At the Gym
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At the Gym
| Thu, 11-16-2006 - 3:53pm |
So I joined the gym 2 weeks ago and have been going at least 5 times a week. I havent really noticed any change and am really needing support. I dont know why I expect that the pounds will just fall away but I guess I got my hopes up too much that I would have immediate results. The first week I could only exercise for 10 minutes and I was worn out, I am up to 30 minutes and it is really difficult but I am pushing myself. I feel a lot better during the day knowing I exercised but it is just hard to wait for the results. I have to keep trying because I cannot go back to my old lifestyle it just is unacceptable.

Hi Eva (hope that's right?),
Hmmmm. so you've been going to the gym for two weeks, and you've gone from only lasting 10 minutes to making it through 30 minutes?
Hi there:
I think we all expect the pounds to just melt away after only a few days of doing the "right thing."
The gym is a big part of my weight loss success, but it hasn't been fast. It seems like if you bust your butt for 30 minutes you should burn like 10,000 calories and lose like three pounds...but the math just doesn't work like that.
For most of the things I do (bike, stairs, swimming, weights) I get between 200 (bike) and 400 (swimming) calories in a half hour. I figure an average of 300 calories per half hour of gym visit. So if its 3000 calories in a pound, I need ten half hours for a pound of loss - and that's provided I don't reward myself with a food treat on the way home.
But the gym does work for me. When I'm at the gym, I'm not looking in the refrigerator. And its hard to think that a bag of chips makes a good dinner after I've worked out - salad with chicken seems like a better choice. And my metabolism is revved up a little, so I get a little extra burn from that. And the people I'm hanging around with have a focus on healthy living which is motivating and inspiring for me.
It took me three months of three times a week gym visits (two half hour cardio, one 15 minute cardio, 60 minute weights) before I 'saw' results, and another three months before anyone else noticed. But now (three plus years in) I define myself as someone who works out, and (most of the time) I think of food as 'fuel' for my body, not 'love'.
So if you are looking for a quick loss, the gym might not be the best way to get it, but if you are looking for a life-style change, the gym is where I found it.
Good luck on your journey - maybe you'll be the person riding a bike to nowhere with me tomorrow!
SJ
225-173-135