how often should i excercise?

I try to work out 5 days a week, usually around an hour a day. I don't work out on weekends unless it's going for a walk with my daughter around the neighborhood.

i normally work out mon-friday...like mamabearr, i may talk a walk or leisurely bike ride with my kiddo on the weekend.

and i normally work out from about an hour to hour and half.

I've heard many things too. I go by my own body because I don't want to overdue it. I don't know if you have a chance to go to a Nutritionist or not (I know I thought: what? Really? when my husband suggested it to me) however it's really helped me. She helped because just having someone private to talk with that didn't judge me & kept me thinking positive that I could do it helped me to see where I could make wiser choices in my eating. I DO have a sweet tooth & I DO love my food so I started with the most simple thing you can change right away which was to measure my food according to the portion serving sizes, drinking lots of water & counting calories & I lost 10 pounds just doing that without exercising. Now I do get tired of water but I've been told that Crystal Light does count towards your water intake as long as the SODIUM in it is under 15 mg. Since I started exercising (only about 2-3 times a week) for about 30 minutes on the treadmill & 10-15 on the stationary bike at the gym I lost another 6 pounds. So- that's just to give you an idea what I've been doing that works. I've heard that just 20-30 minutes a day is all you need as long as you have you heart rate up where it needs to be during those 20-30 minutes. I also did not completely give up all the things I enjoy eating, just cut back quite a bit. Also if you get a day where you gave in & ate whatever you wanted they say do not be hard on yourself (this one was a hard one for me to learn because I am very hard on myself when I do that)- they say tomorrow is another day & to wake up fresh & start again. I'm also a wife & Mother of 4 children & wanted to do something that would be okay with the whole family (youngest being 2 & his needs run different than my husband whose been battling with high cholesterol). So after searching & reviewing I decided to purchase THE BIGGEST LOSER'S FAMILY COOKBOOK & we've already tried quite a few recipes in there & we love them & it's well worth the money. Sorry this was so long, I do hope it helps.

30 minutes of cardio everyday is great for your body. The strength training is where the rest comes in. your muscles need time to rest. I work out (cardio + strength training) M-W-F then something fun on the Sat like hiking. Sunday I may rest, but if im feeling froggy I may go do my cardio anyways. Then rest Mon. Work out T-Th-Sat. Repeat. But go by what your body tells you you can do too.