The elliptical is better than the bike. You are moving your whole body on it. It is better than the treadmill as well and easier on the knees. After using the elliptical at a gym 2+ years ago we bought one for our basement. I have done it just about everyday for 2 years now. Just got off of it now!!

By "help" for your thighs and backside, I assume you mean slim them down. Exercising them will increase muscle tone, which will decrease their size some. The typical wisdom is that weight training builds muscle mass (strength), but aerobics enhances cardiovascular fitness (stamina). The third objective is flexibility -- so you need to stretch. To answer your specific question about the effect of bike riding on your calves (I assume you ride a stationary bike) -- I do not think that bike riding works you calves very much. Body builders who want to work on their calves typically do a routine in which they go from a regular standing position to standing on their toes. If you do a few repetitions of that with weights, you really feel it in your calves. If you are bike riding, the bike will work your thighs, but I'm not so sure about your backside. The other thing you should consider is that a good aerobics program combined with a careful weight control diet will probably achieve an overall slimming in time. Trying to "shape" your body by exercising certain muscle systems is very difficult, and is not likely to meet with much success. Body builders spend 5-6 hours a day every day to achieve some of that and in the end what they achieve is mostly determined by their genes and only in part by their efforts. Really successful body builders are just lucky they have the "right" genes. You might find a book like "Fitness for Dummies" helpful in giving you a realistic perspective on what you can expect to achieve in your exercise program.

Hi Susy, glad to see you here. I agree with the journaling each day. I keep an Excel file and list everything I eat each day with the points. I sometimes don't enter anything on the weekends, especially if Jammer is home. Today I decided to not worry with points. I think that was a bad idea as I ate a sausage sandwich for breakfast and it's high in fat. I have been listless ever since, no energy. Do you think it was from the sudden change in diet? Maybe it's mental! anyway, I plan to be good for the rest of the day. I am really enjoying walking each day with my DIL and the twins. I get a good workout and can feel the burn. In the past 10 years I haven't changed clothing sizes, but can tell that I have really aged and that's mostly because I used to stay very toned and had muscles in my legs and now I have no muscle tone. To try to get in better shape I have several exercise columns on my excel file that I keep my points on. I tell myself that I have to check off one of the exercise types each day. So if it's getting late in the day, and there is no check - I better start doing steps or ab exercises! It's a mind game.

People are giving me a lot to think about. And I did broach the idea of a lift to DH. The lot is just over half an acre--150x160. For what it's worth, I've been watching the expanded northwest/west Chicago suburban area for homes with extra large garages (or both an attached and detached garage). There aren't many and they disappear fast. They will only appeal to a certain market, but to that market, they're in high demand. (Car collectors, people who have a hobby that requires a large workshop) As for garages in the neighborhood, the few existing homes have 2--several with an additional detached garage. The new homes mostly have 3--and a few have 4. I know it's not what everyone would do but that's one of the reasons to build instead of buy--because we can plan for the things that are important to us, even, or especially, if they're not commonly available. But when it comes right down to it, few of us only have as much house as we "need". I *need* a place to sit with a computer. I want it to be comfortable (desk with pullout keyboard tray), and I want a window to look out of, and I want to have nice furniture in it. I don't need any of those things (although my chiropractor might make an argument for the keyboard tray). But I want them and can't think of any reason why I shouldn't make them happen. We're all different--there are those on this board who prefer jack&jill bathrooms. I hate them. There are those who think a 2nd sink for a hall bathroom shared by kids is a waste of money. I disagree (and so would my kids)--but that's okay. We want a house with a large double shower and don't care at all about a soaking tub. Someone else wants that tub enough to devote 36 sq ft to it. That's all okay. Looking at houses on-line, I saw zillions of "newly remodeled kitchens" that I hated. Some were objectively bad designs. But most of them weren't--they were just finishes that I didn't like at all--and knew we'd pay a premium for that 'newly remodeled kitchen' even though I'd want to rip it all out. It's all part of why people build instead of buy. We want what we want--and some of us are fortunate enough to be able to make that happen.