Gym or no gym ?

jlsmith4439 · September 2018

I would like to ask for opinions on how useful the gym is for weight loss .
So basically I have a very physical job and eat still like a pig ( main problem ) so now I been given the option to join a gym and I was thinking maybe that plus sorting out eating would finally help me lose weight .

Anyone good experience with going to the gym
And actually
Losing weight ? I heard from loads of people who struggle which sounds insane .

johnw83 · September 2018

kommodevaran · September 2018

You lose weight by creating and sustaining a calorie deficit - eat less/move more. For most people, the eating less part is far more crucial and effective to focus on. Moving more if you move too little, will be good for you, no matter what. But some poeple end up eating more and moving less overall after they start exercising. So think it through. But don't think instead of doing - work on your eating habits while you think.

sijomial · September 2018

I've been using gyms for 45 years and have gained weight, lost weight and maintained weight during that time.

The gym (and outdoor exercise) helps me gain fitness and strength and maintain my health - that's really the point of exercise.
During my fat 20 years I was strong, fit and fat. That's clearly better than weak, unfit and fat not what I assume the result you are aiming for!
Until you resolve the "eat like a pig" issue then the gym isn't the answer to losing weight.

Even if you go against the intended way of using this site (eating back exercise calories) the realistic calories burns are unlikely to make a big difference plus there's every chance your hunger levels will increase and if you can't control your intake you will most likely just compensate by eating more.

I've still got to control my food intake despite cycling over 5000 miles a year. That burn dwarfs anything you could achieve in a gym.

smolmaus · September 2018

One of the reasons people who use the gym frequently still can't lose weight is that although both cardio and strength training are very good for your body they can increase your appetite to the point where (if you aren't keeping track of calories consumed) they end up eating more than they burned. Or the old "I worked hard I deserve a treat" and you end up eating a 400kcal pastry/ frothy coffee combo after your 300kcal cardio session. Very very easy to do and will set you back if you rely only on exercise for weight management.

If your job is already physical then lack of movement isn't likely to be the issue for you, you know yourself the issue is your eating habits and that is definitely what you should focus on. BUT I love the gym for the mental health benefits, the routine and being able to take some self-care time by progressively destroying and rebuilding muscle. It's fun as hell.

amusedmonkey · September 2018

Going to the gym has almost nothing to do with weight loss. People go to the gym to work on their fitness goals. I don't do gyms because I don't like them and my fitness goals can be achieved without them. My weight loss depends on my calories regardless of my gym going habits.

tinkerbellang83 · September 2018

Try and think of it this way:

manage what you eat for weight loss
manage how you move for health & fitness

I lost nothing when I had gym memberships for years because I wasn't focusing properly on what I was eating. That's not to say it wasn't without benefit, it kept my heart healthy and my body strong.

Losing weight is down to a calorie deficit and with MFP the calorie allowance does not factor in intentional exercise unlike the TDEE method some apps/websites use.

Packerjohn · September 2018

I find when I'm working out/feel in shape, I'm much less likely to overeat/eat a bunch of crappy food because it negates the in shape feeling.

Okuda81 · September 2018

A gym can help, but you have to understand, as you gain muscle mass whilst still loosing fat, the scale may stall. Not because you're not loosing, because you're replacing it with healthy lean muscle.
The scale is a right wench at sometimes and that's why I don't only rely on that. I judge by taking progress pics, how clothes fit and measurements.
Also, no gym will fix a bad diet.
A gym however, really improves my mental health and makes me a nicer person, if for nothing else, that's worth it to me.

MagnumOpus1 · September 2018

Calories dictate whether or not you loose weight. The gym dictates how you actually look. The more muscle you have the better you'll look.

