"Hey...
I'm 21 years old, 5'8, 215 lbs trying to get down to about 160. I've pretty much been overweight for the past 10 years, making my social awkwardness even worse. I know I need access to exercise equipment, but I've always had this fear of going to the gym since I think it would be pretty embarrassing to be working out in the same room with people who are already in great shape; I can barely run half a mile without having to rest. On top of that, the possibility of running into someone I know makes me extremely nervous. I do have access to a stationary bike and some dumbbells at home but the equipment at a gym would be much better."

_________________
Millbrae Boot Camp

Hello There!, don't be shy to go to the gym your main purpose is to lose weight and is to be healthy, they won't laugh at you if you have that kind of condition they would love to help guys out cause i know some of my friends was over weight before and became buff and helped a lot of members on the gym too!, if so then don't mind them just continue what you are doing and also descipline your self from eating too much oily or junk food!..






-TheNaturalPlayboy

_________________
Sometimes when i'm with my chick on the low, I'm a flirt.

I got a gym membership but I ended up almost never going.

I ride a bike or go walking or running for cardio. If you have to go to store close by walk don't drive. Bike riding can be fun, I got a mountain bike and go on bike trails in the forest.

As for strength training which is where your gonna lose most of your fat. I did that with dumbells at home. You can do bodywieght excerises like push ups and sit ups and squats. Also you can do alot of workouts with dumbells.

I would say the cardio equipment at gyms are a waste since you can walk run ride a bike outside. As for wieght I am not saying a gym is a bad thing. But maybe you should get started at home untill you need more wieghts.

However PUA is all about socializing and going to a gym is more social than hiding inside your house.

I'm in pretty decent shape already but I bought a gym membership the other day to try and tone up a bit before I head back to uni and I've been going fairly religiously.
There's a lot of guys there who are in incredible shape and they can be pretty intimidating, but once you get to know them they're great people, normal guys y'know..

There's a few fairly overweight guys that come in to shed a few pounds and I respect them so much for putting in the effort and wanting to make an improvement, and so does everyone else. No one is going to make fun of you and everyone will probably be more than willing to help. Everyone had to start somewhere, and so do you.

I wouldn't be too concerned with others at the gym who are in better shape than yourself, if anything I'd try to use it as motivation - but seriously there's no need to worry about them.

As for me I started going to gym in Jan 2009, weighed 195lbs, and could barely run on the treadmill for a lengthy time. By Jan 2010 I had lost 40lbs and by the end of that year hit my goal of 140lbs. Now I do more intermediate/advanced forms of cardio and strength training - and the confidence with the ladies is at an all time high.

A note on cardio: instead of starting with the treadmill I began with an elliptical cross-trainer to lose weight. And eating healthier will be a great benefit in losing weight.

_________________
The set is my canvas, the lamps are my brushes, and the light is my paint ...

Conway,

Reading your post made me think of someone, me. When I was your age (God, I never thought I would say that lol), I weighed 220 with a 41 waist. I'm 5'8. Today, at 33 I am 170lbs and I wear a size 33 waist. I still have a gut, but it is manageable. And I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am happier in my 30's than I was in my 20's. I managed to keep the weight off by running on the treadmill and working out at least 4-5 days a week. It is necessary for me to do this, because I also have ADD which makes me impulsive, and I have a huge impulse to eat sugar. With a family history of diabetes, it is workout or die. The choice is simple.

Going to a gym will be beneficial to you for a number of ways. One, being in a room full of people working out, will put pressure on you to work hard. You'll be kept motivated. You'll be able to run that extra mile or lift that one more set. It is too easy to give up when you're working out alone. You need that social pressure.

For you at your weight, it is better for you to run on a treadmill than on the road, because you burn more calories on a treadmill. A treadmill will force you to run longer and faster. Don't worry if you can't complete a 1/2 mile. For the first two weeks run as long and as fast as you can. Then start setting goals, like completing a 1/2 mile. Before you know it, you'll be shooting for a mile and then 2 miles. Start with small goals and then work your way up. This will teach you to be patient.

As you drop the weight you will develop confidence. If you can drop 5 pounds, then you'll feel good about yourself. That will boost your confidence in approaching girls.

If you want to, sign up with a local YMCA. Most of their members tend to be old people, so it will be less intimidating.

