Should I!? H E L P!

[SammieG]

I am feeling inspired right at the moment.
We just got back from wdw and my fitness levels are just appauling.. I am so unfit, that it scares me!

Also, for the last 12 weeks on tv there has been a daily show called "fit farm" where they have been following several people on an excersise and diet regime, and watching their progress.

This program has been completely fascinating.. they have had people who are 140lbs and people 420lbs and everything in between.

Some people have lost 80lbs in the 12 weeks and some have lost 10lbs.. but every single one of them looks absolutely loads better and their fitness levels have soared.


This has inspired me!! for the first time in as long as I can remember i want to do some excersise.
This is easy for me to SAY and not to do. I will avoid walking upstairs unless I have to! (ie bed tiime!!)

Anyway, I want to join a gym.. and we have a beautiful one near us - but it is expensive to join £43 for an off peak membership. This is kind of the going rate for a good gym etc -
but the issue is... will I go?? I dont know! I want to go... but i am not renowned for my love of excersise.

My feeling is that because it is expensive, I will make myself go...
but Richard needs some convincing that I will keep it up (and you sign up for a year.. so, you need to be sure!)

I could go to our local swimming pool and gym, which i have been to before and I hate because it is smelly, crowded and nasty.. plus the staff are un helpful and I dont like them. It would be a LOT cheaper.. infact I could probably go for free.. (the doctor will prescrible the gym for me for free if I ask!)

I am thinking that the beautiful surroundings of the private gym might make it more bareable.. (plus my hairdressers is there, and a beautiful spa (see link! and check out how stunning it is!!!) http://www.whittleburyhall.co.uk/spa_facilities.asp

what should i do!??

[JennyAnne]

Boy, I might be more inspired to go if my local place looked like that! :shock: It's beautiful!! :D Do you have any friends that go there? When I belonged to a gym just before I got married three years ago, my friend Leah kept me motivated. She was in my wedding party and cracked the whip so I would look nice in my wedding dress.

Keep checking in here Sammie and we will try to keep you motivated! I might even be able to motivate you on your time, because I am often up late! :lol: I don't know what that monthly price equates to in American dollars...what does it include. I see there are lots of other spa services there. It's a big decision, as it is an investment. But the surroundings look so serene I would love to take time out to spend a little "me" time there.

Let us know what you decide!

[Bookwood]

Sammie,
I'd try to convince Richard by "proving" your really intrested in improving your fitness. Try walking 3-4 times a week(start by taking Theo for a walk to the park/ ice cream shop ect- but walk- make sure you walk at least 15-20 minutes each time (not including ice cream/play time). If you can keep it up for a month I think Richard would have to agree you would also utilize the gym ! (don't you think?)

[SammieG]

no, I dont have any friends that go there currently,

I have to decide soon if I am going to do it, as there is a special offer on right now, allowing me to lose the joining fee of £150 ($260) - the monthly fee for offpeak (mon- fri 9 - 5pm) is about $75.
I know that is expensive, but it is more or less the going rate for a gym membership in the UK (at a private one)


I know what you are staying bookwood about trying to start walking.. I should - its just I find it SOOOO boring...!!

I have to be honest, whilst my intentions are good now, I find it hard to believe that I will keep it going.. although i would love to get fit!!

[DrDolphin]

Sammie - the only one that can commit you to do it is you and until you think it is the "right time" - and only you know when that is -- you won't do it. It has taken me 4 years of steady weight gain and buying bigger clothes and avoiding the scale to get to the point that I was willing to spend the $$ to get a personal trainer to give me the kick in the buttocks I need to stay on track. I have to make an appt with him - and if I don't show = I pay anyway (amazing how motivating that is!!!) I also log everything I eat and turn it in weekly to be "graded" as it were - a nice motivation when I start thinking about ice cream..... My point was when I had to buy 18W jeans at Walmart - by Just my Size and they were tight!!! That was the largest I've ever been and I was bound and determined to not ever have to buy a 20W!!!! I have completed 4 full marathons and 7 half marathons - but I could never control my weight and get fit. The trainer was the difference for me - remember it was 4 years in the making and costs me $2000 for 50 sessions - and that was after the $1135 for my first ten sessions and my baseline and evaluations!! It hurts - but as I keep reminding myself - I AM WORTH IT!!! I say that I am not worth so much in this life - I AM WORTH THIS!!!

[Esmerelda]

I agree with DrDolphin. You are worth every penny of the cost!

Sammie-I would love to be your online workout partner. I too am going to start exercising this month. Just take it one day at a time. Once I made it part of my daily schedule, I actually ENJOYED exercising! Hard to believe, but it was true.

I think it is a great idea!

[Tinkerbell]

:tink: SammieG, don't waste you money right now. I would suggest to you that you go to the stinky free gym until you get to a level of exercise where you know that you will continue. If you hate that place that much, just start walking, even if it's around the mall to bring up your personal fitness level to where you want it to be. I wouldn't waste my money on any gym type of place, because you are then locked in, until you know for absolute certainty that you will use it religiously & make your money back w/it's use. Just because it's beautiful doesn't mean you'll continue going. You really need to think this through. $75 a month is way too much. If I were jumping on these machines routinely in a less expensive place & had to have the esthetic look there & had the money to waste on it, I would. But, unless you're into a program & know you'll continue it, don't waste your money.

It's not the facility or where you exercise, it's simply that you do exercise. :tink:

[SammieG]

I take your point Kate, but I keep MEANING to do excercise and I dont. I was kind of hoping that the nice place would motivate me.

