Fat people going to the Gym
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As someone who puts on weight as soon as I look at food I know how it feels thinking abut going to a gym.
I joined weight watchers with some mates and lost 54lbs in 5 months just by eating right, the weight has pretty much stayed off (except over the hols!). I have a fairly active life with loads of walking etc so that was my exercise. I don't have masses of muscle as I'm not into weight lifting.
So if you want to lose some weight try one of the weight loss programs, even if you join, get the details and then do it yourself, the gym can come at a later stage when you feel more comfortable.
Good luck whatever you decide to do :hug2:
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Personally I wouldn't have any problem seeing someone fat in the gym. I would even be proud of them and willing to help if they asked.
And this is how it is most of the time, contrary to popular belief. Especially among guys, there is no bullying or something like that, there is in fact support and motivation. I think the worst you can get is people not paying attention to you at all, everyone minding their own business (which is actually what all people should do at the gym). Focus on yourself and what you have to do, don't get interrupted by others around you, and if you need help, just ask: gym-rats may seem intimidating sometimes but many of them are pretty nice people
Good luck, friend! And keep your head up no matter what! :laugh: :laugh:
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don't let your (ridiculous) fear of being ridiculed keep you from going where you think you should be.
if there really are some self-absorbed idiots in the gym who would even look at you cross for how ever you look, remember they are the idiots, not you.i had that same fear throughout my middle and high school and started going to the gym pretty much late, and i'm so sorry for all the time i've lost just cause of my inability to confront my fears.
now i don't have that body i could've had if i had started in my formative years.i think many of you telling the guy to avoid the gym are actually enabling his fear. you should confront it, and don't forget, you are soon going to look better and better, and your self-image will change also.
unfortunately, we are all aware that in the gay world, good body is almost a compulsory requirement.
not just for sex, even your social status depends on it.
so, just go with it, and never give up on self-improvement cause of a few mean glances from some nobodys. -
i think many of you telling the guy to avoid the gym are actually enabling his fear. you should confront it, and don't forget, you are soon going to look better and better, and your self-image will change also.
unfortunately, we are all aware that in the gay world, good body is almost a compulsory requirement.
not just for sex, even your social status depends on it.I think as long as a guy can walk up stairs without any issues, makes a conscious effort to eat healthy now and then. Still keeps active like jogging after work or bike riding etc, power walking etc. lol.
I don't think he needs to go a gym and become the next Mr. Olympia, not that there is anything wrong with that.
It's clear he's not comfortable going to a gym right now, so I'm not gonna force him to go.
Some people are big, some people are small, some people are both during different stages in their life. That's just the way it is.
I'm not saying people should be obese and underweight, no. I'm just saying people have different shapes and sizes.
Yeah in the gay community, physical attractiveness is key and advised, but you kinda just contradicted yourself.
You told him to ignore people that shame his body, yet at the same time said in order to be happy in the gay community, he needs to lose weight?
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Thank you all for your posts!
even though I will not be going to the gym after all, I have began a "40 minutes full body workout" video to which I only lasted 20 minutes or so. with time I will get better at this and perhaps start going to the gym.
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Good for you! We all have to begin somewhere and you're off to a good start with that kind of attitude.
The key is keeping yourself motivated. Consistency is so important. 10 minutes that you can keep doing regularly is more important and will help you more than forcing 40 minutes and then giving up after a week.
Once you feel up for it- visit the gym and try to see a trainer for some advice, even just for when you get started. -
u want to make balance betwen the eating and sporting
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When I first started working out I was super skinny and did sometimes feel inadequate working out next to big muscular guys. But as time went by I got into my routine and just didnt mind what other people were doing or how they look. And heres a secret: they dont either. Everyone is there to better themselves, no matter their current state of mind. Now when I see new beginners I root for them and I respect them for pushing themselves, because everyone started out that way, so everyone understands.
