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I had the same issues when I started, and I still sometimes feel insecure while working out. The best thing I did for myself was to not only ask for help, but to share my insecurity with the trainer. I told them I had gym phobia and they were very encouraging. They have definately heard the same things from other beginners, so don't be shy. They know what will work best for you, so use them!
Best of Luck! You will do GREAT!
Have the gym folks show you around. It is so scary, but so empowering. At my gym they gave me a card to keep track of some goals and progress. Plus, now I know some friendly faces from going through the orientation.
Each person's needs are vastly different, so what I do might not work for someone else. For example, I don't lift *any* weights... most people do, I just happen to have different needs.
In the words of the Nike slogan "Just do it!"
You know, as a side note... there is a woman in my yoga class who is probably 100 lbs overweight. Yoga is such a challenge for her, but man, she is an inspiration to me! I'm so proud of her, and every time I think of not going to class, I think, "Ah, Michelle is going to be there... I'm going!" She said she was incredibly nervous at first, but that everyone has been so welcoming and positive. She did this as a New Year's resolution, and she's already down 15 lbs! Amazing!
Good for you! Does your gym offer one-off personal training sessions? I know at my gym, you can buy and hour for around $60. I did it once just to get a set routine. I still mix it up a little bit, but by explaining to a trainer exactly what I wanted to target, what my goals were, etc., they were able to customize a workout for me. It is worth the investment, in my opinion!
Here is a workout (lately, at least) for me:
30 minutes on the eliptical machine
3 x 10 reps of these arm exercises
3 x 10 reps on each (push out, squeeze in) of the Hip Abduction machines
3 x 30 reps on the Calve toning machine (very easy, you push on a plate with the balls of your feet)
60 situps with a 2 lb. medicine ball
30 pushups
All in all, it takes about an hour & I try to do it 2 or 3 times per week.
GOOD LUCK!!!! 
When I joined the gym, first thing they did is to weigh me and take my measurements and wrote them down. I was also given a sheet where I need to record everything I eat everyday. My goal was to lose 10 lbs.
The trainer said don't expect immediate results, sometimes it takes up to 2-3 months before major results will show.
For three months I did this routine:
Monday - one hour weights with trainer
Wednesday - one hour cardio - running or elliptical
Saturday - one hour weights with trainer
In three months I lost about 7-8lbs.
Later on I went on one month no carb diet and continued to run and do weights three times a week without a trainer and lost another 7lbs.
So in a total of 6 months, I lost about 15 lbs.
Good for you for joining a gym! I definitely second the idea to have someone who works there show you around, to help you set the machines properly. Form is very important, and you don't want to get an injury that will slow your momentum.
I do a strength training class at my gym called "Body Pump," and it's a great workout. I'd look into if they offer a similar group class at your gym. Also, check out www.sparkpeople.com-- in the fitness section, there are many exercise demonstrations and pages such as this: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercise_demos.asp?exercise_type=upper that will help you build a workout program for yourself.
I'd also recommend checking out a current issue of SELF magazine, or browse through their website.
Well I am quite a gym goer and I love BODYPUMP and SPINNING. I think that classes are great for burning fat and doing a little bit of weights (BodyPump) for tonight. Classes are also great bc you just follow what the instructor tells you to do and won't allow yourselves the "I can'ts" and you won't have to wonder what to do bc you are being old what to do so that's great! Good luck! 
Good work joining a gym! I actually joined one near me yesterday. I definitely recommend sparkpeople.com - they have a whole section for brides to be. I found a great group of women on there last summer and we motivated each other through weekly challenges. The resources on sparkpeople are great, especially when you're just starting out and need some help figuring out how it all works.
PM me if you want to be "workout buddies" and hold each other to workouts via email! :o)
I would even recommend going out and buying some magazine that has some exercises in it if you want to really be economical. I know Women's Health has had an "ab guide" that has lots of exercise and changing your diet advice. I think prevention magazine sometimes has some things, too.
If all else fails, could you hire a personal trainer to help you once just to show you what to do?
Good luck!
Does your gym have classes? That might be the best way for you to get ideas without the cost of a personal trainer. Or like the previous poster said, hire a trainer for a few sessions, just to get a plan down.
Insecurities are hard to get over, but try not to think of people at the gym as the enemy, they are on the road to a healthier lifestyle just like you are!!
Sometimes trainers will let you get a group of a few people and then you just each pay your portion of the price. This might work if you have a few other girlfriends who have the same goals of just general toning etc. Good luck with the weight loss..the most important thing is finding something you'll ENJOY so you keep going. One thing that has worked for me is that I only let myself watch tv (other than the news) if I've put in that much time at the gym today. When I was first starting working out, this really helped me stay motiviated so I could watch wedding shows. :) Now, I work out at least an hour a day, 6 days a week, regardless of if I want to watch something or not. It sounds stupid, but it worked for me!
congrats on joining a gym! Everyone had great suggestions... one additional thing that was helpful for me was outlining a home exercise plan too. Especially when I started out, I found it a lot easier to go and do cardio every other day at the gym, alternating with strength training exercises at home. There may be some days when you just don't feel like going, but having something to do at home made me feel like I wasn't falling off the wagon completely, and kept me motivated through the slow spots.
