I'm starting to work out again after nearly a year of inactivity, but I'm at sea when it comes to planning a workout for the best results. Also, I'm not quite sure whether to start at a beginner's level (again) or try to pick up where I left off.

Can anyone give any advice and recommend any good workout books? I'd sure appreciate any help.

Thanks!

Good for you, Eric! I would start off slowly, but work consistently. Do you belong to a gym? If so, you might consider getting a session with a trainer. You don't have to buy into some multiple sessions package plan, just one will suffice for starters. Then as you see improvements, you could get another session to take you to the next level. Or, while at the gym, look what the really fit guys are doing and follow suit. You might pick up a copy of an exercise magazine. I like Men's Health. You can usually get a variety of exercises for a variety of body parts from one issue. You could also browse the WEB for these as well.

If you don't belong to a gym, get outside and enjoy the fine weather. Any sort of outdoor activity will get the heart pumping: go for a walk, a light jog, a bike ride, a swim. Do you enjoy sports? Get involved in a softball league, or as fall approaches, a touch football league.

Do you have a friend or work colleague, who you could join you in exercising? A workout partner will give you added incentive (read kick in the butt ) that we all sometimes need.

Any exercise regimen should also include the right diet. Eat sensibly and you are more likely to have the energy to exercise. But also plan cheat meals (I like blueberry muffins, but keep them for Sunday mornings).

The author of a blogspot posted 101 Tips for starting and staying with an exercise program. Two of the best were placing your alarm clock away from your bed and putting exercise clothes next to it. Once you're up, get out there. I can't find the link, but am happy to send you his tips via pm, if you wish.

Just remember...Discipline and Patience! Before long you'll be back to your old self!

Good Luck! Keep us posted!

Best,
BBC

Eric I'm right there with you. I've been overweight since high school and after many on and off attempts to lose weight, I'm determined to succeed. I've started working out with a personal trainer (at the university here they are really inexpensive, yet highly qualified) and have been taking a serious look at what I've been eating.

A big thing for me has been to let people know that I'm doing it. It's amazing how much support I've gotten.

BBC pretty much hit every single point I was gonna make (you beat me to the punch BBC). The one thing I would add is just to remember that there are going to be potholes along the way and not to beat yourself up over backsteps. That's always been a big problem for me and one that I am working on.

Let's keep each other updated on our progress.

BBC if you wouldn't mind pm'ing me those 101 tips as well, I'd really appreciate it.

Happy to oblige, tbbucsalstott!

Eric, also remember that rest is important for recovery. And sleep is an integral part of it. Try to get that eight hours a night. For starters, begin with 3-4 days a week with rest in between.

Variety, too, is key. Mix your workouts up. Don't do the same thing every day. If you walk, jog, or bike, go different routes. Take a yoga or a spinning class as you progress. Load your iPod or MP3 player with music to get you motivated. Use your lunch hour to take a walk or work in a workout at the gym. Don't take the elevator, park your car a little further away than you usually do wherever you go. Better yet, if you are able, take public transportation or walk rather than driving yourself for work, running errands, and what not. Make your own healthy lunch rather than buy something not so healthy at work. Five smaller meals a day is a good aim. Just break out of the old routine.

Tbbucsalstott is right about the potholes. Take one day at a time. And remember that you have a tremendous support group right here!

Cheers,
BBC

I'm not a repeat beginner - just a beginner.

I started on a weight loss regimen 16 weeks ago. I was consistently losing about a pound a week. 6 weeks ago I found a personal trainer and have been doing weights in addition to the cardio. The weight loss has increased some. I am now 1 pound short of my halfway weight loss goal. 21 of the 44 that I will lose.

The biggest surprise for me is how much I enjoy time in the gym or outside when weather permits. Other than hiring the trainer, the biggest step I took was scheduling my workouts in stone. No excuses, nothing else that takes priority over the workouts. I've also changed my diet - lots of fruits and vegetables. My health has improved dramatically with just a 20 pound loss. And I won't stop until I hit my target weight - for the first time in 15 years

For some inspiration (I'm always looking for more), check out the current issue of Men's Fitness magazine. It has Tim Tebow on the cover. At the end of the issue, there is a feature entitled, "Success Story." It is the story of Arkady Hagopian, a 29 year-old Californian, who went from 240 lbs. to 160 lbs. He began slowly, but he now is now training for triathlons. He kept track of his progress via a blog. Go to From FAT,to FIT, to IRONFIT for his story.

Take Care,
BBC

Okay, this goes under the "Who Says Exercise Doesn't Pay Off" category. I went out this afternoon for a bike ride. There is a great park north of Ames that has a large lake and lots of bike paths. While I was doing my first lap of the lake, I look down and see....a $20 bill! I hit the brakes and bent down to grab it. There wasn't anyone around so finders keepers.

It was a great ride. The weather today couldn't have been nicer and there were even a few DILF's out with the kids. I was glad they got the "shirt optional" memo.

thank goodness for DILFs

At the risk of sounding out of it...no, wait a minute, make that stupid ...What's a "DILF?"

"Daddy in Left Field?"

It's means "Dad I'd Like to F**k". It's a variation of MILF "Mom I'd Like to F**k".

There were some hot dads out at the park on Saturday.

Oh!! ...Thank you, TBbucsalstott! You also anticipated my next question. I was trying to figure out why people were referring to Pallin as a "MILF."

I prefer "PHDs"..."Pretty Hot Daddies," myself.

Hope you see more of them on your next outing, but more importantly an "AGGY"--"Available Gay Guy." I just made that up!

Just wanted to update everyone on my progress. On August 1st I weighed 240 pounds (at 5'7", it's not a good look). Wednesday morning I stepped on the scale and it read 225.5! A healthy 14.5 pounds off of my frame for good. I've been working out at the ISU Rec Center and have been watching what I eat. My goal for October is to drop another 5.5 pounds.

Probably the best thing I've done for my sanity is on Thursday I took the battery out of the scale in my bathroom. I had gotten a little carried away with checking my weight every morning.

Sounds like you're doing it the right way -- the old saying "slow and steady wins the race" really does apply when it comes to weight loss. If you do some unusual diet and lose a bunch of pounds the first week it seems to eventually come back with a vengeance. Keep up the good work!

That's great news. Congratulations, tbbucalstott!

Thanks for the words of support guys. This has not been an easy road for me over the years. I've been trying to do this the smart way - eating less and exercising more. I know the weight will come off s-l-o-w-l-y, but oh how it's been hard not to get discouraged along the way when I feel like I'm stuck. The support system definitely helps.

BBC, I got hooked into reading the triathlon thread. How has that been going for you?

It's going okay. The training is fun. Just have to bike more and pick a race. Will post about it in the next week or so.

After you take off a certain number of pounds, you may start to plateau. Remember, it's one step at a time. And again, you have a great support system here. Keep at it!
BBC

I volunteered at a triathlon here in central Iowa in August. It was a lot of fun and I was amazed at the different types of people who were doing the event. Not to mention the nice eye candy there was. Yowzah!