I am as new as they come and don't know where to begin

[Zeekie]

I am a 28 year old mom of 2 and really want to transform my body.

I loathe the thought of cardio although I do it maybe twice a week for 30 minutes (workout dvd).

A membership at the gym is not an option for me right now but I am saving to start it next year. In the meantime, all i have is a set of dumbbells that weigh 7lbs each.

Is it at all possible to tone up ( firm up all jello bits haha )my body with it and some bodyweight exercises?

I am not expecting to build muscle with what I have right now but could I atleast for the rest of the year firm up and loose some body fat?

Also seriously, how necessary is cardio? Could I go for a walk twice a week and it be sufficient or am I dreaming?

I eat pretty healthy but in a low everything way and I know if I want to gain muscle I should change this. I have read a lot of stickies but just needed some personal info.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

[blunose]

the only thing you need to do to lose weight is expend more calories than you consume, cardio isn't vital, just a tool to help expend more.

[CassiiD]

the only thing you need to do to lose weight is expend more calories than you consume, cardio isn't vital, just a tool to help expend more.

couldn't agree more. keep track of what your eating is the key as they say: 'abs are made in the kitchen not the gym' haha. There is a few Iphone free apps you can get that helps you record what you eat, I highly recommend this.

Congrats on taking the first step to change :)

PS body weight exercise are great you can find tons of videos on youtube and info on here too.

[Zeekie]

Thank you for the replies :)

[pinklush]

Bodyweight exercises and tabata intervals are free and a good place to start. I have found that I can easily lose weight with calorie restriction but it does little to firm anything up. Building muscle is where I notice the difference in the jiggle. Good luck!

[rdferguson]

7lb dumbbells are better than no dumbbells.

[Smcgill45]

I am a mom of 3 so I have/had the same problem. If you can afford it I highly recommend Chalean Extreme from beachbody. Its 3 days of strength training (kit includes resistance bands so you dont have to buy weights) and 2 days of cardio/abs. I just finished the program and it worked great for me. I toned up all over,lost 4" off my waist, and gained muscle. Started my 2nd round Monday.