Verdict: Planet Fitness is Awesome

I never thought I would be saying that about a gym. Never. Really, how could any gym possibly qualify as awesome? Hear me out.

First of all, I touched on this before, but it really is a "no critics" kind of place. There were people working out across a large age span - from college students to seniors. There was also a large size span present; I wasn't the only obese person there (which has happened before when I've tried out other gyms). There were a few people around my size and larger ranging to all the way down to a size 0.

There isn't a lack of machines either; there are rows and rows equipment. Even though I arrived at 5:30 on a weekday, I didn't have to wait for a single machine.

Furthermore, it isn't all about fitness. My black card membership (only $20 a month) gives me unlimited access to tanning and massage chairs as well. When I finished my workout I had planned to go tanning, but I had another 30 minute wait - so I decided to kill some time in the massage chair.  Ahhhh... back massage, how nice. Don't start yelling at me for tanning either. It's not like I get any sun this time of year, and my vitamin D levels are almost nil. The benefits of the nice, warm, cozy, relaxing tanning bed actually outweigh the risks for me. I will continue to bask in the glow.

The reason why I usually choose to exercise for short lengths of time is because my back gets sore quite quickly. After those few minutes in the massage chair, my back was ready for more! I ended up "killing" my remaining time by doing another 23 minutes on the treadmill - which ended up being .90 of a mile. That distance is already a big deal to me on its own, but it was after I had already done 25 minutes on the bikes (around 8.5 miles) and 8 minutes on the treadmill (around .40 of a mile). So ya, big deal to me.

This was only my third workout there. There is so much untapped potential at Planet Fitness, and I'm actually kind of excited for the future possibilities. Any other Planet Fitness patrons out there? What is your favorite part about going there? To all gym dwellers: what is your favorite exercise at the gym? I love the bikes because of the lack of stress to my back. 

Schweddy Me - Update

I went back to the gym today (yay motivation) and did 20 minutes on the bike and 10 minutes on the treadmill. I've heard that for fat burn you should keep your heart rate around 65% of "max capacity" - which for me means around 125-130 BPM. This translates to the lowest bike level and about 2.7 MPH on the treadmill. Wow, it doesn't take much for me does it? Though it will be nice to see how that changes (slowly) as my body gets more fit.

My feet only went mildly numb today. Yesterday, I could barely feel my toes on the bike. On the treadmill, my knees did not go numb, but after 10 minutes my hips and back did start to get sore. I think the combo workout works best, rather than being on the same machine for the entire time. 

Something I want to get into, but don't know where to start, is weight training. At Planet Fitness members can set up a meeting with the personal trainer (no charge) and work together to find what is right for them. I think I'm going to do this, but not right at the moment. For now, I'm going to try to get used to the cardio machines before moving on. 

Altogether, I feel really good at the end of my workouts. I'm not pushing myself too hard like I used to do in the past. Instead of going too hard and being really sore the next day (and then not having the motivation to go): I'm taking it slowly and letting my body tell me  what's right and wrong. Sure, I feel weird being the "last one in and the first one out" in relation to the other patrons around, but its right for me. I need to stop judging myself at the gym.

Also, here's a shout out to the chicks at  3fc who helped me with my motivation. Thanks!

Schweddy Me

Schweddy, Schweddy, Schweddy - so much more fun than sweaty.

So, you'll find a new addition to the blog above: a weight loss ticker! I love tickers. I've always thought they were a nice way to display progress. So, now you can see that I had a nice whoosh of weight loss this week. I'm now at 24 lbs lost. Woot!

In other news, after having a membership for two months - I finally went to the gym. Schoolwork along with being ill has caused me stay at home in the past, but today I got off my rear and got out there. I'm sure my bestie was happy I finally showed up too (she works there, and I know she was checking up on me).

So, as any large person can usually attest to - going to the gym can produce a bit of anxiety. Does anyone else think it ironic that some people judge overweight people in a gym? Come on, its not like I'm sitting in Stone's Homemade Candy  (local sweet shop) ordering half the store! I'm there to work out!

However, rant aside, I didn't actually see any of that today. Planet Fitness' entire advertising campaign is all about "no judgment" - and whether by luck or on purpose, I can say that held pretty true.

I decided that I would shoot for a 30 minute workout; I thought that it would be a good length for a beginner. My exercise of choice today was mainly the exercise bikes (they have two different types). They worked out pretty well because I didn't have to put any stress on my back.  I "rode" 8 miles over the 25 minute period on the first level. I finished out the last 5 minutes walking on the treadmill. I, indeed, was pretty schweddy at the end.

The concerning thing was that while on the bikes, my feet went numb. I thought it may have been because of my new sneakers. However, when I was on the treadmill, my left knee went numb. This makes me think the feet issue wasn't because of the shoes. I'm not sure what it means, but if it happens the next time I work out I'll bring it up with my doctor.



There are some things that annoy me about Planet Fitness though. For example, you can't wear "head wear" other than baseball hats. Really? All those grannies out there have to leave the sweat band at home? Tsk, tsk, Planet Fitness. I wasn't happy leaving my crocheted hat at home. It meant that I actually had to do my hair to go to the gym. Blech.

I wasn't too thrilled about having to get my picture taken either. Don't get me wrong - I'm not usually running away from the camera, but who really wants a picture taken at the gym? Well, at least they're not a gym that makes you have a membership card with the picture on it. The bestie says the picture was good, but she's a friend AND an employee so its not like she could say any different anyway. XD

5% Weight Loss!

Things are picking up right where I left off, as hoped! I am proud to announce I have lost 5% of my body weight. Why is this number so important, you wonder? This is the threshold that I am required to lose before surgery!

In fact, I've actually lost some extra weight beyond that 5%! I have lost 20 pounds in total.  Actually, I have technically "lost" around 30 pounds, but I had a minor setback where I gained some weight back, and had to re-lose it. Meh, it happens, but I didn't let it discourage me. I am super excited to have that hurdle behind me again. Of course, I will still be trying to lose more between now and the mysterious surgery date, but at the very least, I only have to maintain my loss.

I've been doing much better by completely eliminating fast food from my diet. You would be surprised (or not) how much that makes a difference. Normally, most people can live by the "moderation" rule when it comes to fast food. However, I find having even a small amount of it makes me crave more. Seriously, it's like I'm a fast food vampire - the craving builds unless I avoid it altogether.

Plus, since we've been financially struggling - its not like we could afford to buy junk food even if we wanted it! Positives in every situation, right?