cardio after weightlifting
Don't even argue with me on this saying you should run before lifting.
Every play a sport? Ever wonder why conditioning is at the end of practice?
It's actually very dangerous to have someone lift after they're exhausted from running and I've had so save quite a few idiots I was spotting on the bench.
You get the best results by pushing yourself to the brink. Your body adapts over time because, as it senses the stress of being pushed to its current physical limit, it will have to either get stronger to survive, or it will die. Evolution is grand.
As it has been said, fitness is not a one time thing, but a "lifestyle change." It really is just a lifestyle change because you only see improvements if you commit to your new lifestyle of working out as much as possible (preferrably every week day and not a few weekends). Your body changes based on the stimuli it has. Your body is smart, and it's very cool how just keeping at doing pushups and crunches every day will absolutely get you results within a month IF you tell your body what to do instead of your body telling you.
It hurts, it should hurt, you should want it to hurt. Allow your body to be the animal it is, but like I said previously, you must control your body. Own yourself. "I'm too tired" "The weather isn't nice" "I'm too sore" "I can take a day off" are things people say who are not in control of their body.
As for food, eat until you're not hungry. Not until you're full, but until you're not hungry.
Fitness is fun. And also sexy. When some chick puts her hands on your arms or pushes you playfully, then grabs you again because she liked what she felt the first time and you can see it in her eyes or smile or what she says...it's just great.
You have a duty to be physically fit to yourself, your community, your family. The Ivy League used to not even admit students who weren't also athletes and many private schools in the US force every student to play a sport. Healthy body; healthy mind.