Workout routines?

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I just left a gym that is offering a great program called Total Solutions that would offer me lots of support, give me a dietician to teach me portion control with no calorie counting, and i will have a personalized workout plan made for me and will have access to the gym and all of the classes that they offer.

It sounds like a great program that would really help me. The thing that draws me in the most is the workout plans because I don't know what to go in the gym and workout on to lose weight and tone muscle and the program will help me with that.

The only thing stopping me is it's $119/month for a year. It's not a lot for everything I am getting but I don't think that I can afford to pay that much every month. I am really torn because now I am online trying to find sites that will design workout plans for me and it's not looking too good.

Does anyone have any suggestions before I put myself and family in debt. Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • mrnedburns
    mrnedburns Posts: 34 Member
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    I guess that depends on how valuable having a class to go to for encouragement and accountability is for you. My wife has had great success with Weight Watchers because of the social aspect (driving somewhere and interacting with other people in the same situation) of it. For me, that would do nothing... I just need access to the proper tools and to make the decision to do something and persist.

    You 'can' find the information online, and a lot of it is right here on this very website:

    1. Tools to help with portion control and nutrition
    2. A community of people that can give advice and encouragement (over the internet, of course)
    3. You can start MFP along with some friends or family, and keep each other accountable.

    As far as other resources go, my wife went from never having run in her life to completing a 5k without walking in about 2 months using the Couch to 5K smart phone application as a training guide. I've been using a dumbbell workout routine from www.building-muscle101.com for 8 weeks and have noticably increased my muscle mass and strength from head to toe.

    I guess that probably doesn't answer your question, but maybe it helps. If you're like my wife, you probably want to do some sort of personal interaction based class (although $119 / month seems VERY steep to me). If you're like me, you'll just want to spend some of that money on the tools to do it yourself (dumbbells, simple weight bench, smartphone/small tablet for running MFP, local gym membership for treadmill / eliptical / bicycle access), etc. The nice thing about doing it yourself is that it's totally on your schedule.

    Good luck, and whatever you do, start it soon and stick with it!
  • Martoch
    Martoch Posts: 166
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    ^ Very wise words from mrnedburns. I vote against it as you can easily obtain that info on your own as he mentioned. Over $1,000 for a year? No way!
  • koneil83
    koneil83 Posts: 82 Member
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    thanks the more i thought about it the less interested i became. I just can't afford that much every month on top of my other bills
  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
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    i saw a dietician and it was paid for by my health insurance. as far as the workout plan you can just pay for a few sessions with a personal trainer and they will get you on the right path.
  • evolutioner
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    Go on Youtube and look there that's what i do it's cheap and free!!!
  • xachooo
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    I decided to get a trainer for a few sessions to help make sure I use the gym equipment safely---but I only got a couple sessions and so it is just a one time cost and then i will just have the cost of the gym. nutrition information is all over the internet and this forum can be a pretty good place to start. there are lots of great workout routines that people also put on the internet. maybe you could get a couple sessions with a trainer (which helps with form and also accountability) to help you feel comfortable with the equipment and get some ideas for your workouts, without killing your budget? Sometimes you can share a trainer with another person and then split the costs?
  • mcjabber
    mcjabber Posts: 374 Member
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    I'm a big fan of the Beachbody programs (I'm not a salesperson, I know there are a lot on MFP trolling for customers!). But things like P90X or Turbofire, etc, have recommended schedules to stick to, as well as eating plans you can follow. And then I come to this site for accountability :laugh: The programs aren't free ($100ish from Beachbody.com or possibly a bit cheaper on ebay), but you only pay once and then you have the DVDs. And they come with a LOT of workouts.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    That is a ridiculous amount.... I spend about 13 bucks a month for my gym membership ($329 for 2 years). I read books about fitness from stores and libraries. Just join an inexpensive gym, take a few classes, and buy a few books about strength training. I enjoyed New Rules of Lifting for Women (the first 4 phases were great) and I love the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises.