Help! New at this!

[zumbagirl51]

I'm a pretty active person, but I'm ready to get serious about my health! I am 5'7'' and weight around 158lbs. I want to lose fat, gain muscle, and be a healthy, hot me! As of now my plan is to:
5 morning cardio
2-3 nights of zumba
4 strength training days
get plenty of sleep!

My diet is one that I adapted from a few examples found here.
My questions are:
Do I need supplements? ( I can't have caffeine)
I plan to strength train in the mornings after I do cardio. Is this a good or bad idea?
And I also would appreciate any other advice that I can get. I'm so inspired by everyone on here!

[KimPossible98]

Oh man no one got to this one yet!

First off, excellent for you for making the decision to get healthier. You won't regret it, I promise.

This link is on how to calculate your macros and is the first place you should start. Ask questions if you don't get it, it's pretty important stuff.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703921

Aside from a good Protein powder that you take after your workout you do not need to use supplements. Some people go crazy with them but it's totally not necessary. I recommend getting all the energy you need from good whole food. Then later on, once you know what you're doing, you can decide to add supplements.

Strength train before cardio if you're doing them both together in the same session. Some people do cardio in the AM and weights in the PM. But generally, you do not want to depete your muscles with cardio and have nothing left for weights.

Also, if you are looking for a good program to start with I highly recommend The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler. All the ladies here who have tried it love it. You won't be dissapointed with your results.

[etherealgirl]

Good looking workout schedule OP

[Rowyn]

That's a whole hella lot of cardio if you are not just looking to lose fat. Cardio is good for your cardiovascular health, but its not that great at helping with caloric deficit because first, it takes alot of cardio to burn a decent number of cals and second, it can increase your appetite and make STAYING in caloric deficit harder. Also, if you want muscle, you need to reserve energy for lifting and building lean mass.

KimPossible gave a link to calculating caloric intake, and you may also want to try a proven strength training program (as she recommended, New Rules is a great place to start).