Hi Everyone~ I am back on track and almost two weeks into my diet and excercise plan. I guess the questions I have are, how do you know when you are overdoing it verses just pushing yourself a bit more? I find some days I am so sore the next day but then when I work out on the sore days, it helps ease it. If my legs are sore, I concentrate on another area so I don't aggravate my muscles. Also, what do you do when you feel like you are full of lead. Sometimes, it is so easy to jump right into a workout, other times it feels like there are extra bricks in my sneakers. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, Lisa

I've always been told or read that you should be a little sore occassionally, but if you get to the point of genuine pain that is persistent for more than a day, then you've gone too far (good pain vs. bad pain).
It sounds you're doing OK to me.

When I have overdone it I feel very sluggish. Very fatigued. They do say to push ourselves but we should also listen to our bodies too. But sometimes we dont know we have over done it until it is too late. You are doing good by exercising different parts of your body.

Also when I eat right and sleep 8 or more hours its easier to work out then when I dont eat right and sleep less. By eating right I mean dont eat too many fats several hours before workout. They take too much time to digest. Lot of people say its easier to workout in morning, try that one. I could not work out in morning, its hard for me to get up so early.

I wish I could work out in the morning!! I have two kids and a full time job, so it's a miracle I even get everyone ready and out of the house in the morning. But seriously, I have often found I have a hard time working out in the morning, I have the least energy then. That may be because I am a diabetic, who knows. But thanks for the tip about the fats, I will try to incorporate that. Lisa

Thanks for the feedback. Excercising has given me a new appreciation for people who really love to do this on a regular basis. It is hard for me to do, but I am trying to keep with the thoughts in mind, if you do anything for two months then it becomes a habit. I will keep the good pain theory in mind.

That soreness you feel is lactic acid in the muscle...Afther a work out the muscle is burning the fat, LA happens as a result of the burn..You feel the release of this residue on the next workout because you are lirerally exercising it out of your body...You are correct to work out different parts of the body at different times..The secret is to work out and then give the muscles time to build.. Too much workout can depleat the muscle...You want the muscle to tone and replace the fat..When a muscle is over worked it can tear down instead of burning the fat...Remember a properly toned muscle can burn 75 calories per hour. A properly toned muscle even burns calories when you are sleeping... Nice stretching exercise can be done on a daily basis..If you are going to the gym or lifting free weights look into alternating lower body, upper body and full body work outs on different visits to the gym, This will keep you from loosing muscle due to overworking any part of the body... In response to your question, you can prevent the buildup of lactic acid to some extent through particular training practices, which include appropriate nutrition habits and sport-specific training routines. ... important to understand how and why lactic acid accumulates in the muscles. When glucose is burned for ... is converted to lactic acid, which builds up in the muscles and overflows ... Redsearch this on the net and you will find a perfect diet that will augment your work outs nicely... Total success always, Bonita

That soreness you feel is lactic acid in the muscle...Afther a work out the muscle is burning the fat, LA happens as a result of the burn..You feel the release of this residue on the next workout because you are lirerally exercising it out of your body...You are correct to work out different parts of the body at different times..The secret is to work out and then give the muscles time to build.. Too much workout can depleat the muscle...You want the muscle to tone and replace the fat..When a muscle is over worked it can tear down instead of burning the fat...Remember a properly toned muscle can burn 75 calories per hour. A properly toned muscle even burns calories when you are sleeping... Nice stretching exercise can be done on a daily basis..If you are going to the gym or lifting free weights look into alternating lower body, upper body and full body work outs on different visits to the gym, This will keep you from loosing muscle due to overworking any part of the body... In response to your question, you can prevent the buildup of lactic acid to some extent through particular training practices, which include appropriate nutrition habits and sport-specific training routines. ... important to understand how and why lactic acid accumulates in the muscles. When glucose is burned for ... is converted to lactic acid, which builds up in the muscles and overflows ... Redsearch this on the net and you will find a perfect diet that will augment your work outs nicely... Total success always, Bonita