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So You Joined a Gym...Now What?

     Okay, so you actually took a step forward.  You have been thinking about it for months, and you finally did it.  You are an official gym member.  Now what?  Believe it or not where you go from here may be the most crucial determination for your success in meeting your weight loss goals. 

     Walking into the gym for the first time feels much like standing on a stage naked in front of a room full of people.  You suddenly become less confident and more aware of little insecurities about your body that you didn’t realize you had.  You glance around the gym and are overwhelmed by the various machines that you have no clue how to use.  You have no idea how to start and make your way to the least intimidating machine in the place.    

     It is important not to let these feelings and thoughts intimidate you.  Before you attempt to venture out on your own, ask a gym employee for a tour of the facilities and a brief description of the machines.  Most gyms provide this service free to first time members on their initial visit.  If after each description, you are not sure how to use them, ask for a demonstration.  Make sure you are satisfied that you know how to use everything.  Don’t feel bad about this, it is their job.  Keep in mind; this is your first visit and an opportune time to get acquainted with all the equipment.  Most likely any additional training advice and help you will need in the future will come at an hourly rate.     

Since this is your first day on your new quest for fitness, it is important to get a starting point and set some measurable goals.  Most gyms also provide a free consultation with a trainer when you join.  They will take your measurements, weight, and check your body fat.  All of this is done in hopes that you hire them for personal training, but it is not required.  If you are uncomfortable with being weighed and measured by a stranger or your gym does not offer this service, it is important to do it independently.  I suggest buying a binder and filling it with pre-made meal calendars and daily workout logs.  Such pre-made forms can be downloaded from the internet free of charge.  You will need to take a “before” picture and place it in the front of your binder with your recorded weight, measurements, and body fat.  Once you have your binder organized, it is time to review your before picture, starting measurements, and weight to set an attainable goal.  Once your goal is set, you are ready to start your new path of fitness. 

     It is important to remember your goals when you return to the gym.  If your main goal is weight loss, then you will need to stick with regular high intensity cardio.  Yes, the machines with weights are not as hard and a lot more fun, but cardio is where you will burn your fat.  You have to do cardio to lose the weight and body fat, and then you can start to tone and build muscle.  Once your body begins to reshape itself, you can incorporate light weights with high repetitions for toning. 

     While the first several grueling months of your workout consist of mainly cardio, it can be extremely boring.  The first few weeks will just be getting your feet wet and increasing your stamina.  Once you have gotten accustomed to doing cardio daily, you will want to start mixing it up to reap the maximum benefits and keep it from getting boring.  It is important not to do the exact same routine every day.  Your body will adjust to it and it will lose its effectiveness.  You should try mixing it up by taking some of the classes your gym has to offer.  Cardio is kept interesting and stimulating in spinning, kick boxing, aerobics, and some kind of high energy “body boot camp” class.  Classes are motivational because you can take them with other people and you push yourself harder for an instructor than you would independently.  Ask your gym for a schedule of classes so that you can mix up your cardio workouts daily and gain maximum results.  For those days when you can’t make the time for a class, invest in an iPod.  It allows you to listen to music while you workout.  You can download your favorite upbeat songs that will keep your pace going strong throughout your workout.  While daily cardio is important, it is just important to reward yourself with a day off each week.  Select one day each week to skip your regular workout and give your body a chance to rest.    

     Remember to journal your daily workouts and your food intake so that you can look back through you binder and have a visual representation of your progress.  You will need to set a time to weigh in and chart your progress.  This can be done weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly.  I suggest monthly.  It gives you more time to gain ground in your weigh loss efforts.  Don’t be discouraged if you don’t lose weight the first month or even gain weight.  You are building muscle that weighs more than fat.  You may gain a few pounds of muscle before it levels out and you start losing fat.  Whatever you do, don’t become a slave to the scales.  You need to listen to your body and pay attention to how your clothes are fitting.  Keep in mind that the more muscle you build, the more fat you will burn. 

It is also important to maintain a healthy diet.  Drink lots of water to hydrate your body before, during, and after a workout.  Make sure you are getting your daily servings of protein so that you body doesn’t start burning lean muscle mass.  Do not starve yourself!  You are burning a lot of calories at the gym and you need to replenish the nutrients in your body to stay healthy.  Going on a starvation diet, especially when physically active will only result in your immune system being attacked by the flu, colds, or viruses and eventually set your workout and weight loss program back. 

The most important thing is to keep in mind is that you are not on a temporary exercise and diet plan.  You are on a course to change your way of life.  If you adjust your lifestyle to incorporate exercise and healthy eating, you will fee rejuvenated and get much more quality out of it.  Make going to the gym a priority.  Before long, it will become a way of life. Once you meet your weight loss goals, you can reduce the time you spend at the gym and move into the next phase of your workout plan…maintenance.  When you finally feel you have taken back control of your body and life, you can reduce your workout schedule to three to four times weekly to maintain the progress you have made.  Just remember to stay the course.  If you want a body you have never had before, you have to be willing to do things you’ve never done before to achieve it.  Just think when your muscles are burning and you are sore, that is the feel of your body slowly changing itself.  Nobody said it would be easy.  If it were easy, the world would be filled with thin and toned people.