[lled34aa]

i started out workout out with workout DVDs once or twice a week. slowly i got into fitness and ramped up the frequency of my workouts.

it's been a year now, and these days, i workout almost every morning, for 20-30 minutes. i sometimes go hiking over the weekend and that's the extent of my cardio. when i work out, it's mainly weights and stretching (yoga + pilates).

i used to be afraid of touching dumbbells for fear of looking bulky like a man. but do some simple research and you'll find that's not going to happen if you're a woman unless you take steroids.

for dropping weights, it's 80% your diet though, and 20% your workouts. with workouts, short, intense routines that gear towards toning and building your muscles is best because not only are you burning calories and fat during workouts, you'll continue to burn as your body recuperates.

i highly recommend listening to "cut the fat" podcast

http://cutthefatpodcast.com/

i learned a lot from listening to those podcasts. i don't usually go to the site though. i just listen through itunes. it's all free.