I've just started last week going to the gym on M, W, F. I do 30 mins on the eliptical (1.5 miles w/ a heart rate of 180). Then, I alternate working my upper body + abs one day then legs + abs the next. I spend a total of about an hour at the gym total. Is this enough? I've been counting calories and eating a lot healthier and less per meal. I just need some insight, inspiration, or something. It feels so great leaving the gym and having worked out an hour! The gym is free on base and I've had the oportunity to start a new lifestyle, but just got the will power to start this week.. heh.

I'm working up to an hour 5 times a week.

I've heard the recommendation is an hour a day of dedicated exercise 5 days a week...sounds like you are right on track! Keep up the good work!! IMO eating right is the most important thing for weight loss - exercise is important for looking good when you have lost the weight!! Both together - and "What a Hottie"!!

It's not only the time but the effort and technique that matter. If it gets to easy let me give u the best advice I have read through years of research. Circuit train. Don't just do cardio but do weights then 20 or 30 or cardio. Seriously , it does work. It will make it harder for ur body to handle the variation and will give u a great burn. Sometimes I've seen some guys in the best shape and they don't have time to train an hour they only got like 35 or 45 min. so I ask and did some research on there advice and it is very true, circuit training is a great way to up the intensity level and to lose fat. Eventually, u can make it even more difficult with weight increases or decreases(with more reps, when u got the time) and add in no rest between all of the entire workout too. u can even do some weight work switch to cardio for like 10 min and go back to weights and finish off with like 15 of cardio, and since u have little to no breaks it keeps the heart at a high pulse rate to keep u burning calories and fat. I know two guys who have used this to lose there last few pounds when they were having trouble losing those last pounds and it worked. Yet, it can be used just to up the ante of our workouts and to get a great workout when faced with time limitations. Keep hydrated for this workout. Also, when u get more advanced and need to add more difficulty through variations, then in truth, u will need to be more aware and keep more of an eye on time, unless u get to a point where u can just feel when u have to switch over to the next exercise. When u start of though it should be fairly easy and u won't have to keep ur eyes on the clock for a long while since it is likely going to be more difficult of a workout. U probably would only want to start of by adding a cardio to ur weight workout afterwards. Pretty simple add on that pays huge dividends.

Hey - that's - that's pretty much Jillian Michaels' workout plan from Winning by Losing. Each circuit has one exercise for upper body and one for lower body plus some cardio...it is a serious workout. I do an hour 5 days a week. (One day is pure cardio). I'm in week twelve of her workouts - next I have to make up my own. I'm still a beginner at this stuff - but I feel like I have the tools to figure it out. It is an intensity thing...I try to keep my heart rate at 80 - 85% for the whole hour. I'm still getting there - I'm more like 75-80 right now. But that is my challenge.