In my opinion gym is better to do exercise than at home because in gym
you can also get help of trainer
you can get help from other senior gym fellows
it would be easy for you to make regularity.

_________________
Personal training Prahran

Yes

Get the membership. Go regularly, consistently, all the time till it becomes a habit. Don't even worry about doing crazy ass long workouts that will destroy you. Just go there and walk on a treadmill. No, walking on a treadmill forever is not the greatest workout, but the point is to make going to the gym a habit, your norm. So go easy and be consistent till you're ready to do any punishing routines. Seen too many new people that join, lift hard and quit within a week. At 215 5'8", I am betting a 500 calorie deficit from your maintinance and just walking will drop weight very well.

If you are scared, you need to stop thinking about it. This is not dangerous stuff that you need to fear and in fact can only end well for you...most likely. There are decisions you'll have to make on matters that you know damn well are good for you, but they just scare you. Don't even think about it, just do it. Get your workout shit, get in the car, get to the gym, get out of the car and go in......all while in a state of trance. Now that the greeter has seen you walk in, you're screwed...you're going to have to work out.

Don't be like, time to work out and than you start rationalizing failure and excuses like...but all the other kids will laugh at me and I'll look stupid because obviously everyone has nothing better to do than pay attention to me. The other kids are not kids and they won't laugh at you if they notice you at all. When I see a fat out of shape newbie, all I think is...man, I hope he doesn't grab the same bench, machine or whatever that I want to make use of (I think this for all other members too). In case you didn't realize, many of the in shape people there use to be fat out of shape newbies.

Going to the gym has:

Improved my confidence
Improved my inner game
Improved my health
Improved my social value
Improved my life.


It's not all you should be about, and I would probably recommend not discussing it too much with people, let people ask you about it. I prefer to not be boxed into a health freak box, just let the confidence resonate, people can sense it.

Good addition...

_________________
Personal training Prahran

You must eat less calories than you burn. And the best way to go about creating this you must do diet and exercise. Keep a food journal and track your weight loss progress. The best way to reduce your weight when going to the gym is to form a regular routine.

Yes, definitely. Looks, social status, weath, fame, etc are all very important in women's eyes. If you have the chance to improve any of these, do it!

Don't give a shit about what other ppl think you are in the gym for a goal.

Also if you want to hook up a HB9, you have to improve yourself to her level, getting in shape is one of the areas where you can improve.

p90x

_________________

A gym is definitely better at giving you the necessary discipline.
On the other hand, body weight exercises can go a long way for your level of fitness.

One thing I would like to point out is the diet. A lot of people can give you good advice about what to eat, the right macros and all that, but without resolving emotional problems with eating, it won't be long before you put weight back on. I'm speaking from experience. I've been really overweight, on the verge of obesity for at least seven years. I lost about 60 pounds since then (in about a 18 months) and now I have a four-pack that is really close into becoming a six-pack (and I'm a woman so it's even harder to get a six-pack). The first 45 pounds I lost pretty effortlessly with a simple approach:
Exercise: just walking every day for about an hour. Walking is really underrated, it's still the only form of cardio I do, because I like it, I hate jogging or running. I just put my headphones and briskly walk when I feel like it.
Diet: Eat when I'm hungry, eat what I want, eat slowly and stop when I'm full.
This way of eating allowed me not to feel deprived and actually it's not even a diet since you can eat what you want and when you're hungry. But the point is to recognize emotional hunger which comes suddenly, from real hunger which kinda comes slowly and not stuff your face because you know you can eat what you want when you're hungry again later.

Do not focus on results at first. The weight will just fall off of you, trust me, and it will feel effortless. So many overweight people go into weightloss head first and just go into an extreme diet and exercise plan, setting them selves up for failure without even knowing it. Discipline is great, but can never beat emotions long-term, so sort those out first! You already know junk food is not good for you, you know which foods are good, but without sorting out emotional eating it won't matter long-term.

If you're interested in knowing more about this, find Paul Mc'Kenna can make you thin program. He has 70% success rate (getting lean and staying lean 5 years or more) which is amazing when you consider traditional dieting has 5% success rate.

Good luck man, I really wish you success because the self confidence and fashion options when you're thin are just amazing! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

_________________
rAFC and yes, I'm a chick.

I have bursts of being a lady, but it doesn't last long.