Of course you can get as good of a workout at home as at the gym and you don't even need any equipment. Things such as bodyweight exercises or bodyweight circuits will provide you with just as beneficial of a workout as going to the gym and using their equipment.
Putting together a bodyweight workout is as simple as adding some squats, pushups, lunges, rows, and ab exercises such as planks and curls. There are tons of things that you can do w/out weights..so just put them together and you have yourself an awesome fat burning workout! Good Luck!

I workout at home all the time... if I had a gym membership I would never go. I like the privacy and convenience of home. I have a weight bench that isn't that fancy, some free weights, ankle weights and a ball. Oh and a stationary bike. All I need is at home...except for the willpower to keep it up hahahaha

I only recently got a gym membership, just for the "adult atmosphere" part of it. I do daycare at home, so need to get out in the "real world" once in a while. I did just fine working out at home before, had all I needed and got in good workouts. Now its kind of nice to be able to choose.

I've done both, but I really prefer working out at home because I like the privacy, but at the same time the gym offers me motivation.

I'm wondering what type of exercises I can do at home to help me lose weight, but not cause me to get muscle-y. I want to maintain my curves, but just lose pounds. What are the best exercises to start out with when you're obese, around 250lbs? I have a few things at hand at home, such as a ball, some small hand held weights, an elliptical climber, and an tons of OnDemand tv channels, with just about every exercise possible.

I've been looking into trying pilates, because I heard it beats the repetitiveness of regular exercise. What type of exercise can I do up to an hour or more a day to help me maximize my weight loss?

And any suggestions on meal plans when it comes to a very tight food budget? It's so hard to buy healthy food, due to the fact it's more expensive than junk food, I think that has to do with a lot of this country's weight problems. : (

Being a girl, any weight lifting you do will only tone your muscle, not build muscle, unless you are eating like 3000 calories a day! Our bodies are not built to build muscle, so no worries.

Interval training is amazing for fat loss. Check out http://teamsugar.com/group/460498/blog/473446 for what interval training consists of. Also, any strength training you do will help to replace your body fat with muscle and in turn make you burn more calories. Having more muscle on your body, boosts your metabolism and makes your body burn calories through your entire day.

Bodyweight exercises are great for weight loss. Squats, lunges, kneeling pushups, jumping jacks...are all great things to put together a workout.
You only need 30 minutes of strength training and 20-30 minutes of interval training 3x per week for exercise. Any more than that is not going to help you lose weight faster.

Healthy meals...eat a protein and carb at each meal, chicken, beef and eggs are all good proteins. Try to eat more fibrous carbs, such as greens, carrots, corn and stay away from the starchy carbs like pasta and bread.
Check out my FREE exercises page here:
http://www.womensdietandfitness.com/FreeExercises.html and also check out the get started page to give you more ideas.

If you are looking for an online personal trainer, let me know... I could get you started on a amazing weight loss program for a month and give you more great tips!
Here is my Online training page:
http://www.womensdietandfitness.com/buildingabetteru/OnlineTraining.html

gym, regular classes at an academy.. but also, i have no furniture in my living room.. purposely.. friends show up often to play capoeira in there. we've had small, and.. hehe large classes in there. i'll add a video to my profile of just how crowded the living room can get

I prefer the gym b/c it keeps me focused.

I always thought corn was bad for you since it had no real nutritional value.