I finally want to eat healthy and get in shape. Gym questions.

[DELETDrileydaniels]

goodlife is about $60 a month. they take the payment out your account bi-weekly. and they suck you in a 1 year contract with $99 cancellation fee.

I was going to the gym 3 times in 21 days and the annoying thing is some of their locations will call you and ask you how come you have come in and almost put you on a guilt trip. so I am like fuck that I will just create my own home gym. so I have been doing beach body workouts - insanity, eventually p90x and les mills pump and bodybeast. when I did the math for the long term setting up a home gym in my tiny apartment is more beneficially and I won't get annoying phone calls asking me why I haven't come in to the gym,

working out at home can be great because of the great apps and websites out there sparkpeople, bodybuilding.com and myfitnesspal.

and also this weekend there is a body building expo going on at the metro convention centre.

 

[Youngbuc]

It all depends on your situation, but personally I do p90x and insanity because you need very little equipment and I can do it any time in the my own home, so I maximize my time I would reccommend p90x for starters, it's much easier than insanity

 

[wetnose]

As an alternative, look into YMCA. Free classes, use of pool and about $50 a month. Don't think there's a termination penalty. Their locations may work better for you.

 

[xo888]

I agree with Pum-Pum Stabba. Diet is 70%. Also, hiring a good personal trainer is the quickest way to get results. I hired a good trainer and I lost about 30 pounds in 2 months. His rate is only $45/hr and he has 10yrs of exp. He trains you at LA fitness (huge gyms) and he gets you in for free (legal). If you need his contact, PM me.

 

[NHFL]

If you're doing general fitness and diet tips, having lost 85 lbs in about 8 months, here are some tips:

1) Start off slow
2) Don't expect much
3) Radically change your diet
4) Give yourself permission to fuck-up and slip, but don't compromise yourself.
5) Celebrate your triumphs, like having to go buy new clothes every month
6) Balance "sticking with it" and making changes to "keep at it".

The last point is very important IMHO. If you don't like what you are doing, you won't stick with it for long. However, you need to give what you are donig a chance to work and see if you like it. Listen to yourself though... if you really don't like what you are doing after a few months, switch. As the posts above suggest there are SO MANY options to losing weight, diet and exercise. In fact, one could argue that switching things up every few months is a good idea for weight loss in and of itself.

 

[LKD]

p90x in your basement.. check out the youtube videos Gym is nice but really its at home where I can look like shit, make the wierdest faces and push myself to the point I'm lying down on the floor and not worry about who is watching or making myself look good. Not to forget, I can workout anytime I want and it won't take me an hour or so to get ready and get to teh gym.. 5 mins and I'm working out in my basement ^^

 

[bruin100]

Join a big gym, goodlife or LA fitness are the only ones left. Take as many group fitness classes as you can spinning weights yoga or anything else you may like. Get to know all the hot girls in the classes. Try and bang as many as you can. Not only will you get in great shape but the money you save on your hobby budget will more than pay for your gym membership.

 

[t.o.leafs.fan]

I had a membership for the longest time and used it 4 to 5 times a week. I gave it up many years ago to save money thinking i'd just do at home workouts. After about 3 yrs. of inactivity I rejoined the gym a couple of years ago and haven't looked back. I'm just not one to work and then go home and work out...more like go home and sit on the couch. Goodlife's great for me. Good group classes and many beautiful ladies make the workouts fly by. I do travel fairly often so I'm able to workout virtually wherever I am.

 

[peeler_feeler]

Some good reading material here: http://www.nerdfitness.com and

here http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2UvFISeZD (This is about primal lifestyle, not only about diet and exercise, but sleep, socialize, etc, total lifestyle)

 

[trod]

Start running.

 

[AllisonElm]

Look into having a personal trainer come to your home. It's often the same price as working out with them at the gym.

 

[Ridgeman08]

In a nutshell...

The main point to achieving better health is making the commitment that it's a forever lifestyle change.

Once you can do this and stay in the zone then your good to go.

Its all encompassing... in everything you do. Diet and exercise are obvious key areas, but encompasses everything you do. e.g. Instead of taking the closest parking spot where ever you go, take the furthest... its only a few extra steps. Instead of taking an elevator, take the stairs. A quick snack? Fresh fruit... Eliminate everything processed. (Or as much as possible...)

Don't change your diet, don't change your habits, CHANGE YOUR LIFE! :thumb:

 

[David007]

A great way to get motivated is to sign up for a competitive event, say 4-6 months out. A 5 or 10k race is a great start, then find a training program for that event. Alternatively, if you want to increase strength, sign up for a powerlifting meet, and follow a program (e.g. Pavel 5x5, Westside, or Wendler 5-3-1) with progressive overload. Just don't do both at the same time!

 

[Richard.TO]

Discipline is a key to fitness - from a dietary as well as physical. If you have the discipline you don't need a gym. I have been athletic all my life but lack discipline unless its a team sport or with a partner (tennis, squash, riding etc). If you lack discipline a personal trainer would be the route to go. I work out at the U of T Athletic Centre which has great facilities (customer service sucks and is non existent) they have community memberships also at a reasonable rate. I agree with the OP post that it has to be convenient for you.

 

[Hyena]

Thank-you all for all your advice and support. You are all right. It has to be a lifestyle change or it won't work.

 

[fgeorge75]

C25K is awesome. I also found it helped to use a front foot strike when running so that I didn't screw up my ankles and knees.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/running-christopher-mcdougall.html

Never ran in my life before last year and inside of 7 weeks I was running 10km no problem.