do u NEED to work out??

In order to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle you should be doing both. Yes you can lose weight by just eating less but your body needs to move. You don't need a gym to workout. Walking, jogging, cleaning, gardening, ANYTHING that gets your heart rate is good for your body!

Just find things you like and do them first. Then if you want to add strength training to your routine go back to the gym.

you do not NEED to do anything.

however, working out will improve your attitude, your strength, your stamina, your appearance, your health, your ability to lose weight, your ability to eat MORE food and still lose weight, and also, you will be able to better handle REAL stress when you actually encounter it.

blessings.

I hate driving. I would never work out if I had to go to a gym. I have a treadmill at home. I use it to allow me to eat more. I like eating more. It's a pretty strong motivation.

If you have a gym membership, you most likely have access to free training sessions. Ask at the front desk for someone to show you how to properly use the machines. A lot of times, they will even give you a circuit to work based on your goals. You pay for the membership, make sure you use all of it!

I just get so tired at the gym.. I have no energy after work (cant go before) and I never know what to even do once I'm there.. I don't know how to.properly work out

This is why you don't want to go. Lack of knowledge will deter anybody from going. Get a free training session and have them write down. A basic training regimen of at least 1 exercise per body part is a good way to start.
You can lose weight without exercise, but your body will just be like jello in the end. Start lifting now to help deter that from happening.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Honestly, I think eating healthfully is 90% of the battle. Even Jillian Michaels has been quoted as saying that if you eat very well, you need minimal exercise to maintain a healthy weight. I definitely believe in getting up and moving around. Walking the dog, playing with the kids in the park, doing housework, raking leaves, etc. But not everyone needs to be doing cardio at the gym to be healthy. Just sayin.

Does your gym offer training sessions; maybe the first one free?

Do you have friends that are into fitness and might be able to point you in the right direction?

Have you considered trying workout DVDS (Jillian is pretty popular - she's a beeeyotch but damn, she gets the job done!)

What about finding routines online from reputed sources like bodybuilding.com, Oxygen Magazine, etc?

Feel free to add me if you want some suggestions or help!

Working Out in this context can be either cardio training or resistance training.

While you can lose weight just by modifying your diet, your body will shed muscle with the fat to accommodate the caloric deficit thus lowering your resting metabolism, thus increasing the likelihood of regaining the weight as more fat.

The exercise pays dividends other than increased fat utilization.
It improves mental health by being an anxiety and stress outlet. (I work out after work and this is very tangible)
Better regulation of blood sugar and blood pressure.
It actually boost overall energy levels.
It improves neuromuscular efficiency. (quicker and stronger)
It improves balance.
Resistance training improves bone density. (think anti-osteoporosis)

Pick something you sorta enjoy (or at least tolerate) and try for 30 minutes three times a week as a start.

I'm a full time college student and I'm so busy with homework and studying and clinicals and working I really don't have time to work out. I'm also kinda like you and really don't know what to do once I get to the gym. I have no idea. I get to the gym once a week because it is on campus and I have an hour and a half break between classes so I go for an hour and just go on the treadmill at different inclines at 3.8 mph and that's it! I wish I could work out more but I don't have time or know what to do.

I'm a full time college student and I'm so busy with homework and studying and clinicals and working I really don't have time to work out. I'm also kinda like you and really don't know what to do once I get to the gym. I have no idea. I get to the gym once a week because it is on campus and I have an hour and a half break between classes so I go for an hour and just go on the treadmill at different inclines at 3.8 mph and that's it! I wish I could work out more but I don't have time or know what to do.

Solution: ask questions. I know at my gym there are people everywhere willing to answer questions about machines. Maybe schedule a one time only personal trainer session to give you an idea of what an effective work out should consist of.

Working Out in this context can be either cardio training or resistance training.

While you can lose weight just by modifying your diet, your body will shed muscle with the fat to accommodate the caloric deficit thus lowering your resting metabolism, thus increasing the likelihood of regaining the weight as more fat.

The exercise pays dividends other than increased fat utilization.
It improves mental health by being an anxiety and stress outlet. (I work out after work and this is very tangible)
Better regulation of blood sugar and blood pressure.
It actually boost overall energy levels.
It improves neuromuscular efficiency. (quicker and stronger)
It improves balance.
Resistance training improves bone density. (think anti-osteoporosis)

Pick something you sorta enjoy (or at least tolerate) and try for 30 minutes three times a week as a start.

I have to disagree here. Just doing cardio isn't enough. Your body adapts to your own bodyweight. You need to resistance weight training to retain muscle mass during your diet.

I did everything imagineable to avoid working out. Long story short - the weight always came back. Truth be told, I LOVE food! What has been working for me now (and will forever!) is I learned how to eat right (still learning, btw) which made a HUGE difference in my energy level, even after work and I started working with a personal trainer for 30 mins once a week. I was like you, I had the membership but had no idea what to do with it. Sure, I could use a treadmill, or gimp some machine, but ultimately I had no clue. Working with a trainer has taught me a tremendous amount about nutrition and exercise! Now, not only have I lost weight but I am LOVING the way I can see some definition in my arms and legs, as oppose to the loose skin I would see before. Trust me, you will feel AMAZING once you make up your mind to commit!!!

p.s. my ultimate anti-exercise excuse: I am an asthmatic. . . I used to use it all the time as a reason to not exercise. Now, I am amazed at how much BETTER I breath daily since beginning working out!

Edit to add: I am also a mother of 2, wife to 1, work full time at a Jewelry store, own my own business as a photographer, and am a full time college student. . . and yes, I still make time to work out because taking care of myself is important!

Put on some music at work and get the two year olds dancing with you. You get paid to do cardio, and you'll teach them to be healthy too.

If I had to choose between working out and counting calories I'd pick working out first. Just going on a quick 20-minute walk around the neighborhood always puts me in a pretty good mood. I get home from work around midnight when no one can see me so I just go out in my jammies and track shoes with my iPod and listen to a book on tape.

I also hate going to the gym so I gave up my membership. I feel like I'm breaking the machines because I don't know what I'm doing and the only time I asked for help I got some skinny tan girl who acted like I was a moron for not knowing anything about the equipment. Now I just work out at home (saved up what I had been paying for gym fees and bought a treadmill for the winter/summer months) and I feel much more comfortable.

Maybe if you started trying just a little bit of exercise first the good feeling that results from it would be enough to help motivate you to tackle the diet. That's what works for me.