I Don't Wanna Be Fat! (My First Gym Experience & Tips for Beginners)

Yes, the title itself is very self-explanatory - I don't wanna be fat!!!

I remembered back in high school, I used to grow so fat that most of my classmates were making fun of my body shape. The irony was that I did not even think that I was fat. But it was a sad experience, because it is so normal for a fat person to be mocked and laughed at especially during the primary/high school years. I remembered I was late for a tuition class once and when I walked in, I had to cross the room in order to get to my seat. So, from the moment I stepped into the class, I heard an outburst of excitement from my gang of friends. I did not really care about what they were really excited about, but upon reaching my seat, one of them actually patted my belly and the others told me how I have put on weight during that one week break we had had. It was depressing and at one point, even my own brother was telling me how big my belly was. That was the time when I started looking at the mirror properly, sized myself up and realized how broad I had actually gotten. It was scary as my school pants were getting too tight for me and my mum had to start getting me bigger ones.

So, I took the easy way out - slimming pills! I remembered how I would walk all the way to a pharmacy nearby my tuition center just to buy the slimming product, and it was not entirely cheap and I did not have a lot of savings either. I have to hide the product in my bag out of my friends' view and my family members' knowledge. No way I will ever let them know I am taking such product!

So for 2 weeks, I took the pills and sadly, I did not notice any difference on my size or weight. I did not know how to calculate BMI at that time, otherwise I would have known if I was obese or just plain overweight. I kept the pills safely locked in my cabinet in my room but the secret lasted only 2 weeks. On one particular uneventful day, my mum was tidying up my room when she came across the product and no words could describe how bad I felt when I received tonnes of lectures and scoldings from both my parents and my siblings. I myself agree that it was actually a waste of money. I do not know exactly how the pills work, but now that I am better-educated, I think that the product worked by neutralizing bile and prevent lipids from being absorbed into the body. As a result, I had 2 weeks good experience of passing out fatty stool every morning. In medical term, the presence of excess fat in feces is termed "steatorrhea". It has oily appearance and it is foul-smelling. You don't want to experience that.

So I resorted to doing constant exercises instead and they proved to be effective in burning fats but not building muscle. So after 8 months of doing the same routine exercises, I was down to just 50kg. I remembered an unforgettable reaction from my good old friend when he saw me after months of being apart, "Dude! Are you taking drugs or something?!" The funny thing is, there is one big difference that I noticed after I had actually gotten thinner - sitting on a hard chair is no longer a comfortable experience. When I was fatter, I used to have fats as cushion if I were to sit on a chair, but after I had gotten really thin, the first thing I felt, if I were to sit down, were my pelvic bones and it was not comfortable at all and actually took some time to get used to.

So after that I entered college and I think a lot of my college mates who have seen me from the very beginning can actually recall how skinny I was. But after five years in college, I have noticed an increment in my body size as well (I stopped exercising from the moment I stepped into college). I remembered exactly one month ago when a few close friends started commenting on my body size. It was at that moment, as if a sense of deja vu swept all over me, that I recalled the moment when I stepped into my tuition class few years ago. At that particular moment, I got home, got undressed and looked at myself at the mirror - I started noticing how flabby my arms were, how chubby I actually looked, how weird that my waist were wider than my chest. As if to make matters worst, a lot of my Facebook friends happened to be sharing photos of Big Bang just because they are coming to Malaysia for concert. The sight of the members' fit bodies made me even gloomier.

It was from that day onward, my self-confidence dropped - I started having paranoia feelings of people taunting or even mocking at my body size. It was not a pleasant experience at all.

I am currently staying in a rented room in a house full with people of different nationalities. I have housemates from Nigeria, Iran, and Kazakhstan. So this Nigerian friend of mine (his name is Dreams by the way), - he has an extremely fit body, complete with 6packs that any men would be envious about; and I approached him and voiced out my worries. He told me not to be worried about it and offered to bring me to the gym. With renewed vigor, I rushed all the way to the nearest store the next day and bought myself a new pair of sneakers, got home and knocked on Dreams' door and told him how eager I was to head to the gym at that very moment. Dreams, as if taken aback by my sudden appearance, agreed on the spot and within 5 minutes, we were on our way to the gym. At that moment, I was so excited, motivated and I was of the opinion that nothing could stop me from succeeding at the gym.

How wrong I was.

My biggest mistake was that I had a heavy dinner before that. But that was not the issue at the beginning. Dreams opened the door and I was greeted with sight of several extremely fit body-builders working on weights as if those weights were made of feathers. I shrunk on the spot. I was going to be the only fat guy in the gym! Nevertheless, Dreams ushered me in and started instructing me on the various gym methods to perform, I obliged with extreme difficulties. The weights were extremely heavy and after a few minutes, I was indeed breathless! And sure enough, after a while I started feeling nauseated and had the urge to vomit my entire stomach content. Dreams did not know that I just had my dinner and he was not impressed when I admitted that. He opened up a window and told me to get some rest and fresh air. He did not allow me to continue. I was not even looking forward to continue at that moment, I was actually hoping to get home as soon as possible. After feeling a bit better, I got up and we started walking back home, but halfway through, I was feeling all nauseated again and we had to stop while I rested. I almost passed out. By the time we got home, I rushed all the way into the toilet and sat there until I was feeling better.

