Hi, I'm new here.

I'm 34, 5'6", female, about 205 lbs.
I would like to be 120 lbs.

What type of exercises should I do that I can do at home?
I'm scared of the outdoors because it's not so safe where I live and I can't afford to join a gym right now.

Lately, I've been watching and doing exercise videos on Youtube.

Any knowledgeable people who can help me? I know it will not happen overnight but I am willing to work hard.

I started with 2lb dumbells, please give me more ideas. I want to be sexy and firm. Please give me effective things to do. I joined a gym before and they wanted me to do cardio for a month. I'm reading that HIIT is better. I've tried something I saw online, run as fast as possible for 30 secs in place, 2 min slow, then fast again then slow and to do that at least 7 times. It seems to be good. I'm sweating so much! And I'm feeling good for only doing it a few days, along with some arm exercises and situps.

Also, I'm confused as to when I can eat. How many minutes should I wait after a meal to workout? And after workout, how long before I can eat? I only eat about 2x a day. I sleep anytime between 1am and 4am then wake up anytime between 10 and 11am. I usually eat my first meal at 2 or 4pm then again between 8-10. Can l-carnitine or tonalin help? Thank you very much.

I'm a fan of using workout vids to change things up or to get in a quick workout at home without going to the gym. Yes, I still hit the gym and the trail, but mixing up your routine (cross training, essentially) is good for many reasons. You don't overstress any one part of your body by doing the same thing over and over (for ex, only running on pavement). You also confuse your body and keep it guessing... if you do the same thing over and over your body gets used to it, adjusts. Doesn't mean you can't run your way to health, but I've seen much better results from doing many different exercises. Plus its more interesting.

the two vids I use all the time are billy blanks tae bo amped and also a pilates video set, Stott Pilates. Blanks was from target, and I like the amped series because you can vary the workout with small weights easily, you can do it half speed when starting, you can make it more intense as you feel stronger in a week or two, and it gets into my core without boring me. Its no replacement for cardio, but it's a good changeup.

the pilates we have, a Stott pilates series, is a little slow for my liking, so I use several techniques from the dvd... but seriously, if you don't think you can't get strong and cranked in with pilates, you've never tried it. It teaches good form for exercises and strengthens your core, which makes you less prone to injury during other exercises.

if you don't want to drop the 25-30 bucks on the billy blanks dvd set (target is where we bought it) you surely can get one of his other tae bo dvds online for cheap. Same with pilates... I have the link to the series we one, and it's a brand I've known an instructor to use for her business... at Amazon you might find it cheap.

or another great way to try out dvds is at your local public library. They often have a movie section that includes workout videos. You can check them out for usually a week or two for free. Great way to try something to see if it sticks.

eating 2x a day is about the opposite of what you should be trying to do. Its much better for you to spread out your meals, even have 4-5 eating periods, but smaller portions of the right kinds of foods.

for ex... fuel your body in the AM with half a banana (or other fruit) and toast with peanut butter

then a snack a few hours later of some lean meat (roast beef, turkey, etc) with cheese slices.

a reasonable lunch... if eating out try to eat half of what you are served. Portions are usually 2-3 times what you need.

later snack... a handful of nuts with healthy oils... macademia nuts, cashews, almonds (all dry roasted)

and a smaller dinner that has fruit and veggies as big in overall portion as meat and carbs.

one of the biggest things you can do is start with portion control. If your schedule demands you have only two times for a sit down meal then make those meals 2/3 of what you've been eating. Use a smaller plate. Then have that bag of nuts or meat and cheese around when you can take just 5 minutes to fuel your body.

dumping a lot of food fast in few meals isn't a good idea.

if you workout at the front end of your day you will usually have more success. Trainers will tell you to try your best to do this. It amps your metabolism early in the day, so you burn more calories... it gets the workout done, meaning you don't put it off over and over until it doesn't happen... its just a good thing to do.

also... remember you want sustainable results, which usually means you don't completely change everything you are doing all at once... make some small, incremental changes, and then add onto them. Researchers found that people who kept diet journals and workout journals lost twice the weight of those who didn't.

its about keeping a schedule, knowing the truth (how much are you really eating or working out), having a deliberate plan. A journal or log of some sort is good. A calendar with days you are going to workout and what you are going to do those days is good.

don't forget to take a good multivitamin. Get good rest. And be patient. I believe it takes 6-8 weeks to really develop a habit. Keep at it for at least that long... soon enough you will feel better, start to see results, you'll start to crave that fruit at meals, start to want that workout...

and a support team is good. Great to have a workout partner. Or bounce in here and talk about what's working and what isn't.