Getting in Shape and Losing Weight

Recently someone on one of my email lists posted a challenge to see if others would like to join her in a quest to lose some weight.  After some quick banter online, about a dozen of us took the challenge and we'll be working on losing pounds, inches, and/or various other goals (ie. getting into this size clothes, etc).

I used to be very fit and participated in all kinds of sports in high school.  Haven't done anything like that in years.  Also I am very busy, so it is difficult to fit exercise into my routine.  I know that watching my calories and drinking more water are easy to incorporate into my routine.  Here are the ideas I came up with so far for exercise:

walking (with a neighbor) - which I already committed to, but can't seem to find the time to do (frustrating)
biking - would have to be one of the kid's bikes as I don't own one
Fitness DVD - Have one or two of these
Dance Dance Revolution - or some other fitness thing on Wii (don't own Wii Fit but am considering it).

Would love to hear your suggestions as I need to get going on this.

Thanks in advance.

Geocaching

I have read about geocaching for some time and thought it would be fun, but never got around to doing it. Today the kids and I went on a nature hike with our county conservationist and about 5 other families. We hiked in an area called Whiting Woods and learned to use the handheld GPS units to find the Geocaches. It was a LOT of FUN!!! I think we are hooked..

There were 3 different caches in Whiting Woods and then we hiked back to the trailhead and ate our brownbag lunches. When I finished my lunch, I realized that I had lost my hat (and it was sunny and 88 degrees today, so I didn't want to get my face burned to a crisp), so in order to not hold up the rest of the group from driving to our next destination, I hoofed it back up the trail to the last Geocache we found. Mostly it was UPHILL and I was in a hurry....And now I know, just how hopelessly out of shape I really am..... I got back to the cache and didn't see my cap ( a leather baseball cap) and so I turned around dejectedly, thinking I walked all that way for nothing and my calves we "mooing" and my lungs were "burning". I walked about 5 feet back and there it was on the opposite side.

So since it was nearly all downhill, I hoofed it back (without burning lungs), just as everyone was finishing their lunch (and their catching of dragonlflies). We drove a few more miles to the Sylvan Runkle Nature Preserve and hiked up 238 feet in elevation. I will post pictures a bit later, but the view was breathtaking. And I can guarantee you, that we will all. sleep. well. tonight!!!!!!!

Meanwhile, I guess I better look into some type of fitness program.......so this isn't repeated the next time I want to take a hike.