Hello all,

Let me preface this by saying I've never been in shape. Ever. Now that I am living on my own and am controlling the food that comes in and out of my apartment, I've increased the number of fruits and vegetables I eat and cut out a good amount of the junk food I used to eat. I'm working on eating smaller meals and more slowly.

I want to find a routine that is cheap and for the person beginning to exercise. I found Part 1 of the first level of Jillian Michael's 30 day shredding on YouTube. There is no way I will even get though the half hour of exercise routine in the video, at least at this moment in time. I'm going through as much of it as I can, trying to reach a goal of being able to do the full half hour everyday.

For those of you who know this routine: is this a good one for a beginner? Is there another one you would recommend? Any other suggestions?

Thanks for your help.
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MJ, I've used the original Power 90 program with good results. It's two discs, two workouts per disc. It'll get you sweating and dropping weight fast. Iwhen I first started I couldn't do every rep, but it got easier after a couple of weeks. You can get it pretty cheap off Amazon.

One of the best and easiest things you can do is start walking. 30 mins 5-6 times a week will do wonders. Throw in some pushups and crunches and you've got a cheap and easy workout to get you started.
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And the walking gets you out of the house where it is easy to get bored and eating!
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Plus you can smoke a cigar too. :-)
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Either of these two books can get you started:

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Life-Ment.../dp/0060193395

http://www.amazon.com/Bring-It-Revol.../dp/1605293083

I prefer Tony Horton's, because many of his strength routines can be performed by moving your body weight, so are low on the expense side.
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My suggestion would be to go to Bodybuilding.com they have plenty of workouts that you can look at and go off of.

The workouts will also have food/ dieting plans to go off of.
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The three best weight exercises you can do are squats, bench presses, and bicep curls. Those along with a 30 minute aerobic session and some stretches are all you need to get into decent shape- and, eating right!
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I always find going with someone who shares the same goals helps me a TON. I'm really pleased with the progress I've made in the past year , and I know it's definitely because I always go with a friend who I know will push me. I find myself going way beyond limits I would normally reach if I was working out alone.
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I agree with both of these to a point.

Yes those 3 basic workouts with a really good hard cardio plan would do the job, but you will have to start doing other exercises to get those "hard to reach" muscles. Now me saying this, is going to be a while down the road for you if you are just starting.

2nd, Yes having a great workout partner is awesome. It is nice to have someone there to push you when need it.
But the down fall is that if they fail you fail.
You have to be willing to go to the gym without your partner.

If you are looking for someone to workout with, I suggest you find someone that hits the gym every day right now. That way they motivate you to go with them. If you go with them don't get discouraged when they try to show you different things to do. Remember your in their element, they may know something better.

One of the best things you can do is going to be to eat right, I am not big at all. I workout 5-7 times a week, I am fit and in shape. I eat everything, but I eat it right. Plus I am over seas right now so I can eat right... I am going through about 18 hard boiled eggs (Egg Whites only) in about 4 days right now. Those are my snacks, well gummy bears too (They are Fat free).

You can do it, If I remember right you are in college. You should have college gym there that you could use pretty cheap. Plus I am sure there is some people there taking classes to be fitness nuts with a degree, so they should be able to help you.

Ok I am done rambling sorry, long day:-)
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MJ, I do the Take Shape For Life Program. I have lost 38 pounds in a month and a half. I am also a health coach for TSFL. Here is a link to a description of it: http://ohiodan.tsfl.com/

Please let me know if I can give you more information. :-)
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Shawn makes some great points. If you're going to start lifting, start with the basics, but be open to try new things in the gym. Squats, bench press, dead lift, pullups/chinups, lunges, and cardio. That's how I started lifting and getting back into shape. I have since added many more exercises to my workouts and I'm stronger and fitter now than I have been ever been(minus the cardio part, I'm pretty lazy when it comes to running)

Just stick with whatever you choose and you will see good results in no time.
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Thanks all! I'll review the suggestions tonight!!
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I'm searching for the same info. My weight loss has taken a tumble lately. All good suggestions here.
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I always go back to www.bodybuilding.com for workout plans or ideas for diet.

Plus there are always Hot women to look at and my wife doesn't think I am looking at any dirty sites....:-):-):-)
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If you want to lose weight, eat good tasting foods, and get semi jacked you should try what I have been doing for 10 months (lost 50 lbs). I was very overweight and I had no self control when it came to eating (VERY HARD TO IMPROVE). I also thought that my workouts were "good" when they were really sub-par because I did the same routines over and over..... You MUST mix up weight vs reps every time you workout. Additionally, you need to find different ways to stimulate the same muscles (IE - one day for a warmup you swing kettle bells, the next you walk on a treadmill that is unplugged 100 steps x4, and the next day you pull a sled with 3 plates on it 50 steps x 4)

Preface:
1. To lose weight, leg workouts are key with a mixture of core workouts (squatting, deadlifting, good mornings, etc) Your legs and middle body are what help your body build muscle and burn fat all over the body. They are also the muscles that let you live long and not crumble over onto yourself.

