Thinking of joining the gym, need to get fit and lose weight!

Hi all,

I've recently become a bit fed up with my weight and fitness level. When your 73 year old grandfather is much fitter than you, that's when you now it's bad!

The only excercise I do is walking the dogs and a spot of agility, but it's not enough to get my fitness levels up and enough weight lost. I don't really fancy swimming as it would muck up my hair colour and I'm a bit funny about pools! I really need the weight off my bum and stomach!

I have very little willpower when it comes to eating, and I have a very sweet tooth. I could eat chocolate biscuits and anything covered in chocolate till I was blue in the face, or should I say brown?!

It doesn't help matters that in work there's always stuff doing the rounds - cakes, sweets, chocolates etc and because it can get very boring, I eat through boredom! A lot of the girls in work feel the same! It's an office job aswell so although we work hard, we're sitting at a desk all day, which also doesn't help!

The bottom line is, I need to lose a bit of weight, about a stone and get fit in the process, so I'm thinking of joining a gym to do some cardiovascular training whilst trying not to kill myself in the process!

Does anyone here go to the gym regularly or has recently started going?

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Oh no. You don't look too big.

You won't believe this but I once managed to lose 5 stone and it hasn't all gone back on.

I know I'd never keep going to the gym but I did try swimming. At one time Rosemary Connelly suggested a slim and swim diet A low fat, eat mountains of fruit and veg. and extra exercise regime worked for me but everyone is different.

Other tips: use a slightly smaller plate,don't eat in the evening, keep a note of everything you eat in the day, if you do blow it, don't worry just keep going and give it time. Its like dog training as long as you stick with it you do get there eventually. You hit stages where the weight seems to stick and it feels hopeless but keep at it. Quick crash diets don't retrain your eating habits so the weight goes back on.

Good luck. Though I think you look fine as you are

Thanks very much for the tips and advice, Janice, I will take them all on board.

I can't believe you ever had to lose 5 stones! You would never know it. Well done though.

I'm not massive, but I do carry a bit of extra weight around my stomach and thighs which I dislike and I'm finding it diffult to get clothes that actually fit properly! Which is really beginning to annoy me.

The main thing is getting fitter and losing around a stone, or thereabouts, I'll just have to try and be strong! It won't be easy.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be stick thin, or straight up and down, not at all. I like curves and I want to keep mine! I just know I need to lose a bit of weight and get fitter.