I have a friend who decided to "splurge" on herself by joining a gym that involved working out with a person trainer three times a week. So, can anyone remember their first trip to the gym and what it was like?

I entered a gym for the first time in my life when I was 41 years old. I weighed about 220 pounds and decided I had lost enough weight (200 pounds at that time) to safely begin a formal exercise program. So, into the gym I went and got talked into a 3 day a week program with a personal trainer. I looked around and saw most of the women were a size 5 and most of the men had about 3% body fat. Hmmmm....

I was given a form to fill out that contained questions such as, "What gyms have you belonged to?" I asked why there was no check-off for "none" and was met with a wide-eyed look of surprise and the response, "YOU'RE a gym VIRGIN?" At this point, I am getting the impression that I might have bargained for more than I intended.

Next came the orientation. My trainer, Satan, had me mount a machine called an elliptical work-out. He set it for ten minutes. At two minutes I was ready for oxygen and at three minutes I told him to get ready to do CPR. As a crawled off the ellipital device, Satan was calling for me to "hurry up" so my "heart rate stayed up." I gasped that I was an RN and that if my heart rate rose anymore I would end up in the morgue.

The half hour of torture moved onto more machines designed to induce pain. I was very happy when I got to sit on one machine where I was instructed to place my legs straight out on a cushioned cradle. This joy quickly faded when Satan turned some lever and I found my legs spread further apart than when I have a GYN exam. Instinctively, I told Satan to put my legs back together. He informed me I needed to use my leg muscles to FORCE my legs to come together. Hello!!! I don't have muscles, I have fat! I informed Satan that I had never done a split in my life and NOW was not the time to begin. This pattern of abuse continued as he ran, and I staggered, to one machine after another and then another.

When I got home, I showered and collapsed in a chair. I went to bed early that evening but when I woke up the following morning, I was sure I had some horrible disease because it hurt to move the covers off my body and standing was torture. Every part of my body ached! I contemplated calling an ambulance but realized it was too late to call into work. I tried to fall onto the toilet so I would not have to bend my legs and would have welcomed a continuous IV infusion of morphine. As I began to dread my next session with Satan, I wondered why I was deprived the experience of an endorphin release. I surmised this was nothing more than some lie made up by a thin person to get fat people to sign up for 3 days a week of torture with a personal trainer.

Now five years older and 90 pounds heavier, I am wiser. At present, a walking program is all I can handle with severe knee arthritis. I still develop nausea when I pass a gym!

What was your experience like?

So very funny - i loved reading your story. My friend had a similar experience and had an hour session with a maniacal trainer (relative of Satan) that left him quivering and shaking. The next day he had to fly for business and couldn't even put his bag in the overhead.

That is too funny !!! I have been going to the Gym for 5 months and only Treadmill or swim laps and have lost 62 lbs. so far.

So you dont have to kill yourself to be successful !!!

I loved your post, I could picture the whole ordeal !!!!!

Hang in there.

Kathy in Cali

That was the best!! I laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants!!

I paid my personal trainer to LEAVE ME ALONE! He had me doing squats and asked me not to use fowl language in the gym. (Imagine that). Nope, I call the gym, "my donation". Those size fives are crazy. They'd make a hell of a lot more sense if they actually catered to the obese patron instead of catering to the skinny people. They should have teams, organized sports and sports equipment designed for the bariatric patient. I'd go! (I swear).

That is the best idea ever! They have senior fitness classes - why not classes for heavy, out of shape people? No jumping, just imagine! I especially like the idea of the sports teams. It would be so nice to be able to try sports, without having to do it alongside people who have been jocks their whole lives. Just to play for FUN. I've never tried a single sport as an adult, because they are all such maniacs about it.

At one point, I lost 25% of my body weight, and went to the gym every single day, no matter what. If I got home at 3AM, I got up at 6 and worked out. Then, ONE DAY, I decided that I didn't feel like it... and I never went back again!!!! (I never felt those endorphins kick in, either!!!!)

Classes for obese people would be great and so would low-impact classes designed for people with arthritis. I would also like them to lose some of the mirrors. Satan told me to look in the mirror so I could see what muscles to concentrate on. How do you see muscle when it's covered with fat? Did he honestly think a 6 pack was going to develop anytime this century? About all I saw when I looked in the mirror was how red my face was, sweat, and a bad hair day when it looked fine before the torture began.

Sounds just like what happened top me! Except my:mad2: Satan was a Satanest that probably never weighted more than 100 lbs. Young and perkie if ya know what I mean.

My "first" time was at 60 and I too am a nurse who thought of all kinds of ways to introduce this so "happy" person to my world. Shejust thought it was so wondeful someone my age would do this sort of thing. I was there to support my husband after his second bi-pass and we both thought maybe I could start some more weight loss.

I remember that leg machine so well.... she made me put my legs one at a time in it and adjusted the tention button and then told me to pull my legs together 12 times. By the third time if I could have gotten off of it by myself they would haved been calling 911 for her not me. I was also signed up for 3 times a week but I was fortunate that I had not enter into a contract with her my first session was free as we were in a hosptal run fitness center.

Needless to say I didn't hire her. I did my ownj thing as I could not tolerate her "cheerfulness" every visit. Have to say that was the smartest thing I've done in a long time.