I wont go back to the stinky gym I dont think.. because I dont like the people there, they intimidate me. Also, I love swimming, but feel self conscious at the pool there as I always know so many people, plus the changing rooms smell horrid, there is no where to shower apart from in full view of everyone in the pool, and the changing rooms are sooo hot that you can never get dry!!

at least at whittlebury hall it is a pleasure to go there.

I dont know really. I know I want to go, and to be honest the money is not really an issue.. Id pay 10x that amount if it worked..
its just... will i keep it up.
I wont keep it up if I dont enjoy some aspect of it thats for sure..
Id have a personal trainer but that would be much much more money...

sigh...

[Esmerelda]

Sammie,

You WILL keep it up, if you have a workout "partner" to hold you accountable. We can provide you support here, but a trainer might not be a bad idea.

My personal experience was that only the first few weeks were hard to stay motivated. After that, I LOVED the way I felt, the increased energy I had, and wanted to go. Also, it helped incredibly with controlling my blood sugar (I don't know why, but that is the most stable I have ever been).

A good personal trainer is incredible as far as helping motivate you. My personal experience was when I had someone to be accountable to (my trainer) I was sure not to skip a session since it was paid for and also worked between sessions so they could be happy with my progress. I personally only used a trainer once every two weeks(it was all I could afford), but that was enough to keep me motivated.

I'm preaching to myself as I MUST get back to the gym myself!

[SammieG]

ok - I think youre on for that Esme!!

Be my partner.please!!!
hold my hand.. I can only waddle right now.. not even walk properly!!!

[pixie]

Sammie, That place looks like a place for "beautiful people" and that would surely intimidate me. Personally, I would would want to drop in and see what type of clients they cater to. It could be quite discouraging if everyone had gorgeous bodies. Maybe you could work on getting more fit so you would be comfortable there. Places run specials all the time, there will be another.

Good luck on whatever you decide. I agree, you are worth it!

:tink: Barbara

[MissBianca]

Sammie, that looks like a Dream place! I would join with you if I lived nearby! I totally agree with pixie that you should visit first but I think that club looks like the kind of place where you can both work it off and reward yourself with the spa.

At those rates there must be some nice person there to start you in the program which will work best for you. If you're having trouble walking at the moment, you might consider water exercises. They work great for me!

[Ursulinda]

Sammie Dear.

Sometimes it's necessary to take a bold step to get off a stuck place either physically or mentally or both.

I vote FOR the expensive membership.

Hopefully, the "rush" you get from taking the risk will be sufficient to get you over the first tough weeks and help you get to that place where you enjoy the benefits more than you loathe the going.

I would also recommend paying a trainer as often as you can afford, at least initially, to teach you the correct way to do things as well as give you a partner until you can make some friends there.

I'm very sensetive to surroundings too, and I wouldn't go to the grungy gym either! It's a total demotivator when you need all the help you can get!

You CAN do it, SammieG. Think of it as a little luxury you deserve!

[SammieG]

thank you! They sent me a trial for a free day and i will go and see what I think.

I am a regular visitor to this place anyway (although not to the gym part!) as I get my hair done at the spa - and I know what sort of people are usually there, and they are a mixture..
However, I think I will go along and see when Theo is back at school after spring break!

[Esmerelda]

Sammie, I'm waddling too. Just let me know when we are going to get started. Make it soon.....you don't want me to continue waddling around here do you?

[Rosebud]

Gyms make money from committing people to a year's membership because they know a very large percentage of them won't keep going. For all the memberships they sell the gyms should not have any room in them, but they do because they keep convincing people to sign up for a year knowing that most of them won't keep coming back.

It is good that you want to do something to get in shape, but signing up for a gym membership isn't going to do it for you. The only thing that will do it is YOU. It does help to have a partner and they can keep you motivated for some time, but the true commitment must come from yourself.

I think you should do the walking thing or research for other places that have pay as you go things or short term things like jazzercize or water aerobics. Maybe you could put up a flyer to get some local people to join you in a walking group. To stay a little more motivated, don't just walk around the block, go walk some place interesting with nice views. For a quick walk, I go down near the river which is close by. Other days I go to different parks. Then on weekends I go a bit farther to the beach or something.

Exercising in a gym can get just as boring as walking, even if it is a nice gym - been there done that. And know too many people that have been there and done that.

The gyms will offer other specials - they do all the time, and maybe next time they do you will really be ready.

[pixi]

Sammi,
I have not done regular exercise in YEARS. I have videos, books, and a treadmill that is in FINE working order, but is collecting dust. Good intentions, all of them.
I finally talked my husband into "letting" me join Curves- and it's exactly what I needed. I need something that I am paying for, and that I have to GO to, to do. When I am at home, I have every intention when I wake up in the morning that TODAY I will exercise, but there is never the right time. Now, I get out of the house & DO IT.
So, my vote is for the beautiful gym. I think all you need is a good motivator.
I'm anxious to hear what you decided.

[Lady]

Sammie a friend and co-worker at work joined Curves and goes three times a week during her lunch hour at work - I have a membership that I won on the radio for one of our gyms in our neighborhood, it's nice - but due to being involved in the theatre for the past two months I've missed those two - the gym owners extended my membership for two months and I've already wasted a month since leaving the theatre project - thank you bunches - your post reminded me to get back to the gym and exercising.

My co-worker and I have both joined Weight Watchers - have just been on it a week and it is working for both of us - do they have WW over there? There's ooodles of support - meeting once a week and making some new friends too : ) I love it as you can eat anything you want - just in moderation according to your level.

I'd join the better gym - mentally anyone would want to go somewhere nicer than somewhere creepy. The other gym you describe gives me the creeps - please don't go there - I'd be afraid even of the people there - yikes : )

We're all here to support you in this - and you must come and talk with us everyday - we will keep you and each other going. We can all do this - each one of us.

Hugs Shell