Don't have excessively high expectations but develop a firm, enthusiastic resolve that you will get fit gradually.It has taken you years to reach the unconditioned state you are in. To expect your body to bounce into a perfect state of fitness overnight is unfair. Give yourself three months to feel the positive changes within you and six months to lose excess fat.Increase the time-span of your workouts gradually. For example, if you walk 42 minutes on the first day, you will feel tired and your legs will get stiff. And your resolve will falter. Instead, start with five to 10 minutes in the first week, increase by another five minutes the next week and so on. This is important as you give your body and mind the time to adapt and condition themselves to your new fitness lifestyle. Drastic changes cause discomfort whereas a gradual induction eases you in and gives long-term benefits.Never exercise to the point where you get breathless. You should be able to chat freely while working out. It proves that you are not over-straining yourself. Conversely, if you are trying too hard, your muscles may not be able to cope with the sudden intense stress and will tighten, making it an unpleasant experience for you. The philosophy here is: train, don't strain.Simultaneously, cut out sugar and oil-based foods to get the best results. Otherwise, you will feel you are exercising to a standstill and may just give up. Many feel that since they are working out, they are entitled to that one extra barfi. Such people never lose weight, get disheartened and finally give up. Instead, it would be wiser to nibble your forbidden sweet on a Sunday and avoid it the rest of the week. But continue to exercise ­always.Scoring runs in aerobicsNow, we come to that all-important question - how much is enough. Let us take two examples: Dinesh and Rashmi want to lose fat-weight. Both decide to do something about it.Dinesh walks for 10 minutes every day for six months. He eats his normal meals except that he applies less ghee on his chappatis. At the end of six months, he hasn't lost a single kg.Rashmi walks, jogs, cycles, swims all day long. She goes on a crash diet. At the end of six months, she has lost considerable weight but she also feels fatigued.As you can see, neither Dinesh nor Rashmi feel fit and healthy. The reasons are obvious. Dineshis not exercising enough to work off that little ghee he has every day, while Rashmi is exercising too much and feels tired and sleepy all the time. So. the answer to how much is enough? emerges clearly. For the best results, you need to take the middle path ­between Dinesh and Rashmi. The middle path ensures that you increase your oxygen-intake which burns off your fat, which in turn fills you with energy and vitality. The middle path is where you get that ready-for­anything feeling.