Kim - Well I guess that just makes your job (of losing) alittle more intense. I'm screwed up also, thru my mid-30's I was a chronic dieter (didn't need to be) and therefore messed up my metab too. Now I have CC and am fighting to lose this last 15 stubborn pounds. Here's wishing us both success......

OK so I'm a newbie to exercise other than just walking and have a dumb question. What is an elliptical machine? Sounds like some kind of torture chamber to me.

Star- Here Here! How long has it taken you to lose 51lbs? Thats really good?

oops supposed to say thats really good! not the question mark.. sorry!

Kim - Thanks - it has been some journey and I have been at it for several years. I can see in pictures that if I lost 15 more pounds I would look better.....
Karla - Hi and welcome to exercise! An eliptical machine is a form of torture. No just kidding it is a cardio machine which allows you to do a wide stride walk with no impact. Alot of gyms have them alongside the treadmills. They can also be compared to the Tony Little Giselle machine.....

I tried the eliptical once..I felt like a fool on it, and could not take a sip of my water without stopping!!!!!!!!!!

I am not too fond of them either Karla!

@Kim...Hey I have PCO too...well, that's what my old gyno diagnosed me with a couple of years ago. Now I'm seeing an endocrinologist! My next appt with her is Aug 29, so I'm hoping to lose a few more # before I go see her.

Sunkissed- Nice to know someone else does. Did you ever try Met? It made me lose a few lbs but nothing much else so I went off it. It makes it so much harder to lose when you have PCOS.

I mix my workouts up. I like to work out in the privacy of my own home, so I do lots of tapes. I have 12 different videos from The Firm series and step box set (firmdirect.com) and about 4 or 5 videos of Karen Voigts (karenvoight.com). Karen Voight does a lot of circuit training videos, which I like. She'll do five minutes of cardio, then five minutes of weights until you finish out the video.

I do a video one night and then hit the local running track the next. I'll either run or walk. I alternate each night like this; it helps give me variety.

Sunkissed - I do Curves 3 days a week and the other 4 I alternate with the treadmill, elliptical or tapes. Curves is 30 minutes and the others I do for at least 45.

If you are just starting out I would suggest Walk Away The Pounds. You can get 1, 2, 3 or 4 mile tapes. They are easy to follow, you don't need alot of room and you are walking in your own home so you don't have to worry about the weather.

@Kimberly
Met was the first thing my gyno put me on. But now that I'm seeing an endocrinologist, she says she's not going to put me on Met. When I found out I had PCO I was 242lbs. Then about 2 years later I weighed in @ 230. When I saw endo for 1st time in Feb '05, I weighed 216 (I gained 4lbs over 5mths ). That was why she decided not to put me on Met. I was glad though b/c I didn't want to deal with those side effects again.

Sunkissed-Looks like you are doing good on your own without it. It made me lose a few lbs but that was it and I never felt very well.