PPs, thank you so much, especially to the PP who recommended the Nike app. It's so cool and EXACTLY what I needed!!! Thank you! I continue to be impressed and amazed by the wealth of fitness knowledge on this board.

I say get out on one of the many trails around DC. Put your son in a stroller (doesn't have to be a fancy jogging stroller), put on an iPod with great music and walk as fast as you can for an hour. Add a weight training video every other day and you're set. Move into the gym when winter hits.

Head over to the Beachbody site and look around. They are the people who designed P90X, Insanity, Brazil Butt Lift....... My husband lost about 45 pounds in less than a year. And my own Beachbody coach just won $100,000 in a Beachbody contest. The great thing about Beachbody is that you get free coaching when you purchase any of the programs. Plus you have the support of so many people with similar goals. My husband did P90X and Asylum. I think they still have the Asylum video up. It's crazy intense. But so effective. I'm doing Turbo Jam. I'm not overweight. I'm working to tone and build more muscle. They have programs for everyone. It's not a quick fix. And it's definitely not easy. But if you follow the programs, it works!

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/BethHuntsberry

Have you ever considered hiring a trainer for a little bit? You don't need to spend a ton or do it for long, but maybe long enough to have them teach you some moves and design some workout plans for you.

A health blog I read (http://www.tinareale.com/) is starting an online boot camp program in a few weeks. She will give workouts every week and they can all be adapted to do at home. It only costs $25. Could be a good place to start. Check out this post for a great at home workout http://www.tinareale.com/1823/move-it-monday-burpee-blaster/

I also really like the Jillian Michaels dvds. No more trouble zones is a great at home weight training workout.

You could also try something like P90x or turbofire.
Good luck!

Congratulations for taking the first step.

One thing that has helped me a lot has been finding a class. I really enjoy, and get motivated by, working out with other people. It also helps keep me on track because I know that people will wonder where I am if I'm not there. I was about your size and started with yoga and have more recently added on some traditional workout classes that use cardio/weight routines.

The hardest part is not the workout.. it's getting to the gym. Whatever you can do figure out childcare, get in your workout clothes, and make your way through the door (or plop in the dvd if you're home) is worth it.

You can do this!

Go on to pinterest and look at the fitness boards. There are tons of pins with series of body weight exercises strung together for a really good workout.

See if you can download Nike Training Club on your phone or iPod touch if you have one. It's a female focused workout program with tons of different workouts including "get focused" which would has some special workouts for the spots you mentioned plus 30-45 min cardio workouts. It's a good way to keep you more interested than running probably would. The most you use besides body weight is a medicine ball and dumbells.

I've been reading this section for several months now and am amazed at how much fitness knowledge there is among all of you. I need help. I'm sick and tired of feeling depressed about how I look and I finally want to do something about it. I'm appealing to your collective expertise and am hoping you could put together a simple workout for me that will make me fit, healthy and a better wife and mom.

About me: 35, 5'6', currently 200 pounds. I think my goal weight is 135 but really I would be happy with 145 or even 150. I stay at home with my son. Perhaps this is surprising but I have a natural hourglass shape -- you just can't see it anymore. I'm getting the eating part under control but want to add in a fitness routine to complement my lifestyle change.

Problem areas: upper arms (heavy); abdomen/stomach (flabby); butt (flat, wide); thighs (heavy); calves (thick). I realize you can't spot reduce but perhaps there are exercises I can do to give these areas a boost?

I have access to a small gym and I also can do workout DVDs at home. It would be great to learn exercises that use my own body weight as resistance. If possible, I prefer to do a routine that is really, really simple. I feel like a lot of fitness routines are complicated and if I'm being honest, unless the workout is easy to understand and under one hour I just won't do it. I want to know what to do, how to do it and how often to do it.

My goal is to get in shape by my birthday, which is in April.

I realize this is a big request and if no one responds I totally understand. I just thought I would reach out as part of my journey to get myself back.

Thanks so, so much!