And I would advice you, especially as a gay man or whatever you are, to not let your insecurities and fears dictate the way you live your life. Dont hide away, get out there and face everything you fear, thats how I built my confidence and Im sure it will help you too. Go to the gym, do your best, dont mind other people because they dont mind you. And if you want to, ask them for advice. All guys Ive talked to at the gym, fit or not, are more than happy to share their tips. Have some faith in people. Especially gym rats. They may look fierce and determined during their workouts, but when you talk to them, theyre just like any other decent human beings
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Hi there,
what do you mean by well over weight?i am a bit over weight, and started with some minor changes in my daily routine: instead of using bus i switched to riding bike, and walking some routes. i avoid lifts and take stairs if possible and not too much storeys to take. and i traded some netflix time with a walk.
my diet contains less beef, and starchy carbs (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes) but more low-fat-chicken or turkey and vegetables.
oh, i also banned butter and sugar: i switched from coke to tap water and tea (earl grey; hot) . [no more caramel frappucinos]
after a month my weight started slowly to decrease. shape and stamina will come hopefully after a shitload of patience and disciplinei considered myself as too fat, i am on my way to a tolerable level, but there is still a way to go, please believe me, i can understand your fear.
oh and you feeling ashamed is just in your head, and trust me, the guy working out in front / beside you can not read what is happening in your head. your mind is not a open book where everyone can come and read as one pleases.
for a financial motivation, get a membership. you will use it, if you make yourself aware of the fact, that you have paid money for it.i personally would applaud him in my heart, for he started his first step to change himself. he is at least one step ahead on the journey to better himself than the other guy at home on a coutch with the remote and his netfix account; who deserves shame?
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Thank you for all your comments. I already mentioned in an earlier post that I had started working out at home about 3 weeks ago - a 40 minute workout for beginners. also, I did not mention it before but a big part of my fear as the communal showers at the gym. i'm ashamed of my naked body even more so. I also read that after a workout you are more likely to get an unwanted erection
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may i ask you an intimate question?
what is your progress on weight in the last 30 days?
and
would you tell me (and the community here) your complete nutrition? -
may i ask you an intimate question?
what is your progress on weight in the last 30 days?
and
would you tell me (and the community here) your complete nutrition?Unfortunately, I have lost only about 2 kg since I started working out. the reason for it is my nutrition
as for my nutrition, i am well aware that i do not eat healthy and since working out i haven't change my nutrition
while i do not eat as much as i want during the day (i am taking into consideration how much i eat) i do however eat snacks and such
also i do not know how to build for myself a nutrition plan that will not cause me to starve.
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well, my opinion: healthy eating is a myth ^^
but seriously:Â you can start by counting how much sugar and fat you consume daily, by eating and drinking. look for these nutrition facts table on the packaging. just keep counting.
if you have collected data for say one week, try to change one or two things to eat next week, but with less sugar/fat. sounds confusing, but, if you look for alternatives and/or substitutes, this may be possible. (and keep collecting data, there might be a pattern to it.)
look at this one as a long term experiment. -
I think you should definitely go.
We tend to be extremely insecure and uncomfortable when in situations like yours, but there are a couple things you should consider:- People usually don't pay too much attention to others. Being at the gym means normally just focusing on your own routine, there's not too much time to watch what other people are doing. Actually, this is a newcomers'' habit, which tends to fade as there's some more iron to pull.
-Â If, I say IF someone'd look and point an imaginary finger, what would they expect? You are there trying to get rid of your problem, if there's somewhere you should be, it's there! So the stupid one in this situation is this 'imaginary' person - This is the most important: It's excellent that you are exercising, but if you really want to lose weight, diet takes the biggest role. Both for best results.
- People usually don't pay too much attention to others. Being at the gym means normally just focusing on your own routine, there's not too much time to watch what other people are doing. Actually, this is a newcomers'' habit, which tends to fade as there's some more iron to pull.
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Gym is a place for everyone willing to work on their body. Of course there might be jerks that will make fun of folk that's not in shape but I never noticed it and I don't recall anyone telling me they saw someone being laughed at in the gym while normally working out. Don't feel ashamed of your body and let yourself down man, have courage and motivation to work on it to the results you want to see.
Also, I'd recommend you going on cardio much more as lifting would increase your muscles and not burn much fat which will result in you looking even bigger than you were when you started and that might get you down to quit.
All the best!