I worked a physical job while lifting too. All you do is figure out your tdee, eat in a calorie deficit and lift. 3 -4 days would be a good base. No need to run yourself bingo the ground by working out daily. Just makes those workouts count.

stargazerscribe · September 2018

I've done both, and as others said, diet is key too.
I've gone to the gym 4x times a week and dieted, and lost weight. And then another time, I've jogged/walked 4x a week and lost a similar amount of weight. Calorie deficit is your friend. Each pound of fat is 3500 calories, so as long as you're burning more than you eat, no gym required!

cheryldumais · September 2018

If I had access to a gym without breaking the bank I would use it but it wouldn't make me lose weight. The one thing I regret about my journey is that I didn't work to maintain muscle while losing. But I lost weight fine without working out. I did walk daily and still do but I think if I had worked out my maintenance calories might be a little higher. I'm sure I lost some muscle. I need to do a recomp now to build some. So no it won't make you lose weight but it might help you to maintain if you like working out and will continue to do that.

kenyonhaff · September 2018

I think you need to define your interests and goals here to determine if you want a gym membership.

I know people who are already physically active who do have gym memberships and go there regularly. Usually they have specific exercise interests. One is a body builder, another does triathlons, one does martial arts, and a few do yoga or other stretching to help heal or avoid injuries. Also, having a family membership at a YMCA is helpful for kid swim classes and the like.

One lesson I learned in my weight loss, was that exercise alone isn't the answer most of the time. And you don't have to even exercise incredibly hard for results.

"Join a gym" is typically a quick answer given to people trying to lose weight, and it isn't for everyone. I like gyms but can't really afford one and have done just fine walking, hiking, dancing, doing yoga, and the like.

orngnerdz · September 2018

I've lost about 30 pounds since June by going to the gym and maintaining a healthy diet. At my gym, there are HIIT classes as well as strength training classes, I do two of each every week and well as try and get at least 10,000 steps every day. In the past when I have joined a gym, I have failed because there was no accountability or support. I pay a good chunk of change for my gym, but this is the first time I have been successful in my life and it is worth it to me. Good luck!

thisPGHlife · September 2018

I think your motivation for going to the gym is important. If it's only to lose weight you may be less likely to stick with it and your better off using that time to work on your eating habits. If it's just because it's free or cheap, I feel like there are better uses of your time and money.

I'm not saying don't go to the gym. I have a gym membership and I go three days a week. However, at the moment, I don't go for weight training. Eventually I will but, because of where I'm at in my journey, body weight fitness works for me and I can do that just about anywhere. I also bike, run, and hike. If this gym has classes you want to take, or a pool you want to utilize, or something you want to accomplish there, go for it! Or if you aren't sure what you want to accomplish, and aren't locked into a contract, maybe join for a month or two and try different things. Talk to the staff and see if they have some insight or if there's an amenity you didn't know about like a free personal training assessment and first workout. But you have so many options for exercising that if you feel kinda meh about going to the gym, but you love hiking, then maybe your money is better spent on hiking and snow shoeing gear.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that for weight loss the priority is usually food. For overall health and fitness, look to exercise. And your exercise doesn't have to be confined to the gym, but the gym is a good resource.

urloved33 · September 2018

gym.

GOT_Obsessed · September 2018

kenyonhaff wrote: »

"Join a gym" is typically a quick answer given to people trying to lose weight, and it isn't for everyone.

Yes "joining a gym" tends to be the 1st thing a lost of people do when they decide to lose weight. But "joining" and "attending" a gym are not the same thing. I know so many people that pay a monthly membership fee but have not gone in months.

OP: Losing weight successfully is all in the food that you put in your mouth. But exercise is good for your health.

AnnPT77 · September 2018

Okuda81 wrote: »

A gym can help, but you have to understand, as you gain muscle mass whilst still loosing fat, the scale may stall. Not because you're not loosing, because you're replacing it with healthy lean muscle.
The scale is a right wench at sometimes and that's why I don't only rely on that. I judge by taking progress pics, how clothes fit and measurements.
Also, no gym will fix a bad diet.
A gym however, really improves my mental health and makes me a nicer person, if for nothing else, that's worth it to me.

