Hi SomaGirl,

I have the same problem with not having all that much extra time to hit the gym. I found a great solution that has been working great so far...buy a resistance band with handles. You can do almost every exercise imaginable with one of those, and you see results quickly...which makes it all that more rewarding. I have a smaller circular resistance band, too, which works the legs well, because the other one is too big to do adduction/abduction (outer and inner thigh) exercises. And they're inexpensive - I just bought mine (with the handles) for $12 (in Canada).

Another great piece of home exercise equipment that is inexpensive is a physio ball...which is one of those big balls that you blow up. You can do many, many different exercises with it. My favourite is to sit and bounce on it while I'm watching a TV show, or am on the computer. Bounce on that thing for an hour and your legs will love you forever (after they stop wobbling!). I bought my ball about 2 years ago for $50, but they are considerably cheaper these days - I'd say around $25.

If you want to get a full range of weight exercises, you might want to pick up 3lb and 5lb dumbells. You can find a lot of excellent exercises online to do with them. You'll soon find those weights to be easier to lift, so you can move up and buy heavier weights.

And last but not least, the absolute greatest thing that has sculpted my arms at home? Wall push-ups. Stand about a foot and a half from the wall, with your hands a little more than shoulder width apart, and do 15 "push-ups"...then move your hands a little closer together, do 15 more...then move your hands so they have about 1 hand length between them and do 10-15 more. The last ones are amazing for your triceps...especially the "chicken wing" part of your arm.

Keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat, so as you're building muscle, you might find that you're gaining weight - but it's GOOD weight to gain, because more muscle = better fat burning, and your body will begin to look a lot healthier and fitter. Don't be afraid of gaining a few pounds if you know you're exercising and eating properly!

If you want to keep track of what you're eating, how many carbs/calories, the best idea is to check out and register with www.fitday.com . It gives you a breakdown of everything you put in your mouth, provided you enter the information accurately. As far as calories, it seems that 10-12x your weight is ideal.

How tall are you? Not to nag or anything, but 100lbs is very little, so I'm just curious as to your height and bone-structure (small/medium/large frame).

Anyways, I hope this helped some!

Thatgirl.