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Just remember you're not the only one there with self body issues. You'd probably find that the vast majority of people at the gym have or have had their own body confidence issues, that's why they're there, whether that be they were bullied at school for being fat/skinny/lanky/short or as they've got older they've noticed a belly forming or their other half losing interest.
Some of them may have got over it and just got into going to the gym so still do, but they'll remember and won't judge you. They'd probably applaud you for doing something about it.
For the record I'm now 70kg down from around 160 at my peak. It's as much about diet as it is about exercise, you might find that changing your diet kick starts you on your weight loss which gives you more confidence about going to the gym which is the way I did it. The best thing I found to help change my diet was using a food/calorie tracking app… use it religiously and enter everything you eat, I started weighing everything so that I could record it accurately just the process of thinking so much about the food that you're eating and understanding the nutritional value of it all works wonders. Many of the apps also give you meal ideas or diet plans to follow and can track and plan exercise sessions, the one I used was lifesum, but there are several others.
The only slightly embarrassing moment I've had was while changing, a child in the changing room noticed me and was saying to his dad "Dad, Dad, look, that man's got boobs", to be honest the dad sounded more embarrassed than me while he's trying to shut the kid up.
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I lost two-three kilograms by just avoiding frozen pizzas, and a little less chocolate and having a better look at the size of the portions since the New Year. It wouldn't even consider it a diet.
Also watch what you drink. No coke or lemonade, drink water more often.
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@kekkaishi: hi
woh is it going on? any progress on that workout issue and going to the gym?
and do you consider becoming a rabbit? -
The easiest way to lose weight is "not to go on a diet". I know this sounds really counter-intuitive, it's not that you won't be restricting what you eat, but you shouldn't try to lose weight by not eating enough. From experience, there's no reason to and diets are more difficult than they need to be.
Use a calorie calculator such as http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html
Put your age/height/weight in and pick Sedentary - little to no exercise
Check the number for "You need XXXX Calories/day to maintain your weight."Now, cut down any on sources of extremely unhealthy foods, mainly refined sugar and alcohol. You can still drink here and there but try to stick to light beer and keep it minimal.
But the plan is to eat the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight, for a sedentary life style.
Then add exercise, preferably daily, but alternating routines daily. The idea here is to do what you can and like to do.
As an example: do a body weight/strength training routine mon/wens/fri (avoid legs) and ride an exercise bike or go for an hour walk sun/tues/thurs/sat. It shouldn't be a hardcore routine, something basic that you enjoy doing. Avoid long ab routines as they are not very effective at burning calories. If you want to develop your abs, that's fine, but it's not really a "work out."
There's a whole bunch of weight loss routines available for free on Youtube. Just type "XX minute workout"
As you lose weight, reduce calories as per the calculator.
Pros:
If you decide not to work out, you shouldn't gain weight. So, if you don't feel good for a week and don't workout, just don't eat more.If you decide to eat a bit more, try not to get into the habit, but exercise a bit more to cover the extra calories.
It's really easy, you shouldn't feel like it's hard at all. It may be less than you are used to eating, but you shouldn't get that "worn out" feeling.
It's much harder to regain the weight because now you have to break two separate healthy habits.
If you get motivated, you can lose weight by eating a little bit less, or working out a bit harder, it's really flexible.
Cons:
It can be slow. But if you know anything about weight loss, any time it's fast, usually you gain it back just as fast, or it's mainly water weight.You have to count calories and you should try to avoid eating foods where you can't really figure out how many calories you are consuming.
This kind of sucks around the holidays.If it's going too slow you may have to cut calories down a bit more, so you need to weight yourself daily and track the results.
Note: This is basically what body builders do to cut fat, granted they probably eat a bit more since they usually work out a lot and their diet will be really specific.
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Thank you all for your interest and replies.
my current status is this:
1. I have been working out almost daily for a little more than a month. no change in diet - that was until 3 weeks ago
2. Three weeks ago while exercising, I had injured my knee - an old injury from about 4 years ago not fully healed. - recommended surgery for normal functionality of the knee
3. Due to the injury I stopped my daily exercise completely - need to make an appointment with the doctor on that matter
4. I hope to resume training in the near future while I'm still motivated to do so.and THANK YOU - RAWR for your most informative comment and the link attached.
