Boy something happened to me recently that I thought would never happen - A gym membership. :tt2:

It all started when the scale stalled for a few weeks, combined with the fact I knew I wasn't pushing myself to exercise with enough intensity at home.

My wife and I recently checked out a local gym and concluded that it was just too expensive. But after we toured the place they gave us a couple of free day passes to try things out.

One day she decided we were going to use the day pass to attend a Spin class. That was all it took - I was hooked. I don't know if any of you have taken a Spin class before or not, but WOW - what a workout. I had not exercised that hard in a very long time - and I know I would never duplicate this effort on my own in the basement. So I had to ask the question.... Yes this membership is expensive - but what is my health worth?

And with that we took the plunge.... I am now convinced that WLS and serious exercise was THE combination for me. One without the other left something lacking. I would never in a million years have imagined seeing myself in a gym working out around strangers - now I do it almost every day. Part of it, I'm certain was a self-conscious phobia. After all, many of us have avoided public display because we were embarrassed about our physique. But I quickly realized that the gym consisted of every fitness level imaginable - even many FAR worse off than me. But everyone there has the same goal - to better themselves. Once you stop comparing yourself to everyone else there, and just focus on your own fitness goals, it becomes very powerful. The sense of accomplishment I feel when I walk out the door after a good workout is unexplainable - and that feeling continues throughout the day. It has certainly done as much for me pyschologically as it has physically.

I just wanted to share this in hopes of inspiring someone else to take that plunge - one I never thought I'd take! If you feel something is missing - this might just be it.

Brad

I agree - your health is priceless. Spin classes are awesome fun arent they?

Exercising at home isnt cheap either for the most part. It can be at first but look out when you get hooked. I took up running and was fine running in baggy old clothes for a while - but I had to buy good shoes. The running shoes that suit my feet are about $150 a pair - every six months! I also needed custom orthotics - $550 thank you very much. I wear out a sports bra as often as I wear out shoes. There's another $50 every six monmths. Then there's the Endura hydration formula at $25 a tub. Add to that the fact that once you start running races and regular long distances, lycra leggings from Target and a Tshirt no longer cut it, particularly in the summer. And once you start looking at branded, properly designed running tights with a little gel pocket etc, you're talking $70 to $80 a pair, and of course evyrthing needs to be Clima Cool or similar fabric, and you cant wear your ordinary sunnies to run becuase they're too heavy and they chafe and you need a fuel belt or camelback so you dont have to hold a bottle, and decent socks and an ipod .......

You get the picture. Three years of running has easily cost me $1000 or more. And on top of that I bought a treadmill for bad weather!

Oh, every race I enter costs between $40 AND $80 as well!

A gym seems like a cheap option, lol.

Brad,

I totally get you about the exhilaration that comes with finishing a workout! It is SOOOO hard for me to get in the door of the gym, but I always feel like I could take on the world when I am leaving. I got really sick with a cold a few weeks ago and fell out of the habit. I had just started the C25K two weeks before, albeit at a much reduced rate. You've motivated me to get my butt movin' again.

Lanakila (yes, that really is my name)

Unfortunately the gym I belong to I don't fit very well on the bikes for the spin class. I am only 5'2" and my legs are short. Even with the seat down all the way, I barely touch the pedals.

Right now I am in a group training class. There are 8 of us with a personal trainer 2x/week. She mixes it up from 30 minutes cardio and 30 minutes weightlifting. We use treadmills one day then elliptical the next. Yesterday the gym was full so we did a step class. Oh boy was that a work out!

I know that exercise is a must for me. If I stop, I stall and start to gain. I cannot miss a week again or I will never get this fat off of me!

I am an at-home exerciser. I have two kids at home with me (a 2yo and a 14yo), I work full-time plus I'm at university part-time, so going off to a gym really isn't feasible with my schedule.

BUT I do cycle on my spin bike at least 4 times a week (between 25-35kms at a time) and that raises a good sweat. I can do it in my regular clothes, too. And the bike cost me about $200 on sale.

I also walk twice a week for an hour at a time. On Sundays I power-walk pushing my baby in a pram. On Wednesdays I walk with him (about 15kgs or 30+lbs) on my back in a sling. Now that raises a sweat!

