Who uses the gym??

Wow..that was alot to take in but thank you very much!  I can't wait to get started now.

I was using the gym before surgery and as soon I was cleared after surgery I was right back in there.  I work out 5 days a week for an hour.  I've noticed that no one pays attention to what I'm doing and everyone else is just in their own zone with themselves.  I'm becoming less shy.  I do cardio every other day and then strength training the days I don't do cardio.  I also take a Zumba class once every week.  I would ask one of the trainers at the gym to set you up with a exercise regimen.   If I didn't go to the gym and work out like I do I'm not sure I would be down 100 lbs. already.  It works!!!! You'll be happy :)

I'd suggest starting with the machines for your arms, legs, abs, etc and get some weight lifting in. Start at the lowest amount (10 lbs, maybe?) and high repetitions, then gradually increase weights and lessen reps. A good starting point is three sets of eight.

My favorite machines are the ones that work the inside and outside of the thighs (adductors), the triceps - totally helps with batwints - and the press squat for the thighs. Its good to work one body group one day, let it recover and move onto another one the next. I do arms/back/chest one day, legs/thighs the next, abs the next, rest one day, repeat.

I also use the stretching area to stretch after the treadmill or whatever cardio I do. Really helps and you will see your flexibility increase. I also do situps and pushups with the exercise balls and mats provided.

Good luck!!!

'I  walk every morning.  However, our new neighbor has a boxer bulldog that hates my guts!"

This could be a good thing - now you can learn to run. 

Presently, I only use the treadmill and eliptical.  Soon (hopefully in 3 weeks), I will be going back to my regular workout.

Do you have a Planet Fitness near you?  It's only $10.00 per month and the staff members will meet with you and plan a personal fitness routine for you.

We are military so I go to the gym over at the base. I have been using the track (but had to stop for a few days because my ankle swelled up from when I twisited it comeing down the stairs here at home, but I am still walking, just not as vigorisly). I also use some of the machines and as MR c25K (as I like to call him, since he was the first person i read on here that had worked the c25k (yes there were others but his was most informative) said, use the non machine barbells. TO me at least those have a better range and you dont have to move from machine to machine to get different directional movements. I use the ellipticals maybe once a week because my hips scream MURDER the next day so I tend to watch that. I have lost some weight. But only been at it maybe a month. I have not had surgery yet BUT I have been reading that the more you do BEFORE surgery it is most likely that you will be back on your feet a healing faster than what it would be if you had not done much before.

I am not dreading batwings that much, I think  I will look on them as a symbol that I hit a hard road and kept on trucking along to get to my BIG goals in life. My big thing is gunna be my "apron", that will be the first thing that will have to get gone once I loose the weight.