Hello! I have a few questions.
When I first started my weight loss journey in 2007, i lost weight by diet alone. I then hit a plateau or got bored around the beginning of 2008 and I maintained until this year and gained 15 pounds back. I have lost some of it since may but I am really looking to start exercising. I want and need to finish losing the rest of this weight, so any help will be appreciated. So far I've been walking on some days, ab work some days, the wave by the firm some days but nothing consistent yet.

So now that I rambled on, now on to my questions. I tried looking around for the answers but not really sure where to look in this forum. So sorry if these are repeat questions.
Do you exercise every day? Do you take days off from exercising? Is it good to take days off to give the body time to rest? Do I need to up my calories since I'm starting to exercise or stay the same? I know exercise helps you lose weight but does it help speed it up? I know it's not a race, I'm clueless as far as the exercise part goes. Should I just focus on cardio with a little strength training thrown in? Do you change up your routine or change it up every day?

That's all for now. Please feel free to give me any other exercise advice.
I would love to have all the info i can. I would love to get to the point where I run or walk a race.

Thank you so much!!!!!

I for one, do not exercise every day. I think it's easier to build up to additional days, rather than setting high goals and then quitting. I started with working out every other day. I work with a personal trainer and now work out 5-6 days a week.

It's important to listen to your body, so if you are really sore, I wouldn't push the workouts too hard, so either take a rest day, or just go for a walk rather than a strenuous workout.

For starters, try to keep your calories the same. If you find that you are hungry, again, listen to your body and eat - but pick healthy foods that keep you fuller, for a longer period of time. Apples, carrots, etc.

As for the type of workouts, I hate doing cardio, so I find that circuits work best for me - it keeps my heartrate up and I don't get bored. It's important to incorporate both, according to my trainer.

I switch my routine every day, so I don't get bored. I had a bad back and bad knees for a period of time so I did a lot of isometric exercises, which really made a difference. I try to work my entire body throughout the week.

As far as speeding up the weightloss, it's all about calories in and calories out. If you are burning more than you are taking in, you will lose weight. Exercise can only help you to reach that goal.

first resource for you to go check out is www.stumptuous.com Mistress Krista is the goddess of workouts for women. She has really awesome advice in terms and language the average newbie can understand.

Second word of advice comes from a trainer I had one for a boot camp class. "Its not about the hour of exercise you do a day, its about what you put into your body the other 23 hrs of the day that counts." Remember that.

Now, go find a consistent training program you can stick to. Find something you like and that will keep your interest so you don't get bored of give up. Expect to feel some muscle aches when you first start things up, but don't give up and keep working out, they go away, and you will feel better.

Personally, I work out 4 to 6 days a week. Generally its about an hour a day and I burn on average 600 cals an hour. My average heart rate during the workouts is about 150 - 165 range. Today's workout was 1:10 long, 700 cals, average heart rate 147. I rode 4.5 miles to the gym, did upper body weights then rode 5.5 miles home. Average bike speed was 14 going, 12.5 return. ( I was tired). and the lower than average heart rate includes the weight workout and 2 breaks for phone calls.

I do change up my routine every day. M-W-F I meet friends at the gym at 5:30am and we do an hour workout using the crossfit series and a triathalon training. T-H I bike to the gym for weights. Sat/Sun we are active, and varies for biking, diving or something (including rest).

I've been working out like this for a few years - although there have been times I'll take a couple months off and only get 1 or 2 workouts in a week.

Hope this helps.

Do you exercise every day? I do, at least 30 minutes or more, usually more, of something... I am a regular gym rat, if I don't go to the gym, I walk, run, roller blade, swim, yoga, intense housework, gardening, I do something...

Do you take days off from exercising? Some weeks yes, some no, I listen to my body... If I'm tired and achy I take a break...

Is it good to take days off to give the body time to rest? Yes, specially from weight training... If you're doing a full body workout you should take a day off in between, but this doesn't mean you can't do cardio or something active like hike, bike, etc...

Do I need to up my calories since I'm starting to exercise or stay the same? No not really, but if you are ravenous have a mini-meal of a portion of protein and carb... Eating after a workout is ok, it will not undo your hard work, it will actually feed and fuel your body

I know exercise helps you lose weight but does it help speed it up? Yes absolutely... Cardio is also good for the heart and speeds up metablolism to help lose weight... Weight training makes muscles which is metabolically active and therefore burns calories, the more muscles you have the more you burn calories...

Should I just focus on cardio with a little strength training thrown in? Do both, either on the the same day or alternate days of cardio and weight training.

Do you change up your routine or change it up every day? To start change your routine every 4-6 weeks... but if you get bored easily, as I do, change it more often if you want. I change mine pretty much everytime I go to the gym... I just decide which body parts I want to work on... Sometimes I make up my own workouts, other times I find a workout on the internet...

HTH keep us posted on your progress...

I do tend to do something every day but I run 6 days a week and do take 1 day off from that. i definitely do aerobics or strength training that day off though. I also do some kind of other exercise 5 days a week - yoga or aerobics or ellpitical or strength training. I also don't make myself feel guilty if I just need a TOTAL break day!!

I don't up my calories but there are times I am more hungry than others!!

I do more cardio than strength but I do wish I would have mixed it up more. Just think maybe I wouldn't have some of the issues I have now.

Change is how you see it - for me I like the same ole same ole consistancy lol My BIL loves to run in new places - me give me the same park. Just what I know and like - I try to mix it up a little but just doesn't work as well for me.

Definitely need to figure out what works best for you and will help you stick to it. If one doesn't work - don't give up - find something that does!

Do you exercise every day? I started out doing 2 or 3 days a week but now am up to 4 days a week. I figure the more work outs I can fit in the better, as something always seems to get in the way, and that way I don't have to worry.

Do you take days off from exercising? Rarely, I find the longer I take off, the more likely I am to quit everything all together. I took four days off because the first day was a planned day off because I got off work when the gym closed, the second and third I was sick, and the fourth I was feeling lazy still and just wanting to take a day to myself. Today is the fifth day and I'm back on track

Is it good to take days off to give the body time to rest? I think this is important as it gives your muscles time to heal, or even alternating the parts of your body you work out so that your giving the other parts a rest that day.

Do I need to up my calories since I'm starting to exercise or stay the same? I was eating a banana or having a boost diabetic before hand because I thought it was the right thing to do, but I find I'm not hungry and I do have the energy so I don't anymore. My regular meals are fine to carry me through the day even if I work out.

I know exercise helps you lose weight but does it help speed it up? I think so! If your just eating right, or just working out, but not doing both your only going to lose half as fast. I even feel because I do work out, that if I miss a day my body will still lose at a steady rate because I'm so much more active. Like my metabolism is getting much better. Four days off and I maintained the lowest weight I've ever seen

Should I just focus on cardio with a little strength training thrown in? Do you change up your routine or change it up every day? I don't change it too often, I like predictibility. Though I do change it up once in awhile. Right now I do half an hour of cardio and half an hour of strength training. I try to try something new each day I'm at the gym.

Thank you so much for the advice! I really really appreciate it!