Nothing Shakes His Shape-Up Resolve, Unless It Has Pepperoni

It’s the first week of the new year. The holiday parties are now just fuzzy memories. No more excuses for overindulging. Can’t justify taking that second piece of fudge or that second (or third) drink. It’s time to face reality.

Like millions of other people, undoubtedly, I have resolved to lose weight this year. Not only the five pounds gained over the holidays (it’s hard to resist mom’s tamales), but the extra weight gained throughout the year from eating too many cheeseburgers and fries.

Apparently, I am not alone. According to health club officials, January is the busiest month of the year for signing up new members, thanks in no small part to clubs taking advantage of people’s guilt and vulnerability after the holidays.

Family Fitness Centers advertises itself as “Your New Year’s resolution solution.” LA Fitness Health Club says to “Start ’94 right” with them.

Bally’s Health & Tennis Corp., which owns or manages Holiday Spa, Nautilus Plus and The Sports Connection health clubs, doesn’t blare it in large headlines. But in the small print says: “It’s that time of year again. Time to make good on your promise. Y’know, the one you made on the scale about getting in shape. Remember?”

Well, I remember (thanks for reminding me). But I already belong to a health club, so at least I don’t have to fork over the big bucks to join now.

So I started Monday.

Mondays are generally the busiest day of the week (people feeling guilty about overindulging over the weekend), but this, the first Monday in the new year, was especially busy at The Sports Connection in Encino.

Steven Park, the club’s general manager, said a lot of new people had not signed up that day (he blames it on the recession, not on any new trend that it’s hip to be fat). He said the crowd was made up of old members (like me) who had stopped coming regularly, but now decided to start working on keeping their New Year’s resolution.

Park said that most people looking to lose weight do so using cardiovascular equipment, such as exercise bikes, treadmills and stair climbers.

The Sports Connection in Encino is big on cardiovascular equipment, with 23 stair climbers, 21 exercise bikes and 16 treadmills (all facing two large television screens, one broadcasting CNN Headline News and the other Monday Night Football). On Monday night, three treadmills were out of commission, but even if all were operational, there is usually a waiting list to get on.

One of those waiting Monday night was Brian Greenberg of Encino, who, like me, is using the new year as a motivation to lose weight.

“I came to the club regularly for about six months after buying a 2 1/2-year membership a year ago, but then I found a lot of reasons to stop coming,” said Greenberg, 41, who works in advertising. “With the new year, I want to get back on track.”

On his first day back, Greenberg spent 20 minutes on a stair climber, 15 minutes working out with weights, and then 20 minutes on the treadmill.

“I’m going easy,” he said after getting off the treadmill, sweat visible on his white T-shirt and gray shorts. “If there’s too much pain, I might not want to come back.”

Greenberg said he is more likely to stick to his routine this year because “I’m just going to sacrifice some of those overtime hours to do something for me.”

If he does stick with it, Greenberg will be the exception rather than the rule.

Charlie Pattenson, a personal trainer, said most people give up after three or four months.

“People just get discouraged when they don’t see immediate results,” said Pattenson, 33, who has been a personal trainer for nearly four years. “They tend to be unrealistic about results.”

A 41-year-old Encino woman, who declined to give her name, said she has joined about 10 health clubs in her life, only to quit after a few months because she finds working out boring.

“It’s harder to pack up and go to a gym as opposed to just putting on a pair of running shoes and go outside and run,” she said, explaining that she was in the gym Monday night only to bond with her 19-year-old daughter, who works out regularly.

And guys, despite the ads that commonly feature fabulously fit women, men still make up the bulk of the people who work out in clubs, industry sources say. (The Sports Connection in Encino, with a 60% female membership, is an exception apparently.)

Park said that people forget that toned muscles weigh more than flab, which could mean a healthier you without losing much weight.

“It use to be that we used a formula for ideal weight based on height,” said Park, the club manager. “Now, we look at the percentage of body fat.”

Park said that, ideally, women should have no more than 18% to 20% body fat, while men should have 12% to 15%, max. But both men and women can have about 25% body fat and still be fit, he said.

That’s encouraging, but I still don’t want to know my body fat percentage right now.

Monday night, I spent 45 minutes on an exercise bike and 20 minutes with the weights. I was going to do 15 minutes on the treadmill, but there was a waiting list. I’ll catch it next time.

I headed straight for the sauna (my favorite part of the workout), and sat there for about 10 minutes as the steam soothed my muscles, which were already starting to ache.

By the time I got home, my body started reminding me that it had been awhile since I had been to the gym. My neck, shoulders, back and legs were getting sore and stiff.

The next day, still a bit a sore, I was determined to stay on track. I planned to go to the gym after work. But then I realized I forgot to bring my gym clothes, so I went home and had pizza for dinner.

Oh well. Who keeps New Year’s resolutions anyway?