I know this isn't what you're asking, but as someone who lost 25 kilos in a year, I can tell you this: gyms didn't work for me. They don't work for a lot of people. The atmosphere can be awkward and uncomfortable if you're in any way shy or body-conscious and not only do you have to motivate yourself to excercise, you have to motivate yourself to actually GET there. I've known countless people who've joined up and then found themselves stuck in expensive contracts long after they've decided that gyms aren't for them.
What worked for me was just walking, briskly, roughly 6 kilometers (approx an hour's worth) every day. It's good, natural cardio and from the moment you step out the door to the moment you arrive home, not a second of workout time is wasted.
Rather than spending fifteen minutes getting to a gym, half an hour of excercise interspersed with waiting for your turn on sweaty machines, and fifteen minutes getting back home to wind up with LESS excercise than you'd get wandering about in the great outdoors for that time, you can walk anywhere, anytime, and it's absolutely free. These days I include my walk in my daily routine by walking home from work (from Taringa to Kenmore). It costs nothing, saves me public transport money and I feel great. The same trip by bus in afternoon traffic takes almost half an hour anyway!
That's my 2c, hope it helps. I'd hate to see another person put off the overall idea of fitness just because of the limited and expensive nature of gyms. Save your money and buy an iPod to take on your walks instead.
(Gym fans, forgive me - I know it's totes awesome for some of you, I've just found it's not for everyone!)
was that with healthy diet too I assume? Im lookin to lose 15-20kg.
Im one of those people that has to spend $700 to get out of my gym contract, and yet Iv been once :( mainly because it's inconvenient with where it is, I get home too late already and mostly I get too self conscious.
Yeah, healthy diet too. Nothing extreme (especially none of that no-carbs BS - you'll lose weight fast but put it all back on again just as quickly!)
Just cutting out stuff like soft drinks and juice, little to no chocolate, and so on. I was still able to have takeout now and then (smaller serves, like getting a Happy Meal at Maccas instead of a Big Mac meal) and I didn't have to eat any differently than anyone else for the other meals of the day. It's mostly just commonsense + persistance, as a healthy diet works slowly.
Oh, and I found that snacking on healthy little things during the day - apples, unsalted nuts, etc - really helped, rather than having three BIG meals per day.
Not all people wanting to join a gym want to do so because for weight loss reasons. Walking worked for you to achieve what you wanted and that's great, but it only puts a rather limited number of your bodies muscles to use. I personally think a large part of the appeal of a gym is the fact there is a variety of specialist equpipment all in one place that can be used to stimulate a large portion of your body in various ways.
Sure did! I couldn't decide so I bought three in different colours. :D
Yeah, gotcha re the gym - my only goals were weight loss and overall fitness, I wasn't looking to build any particular muscle groups. But I can see how it'd be useful to someone looking to do that! Thought I'd toss my 2c out there just in case the OP was just after weightloss, in which case I'd hate to see her do what more than one of my friends has done and waste hundreds by signing up to something that mightn't be right for her! :)
fair schwanky *nodnod* i can appreciate where you're coming from. i just feel it's a bit depressing that so often it's practically *implied* that that the only motivator for exercising ever is weight loss. hehe!
jelaous, i only have two different colours. hehe.
^_______^ hope to see you bouncing around someday bunny twin.
What worked for me was just walking, briskly, roughly 6 kilometers (approx an hour's worth) every day. It's good, natural cardio and from the moment you step out the door to the moment you arrive home, not a second of workout time is wasted.
Rather than spending fifteen minutes getting to a gym, half an hour of excercise interspersed with waiting for your turn on sweaty machines, and fifteen minutes getting back home to wind up with LESS excercise than you'd get wandering about in the great outdoors for that time, you can walk anywhere, anytime, and it's absolutely free. These days I include my walk in my daily routine by walking home from work (from Taringa to Kenmore). It costs nothing, saves me public transport money and I feel great. The same trip by bus in afternoon traffic takes almost half an hour anyway!
That's my 2c, hope it helps. I'd hate to see another person put off the overall idea of fitness just because of the limited and expensive nature of gyms. Save your money and buy an iPod to take on your walks instead.
(Gym fans, forgive me - I know it's totes awesome for some of you, I've just found it's not for everyone!)
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Im one of those people that has to spend $700 to get out of my gym contract, and yet Iv been once :(
mainly because it's inconvenient with where it is, I get home too late already and mostly I get too self conscious.
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Just cutting out stuff like soft drinks and juice, little to no chocolate, and so on. I was still able to have takeout now and then (smaller serves, like getting a Happy Meal at Maccas instead of a Big Mac meal) and I didn't have to eat any differently than anyone else for the other meals of the day. It's mostly just commonsense + persistance, as a healthy diet works slowly.
Oh, and I found that snacking on healthy little things during the day - apples, unsalted nuts, etc - really helped, rather than having three BIG meals per day.
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wah choccie :( i haz a sweet tooth!
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i put a lot back on when i went overseas, but now i'm slooooowly working it back off by walking to and from uni five days a week.
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Walking worked for you to achieve what you wanted and that's great, but it only puts a rather limited number of your bodies muscles to use. I personally think a large part of the appeal of a gym is the fact there is a variety of specialist equpipment all in one place that can be used to stimulate a large portion of your body in various ways.
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did you find that bunbun hood on ebay town? ^__^
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Yeah, gotcha re the gym - my only goals were weight loss and overall fitness, I wasn't looking to build any particular muscle groups. But I can see how it'd be useful to someone looking to do that! Thought I'd toss my 2c out there just in case the OP was just after weightloss, in which case I'd hate to see her do what more than one of my friends has done and waste hundreds by signing up to something that mightn't be right for her! :)
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i can appreciate where you're coming from.
i just feel it's a bit depressing that so often it's practically *implied* that that the only motivator for exercising ever is weight loss. hehe!
jelaous, i only have two different colours. hehe.
^_______^ hope to see you bouncing around someday bunny twin.
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