To anyone starting the gym, I think you've gota go with a plan in mind. Unless you get a personal trainer (expensive!) then its just down to building on ur abilities and knowing where you want to end up.
If its running your into, try working up to 5k for instance. My bug bear is weights, I think even when I lose the weight (and I will lose the weight!) I'll still be quite bulky cuz I've always been strong and athletic anyway, so I tend to do lighter weights for more reps as I dont think this 'builds you up' as much.
I tend to do 3x15 reps at 18kg on chest presses and seated rows, i hate bicep and tricep machines and I find the rows and presses works those muscles in anyway. Then I do 3x10 reps on abdominal crunches at 25kg. I also do 3X15 reps on leg extensions and leg curls and also the inner and outer thighs but I whack up the weight on these as I have muscly thighs from 8 years playing hockey!!
Im into running, so cardio wise I'm a treadmill girl and I have worked my way up to running a 10k last year, I stopped training after completing it but am back at it and find just building it up steady is the wisest way to go. Run for aslong as you can at a steady speed (I use 5.5mph when Im starting again) whether it be for 1 min or 5mins and just build from there. I know I get frustrated doing the whole run/walk programme because Im too eager to run for long times but it only causes injury and if you do the run/walk programme you really notice the fitness increase quickly. As your fitness builds I start doing minute sprints followed by a minute cool down about 5 times too. This also builds fitness.
Also LISTEN to your body, there are days at the minute I run and run and other days I can barely run for 5minutes. Theres a fine line between pushing yourself and killing yourself!!
I think with all the cardio machines the best thing to do it start gently, do minutes at harder intensities and stuff and just build slowly. This is just my opinion, Im not a fitness expert or anything. Just my own personal experience!!
Good luck on your gym journey....oh and another thing, never let anyone in the gym put you off, I used to get paranoid about how I look running or how sweaty I am etc and now I just go 'feck it' - i'm here to better myself, not just pose and not ruin my make-up!! xx