Did I loose weight you must be asking ....nooooo! But during that time I stumbled onto free classes for Tia-Chi and it was my savior. I've recently bought some tapes as now that we don't go to the guy anymore I also didn't go back just for the classes which I now would have to pay for. I too walk and as far as I can see I'm a lot happier. Right now I'm about 258 lbs and have weighted 251 lbs. for 6 years,my primary care doctor told me to stop obsessing over my weight and just do what I can so right now I want to take off that extra 7 lbs. I have been thinking as of late about this lap Band surgery. It sounds good as it's not as intrusive of any other bariactric surgery and it doesn't entail changeing how are bodies work. I'm here because I want to know more about it from people who have already done it.....Thanks:cool:

What a great thread!

I'm yet to be banded, but there is an elliptical machine in my basement that will testify to its use as a place to hang a shirt now and then when there are no more hangers near the dryer. It was a Christmas gift from my husband - no, no, not his idea, MY big idea. Who would want a nice bracelet, a set of awesome cookbooks, a day at the spa when you can have a 75lb. chrome and rubber guilt-inducing machine in the basement?

Walking for me it is!

Hi Roadrunner,

The most frustrating thing for me concerning the band was the time it took to get restriction. My surgeon does not give a first fill for a full 8 weeks and that fill resulted in no restriction. If you can be patient during the fill process while they find your proper level of restriction, I think you'll find the band quite helpful.

I was in the hospital overnight and had an uncomplicated recovery. Feel free to ask lots of questions. I found a wealth of information here.

Right back at ya Elisabeth. Glad to meet you:girl_hug: . I don't know a lot about this as I said. What are the fill's everyone talks about? Are they injections to the unbanded area? I imagin there is a fee for that proceedure. I see that your Doctor is in NY State I used to live in central NY and really never heard about this when I was there. But then everybody wasn't saying "we" are all to fat.:suspicious: Have you ever noticed these are all "thin" people????:heh:

It's so funny to me because as a child I was extremly thin. The doctor told my mom I should eat lots of fattening foods and I took Vitamins and ........yuck:fish: fish oil pills:faint: and trust me if you neved have taken them don't!

Anyway I could never gain weigh that is not until my first preger's I added 80lbs. to my 110lbs. Yes I finally lost weight but stopped at 135. The second time around I gained 11 lbs. and wore my old clothes thru most of that time. I'd like somebody to explain that one to me.:help: Most of the people I have met have all said they were overweight from childhood on. About then is when my husband reminds me we are both very different from everybody else;) .

Thanks for answering my post I'm a blank sheet with most of whats associated with the lapband so any information is helpful:cool:

Oh that is too funny! And I sit here reading this as I am getting ready to join the real gym as I feel I have outgrown curves (now you are making me rethink that idea)... all kidding aside, I am excited to get started and really hope your satan does not work in my gym!

I hope so for you too.All you have to do really is make it clear to whom ever is showing you how to use the machines that you are not 21 anymore and maybe you won't do all the machines they show you. Start with the treadmill and bike and do that for quite a while until your ready to go on. Most people make the mistake of believeing what a gym professional is telling you is true and that's not always whats best for you. Basiclly a gym is helpful because they have the equipment. If you were to buy any one piece I can almost be sure that you will only used it so long and stop.

It's nice if you can have a buddy to go with ya don't have to stay together when your at the gym but it is a motivater to have someone going with you. You help keep each other on track.

Bottom line is a gym is there to sign up people and make money. After you've joined they really don't care if you continue, this may sound callus but that's the truth. Most people who join a gym never use it until their dues are all paid. Just ask around I'm sure you'll find out that lot's of people signed up for a gym plan but were paying for it long after they stopped.

A friend once told me she got the most out of a YWCA then she ever got out of a gym. Gyms now adays are like social clubs and you usually can't hear your self count because of the loud banging of the music.

I don't want this to sound negitive but those are facts and now you know some of them, it's great you are excited about starting I wish you all the luck in the world.

Right back at ya Elisabeth. Glad to meet you:girl_hug: . I don't know a lot about this as I said. What are the fill's everyone talks about? Are they injections to the unbanded area? I imagin there is a fee for that proceedure. I see that your Doctor is in NY State I used to live in central NY and really never heard about this when I was there. But then everybody wasn't saying "we" are all to fat.:suspicious: Have you ever noticed these are all "thin" people????:heh:

It's so funny to me because as a child I was extremly thin. The doctor told my mom I should eat lots of fattening foods and I took Vitamins and ........yuck:fish: fish oil pills:faint: and trust me if you neved have taken them don't!

Anyway I could never gain weigh that is not until my first preger's I added 80lbs. to my 110lbs. Yes I finally lost weight but stopped at 135. The second time around I gained 11 lbs. and wore my old clothes thru most of that time. I'd like somebody to explain that one to me.:help: Most of the people I have met have all said they were overweight from childhood on. About then is when my husband reminds me we are both very different from everybody else;) .

Thanks for answering my post I'm a blank sheet with most of whats associated with the lapband so any information is helpful:cool:

The band is surgically placed and left unflated in most people. At 4-8 weeks, healing is complete and that's when the surgeon can start to make the band tighter by injecting saline into the port (placed in the abdomen). I pay a $35 co-pay for fills and they're not painful at all.

Wow... that really was funny and I can definitely relate. While my Personal Trainer wasn't Satan, I can definitely relate to the eliptical machine. The first time I got on (next to people who had already been on for an hour) I faked an injury after 2 minutes so I could get off the damn thing!!! Didn't go back on it and stuck to the treadmill for another 2 weeks or so. Eventually, though, I decided 2 minutes was better than none. I sucked up my pride next to the "Barbies" of the gym, nd as of now I have worked my way to 25 minutes on the darn thing... Hopefully I will reach my goal of 45 minutes !

thanks so much for the info this thing sounds good I'm learning more about it every day.......