I moved this info here from my journal.

Exercise: I saw the trainer at the local gym, checked with my M.D., and have been doing solid cardio and weight-lifting workouts for about a month. I also weigh myself at the gym. I usually do 20-25 minutes of cardio on a treadmill and or bike, making sure I get my pulse into the right zone for my age to burn fat. Then I do one resistance exercise, but I do it thoroughly, until I "fail" the muscle (as my trainer put it). So if I'l doing chest press (I use the machine) I set it on 100 pounds and do sets of ten until I've exhaust my muscles enough that I can't finish a set. This also keeps my pulse up in the fat-burning range, since I only wait 60 seconds between sets. I then finish up with some back hyperextension (I have the typical slipped or herniated disc) and some stomach crunches on a stability ball (which also helps for my back). On occasion I mix this pattern up by doing a circuit workout--I get the pulse up, do a set of weights, go back and do the treadmill for five minutes, then another set of weights. As my trainer says: "you need to keep your body guessing." My favorite thing about exercise is endorphins!