Starting out, I was doing cardio six days a week with no wieght lifting at all to knock off the first forty or so pounds. Once I really got into a groove, I added in a beginner's lift schedule. I was lifting maybe 30 min. 3 times a week and doing between 30 min to an hour of cardio, depending on whether I lifted that day or not. All it takes is pure hard work. I have been doing Tiki Barbor's training for the past few months, but now i'm realizing it may be a bit too much, i'm now looking for something as comprehensive with a few less lifts.