I agree that exercising at home requires motivation, but it can be done. So if anyone's reading and they're thinking 'I can't get to a gym/I can't afford a gym' then I want you to know that it's no excuse. You CAN still exercise if you wanted to.

My employer has a small work out room in the building. It has 2 treadmills, bike, free weights, epiliptical (sp?), a flat screen TV, Water, & towels. It's really nice & I feel so fortunate to have access to such a great place to exercise for just $5 per month.

I use the treadmill and it's a really good one that measures heart rate, calories burned, etc. Its been pretty easy to slip in there for 30 minutes every day during the week; & I only live 2 miles from the office, so I've had no problem getting in my Saturday & Sunday exercise either.

What's crazy is that I never considered joining before out of aprehension of exercising around my co-workers. Glad that I joined anyways & am keeping it up.

I do Curves 5 times a week and it is really working for me!

I have a treadmill here at home. I'm pretty hit and miss right now. It's hard to get on it and keep my 2 1/2 yr old DD OFF! I was able to get on for a bit today and she did pretty good. I'll try again tomorrow. It felt good and I was happy with myself for actually GETTING on it!

I used to go to curves but they don't have childcare and I don't have any available so I quit. I'm not much of a gym person but maybe later. My mom became a gym rat after her bypass surgery 5 years ago. So who knows what I'll do!

We do have a small gym here in town but I don't know anything about it.

Michelle,

have you thought of exercising after your DD is in bed? I put my son to bed at 8.30pm, and two minutes later I'm on my spin bike. If he's around when I'm exercising on the bike, he wants to get involved too, so I don't bother trying as long as he's awake.

:thumbup:WOW Lellow!!

Just checked out your progress pics! Watch that tummy shrink...you are looking great!

I will have to agree with all of you exerise is great. I walk three times a week, take line dance class 2 times a week, ride my bike 2 times a week and work out on the wii fit 3 times a week. Since the weight loss the energy level has increase 100%.

Our company joined VirginHealthMiles.com where you get paid for getting healthy. They provide a pedometer and it was very enlightening to see how much I wasn't walking - only about 2000 steps per day. Now I try to get 7000 steps working toward 10,000 steps per day and I've already earned a $25 gift card to just about anywhere. When I get to my next level I get $125. I can earn up to $525 a year.The pedometer is definately an incentive - if I'm around 6000 steps for the day I find myself out walking more to get to 7000 where I get a lot more points for the day.

I try to do the treadmill for 30 minutes about 4 times a week. I'm limited because of very bad knees and a painful back - but once I started this I started losing 3 lbs a week.

Try a pedometer and wear it all day - try to beat your steps from the prior day!

Good luck to everyone - I hit 45lbs this week and hoping for 55lbs by Christmas. :rolleyes2: :tongue2:

I've been going to the gym about 3-4 times per week. I start off on a recumbent bike for about half an hour and have been gradually working my way up through the intensity scale on the bike. Then I do about 20-30 mins of weight training on machines, followed by 10 mins of core training.

I've never considered the spin class, since I've taken a push myself on my own approach. Maybe getting in on a spin class will push me to another level.

Bryan

Michelle,

have you thought of exercising after your DD is in bed? I put my son to bed at 8.30pm, and two minutes later I'm on my spin bike. If he's around when I'm exercising on the bike, he wants to get involved too, so I don't bother trying as long as he's awake.

Thanks, Lellow. I didn't think about that. DD is usually asleep by 8:30-9:00. I'm so tired I usually just crash on the couch with the laptop til I drag myself to bed. Maybe I'll feel better if I just walk straight to the treadmill instead.

Are you still exhausted all the time? I have no energy at all. I drag all the time. I'm taking a B-Complex w/B-12 sublingual, I wonder if I need to double it by taking another dose in the afternoon with the other half of my supplements? DH is a fireman and works a 72 hours shift (8AM Mon-8AM Thurs) so it's just the 2 of us when he's gone and we have no family here or childcare so I don't get much of a break for anything. My mom says give it 6 months but I don't want to wait til February to finally get some energy! I hear others, (poster above, for one) saying they've got all this energy now and yet I just drag! UGH!

I will try the after bedtime though. Thanks. I always think of doing it before she gets up but I can't drag myself out of bed. DD always wakes ME up! LOL!