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Exercise is good for you, and every one should do it on a regular basis, BUT-- it won't help you lose weight.
One pound of fat contains over 4000 cal, and even a trained, aggressive athlete who really pushes hard will only burn about 500 cal in an hour.....As an untrained participant with other "energy" issues, you'll burn even less...OTOH- burning that extra few 100 cal each day by exercising, it will allow an extra few 100 cal of diet to be eaten without becoming part of new fat storage.
Another point to be aware of-- you can't "spot train" to lose fat from certain areas. When cal expenditure exceeds cal intake, you burn fat in a set sequence-- face/neck first, hips/thighs last. Belly & breasts come in between.
BEWARE- when you stop dieting and return to your previous sinful ways, you put the weight back on in reverse order-- hips/thighs first, then face/neck last...That's why people who repeatedly go on & off diets seem to get more and more pear shaped over time...They first put new fat on over the old hip fat that they never got around to losing on the last diet.
This is interesting. I was not aware of the order of weight loss and gain. That's insightful. I am considering surgery for the abdominal area down the line as it's also due to pregnancy which is probably beyond the scope of diet and excerize for me but in the mean time some of the weight needs to go.
Check your local library for exercise DVDs and books. Some web videos have exercise videos. Easier to play them on your TV than trying to follow on your phone or tablet. Body weight exercises are a great start. At one time some people would regularly do some basic exercises in the morning like push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, and sit-ups. Replace sit-ups with the plank and later add in leg lifts. Depending on your level of strength you may needs to start off with wall push-ups or lay on floor with legs bent at the knees to do push-ups on the knees instead of the balls of your feet. At a later point you can add burpees and triangle push-ups. Jumping jacks are an in-home cardio you can do without machines. If you can do these easily then you could add jump rope. A 20 to 30 minute walk 3 days a week is a more gentle start to cardio. If easy then increase the pace while still being able to talk. If still easy you can add wind sprints to the walk for a change of pace. Walk for several minutes then jog or run for 30 seconds to a minute then walk again. There are body weight exercises for the back, legs, and front torso. One can get a toned body from just body weight exercises. Add in some dynamic stretching and light yoga for flexibility.
I'd recommend walking in nature and yoga...especially a gentle yoga class that involves a good deal good & gentle stretching.
My yoga teacher used to tell us "You're only as youthful as your spine is flexible."
I've found that to be the truth.
If weather is too cold for outdoor walking, a treadmill or indoor bike is fine, too. My aging knees don't much like the treadmill any more so I take along an interesting book and do 30-40 minutes on the bike and then do a round of resistance machines.
Go to the gym 3-4 times a week, yoga once or twice. Cycling and walking outside weather permitting. Try to do something active every day. Good for my spirit as well as my body. Sleep better; better mood.
I find the yoga and the bike and the resistance machines keep me in pretty good shape and help with balance and strength.
Then there's diet. Limiting my bad carbs (white, processed) and eating lotsa of veggies and fiber-rich carbs and good fats keeps my weight where I want it. No fast food; sodas, little sugar.
Since I hate dieting, I find my permanent clean eating plan keeps me satisfied and not deprived....
Sound reasonable? Full speed ahead -- and wishing you all good luck on reaching your goals.
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