I wish.

No actually achievable rate of muscle mass gain will outpace any reasonably observable rate of fat loss.

For a woman, it would be an excellent achievement to gain a quarter pound of new muscle mass per week, and it would typically take a calorie surplus in order to do that. (A man might gain twice that, also under ideal conditions.)

Weight (fat) loss of around half a pound a week is about the slowest rate we can observe in a practical sense, and that only over a multi-week observation period.

Weight training can significantly increase strength and improve appearance (even without mass gain), especially in beginners. It can also cause temporary water weight gain (for muscle repair) that masks fat loss on the scale for a while.

In practical terms, muscle mass gain won't mask fat loss on the scale.

OP, strength training is worth doing during weight loss, to minimize losing muscle alongside fat. That could be done at a gym, but you could also start with a bodyweight strength routine at home.

In general, this is how it works:

Calories for weight management
+
Well-rounded balanced nutrition for satiation and energy
+
Exercise for strength, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, etc. (plus for fun!

)
=
Best odds of long term happy health

fitoverfortymom · September 2018

I have a YMCA membership and go about once a week for a class I really enjoy. Most of my exercise I get is by running, which I do right out my front door. I used to use my gym membership more frequently, but my favorite instructor quit, so the class schedules no longer work with my life schedules. I also use the treadmill and spin bike when it's too cold to run outside or want additional cross training opportunities.

Ultimately joining a gym comes down to whether or not the gym is where you feel like you will do the exercise you will stick with. Is there some classes you want to try? Are you following a weight lifting program? Do you want access to machines like an elliptical or treadmill because that is your favorite type of exercise? If you can answer yes to some of those questions, then a gym membership may be right for you.

If you have NO idea what you would do at the gym, maybe research what you would do or consider just going on a walk every day to begin adding physical activity into your life regimen.

earlnabby · September 2018

jlsmith4439 wrote: »

I would like to ask for opinions on how useful the gym is for weight loss .
So basically I have a very physical job and eat still like a pig ( main problem ) so now I been given the option to join a gym and I was thinking maybe that plus sorting out eating would finally help me lose weight .

Anyone good experience with going to the gym
And actually
Losing weight ? I heard from loads of people who struggle which sounds insane .

Exercise is not needed to lose weight, that happens by what you do in the kitchen, not the gym. However, exercise can make what is left look better.

Each person needs to decide for themselves if a gym membership makes sense and is worth the money. What kinds of workouts do you want to do? Do you need equipment to do it? Do you need guidance like from a personal trainer? If you prefer running or walking you don't need a gym but a group might be fun and helpful. Do you want to swim? You need to find water and a gym membership is usually the only way, community pools aren't usually good for lap swimming.

Give serious thought as to your time available, financial situation, and what exercise you want to do and go from there.

PokeyBug · September 2018

I don't go to the gym, because I can't afford the gym and because I don't currently have a car to get me there (I could walk the 3 miles to the nearest gym, but there'd be no point in going once I factor in walking there and back). I do workout most every day, though. I have a treadmill and a hand-me-down air strider, and I do bodyweight exercises. You don't have to exercise to lose weight, but I find that it helps me considerably.

I think that earlnabby ^ makes a good point. Will a gym membership be worth it to you? When I first started working out in my early twenties, it was because a couple of my friends and I all joined the gym together. We'd meet up in the evenings after work about 4 days a week and have a little social hour as we worked out. That was really my motivation to go to the gym back then. When I joined a gym again in my thirties, it was because they had day care and I could take a break from my very young kids for an hour or two each day. It was a beautiful thing, no babies needed me and I could shower in peace afterward.

Now that the kids are a tween and a teen, I spend that money (and then some) on ballet, art, and aerial silks lessons, so I've had to switch to bodyweight exercises and exercises with light weights at home. Because that's what fits my life right now. Is there any way you can assess whether a gym will fit your lifestyle, like a trial month?

Gym or no gym ?

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