Its life, gym, but not as we know it....

On Tuesdays, at the moment, I start work a little later than the rest of the week (not til 11) so had my induction booked for the gym.

I felt like the new boy in school with my bag full of clothes - and I was similarly nervous about what the induction might involve!

The changing rooms at Matlock Lido are a bit shabby and need improving (but with a brand new Leisure Centre due to be built for 2011 or 2012 it's unlikely any money will now be spent on them) and the air is always so cold (maybe it's just me, but when I've been swimming at Matlock , when the pool was open, it always seemed one of the coldest of pools). I put my stuff in a locker and went to meet the gym instructor.

He seemed quite pleasant and civil, almost normal, some how I expect all gym instructors to be a little evil and sadistic.

First task was to sit down and fill in a health questionnaire - so far so good, I can cope with this. Mentioned my very mild asthma but that wasn't a problem and so on into the gym itself.

It's a small gym and so can, at peak times, get very full. Booking is needed if you want to use it between 5 and 7 in the evening. Even at 10 in the morning there are a fair few people in there running, and pushing and panting and sweating their way to fitness.

The treadmill is an easy machine which I like, as are the bikes and the rowing machine. I've always struggled with the cross trainer (probably a lack of co-ordination) particularly trying to do it in reverse, it just doesn't seem natural somehow with arms and legs going all over the place!

I'm never sure about all the weights machines - I know they're for toning muscles as much as they are for building them up, but, whilst I'm trying to lose weight, I don't want to be building muscle. Everyone knows that muscle is heavier than fat - even if it is better for you!

So after about 45 minutes being shown round and a chance to ask any questions I was off. Gym session number one done and dusted. My arms ached (those bloody weights machines and, perhaps, a small element of the instructor being a little bit evil with the quantities of weights being put on?).

My plan is to go at least a couple of times a week - I'd like to go before work one day but that'll require real dedication, as well as leaving my wife with the kids in the morning (so I might not be popular). I need to go lots this month as the membership is a special offer of £20 for unlimited use!

Weight update.... I seemed to have plateaued - well I've stayed the same fro two days in a row. Only to be expected at some point. I felt a little sad that weight wasn't continuing to fall off me but, as I've said before, I know I shouldn't be weighing everyday, exactly fro reasons such as this.