Started class at Y tonight - did not go well :(

I feel your pain.  This is/was my worst nightmare. 

My exercise post surgery has been recumbent bike,  walking and water aerobics with weights, all weather influenced.  I'm uncomfortable with groups in general and the thought of an organized exercise class is enough to induce high anxiety. 

I started a Qi Gong class last week.  It's a form of Tai Chi. It's not aerobic but for balance and movement. 

I applaud you for putting yourself out there and trying something so challenging.  Don't let this experience dissuade you from trying something else. It took a lot of weight to come off before I could face the idea of looking like a klutz in front of strangers

So this wasn't for you... yet. Try something else. Don't beat yourself up over it. There are other things you CAN do 

 Great advice!

I hate groups of strangers. Period. Then put me in exercise clothes and I feel like I'm being judged and I'm so freaking self conscious! I know losing weight won't help that. That's just me. Ugh. Sometimes I wonder how I've done half the crazy **** I've done. It's a good thing I can push myself or I would end up cowering inside my house forever. 

You know what?  For me, that DID change. It's really hard to put yourself out there when we are bigger -- it's scary because it's quite possible to get hurt.  You're brave and deserve to work out just like anyone else.  

I remember even after losing the first 100 pounds, feeling like the Y was a place I just didn't belong. I wish you lived close-- I'd join you. 

You might be surprised  how your mindset  will change as you lose weight.   Mine did.  And I  weighed  449  lbs at my worst. 

As you feel better  physically  it can affect how you feel mentally.  It was a surprise  for me how less self conscious  I  feel being  around  "normal" people and I still have a lot of weight to lose. 

I'd give it a second try - because you mentioned others said the class was faster than usual.  Plus, I wouldn't worry about keeping up throughout the class - just set your own pace.  But, if you're uncomfortable, I'd wait until I lost a bit more weight.  If the Y has a gym, I'd try that out and go at a slow pace - I went to a gym and used the recumbent bike, and some different upper-body machines.  No treadmills or leg machines as I have neuropathy so my legs are weak and I have balance problems.

It's a great idea to go to the Y in the hope of getting to know people -- very hard to move to a new area.

When I first had surgery, I started with at-home exercises.  First, went to youtube and found "chair exercises".  Then I bought myself a recumbent bike - which I find perfect because it's comfortable and I can adjust the tension.  I use the bike 2-3x/day for 30 minutes at a time.  It was not very expensive, plus it folds up so  can move it out of the living room easily if I need to. 

Give it time - just try different things until you find the thing that works for you.

Congratulations on your surgery - and congratulations on trying to start exercise so soon.  Don't get discouraged - you'll find something that's "the right fit".  

I'm considering going back one more time to that class and see if I can acclimate better on Wednesday so I don't feel like I just completely gave up. Now that I'm calmed down I don't know what to do about the class in particular. 

I guess I'll decide Wednesday. 

This is just one more time I wish I wasn't painfully shy and aware of other people. Being this size for so long has screwed with my perception of just about everything and everyone. 

You've gotten a ton of good advice but I want to toss in my 2 cents. 

Step classes can be really hard. Honestly I don't have great depth perception and never wear my glasses for exercise, so the actual step itself scares me! And I'm not coordinated, not one bit. So I don't use a step. Period. 

If you keep going you will learn some ways to modify for low impact and your fitness level as you get started. A few tips that might help...

1. Keep your feet moving. This keeps your large muscles working and kicks the aerobic level up. 

2. Add arms when and if you can. But if it's too much, just keep your feet moving. 

3. Don't worry about choreography. March in place or do side to side steps. 

4. Enjoy the music! That's honestly the most motivating part. 

5. Find a spot in the room where you can really see what's going on (back row isn't always the best spot) or follow the person in front of you rather than the instructor. 

6. Get there early and talk to the instructor. 

7. Whenever there's a chance (day off, whatever) - try a water class. That's how I started and got totally hooked. My fave instructor used to say, "You can do outrageous things in the water!" It's true. If you get the idea of a few water exercises you can hit the pool and do them on your own. 

8. We all have our favorite - or least favorite - things when it comes to exercise. I love classes. Hate free weights. Can talk myself out of the simplest walk on a beautiful day. And to me, an elliptical is our evil incarnate. Try some things on for size and give it a try more than once. Every time, some part of the routine will seem more familiar. 

9. Your Y very likely has a fitness director who oversees the fitness classes, personal training, etc. Find out who that person is and talk to him/her. Because you have a special cir****tance with recent surgery and obesity, you may be able to sample classes before a new month begins. 

10. Senior classes are great! You can gain confidence and learn some things that will help modify modify those step classes. 

Most of all, walk into that class with your head held high. There's a line in the poem Desiderata that says, "YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HERE>"

Proud of you sweetie!!!

This is really good advice!   I've been doing yoga for a dozen years and at my weight, I obviously can't do all the poses.  But at this point, I've gone to enough classes and know enough poses that I can *always* find something to do while the rest of the class is doing something else. Plus I always grab a spot in the back of the room so most people don't even notice what I'm doing.  

Call the teacher and ask her to guide you to a more simple program.  I went to step classes for a lot of years with a friend whom was a advanced stepper and I was a begginer but I was going just to be with my friend.  The teacher showed me easier steps to do that I could keep up with the music.  She also showed me a basic step to do when I got lost with the program.  Most of the time in class I was doing my own thing with basic steps but I was participating. While I was waiting for knee surgery she also guided me to sit and do the arm and leg movements to the music which brought my heart rate up.  Most stepper have been where you are when the began stepping.  

Best of luck!