember that food is no more then fuel. It isn't a source of comfort or a way to replace something else in your life. It is fuel not a friend, this is an often repeated motto on the WISH boards. I try to eat as natural of food as possible. Evolutionarily our bodies are still cavemen and not designed to eat processed food full of chemistry experiments. I avoid sugar as much as I can (I don't even have any in the house) and avoid artificial sweeteners, even Splenda, like the plague.

The best advice I can give for the diet is to eat a healthy breakfast like eggs or low sugar oatmeal and eat many small meals throughout the day. It will keep you feeling fuller than 3 large meals and will keep your metabolism spiked. Eating a hand full of raw nuts and drinking a tall glass of water 15 minutes before a meal will make you feel fuller once you do eat. There is a delay between being full and you brain knowing you are so wait 15 minutes before going for seconds and eat slowly. I also don't have anything in the house like cookies or candy. If you have a food that you know is hard for you to avoid don't even buy it. If it isn't there you can't eat it.

Good luck, there is a lot more info out there both on the WISH boards here and on the Internet in general.

Thanks! Can I ask where you work out? I'm from the west side of Cleveland and am looking for places around here. I've already seen some "holiday specials" so I might take advantage of those to try out different places.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you know what you are doing, I wouldn't hire someone. If you don't, or you need that external person holding you accountable, then hiring someone is a good idea.

For me, once I get started (which I've done, yay!), I know what I'm doing. I have an exercise science degree, I worked out from about 10 years old to 30 (and then my mom died and I got the news while AT the gym...you can understand that it was hard to get back to that building), then a bit after I had DS...I can motivate myself (keeping track of some aspect of the workouts helps me...writing it down...reps, or minutes, or right now for me "calories burned" according to the elliptical machine, LOL).

But hubby wanted and needed that other person to talk to, and it got him started!


About choosing a gym...just tour a few. Look at their websites. Find out where they are in town.

At one point I lived in the VA/DC area, and if I'd chosen a gym right in DC I would have quit, because all the people who worked there were hard-bodies that intimidated me. Instead, I found The Best Gold's Gym EVER in Burke VA, that was in an old multi-storied building instead of that huge one-room layout, and I LOVED going there. The people there were really varied, and the employees were incredibly nice to everyone, no matter their current level of fitness. I tried a Gold's in Atlanta while there on a seminar, and it was all bodybuilder guys, in the one big "check you out" room, and it worked for that day, but I couldn't have joined.

So take your time to tour, make sure you're not accidentally going to the Mr Universe gym.

Remember, they say it takes time to make a habit...I just googled it and got 3 weeks, or 2 weeks to start and another 2 weeks to solidify it...I'm sure I'll find more variations...but the point is, give yourself time to start that habit. Probably starting with a trainer could help with the habit-forming, because you have money on the line. Then after a month or three (takes me longer than 4 weeks for a habit, LOL) you'll WANT to keep going, habit will have been formed!

 

[JoanGirardi]

I just wanted to second a couple of the opinions that were offered on here. The WISH boards are great on here. Don't be afraid to join a thread that's ongoing there, they are friendly people, and everyone's on the same journey of trying to get healthy. The best way to get started is to just start. If you are at all interested in the personal trainer, they usually have a package that lets you start with just a few sessions and you can see how it works for you. I know it helps some people to feel more confident in what they are doing in the workout. I'm a very self concious type, and I prefer to work out without someone watching me. I did the free session where they explained the machines to me, then worked out on my own, and that was okay too. Figure out what will get you going, and move move move. I lost 40 pounds last year by cutting calories and exercising. I started out going to the gym and doing my cardio there on the ellipticals and bikes, and now I'm more into running, but as long as you are mindful of the calories you are taking in and you are burning calories you can't go wrong. Best of luck to you. You can do it!

 

[VillageMama]

But I hate going to the gym because I feel like I don't know what I am doing and I think everyone is staring at me.

I feel the exact same way but I had an epiphany yesterday. I was at the gym, feeling awkward at a machine because I wasn't sure how to use it and I wondered what people were thinking about me.

Then I said to myself, "Jen, that's ridiculous. Are you paying attention to anyone else's workout? No! So doesn't it stand to figure that if you aren't thinking about them, they aren't thinking about you?"

All of the folks around you are just as focused on themselves as you are on you. In fact, some of them might be wondering what you are thinking about them.

It seems like everyone in there is already in shape!

Consider this... six months ago they might have weighed 30 pounds more and been wandering around the gym feeling awkward. When we see a hardbody we just assume that they've always been that way. But to make yourself feel better, tell yourself that in the past year they've lost 100 pounds by working hard.

When I'm wondering what people are thinking about out-of-shape me being at the gym I ask myself what do I think when I see someone out-of-shape at the gym. If I think anything at all (and I'm usually too focused on the burning feeling in my thighs, whether I can drink from my water bottle on the treadmill without falling off, can I get in five more minutes on the stairclimber without dieing, do these yoga pants make my butt look big, etc...) I think, "Good for them being here!".

Have you ever seen a heavier set someone at the gym and thought, "What a loser! Why'd she let herself get like that? She doesn't belong here. Look, she doesn't even know how to use the shoulder press machine!"? NO, of course you haven't! Well, I assure you no one is thinking that about you!

Honestly, half the battle of exercise for me is this stupid thought process that goes through my head. I have started fighting back, though, and making myself realize how ridiculous these thoughts are.

Best wishes to you! I'm off to the gym now...

 

[lovetonap]

I have a personal trainer. It is so worth it to me! I hate going to the gym too! My trainer actually comes to my house. It is a splurge, but so worth it to me. I'm seeing great results and I know that I'm working out much harder and more efficiently than I would on my own. I do my cardio on my own, but it is great to have her to do my strength training with.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

I go to the gym but I only go to the classes... I LOVE them...and I;ve become such a regular that THEY all keep me accountable!... When I first started going to the various classes, I would walk in and make it very clear that I didn't know what the heck I was doing. Classes keep things fresh and new, I work out with proper form, and I work out hard core for at least an hour. I go to boot camps, Body Pump, Body Combat, Zumba, sports conditioning etc.... Its fun and I don't have to pay extra for a personal trainer. I go to the gym 3-5 times/week and the days I'm not there, I'm walking/running outside. I love it and I've become FB friends with my gym posse and they start to harass me if they haven't seen me in awhile which is great!!
You've gotta start somewhere-- I've birthed 3 babies, if I can do it, anyone can!

 

[JessicaR]

Personal trainers are great for beginners, young, elderly, those with physical limitations and those that NEED someone to push them. They are also good for those with $! The benefits are numerous. A trainer makes sure you are using all the machines properly with great form. Our form usually suffers when we are unsupervised. A good trainer will also get those most important last few reps out of you where you would have naturally quit sooner. I am a Trainer and I can't train myself as well as another trainer can.

I still hold all my certifications but haven't been a PT for a few years now. Thinking about getting back into it again. Spine surgery ended my career.

All trainers are not created equal, if you dont jive with one move along until you are happy!

 

[DawnM]

One more suggestion.....and a boost to get ME motivated.........

I strongly recommend BeachBody.com DVDs. They bring the gym to you and for one or two personal training sessions you can have a set of the DVDs.

I have three friends who have been doing P90X for the past year and one has lost about 55 pounds, another put on a bikini and at 43 has the most ripped abs on a female I have ever seen, and the other is just keeping in shape.

I have the beginner series.....Power 90 as well as Chalene Extreme.....I need to start back.

Dawn

 

[jam217]

I agree that it's important to visit different gyms in your area. I'm very comfortable where I go because there are people of all ages and all shapes and sizes.