I go to an all female gym but i have done curves before which is circuit training which is great exercise cuz it keeps ur heartrate up so you stay in target for effective weight loss eventually you might want to consider to get some kind of weight training in as well to help with toning and avoiding as much excess skin as poss. But curves is great and effective and its better than not going at all tho so you do what you are comfortable with. HTH

HUGS!!
Tracy :)

i know just how you feel, but at the same time i got my butt in there and just walked in the begining until i felt more comfortable then i started floating around the gym . i figured if i don't do this now it won't ever get done. i'ts a trip because i just start working out real hard and a lot of people were complimenting me on doing a great job! and keep up the good work! so actually it may be better than what it seems. theres always an a** or two but that's everywhere you go. only do the best you can do and you will be fine. good luck on whatever you choose!

I started to go to LA fitness and felt alittle intimidated before I got in the door. Once I was in there I concentrated on my goals and why I was there. I actually had many people comment how they admired how hard I worked out, and actually asked the "fat" girl for work out advise..go figure! Throw some music in your ears and go girl you'll be fine!! I also found going at night was when it was more of a meat market...but if I didn't go earlier in the day I would still walk in there..I personally don't care for curves, but everyone has different ways of working out. You willl feel so great once you start!! Best wishes!!

I think Curves is great. I haven't signed up yet but plan to in the fall...its too nice outside to not be out bike riding and walking. The other option you may have is your hospitals wellness center. Both my local hospital and my surgery hospital have a nice wellness center where the people are either bariatric patients or are older people recovering from something. Its a pretty non-threatening environment. If you have a wellness center at your hospital, you should check it out. I agree about regular gyms and never felt like I had the "right" to be there. We looked at 1 gym that had mirrors in all possible places and I thought "NOOOOOOOOO WAY do I want to watch myself in the mirror at my worst".

Good luck!
Jenn

Gym is the only option for me. I live on the gulf side of Florida and its a thousand degrees out everyday. I personally am comfortable in the gym. I belong to Ballys and its definately a meatmarket, but the men are too busy looking at themselves in the mirror to notice anything else around them. I did join curves years ago, but I was quite a bit thinner and in pretty good shape, so to be honest, it wasnt enough for me. But now, if I didnt have a gym membership, i would definately consider going back. I think its a great way to get started.

I had surgery 8/2004 and joined Curves 10/2004. I went 6 days a week for over a year, then scaled back to 4-5 days a week for almost another year. I LOVED IT. No men, women of ALL shapes and sizes, and every one of them supportive of each other no matter why you were there!
Curves is as effective as YOU make it be. YOU are the resistance in the machines. There are no "weights" on them, they are "hydraulic", so the effort you put in to the machines, is what you will get back.

In the 1st year, I went from 225 to 140, size 20 to size 6. I haven't been since 2006 because I have my own equipment now, but I am now 131 lbs, size 4 and I owe it to Curves for getting me started! :)

I go to the YMCA. I like it and it is definitely not a meat market. All shapes and sizes and ages. I put on my music and fade everything else out. I've come to realize that everyone else pretty much does the same and no one is really paying attention to what you are doing.