I recently celebrated my 2nd anniversary at the gym. I don’t recall the exact date, but it was March 2013 that I began what I call the next step in my journey towards weight loss. At that time, I had lost 42 pounds by working out at home. The home workouts became boring and I loved the idea of getting back out there to workout with people. I eventually lost the remaining 31 pounds before the weight loss stopped. My body had gotten into pretty good shape and I could no longer lose weight, so I figured I had hit my goal.
At the time, my exercise buddy was my good friend Ron. We worked out at least a few times per week and it was wonderful. Eventually life got in the way, Ron moved away (not super far, but to a town about 20 minutes away), so I was working out alone. I would see some “regulars” here and there, but other than a quick hello, I wasn’t making friends with them. It didn’t really affect my attending the gym, but sometimes I felt like I was alone.
A few months ago, a guy I had seen for the last several months said “hello.” We struck up a conversation and I discovered that we were both gay, had recently gone through body transformations, had mutual friends and had a love of fitness. While he and I were not doing the same workouts, it was great to have someone there who worked out on a similar schedule and that was willing to hold me accountable. Eventually, he introduced me to another new friend and slowly we’ve been getting to know each other. I’m happy with my new gym buddies.
What about you? Have you made friends at the gym? Do your gym buddies encourage you to be more committed to working out? Would you rather exercise alone? Please comment below. Until we meet again…
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