2. Protein is your friend, carbs and sugar are the enemy. Avoid fruit, Avoid bread/pasta.. NEVER DRINK ANOTHER DROP OF POP AGAIN.... buy crystal light packets (its 5 calories), and stop eatign cream based dressing on your salads. For the times that you cant eat well.... buy a book called "eat this, not that"

2a. Understand that "if it tastes good, its probably not good for you.

2b. One simple rule... "We eat food for effect, not taste"


3. Join a gym for 30-40 dollars per month, and seperately get a trainer that you see 1x a week. A good trainer will get you in sync once a week. I foung a guy who is a powerlifter and only charges 25 bucks for 1.5 hours and he is a miracle worker/genious. He eats, breaths, and sleeps the theory of nutrition and fitness. he's not some D-bag tanned/shaved gym rat. He is a man who is devoted to helping people live longer by helping them strengthen their muscles. never met a trainer like him. Do cardio/crossfit during the week at the gym and then have your trainer focus on muscle development on the weekend.

4. Be strict when eating, eat 5-7 times per day. Remember, over thousands of years our bodies have not evolved much from the idea that "the body stores fat when you eat less and eat less often". The prehistoric viewpoint is like this: "I am your body, and if you dont feed me enough and feed me often i will keep you alive and store fat because I am assuming that you are starving because you didn't catch anything while hunting with a spear today"

Here is what I eat every day......

7:00am - EAS Shake - 110 Cal (NOT SLIMFAST)


9:00am - 2 hardboiled eggs - 200 Cal
9:00am - 2 pieces of toast.butter - 240 Cal


11:30am - 8 ounces of meat - 200-300 Cal
11:30am - 90 second Rice - 440 Cal
11:30am - frozen veggies - 80 Cal (add lemon pepper)


2:00pm - 1/4 Cup Raw Almonds - 120 Cal


4:00pm - 1/4 Cup Raw Almonds - 120 Cal


6:00pm - 12 ounces Meat - 300-400 Cal



9:00pm - 2-3 Eggs any prep - 200-300 Cal



That is roughly 2100 Calories and a **** TON of food.... I would even ad in another portion of 8oz neat in the afternoon.... I cut weight very fast and was stuffed all the time. Best part is that I could eat steak, chicken, eggs, and toast every day (things i love)
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It sounds like you are trying to get into cardiovascular shape, so starting with that program is probably as good a start as many out there. Once that is easier, you can move on to something else.

To the extent you are trying to lose fat, understand that it is all about calories burned vs. calories consumed. Exercise is relevant to fat loss to the extent that it increases the calories you burn, but it is not necessary to lose fat. If you burn more than you consume, you will lose weight. If you also lift heavy while consuming adequate protein, you should lose mostly fat. If you don't lift, you will likely lose fat and muscle. The best thing I did was download an app for my iphone called Lose It. You track your eating and exercise so you know whether you are eating at a deficit or a surplus. I've had great success with it and so has everyone I've referred to it. And you don't have to cut carbs, eat only tofu, etc. Log what you eat and stop eating when you reach your daily limit. It sounds like a pain, but it really isn't.

Someone else mentioned bodybuilding.com. It has a forum with a couple subforums that are worth a read: nutrition and fat loss. There are a lot of stupid posts in there, but the stickies are really good reads. I suggest you check them out.
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MJ, with the program that I suggested and that I am on (Take Shape For Life), you will lose 2-5 pounds a week and 20 pounds in the 1st month. The meal replacements are phenomenal and I am a picky eater. You eat 5 meal replacements and 1 Lean and Green meal. The lean and green is lean protein (steak, pork chops, chicken, fish, etc) and a vegetable. I love this meal each day.

The meal replacements have a lot of fiber and whey protein in them. It also has all the vitamins and nutrients in it so that you don't have to take any supplements. After the 4th day on the program, you get a ton of energy because you are in fat burning mode. Included in the program is a free health coach (me) and I am there to support you and answer any questions that you have. I am down 41 pounds now and one of my clients just started last Friday and has more energy than ever before.
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Right before the holidays I started on P90X workout program. As soon as the holidays hit I took a break but have been back on the program since last monday. I have to say, I really thought it was going to be harder than it is. It is really something I think most people can stick to. I have friends who got great results from this program. :-)Hopefully I stick with it the full 3 months. I will keep you guys posted.
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Definately. Walking, situps, push ups, and watching my intake is providing results for me.

Like Bobby says Carbs and sugar are out !
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Thats the bulk of what I'm still doing. Been maintaining ~187 for nearly a year, after losing about 100lbs.
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