By the time I stepped out from the toilet, Dreams was still sitting at the house lobby waiting for me. He was worried and he told me not to feel bad about my first experience at the gym because he saw how miserable-looking I was. I was actually feeling so embarrassed that time. Dreams told me to cool down and maybe do a Google search and start reading on the blog posts of many people around the world about their first day experience at the gym as well. He also warned me that my body will ache the next morning and that I should not give up just because of my bad first day. I promised him I would not although I was no longer convinced that I was ready for the second round. I got to bed that night, did a Google search and presto, Dreams was right! There are just so many people who had bad first day gym experience other than me. So I am also writing this today to tell you that it is very normal to have bad experience at the gym if you are a newbie but never let that bad experience stop you!

The next day, after class, I got home, packed up my bag and knocked on Dreams' door one more time. He was actually quite delighted to see me ready for my second round. And sure enough, this time, I performed better and as the days passed, I am now going to the gym alone and doing everything myself without Dreams' guidance. But I am glad to have him with me at the beginning.

So after 2 weeks' at the gym, everyone started noticing and commenting how much I have actually gotten thinner. Even I myself have started experiencing a change in my body proportion. The shirts I am wearing have started to feel tight at the chest and the sleeves instead of the abdomen. I termed this condition, "chest tightness" referring to medical term used when a person experiences chest pain, chest pressure, or a feeling of burning or fullness of the chest; however, my "chest tightness" literally means that the shirt is feeling tight at the chest.

After a while at the gym, an instructor there who have noticed me for a long time approached me and offered me to join his club as he was impressed with my dedication and diligence (I visit the gym almost everyday during the week days and I am always one of the last to leave) and that he would guide me in building my muscles. Dreams, however, was not impressed with the way I frequent the gym. He told me to give my body time to rest and I have to admit that he was right.

After like a few weeks at the gym, I started making friends with familiar faces around and we helped each other in the gym. It is indeed a very good experience for me and I really look forward to continuing my journey of shaping up my body. The gym that I am currently visiting has lots of very wonderful, friendly people. Sometimes, the gym is empty especially during dinner hours or holidays, but during peak time, it is full to the extent that you have to wait to get hold of a machine.

This is the gym that I am currently visiting. taken late in the evening when everyone has gone home. The best thing about this gym is that it is free!

So for beginners, I would like to take this opportunity to give you a few tips so that you can have a better gym experience. First time gym experience can be scary but do not worry too much as you will do just fine.

Tip 1: What to Bring?

If your gym does not provide lockers service, do not bring any valuable items. As for me, I just bring my sneakers, towel, water bottle, my iPhone and a pair of earphones. My iPhone acts as my music player and timer. Just make sure your music listening device is one that does not hinder your workout. Many people use arm bands or waist bands to put their devices in. As for me, I just put my phone in my pocket.

Tip 2: What to do Upon Your Arrival?

Do not start immediately, since it is your first time at the gym, try a short detour around the gym and identify the different types of machines available and how others use them. Once you are done and think you are ready to start, I would recommend you to start with cardio machines - treadmills, bikes, stepmills etc. This serves two purposes as you can perform your warm-up and continue surveying the gym. Of course, you must always care to check the availability of the machine. Just make sure that the machine is completely unoccupied before using it. After you have gotten enough warm-up, you can start doing the weights and the rest of the machines. Be very careful if you are doing it without personal instructor as you tend to injure yourself due to unfamiliarity. Try to ask for advice or guidance from other people in the gym. From my experience, they will be glad to help you out just like me being happy to help anyone new to the gym right now.

Tip 3: Be Familiar with Gym Etiquette

Just like a medical officer where we need to observe medical etiquette, a gym has it's own set of conduct that you must follow as well:

• Ask if you are unsure. Always ask if you are unsure of how a machine works. There is nothing more embarrassing than to break a machine down or injuring yourself due to your own carelessness. As for me, I always observe how others perform their work-outs on the machine before I used it. Normally, I would ask an experienced member to observe me on my first time using the machine.
• Proper Hygiene. Bring a towel and always wipe away your sweat from the machines after you are done. There are others waiting to use them.
• Confirm availability of machine. If you think someone is done with the machine but is still standing next to it, always confirm with him if he is still using it. If you do not know how to ask, here are two examples, "Are you done with the machine, Sir?" or "How many more sets, Sir?" From my experience, if they are not done with the machine, they will always invite you to share; meaning that you two get to take turns using the machine. By doing that, you also get to make friends with him. If he is someone with experience, you are in for a treat as he will help you if he thinks you are doing it the wrong way, or give you a few tips on how to improve your work-outs.
• Observe the dress code. Of course you need to wear proper attire during your session at the gym. Otherwise, you will need to get accustomed to getting a few stares from the people around you.
• Re-rack your weights. Always place the weights back to the racks after using them. Ask for help if the weights are too heavy. There will be lots of keen helpers around, don't worry.

Tip 4: Go With a Friend

It is better to go to the gym with a friend, an experienced friend is better. As for me, I had Dreams with me on my first two visits to the gym. It really helps if you have company and I am glad I have Dreams.

I hope my tips can aid you in your first time visit to the gym. You might be scared or felt lost at first, but that is all part of the game. After a while, you tend to see fresh faces around with the same scared look that you used to portray. Just remember to help them if you feel they are lost, they will really appreciate it. Do not be scared of making mistakes or dropping the weights as most people at the gym are so concerned with themselves, they are not the least bit concerned with what you are doing, honestly!