TV stations, looking to fill time on a holiday, go to gyms to see all the people working off Christmas weight gains and following through on resolutions to get fit.
I joined a gym in November of 2012, and have been making two or three visits per week ever since.
For the last four Januaries, I've witnessed the influx of new bodies and the return of some old ones. I also watched them drift away after a short time.
Last year was a little strange. The influx didn't seem quite as large. This year, more strangeness. The influx was shockingly short. Here we are, just a couple of weeks in to the new year, and most of the newbies have disappeared.
Please, don't give up.
A little advice:
Have modest expectations. You are not going to reach your goals overnight. Be happy to work up a little sweat, burn off a few calories. Small steps.
Second, get a gym buddy. Exercise can be really boring (although I really enjoy my solitary moonlight bike rides). Having someone to talk with helps the time fly by. I didn't start out with a gym buddy, but I found a couple after I started-- a couple of veterans who helped point me in the right direction.
To those who left and aren't coming back... a couple of weeks at the gym was better than nothing. See you same time, next year.
