For the last week or so, I've been exercising 2 hours a day (cardio), which is a huge jump for me. Is this too much? Should I be doing 1 hour instead and maybe an hour of yoga or another lighter form of exercise?

Already my thighs/calves are feelig on the tight side, and I don't want to injure myself. I also want to avoid stretch marks, so I don't want to lose weight too rapidly.

Also, I am a pear-shape, so my upper body and calves are slim, but I carry a lot of weight around my hips, bum and upper thighs- should I do exercise that specifically targets those areas or should I just concentrate on overall weight loss first?

i would cut down the cardio by 30 minutes and replace it with 30 minutes of specific body part0(ie; chest oneday, biceps/triceps one day, calves/hamstrings one day, quads/glutes one day, back/shoulders one day) weight training, that way you will build some muscle that you wouldnt nessecarily get from doing just cardio, id also split the cardio into 2 sessions a day ie; 2 x 45 minutes a day, several short workouts throughout the day seem to be more effective than 1 long exhausting workout and you probably wont plateau as quickly

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

This kind of question comes up so oftem, in my little world. And for me, while my temptation is to answer in a curt manner, I have come to realize that this can be a very charged subject for many who struggle.

The short answer, garbage in/garbage out. Which means, habits of eating, thinking, doing, believing, etc. develop over long periods of time. For most, they never get broken. And when you talk about wanting to lose in certain areas, well truthfully the body doesn't work that way. The body stores fat where it can, but it is somewhat different for each person. Generally speaking, women tend to store fat in the thighs, rear end. I've heard some say that women with a "pear" shaped body often have issues with the thyroid also, but I can't say for sure. Worth getting checked. Men, tend to store fat in the lower stomach area, think of the beer belly. So if a man were to decide to lose that belly and start doing situps, he'd likely have muscle tissue build underneath the fat, which would actually cause the stomach to look bigger.

I think the key is to begin to come to grips with a few things: First, if you don't change how you eat, the combinations of foods and the times of day in which they are eaten, all the exercise in the world won't change how you look too much. This is hard and you can't do it alone. Find friends who are also on a road to health and keep each other accountable. Get as much information as you can, and begin to apply it every day. And know this, you can change, your body's cells can be renewed. Second, when embarking on an exercise program, get as much info as possible. What advice was given in the previous post is good advice. Trying to shock your system with an hour or two hour cardio workouts are not neccessary and sometimes harmful. Shorter, more intense workouts are more helpful. But building the larger muscles (back, thighs, rear end) will help more than doing bicep curls, etc. The key to exercise is not to run out and join a gym and blast your body with a bunch of new exercises that statistics show you might give up anyway, when you don't lose as fast as you think you should, but to begin to change your everyday habits from couch potatoe (if you have that tendency) to activity on a regular basis. Treadmills are beneficial if used properly, but I have to be honest with you, after 12 years of treating people with back and neck problems, I can say that they can cause more harm than good when NOT used correctly. I am amazed how many people hurt themselves when exercising.

So much of everything has to begin with a change of mind. It seems to make sense to begin exercising if we feel we aren't the size we should be. But so many will join a gym, try to shock the body into some idea of perfection, and when it doesn't happen, fall into old habits, or worsen. Think about little changes, which might just have big results. Go on more walks in a park, walk uphill. When you go to Walmart, stop waiting for the first parking space in front, park out further and walk there. Get a bike and ride around the neighborhood with the kids, they'll love it. IOW, find activities you can do that will get you used to exercise regularly. If you do yoga, do it. But don't rely on some yoga DVD to change your life. Yoga is a practice that has been going on for many centuries. It's a way of life, not just a few exercises designed for strength. If you have never tried Tai Chi, find yourself a good teacher and go for it. This is another "exercise" that looks easy ( and the movements are easy to learn) but is one of the most difficult things I've ever tried to do correctly. Great health benefits, including cardio. You'd never believe you'd get a cardio workout from Tai Chi, but I guarantee you will.

Lastly, do get in touch with who you are. You are not your size. And you are definitely not alone. In your inner self, you probably feel that way, but it is not so. I hear so often people telling me things like "I'll be the same size as my mother", etc. My answer to that is "Not if you don't do what your mother does". My own sister has struggled with weight all her life. And to this day, she starts a new diet every monday and cannot understand why she's gained and gained. And yet she's the first to have her hand in the proverbial "cookie jar" (and the real one if it's close). I've tried to help but to no avail. Truth is, she doesn't really want to change, she just wants the attention. So that would be my question, "Do you really want to change?" And the answer, of course, is "Then start today". Best to you and keep at it. But don't let your size determine who you are, you are so much more.

David

Hi guys, thanks for the replies

Jodi- I don't have access to a gym, and the only equipment I have is a lateral thigh trainer and some light weights. I have exercise DVDs that show exercises that target muscle groups, so I think I'll give those a go. The reason I do the 2 hours all in one go is because I now have a nice, extremely convenient time slot in the morning

David- thanks for the big response! Not sure about your comment about normally answering in a curt manner? Did I say something wrong? I love exercising, but for a long time have had a very sucky lifestyle where I haven't had the time to do it much, so am seizing the day and doing as much as I can in the time I now have You're right about the bad habits, but since doing the cardio regularly, I generally feel a lot more happy and in control.

I would love to get into yoga I've had a few goes of the exercises but find some of it quite complicated!

Please excuse the smiley overload in that message!

Hi suspendedindefinitely,

Heavens no, you said nothing wrong. What I meant to say, and forgive me if it seemed that way, is that I have been bombarded by this question so often, and especially my own family. And after trying to help them, they seem to never take anyone's advice (except maybe Oprah lol), so that is why my temptation is to be curt. That is why I tried to imply that I have come to realize just how many people really struggle.

I applaud you for "seizing the day" and encourage you in it. But, as with jgunn, I would encourage you to take cardio in shorter, but more intense time frames and use more time to build specific large muscle groups. That's all I was trying to say, sorry, I get long winded. Wish you everything good in your journey, and don't give up.

No worries, DNS, I appreciated the input! The last few days I have felt a bit tired, so I cut down the cardio to 1 hour. I'm feeling nice and energised. Yayyy!

hun you dont need a gym or fancy equipment to do weight training, your own body weight can give you pleanty of resistance especially to begin with lol (boy does mine ever resist at times hahaha ! )

this is a couple really good site to get some good ideas to do weight training using bodyweight and give you some ideas

[www.unique-bodyweight-exercises.com]
and
[www.bodyweightculture.com]

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Hi, I have read this post. Yoga is the best for our health. I have done my yoga teacher training course. Schedule is very important, when we are doing any type of workout and yoga also.I tried to imply that I have come to realize just how many people really struggle.
________________________
marijuana seeds

Dang, you never cease to give me a smile when I read most of your comments jodi, you are hilarious,LOL... "(boy does mine ever resist at times hahaha ! grinning smiley ) " really , your often the highlight of my thread reading on here,lol.

I guess I dont have much to add to the discussion though as I think they pretty much covered it, stay hydrated, have fun, high energy music that all has generally the same or similar beat and tempo always helps me maintain intensity and makes it more fun...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?