So I was in the south beach forums for awhile, and on South Beach I was able to lose about 12lbs in about six weeks. I hit a plateau and while I'm not really on South Beach, I am smarter and more educated about making food choices. I've come to the realization that in order to lose the rest of the weight I want, I have to exercise. So I've started out this week by biking on our recumbrant bike, trying to get in about 30 minute a day. I usually do like 6 minutes at a time, get up, breathe, take a drink, and go back at it. So it's like a 45 minute long effort.
I want to add in some ab work outs, and hopefully at some point some free weights.

I do have some questions though, such as
1. Is the biking really going to make a difference? Assuming I ride it 30 minutes a day at a varied pace, for 4-5 days a week. I definitely feel my heart rate increase and I'm definitely sweating for a change. What kind of things will I notice with biking?

2. What kind of exercises should I be doing in addition to the biking? Keep in mind, that I'm confined to the house with a toddler, so time and equipment is a factor.

3. Do I need to make any changes to my diet to maybe see results quicker, such as upping up protein?

4. How long will it take til I notice results? Not only seeing changes, but feeling them? When those of you started exercising how long was it until you started seeing a weight loss, and other people noticed?


5. I've got that baby pouch, extra loose skin on my tummy. Is it possible to get rid of this? It's not entirely fat, it's skin.

Thank you guys for reading it and for any advice you might have

1. Yes! Exercise will not only help make you more physically healthy, it also burns calories...and then your BODY burns even more calories throughout the rest of the day as a result. I don't lose without exercise, period. Plus, you'll build muscle, and building muscle means your metabolism will go faster, and you'll burn more calories all day long.

2. Strength training! Get those free weights and start lifting. There are lots of sites out there that can help you come up with a program (like Stumptuous) and get an idea of proper form...you can also ask at the Ladies who Lift forum for help. Resistance bands are inexpensive, easily stored, and really made a difference in my muscle tone. This will make your metabolism faster and your body more compact...it makes a huge difference in how you look.

3. Obviously, the more "ideal" your diet, the better results you're going to get...but what works diet-wise for each of us is different. How much protein are you getting now? Are you hungry a lot? Probably you're getting plenty of protein for a beginner, so I wouldn't worry too much. I get my best results when I eat "clean"...a combo of veggies, whole grains, fruits, and lean proteins with little added junk, but that is what works for me.

4. This depends on so many factors, it is impossible to predict. Just keep plugging away, though, and I promise you and others will notice eventually.

5. No, unfortunately. You can shrink the fat, but loose skin isn't really affected by exercise...though you can build muscle in certain areas to "fill out" the skin more. You might want to look at our Skin FAQs thread in the Body Image forum for more info on loose skin.

Thank you! Your answers helped me a lot. I've moved passed the stage where I just want to lose weight, I actually want to be lean as well. Strong even. I had resistance bands once and they kicked my butt. I suppose I should get them again. I'm a horrid exerciser but I have a feeling that it's going to stick this time.