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Actually if you join a gym this month, you'll just blend in with every body else.
If you are still there in Feb you'll most likely have earned the respect of the hard core gym people because most *resolution* people will stop going by then.
I know how you feel. When I felt I was too overweight to walk into a crowded gym, I started working out from home with YouTube or exercise videos. I finally joined the gym when I felt I was at a more comfortable weight.
Now that I've been at the gym for a couple of years now, I no longer like to work out at home as much. There's less distractions at the gym and seeing other fit people actually motivates me more now.
There are lots of people of all shapes and sizes at the gym though, and I'm happy to see them all. Everyone is there to better themselves. The person that's bigger than me? I think to myself, she's going to look so good in a few months. The person that's more fit than me? I hope to look like that or even better soon...
I've been in your shoes, OP. I started off fat and out of shape. Don't let the presence of fit people deter you. Remember, everyone is there for a common goal and that is to improve fitness and better health. We all have to start somewhere. Block out everyone else. You're coming there to do your thing. Over time, you will change into one of those "fit people".
My suggestions as someone who went from sedentary to fit - start out slowly. do not try to climb a mountain first, start with a hill. If you can't do 30 minutes, that's totally fine. Do three sets of 10 minutes. If something hurts, don't push it. Walk first and then work your way up to a jog, then run.
I remember being the only woman (overweight at the time) surrounded by very muscular guys in the weight section. Again, I had a purpose and that was to improve my health. Stick to your plan.
So my question is, are there any gyms that are aimed for overweight people? Possibly in the Los Angeles Area??
Thanks for any answers/ suggestions...
That gym with the "Lunk alert" bell is just what you are looking for. Planet Fitness is what its called. Its a horrible gym really. Especially when they have free pizza days (which I find totally ridiculous for "healthy" place). They seem to cater to those just like you who are uncomfortable around "fit" people. I hear they are really really inexpensive as well.
Give it a couple months. This time of year it's always packed at gyms with people with their new year's resolution. Most of them stop going after a few months but the overcrowding is what lead me to quit gyms.
Join Planet Fitness, it's inexpensive and offers a diverse population.
Here's the thing, just about everyone there can relate to where you are. I lost a bunch of weight last year and now look like someone who's always been thin and fit. But I know how difficult it can be to simply get yourself to the gym and appreciate the fact that someone is there. When I see people just starting out on their transformative journey, I think it's awesome!
No one really cares about how you look or if you're not quite in shape just yet. We're all either trying to look better or trying to avoid looking worse.
I recommend either the local YMCA, where a trainer can help you create a program, or Curves. Curves is a women-only fitness center designed specifically for women who don't feel comfortable in gyms. The workout is pretty easy to learn, and the coaches are supportive and non-judgmental.
The workout room consists of about 15 resistance machines, all in a big circle with a rubber mat in between each one. The workout goes in a clockwise direction and is continuous. You jump in wherever you can find an empty machine, spend 30 seconds working at your own pace, then move to the mat and keep moving any way you like (dancing, marching in place or just shaking your booty) for 30 seconds. Then you go on to the next machine. Once you've complete two circuits, you're done. It only takes about half an hour.
The one thing I didn't like about Curves is that they have strange hours. They're not open all day long like other gyms, and they're not open past 8:00 pm.
I belong to the Y now, and you'd be surprised at the number of people working out there who are overweight, elderly or even handicapped. There are some buffed-up weight lifter types, too, but no one really cares what you look like.
Please don't be discouraged if it seems too hard at first. Just stick with it, and within six weeks or so you'll be amazed at how much better you feel and how much more energy you have. Good luck!
From my experience, nobody really pays attention to anybody else. The few interactions I have had were just people asking if I was using something or if they were in my way, etc. And not everybody at a gym is super fit, you will find people of all levels there.
My gym is also 24/7, so I was able to go at times where it wasn't as busy until I got comfortable with going/the equipment. Maybe try to find a 24/7 gym and avoid peak hours until you get comfortable. Going to the gym was a challenge for me and my anxiety, but it was good to challenge myself.
That gym with the "Lunk alert" bell is just what you are looking for. Planet Fitness is what its called. Its a horrible gym really. Especially when they have free pizza days (which I find totally ridiculous for "healthy" place). They seem to cater to those just like you who are uncomfortable around "fit" people. I hear they are really really inexpensive as well.
I go to a PF. I have heard other people mention the pizza thing, but I've never seen any pizza at mine, nor have I heard anyone mention pizza. It's in a mall near the food court and next door to Buffalo Wild Wings, so maybe they decided to skip it. Pizza at a gym sounds stupid to me.
It's not "horrible" for overweight and older people,. There's a closer gym to me, but I am 59 and the other one is more of the typical pickup joint type of gym where young people are going less for actual health reasons than to try to look hot in expensive fashionable workout clothes and get laid. Some people would rather not be in that atmosphere, simple as that. Not a judgment, just not a place we are in at this point in our lives.
There are some of those in PF, too--all dressed up in their little outfits and sitting on the machines staring at their phones, probably because PF is only ten dollars a month, but PF does tend to attract more of the very overweight people or older people who are just trying to keep moving and keep their health. When I see a very obese person walking on the treadmill, I am silently rooting for them. They are doing something to improve their health.
I go to PF also, never seen pizza. I keep reading all these people on the internet talk about PF and pizza, and I keep waiting, eyes open, but I have never seen it.
So many people make fun of PF, but to be honest, it has everything you need for 90% of the people out there and all for only 10 bucks a month. Unless you are into serious heavy weight lifting, its a good gym. There is plenty of iron there for your average person, but if I wanted to get into serious bodybuilding or power lifting, PF is not the place to go.
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