Gym Advice!!

PF, least mine here, is a great place. They really aren't kidding about the judgement free. I see people of all sizes there, working up and enjoying themselves. If you aren't sure where to start ask them for one of the trainers to help you. They are great and can really guide you on proper technique and everything you need to know to the gym.

Just show up, bring some water and be ready to enjoy yourself!!

Just chuck on some earphones, block everyone else out and do what you can.

I am just about the only girl that uses my gym, and just about the only overweight person. 99% of people that go there are training weight lifters. One day I was leaving and had turned my music off. I was dripping in sweat, one guy said to another "look at that" the other guy was like "yeah, but she works out really freaking hard" made my day!

No-one there is judging you. People go to the gym to do their own thing and work out. Don't worry about it. If I see someone at the gym who is obviously very overweight and out of shape I'm proud of them for being there.

I keep to myself at the gym. If they wanna judge, let them. I'm pretty good at assuming a leave-me-alone air. If they want to be judgemental, that's their problem; they're the jerks, not me. I'm here to improve myself, and I'm not letting someone else's childishness get in my way.

When I lived in Arizona, there was this woman that did her workouts out on the sidewalks. She did this silly like dance and jive thing. EVERY SINGLE day!! Soooo many people made fun of her.....including people I knew. I heard it all the time. I always smiled for her! I always praised her! Honked for her! Getting to watch her weight loss journey was incredible! I was so excited for her! My point: you will ALWAYS have people that judge you (big or small), but you will also have just as many people cheering you on. Go for it and you'll be surprised how much more joy you get than criticism.

To be BRUTALLY honest, I am fat. I am not thick, I do not have a few extra pounds. I am so far beyond obese I have had enough. (5ft 4in and a dead 250). Tonight, I made the decision to join Planet Fitness. There is no question that tomorrow I will be joining the gym. I am not depressed, sad or anything detrimental about my being fat, I am so far beyond sick of it!! But I am SCARED as hell of grown *kitten* judging woman. Thoughts, advice, criticisms?

The only judging I ever see is on here (Check out the 10,000 messages about gym etiquette!). Most in my gym keep themselves to themselves and help if you ask. That said, it might be different for women. Lots of guys in one place and things usually turn competitive, lots of women and things often turn *****y!

Whenever I am feeling self conscious at the gym, I ask myself... am I looking at other people? Am I judging their bodies or their workouts or even paying any attention to them at all? No, I'm not - so why on earth would they possibly be looking at me?!

Well that's the right answer for sure, and that's what I should do too; however when I think about it, I can't honestly say that's what I do.

If I go over to do some curls and I see a guy swinging his hips forward on his curls then I think that can't be right.

There's also a girl who dresses up like she is at a wedding then chats to the muscle guys for an hour in between her 10 second workouts. I can't help but shake my head - I'm judging!

To be BRUTALLY honest, I am fat. I am not thick, I do not have a few extra pounds. I am so far beyond obese I have had enough. (5ft 4in and a dead 250). Tonight, I made the decision to join Planet Fitness. There is no question that tomorrow I will be joining the gym. I am not depressed, sad or anything detrimental about my being fat, I am so far beyond sick of it!! But I am SCARED as hell of grown *kitten* judging woman. Thoughts, advice, criticisms?

Congrats on taking such a positive step.

Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

That's all I have to say.

My gym advice:

Go to gym.

Disregard the existence of others.

Do your thing.

Leave gym.

Repeat on next designated day.

Hmm
"Disregard the existence of others" and their very valuable advice? Their motivation? Their companionship?

Nope. Make some friends there. Smile. Allow other to help you. Help others. Encourage others. Be friendly

Makes the gym less of the painful, horrible chore that it could be for me.

My wife LOVES her Zumba class, as do all the other women there.

Would she still go to her Zumba class if it were just her and the instructor? I doubt it, and the countless hundreds of workout videos, Zumba DVDs etc that are sat collecting dust at home will indicate!

HI.. I can relate..
I finally had my ahaa moment and signed up for Planet fitness. I was 5'3" and 242lbs.
While it was unnerving for me to walk in that initial time I am glad I did! No one was looking at me.. They are all in their own worlds, headphones on, doing their own workouts. But you will find friendly staff and people the more you go.. you cna be as friendly or not as you want
I started on 5-25-12 and faithfully go 6 times a week. Started on treadmill on a 1.2 pace because thats all I could take. Now I go over 3.0 with incline at 3.0. I have added the 30 min circuit at PF for the last two months as well.
I have lost a total of 57 lbs and dropped 4 clothes sizes so far..
YOU CAN DO THIS..

If I see someone at the gym who is obviously very overweight and out of shape I'm proud of them for being there.

This! There is a woman at my gym who I've been watching lose and it's fantastic! She smiles more, is trying more things and it's just been really cool to watch. People may look at you but don't assume they are looking at you for a negative reason. It could be that they are proud of you or simply that their eyes wandered that way. But in the end, it only matters what you think. In a few months, these first weeks will be behind you and you will be on your way to a new healthier you!

Two and half years ago, I was at 296lbs. I'm now at 189lbs and starting training for a triathlon. I spend about 6 or 8 hours a week at the gym. When I see someone on the street or in a restaurant, obese and probably not making an effort to change, I do judge them; I'm a bit of a judgmental jerk, generally.

However, when I see someone new at the gym, sweating buckets at 3mph on the treadmill, all I want to do is hug them, fist-bump them, and cheer them on.

I've been there, my wife's been there, and many, many people have been there. The single hardest part is that moment of clarity that is hitting you like a freight train right now - and making the decision to change. Everyone workout you do is infinitely better than the workout you don't do. Change is hard, but until you take that first step, there can be no change. Every day, everyone gets up and makes a choice - and for most, it's automatic - and that choice is whether to eat poorly, stay in bad health, and over-eat. It is a struggle - and I struggle with it now, and I will struggle with it for the rest of my life - but it does get easier, and it is a struggle you can overcome. That struggle is between the easy way - poor food, overeating, no physical activity - and the healthy lifestyle of eating right and exercise.

Making the choice to change is the hardest part. Congratulations on it - do what you can, and good luck.

I am a member of PF too, just started a couple of weeks ago. I go in with my headphones on and do my thing... And watch the eye candy of course... But have not had any issues with jerks yet. Only had one guy hitting on me by "showing me how to use the machine". And the hydro massage table is awesome!