when should I start toning.....

It's never too early to start lifting weights!

Strenghth training should be part of your exercise routine now. And "toning" is just building muscle. Strength training regularly will increase your metabolic rate.

this is always what i have heard. I have not been doing strength training because after cardio i just don't have the strength to do anymore.

Start building muscle, not toning, now. There's no weight loss requirement of when to start.

I have not been doing strength training because after cardio i just don't have the strength to do anymore.

Well flip your exercise around. First of all as you mentioned you'll be too tired after cardio to do a good job with the strength training. Secondly those calories you burn during strength training use up your glycogen stores (blood sugar energy - a.k.a. carbs). If you do your cardio right after strength training and keep your heart rate in fat burning zone your body will be more likely to resort to using stored fat for energy. It has to because your strength training used up the freely available energy in your blood stream.

You get stronger, and burn more fat. That's a win-win.

I'd start toning/strength training along with cardio. Muscle also helps burn fat, and there are a lot of really good workout DVDs out there that integrate strength training and cardio. Some of my favorites are Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred or her Last Chance Workout, and Bob Harper's Biggest Loser DVDs. Both of them mix cardio with upper and lower body routines. From squats, pushups, tricept curls, to jumping, quick feet, and high knees. Plus, in working out to the Biggest Loser DVDs, it motivates me to see people from the show working out as well, who are heavier than I am. If they can do it, so can I.

Yesterday.....lol
Seriously, this very moment is the moment you've been waiting for. Strength training is great.
Go!:drinker:

Lift weights now. You don't want any of that weight loss to be lean mass. Good strength training will preserve that mass.

And as someone else mentioned, yeah, do it BEFORE cardio or on different days...you don't need 7 days of cardio.

Ditto. I don't lift on my heavy cardio days. On the days that I lift weights, I do it first and go all out, and then if I'm up to it I do some kind of light cardio afterward. You'll notice really great changes in your body with strength training, so get started!

The one thing I will caution you about is DON'T freak out if the scale stops moving for a little while (or just slows down). You're not gaining weight. Your muscles are retaining fluid to help repair them, and you will notice changes in your measurements. Your body fat percentage will be going down, so don't stress about the # on the scale.

Alternate strength days with cardio and you'll be off to a great start!

the more muscle you build/tone the faster you'll burn off the fat - muscle burns fat even while at rest :happy:

OMG! You used the "T-word"!!! While perfectly acceptable on other fitness sites and in health and fitness magazines, it is taboo on the the MFP forums. Prepare yourself for the attacks.