Hi folks,

Again, I'm new here, so I hope I am posting in the correct spot. I am a very enthusiastic newbie ready to get started on a healthier lifestyle.

I am 37, a good 50 pounds overweight and not in great shape. I've exercised sporatically but I am looking to add a more regular routine to my life to improve my health overall and lose weight. I don't have a lot of time to workout, so I am looking for some advice about the best ways to maximize my workouts.

At the moment I get of the subway early on my way to work and have a 15 minute power walk down to the office. Several days a week I also have a 45min-1hour power walk over lunch. In the evenings I have about an hour free after the kids go to bed before I'm going to bed as well. I can't work out every night (other things need to get done), but a few nights a week I could get in a workout. In the past I've been using Wii Fit (just the strength training - I find the cardio part doesn't give me enough of a workout with the constant stopping and restarting), and Wii DDR (great way to work up a sweat!). My other options are to go for a power walk, a bike ride, a swim at the local pool, or maybe sign up for a really good aquafit course again in the fall (although I think I'm less likely to come up with excuses if I exercise at home).

So with about 1 hour at home say 3 days a week, what is the best way to maintain health and lose weight? Should I do half cardio/half strength or just one or the other each session? Is one better for my goals than the other? (I've heard both sides). How often should I be walking at lunch as well? Should I be incorporating the other exercise options? Can anyone recommend other good Wii workout games? Any advice is hugely appreciated!

Thanks again folks - I couldn't do this without you!

- Joanna

I would recommend looking at Body for Life. It has fairly short and efficient weight routines and cardio workouts are fairly short because they are HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). They have a website but the book is in most libraries as well.

http://bodyforlife.com/

love the quotes. very true. i'm writing them down. haaha

Maybe I missed it, but are you keeping track of what you eat? I ask this because maximizing your meals is just as important as maximizing your workout. When you start working out especially, it is important to make sure you are eating foods packed with as much nutritional punch as possible. Before my weight loss, for ten years I would workout out religiously and never lose weight. I realize now I never lost a pound because I was eating way too much. Once I started WW, my own at-home program, I was walking every day and food journaling every day. I dropped fifty pounds in about five months. My one-hour walk eventually morphed into a one-hour jog, and then a one-hour jog/sprinting. I also played a lot of softball when this was all going on.

I have a baby, so I totally get not having enough time and needing to maximize. My energy level skyrocketed and chores that would take me a half hour I was able to whip out in 15 minutes. I just built a faster routine so I could have that time I needed to be there at the house. I don't know if you have somebody who is home with you at night. I live with my baby's father, and he loves that I take that one-hour for myself because he knows it is a huge stress reliever for me and it gives him a chance to feed and bathe our child.

I think walking is great and you should do that as much as you can. I do it around the track because the surface is not as bad on my knees as concrete or asphalt. Make sure you invest in a GREAT pair of walking or running shoes. For a while I was doing a 30-Day Shred video. It was great, but I loved being outside so much more.

After taking up rock climbing and yoga, I was able to lose another ten pounds. I have not been this weight since I was in the eighth grade.

Thank you for the great advice! I will definetely look for Body for Life at the library. Time to get out the good sneakers and get cracking!

From what I can glean from this and other posts, it sounds like variety is the key to weight loss and health. I think I'll do my best to sprinkle in some variety as I get into more of a routine.

Mamaspank - you are correct - I do need to find the time. I am still juggling things. I get home around 5 and spend time with my kids (6 and 2) while my husband cooks; then he spends time with the kids while I clean up. Afterwards we rush through baths and bedtime for my 2 year old. After that is done (7:30 ish) he has agreed to give me time to excercise, although I choose not to do so every night since I feel like I get to see so little of my 6 year old as is! I need to find a healthy balance between family time and 'me' time. I'm starting with 3 nights a week workout (hopefully combined with a few more days lunch hour power walks) - I'll see how that works out.

Yes, I am working on my eating plan as well. I'm not keeping track of everything yet, but I do have a self-devised plan I'm following where I start by improving food quality and then tackle quantity. With little ones keeping us busy, planning seems to be the key! I am so guilty of grabbing whatever to eat when I just do not have time to prepare myself a healthy snack.

Someone on another thread wrote that weight loss is 80% diet, 20% exercise. I firmly believe that but I am determined not to neglect exercise any longer. I am trying to focus on overall health this time and I am also worried about losing muscle along with fat if I don't include the exercise in my plan. If I can maximize my exercise to types that best burn calories, all the better!

Thanks again,
- Joanna

When you get to the strength training part, the best advice I have, is to alternate or cycle the exercises.. for example - do one set of bent over rows, shoulder press, good mornings, and dead lift, then repeat. Then do tricep and bicep set and repeat. By breaking them up into associating groups you still work the fatigue angle but doing the group as a cycle allows you to continue from one exercise to the next with minimal break (<10 sec).

Someone on another thread wrote that weight loss is 80% diet, 20% exercise.

I would tend to agree with this statement. I worked out like a fiend for years, and it wasn't until I changed my diet that I saw any change.