My favorite piece of equipment at the gym is actually the body ball-- one of those giant ones that's a few feet in diameter. I use it for crunches, back extensions, lunges, and so much more, since it helps stabilize your core instead of isolating muscles like a machine does. (If you want one for home, you can get them for about $10-20 anywhere; target or walmart, etc.)
Check out exercises online that have modified versions of exercises for beginner, regular, and advanced. Those are also helpful in feeling comfortable exercising without overreaching yourself all at once.
I second doing some classes - that's a good way to learn how to do some free weights.
For cardio - I always do intervals no matter what machine I'm using. I find that that gives me faster results than if I just get on the cardio machine and go at a steady pace.
Also, while the weight room can be intimidating, remember that most of the other people there are too focused on what they're doing to notice what you're doing... so don't be shy! Good luck!
I love taking the gym classes. And it helps if you've got a gym buddy to encourage you!
So i've been a member of sparks people for a while, but never paid much attention to what the website or what was coming in my email account, but now i've been checking it very often and it has inspired me.
Also i love the leslie sanson walk dvd's, they really get your heart pumping, and there good for alternating days at the gym...
Tomorrow is my gym day, and i'm more confident from everyone's post's about the gym.
Thank you all very much!
I felt insecure when I first joined a gym, too. I must say that taking the muscle-focused classes (ones that use weights) helped me the most because that is where I learned different excercises to do and how to do them properly. Once you know what to do and what to use, you use weights on your own outside of the class. Also, the machines can be really good for starting out, too. Most of them have directions right on them. The other recommendation I have is to search the web. I see people have mentioned sparkpeople, which is great. Check out magazine sites like shape.com and womenshealth.com.
Congrats & good luck! I went through the same thing just before getting engaged (clever fiance said two months before the proposal "didn't you mean to join a gym when we moved here? you should get on that.") Here's what I found:
-Many gyms have a set of basic machines close together - at mine they're called the "express workout," but I've seen this set-up in a few places. They hit all the major muscle groups (except abs. do ab work separately), and they're a good starting place/confidence builder. If you're figuring them out by yourself, look carefully at the diagrams on the machine, start with the weight quite low doing 2-3 sets of 15, and bump it up each workout. When you feel sore (not horribly painful, but a bit ache-y) the next day in a muscle group, it usually means you challenged your muscles, which is good.
-Do consider doing just a few personal training sessions - I'm in the middle of an introductory set of 3 sessions with a trainer, and will meet with her once every 2-4 weeks after that to check on progress and get new, more challenging exercises
-Take classes if you can. You'll work muscles in ways you wouldn't have found on your own, you'll get feedback on your form, and you'll get exercises you can do confidently on your own.
-Get a spot on a treadmill/elliptical with a view of the weights/weight machines, then spy on the people using the equipment - this is the first thing I did when I was hugely gym-phobic, and I spotted a couple of things I thought I could do. Go from there, and read up on reputable websites/fitness magazines to figure out a well-balanced workout that's good for you.
-Remember that no one is there to look at you - it's easy to feel self-conscious, but everyone's there to do their own fitness stuff, and even if you feel silly, probably nobody noticed.
I'm finding that more and more trainers (at least ones not associated with a specific gym) are offering better deals on training sessions. The trainer I used to work out with recently announced a deal where you pay like $60 for a 30 minute session with her where you work out and then she draws up a routine for you to follow for a month.
Another option, depending on what's in your area, is to take a weight training class at a local community college or through a nearby county/town.
When I first started working out, I read a TON about different workouts/exercises online and in magazines and books. There is an incredible amount of free material out there (some great, some awful). Don't forget about the Biggest Loser on TV either--each show is two hours, and they show a lot of different exercises.
Also, this may seem silly, but go to the gym at a very off hour if you can (like early on a weekend or late on a weekend when people are out and about). A lot of the machines have instructions on how to use them, so you can take your time to read them and try them out without feeling rushed or that people are watching you.
Best of luck and keep up the good work!
the quickest way for me to take weight off is to do weights like quiche suggested above on some days, and for most days do interval sprints ( 90 sec slow jog or walk 30 sec sprint and repeat that pattern 10 times).
Interval sprints can be done by anyone at any fitness level, you will increase your endurance tremendously and the weight will melt off so quickly if you really try to sprint during the 30 sec portions. It get's your heartrate up so your body can burn fat, and the 90 sec portion allows you to recover and control your breathing while still burning that fat. I find for me, best to try to do them at least three times a week if you really want to see results.
Good luck, hope this motivates you!
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I signed up for a gym membership but find that i have absolutly no clue what i should be doing. I want to slim down, drop 100 lbs, and ton my body. I understand what to do on the elipticals and the treadmills, that's easy, but i don't have a clue about free-weights, or any of the other weight machines...
My boyfriend tries helping, but my insecurities, and shyness kicks in and i think everyone's watching me...
I can't afford a personal trainer, at that gym it's $200 a month...
Yeah i know the first thing to do would be ask someone that works at the gym to show me around, and show me how to use the machines properly, but....you know those insecurities come up again...
Can someone tell me what they do at the gym? What their routine is?
chelsea