CM, I know how hard it is to go to the gym when you're feeling intimidated and out-of-shape. Here are a few thoughts that might help.
1) If you're able to talk on the phone while using the elliptical, then you might not be working hard enough to get into the fat-burning zone OR the cardio-improvement zone.
The objective is to work hard enough that you find it somewhat difficult to talk but you can say the occasional short phrase.
2) You're at the gym to focus on
you, not on them. I know it can be so intimidating to walk out there on the gym floor when you're not feeling at your best. You feel as though everyone is staring at you, judging you. Well...my grandmother once told me that most people are so busy worrying about what everyone else is thinking about them, that they don't have the slightest bit of attention left to focus on you.
That was one of the most valuable life-lesson I've ever had. It taught me not to worry about what other people think of me, because they're likely not paying attention anyway.
And now, a story...
About 12 years ago, I joined a gym for the first time ever. In my teens and early 20s, I studied dance and was in great shape, but working in an office job I had gained weight and lost a lot of ground. I showed up at the gym the first time, wearing the baggiest sweatshirt I owned, and a pair of my then-husband's shorts. I decided to try using the treadmill. I got on the treadmill, and not sure how the controls worked, started pressing buttons.
The belt under my feet started to move and I started to walk. The belt was going very slowly, so I kept pressing the "go faster" button to get it up to a comfortable walking pace. Of course, I didn't realize that the treadmill mechanism takes a bit of time to respond. Before I knew it, the belt under my feet was flying. I started sprinting to try and keep up. But I couldn't. The next thing I knew, I was flying backwards through the air, and I landed on my posterior in the middle of the gym.
I was absolutely mortified!
I was just about ready to pick myself up and slink away, never to return, when an absolutely gorgeous man came over, helped me up and handed me a towel. He smiled, said nothing and walked away. I looked around the gym, and instead of the horrified stares I was expecting, everyone was continuing with their workouts as if nothing had happened. They didn't even notice my fiasco.
So...don't worry about the Barbie-girls and their perky snacks. You go to the gym, have a great workout, and have a great time!
All the best, and keep up the good work.
Trinity
