Tip 8: Do What You CAN

happy new years everyone!
I know that this time of year is a time of starting over for people. and for many people, that means trying to lose some weight. (see my last post, with Tip #7 for why this is a bad idea, and ways to stick with it anyway) but anyway youve made a choice to change, and...
thats great! congrats on taking the first step towards a new you in this new year! :)
this past weekend, i went to the mall several times, and i noticed a trend: many places were  selling fitness equipment- shoes, clothes, weights, bands, balance boards, core balls, trimmer belts, etc. this selection can be very overwhelming. so what do you do? if you're like me, my first instinct is to pick up anything i don't have. which is both good and bad. its good because i have variety, but it's bad because i can select things that i'm physically not ready to use. with that said, heres tip number eight-
Tip 8: Work within your ability.
this basically means: don't try to show off, or do too much at once.
if you don't take precautions, you could end up embarrassing yourself, or even worse- becoming seriously injured- which can make you unable to work out, and could lead to more weight gain.
so heres the bottom line: working out is supposed to be a challenge. 
with that said, you don't want to be puking, dizzy, fainting, or in alot of pain. that phrase "no pain no gain" is wrong!
start off nice and easy, and up the "volume" as you get used to the exercise. diving into an extreme workout can be very dangerous- especially for your cardiovascular system. if your heart isn't used to the exercise, you can get into some serious trouble. you could overwork your heart to the point of a heart attack! ouch! we're trying to avoid those, so start slow. youll be thankful you did later. :) 
you want to be slightly winded when doing cardio, moreso at sprints/running in your workout as opposed to resting/walking. if you're feeling seriously out of breath on the treadmill-switch it to a lower speed and walk until you regain your breath, don't stop!
if you're a beginner: start with light weights during strength training, and walking during   cardio. make sure you always warm up (this is true for EVERYONE! at any level!), and cool down  to prevent injury. when first starting out, keep your workouts short- you may not have the  endurance to handle longer lengths, and could risk becoming injured, or too sore the next day to do anything. aim for 30 minutes, every day, 5-6 days a week at first, and gradually increase to 60 minutes. if you're too shy to head to the gym, buy exercise DVDs and workout at home, they often instruct you through warm-ups and cool-downs. if you do work out at the gym, just  remember, that hott guy/girl on the treadmill next to you isn't taking notice of how fast you run, but if you try to impress them and fall on your face, they will remember that! Hahaha
if you're intermediate: make sure you're challenging yourself. this can be a problem for both intermediate and advanced workouts. don't become complacent. if you can read a novel or       magazine while on the elliptical or bike, you're probably not working hard enough! (with that said, some great low-level cardio work can be done while reading, but don't make it you main  workout!) a good idea for any level is to create little goals for yourself- for example, if   you work out for 90 minutes, 5 times a week, bump it up to 120 minutes, or 6 days a week.
if you're advanced: challenge yourself! GO FASTER. HARDER. HEAVIER. MORE. increase reps, do inclines, intervals. the key to maintaining your fitness, and increasing weight loss is to "mix it up" and challenge your body in new and different ways. if you're an expert runner, and run 5 miles every day, running 6 might not be as much as challenge for you, but if you bike 5 miles instead you're switching it up. you could also swim, or take a new fitness class- a great idea if you want to meet healthy and fit individuals to associate with. and stay motivated!
Best of luck with the new year, and getting to that "new you!"
Just another whale, 
MyzzLyzz