Fatness First

Two days ago I was surprised to receive a letter from my gym. I have never received a letter from them, not even a birthday or Christmas card. My first reaction was, hmmm...maybe they're checking up on me and asking why I haven't been to the gym for quite a while.

Ehhhhh!!! Wrong! They wrote me a really nasty letter saying that I was still within the minimum commitment period and that I should pay my dues or else they will endorse my account to a collection agent and a credit rating agency for blacklisting. And that they reserve the right to take legal actions against me to enforce collection. Really nasty especially since this is the first time in my life that I am threatened with a lawsuit and this is the first letter I have ever received from them.

My monthly gym membership is auto-debited from my credit card every month. And two months ago, I decided not to renew this card because I found I was using another card more often. I had forgotten that my gym membership was attached to this card, and so when they were charging the fees, of course, it didn't go through. Thus, the nasty letter. No gentle reminder from this gym, that "you may have forgotten to pay your dues for the last TWO months" or an, oh, BTW, we haven't seen you in the gym for the past SEVEN months, so please come see us soon. No, sir, only a threat will do.

As long as they were getting paid, they didn't care that you weren't using their facilities at all. But the minute you miss out on a payment...wooh...lawsuit!

Well, it is my fault that I haven't been to the gym since February so I can't blame the gym for that. (I blame losing a good yaya and driver). But still.

I could probably contest this because I am two years past the minimum commitment period of one year, but who needs this headache? (Which is probably what they are counting on.) So yesterday, I trooped to the gym, paid my dues and tried to cancel my membership. Tried, because while they accepted my payment, they said I could only resign from my home club. I asked if I could just fax a letter but I was informed it has to be a personal appearance. (Yey! Look at me, I'm still as fat as when I joined your gym in August 2004.) Talk about inconvenience. And I have to give a 30-day notice. As if the past 217 days of non-use of their gyms weren't notice enough.

So, I still have 42 days of gym membership should I decide to finally cancel my membership. (I was always hopeful I could get back into my 4-days-a-week-at the-gym groove.) Might as well put it to good use. I know, sayang yung aking previous payments. Oh the scrapbooking stuff I coud have bought with those.

Do you think I could lose some pounds in less than 50 days?