Ok so I finally got my butt moving. I joined a gym and have worked out for 3 days straight. I am going to keep working out until 20 lbs are gone. I've already lost 3 lbs since I began my workout!! :huggie: My workouts have been intense!

Ok so my question is, when will I stop feeling completely drained and exhausted by my workout? I know workouts eventually GIVE you energy but so far I am just tired and sore. I want to feel that pumped up energetic feeling! Does it take weeks or will I feel it soon? I need to feel that good feeling soon or I will be SO tired all the time until my 20 lbs are gone.

I teach 6th grade, thought about going to high school, but yeah, those kids scare me too. And I have an 18 and a 15 yr old. But, of couse, mine are perfect!

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA again, Deckedout. You are a witty one.

Actually I admire you for teaching all grades. Adults are taught to nod politely and clap if you are speaking in front of them, regardless of whether or not you are a bad speaker. Kids however, are brutally honest.

Consider a heart rate monitor, e.g. Polar Fitness models F6 or F11. I didn't know squat about how heart rate during exercise affects the % of calories burned from fat vs carbohydrates, but I checked websites such as www.polarusa.com and www.howtobefit.com and learned a lot. I invested in an F11 Polar HeartRate Monitor (available on Amazon or even cheaper on eBay) and am now recording all my exercise sessions and uploading that date to a website (www.polarpersonaltrainer.com). You will be amazed at what you'll learn. The old adage, "no pain no gain" is garbage; you need to get your heartrate into the correct range (or zone) to achieve the maximum weightloss or "burn". Most all the machines at my exercise facility (Lifetime Fitness, Houston) will display your current heartrate while you exercise; no more grabbing the bars and holding on for the display.

Funny about teaching!! I am also a teacher, but I do teach math in high school. What a coincidence!

Consider a heart rate monitor, e.g. Polar Fitness models F6 or F11. I didn't know squat about how heart rate during exercise affects the % of calories burned from fat vs carbohydrates, but I checked websites such as www.polarusa.com and www.howtobefit.com and learned a lot. I invested in an F11 Polar HeartRate Monitor (available on Amazon or even cheaper on eBay) and am now recording all my exercise sessions and uploading that date to a website (www.polarpersonaltrainer.com). You will be amazed at what you'll learn. The old adage, "no pain no gain" is garbage; you need to get your heartrate into the correct range (or zone) to achieve the maximum weightloss or "burn". Most all the machines at my exercise facility (Lifetime Fitness, Houston) will display your current heartrate while you exercise; no more grabbing the bars and holding on for the display.

Hi notsobigguy, what made you choose these two monitors?

I chose Polar because they had the F6 for sale at Lifetime Fitness and all Polar models provide constant heart rate readout on most all the equipment there. I did a lot of research on the web to confirm that Polar was the way to go, then decided to spend the extra money on the F11 because of the improved transmitter, chest strap and Keep-U-Fit option to create your own workout program. F6 was $99 at Lifetime; I bought F11 on eBay for $130 (retail $179). Now I'm looking at upgrading to the F55 model. It never seems to end. Good luck.

Thanks for the info!!!