STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Start low. Maybe 5s. I would go to TJ Maxx and try to purchase a small set so that you can increase weights after a week or two and not have go buy more!

Wow, Uhhhh, I'd say start at least with 8 or 10lbs. That's not a lot of weight and really 3 lbs or 5 lbs will do absolutly nothing for you, especially with squats which work our largest (and therefore strongest) muscles.  Lift heavy! You'll get a nice shape and burn more calories which will result in more body fat loss. Work your way up to lifting with more weight.

Women do not have the testosterone to get big and bulky like a man! I don't know who started this rumor but it's nonesense. Unless you shoot up and lift for hours on end, you will not get big. Light weights do nothing. You either build muscle or lose it. Toning=building muscle. Here is an article about it.

http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseworkouts/a/liftingheavy.htm

Here's something else to read:

In fact, if you lose weight without lifting weights, you're likely to lose muscle along with fat; with less muscle, your metabolism will slow down. Be sure you lift heavy-enough weights that your muscles fatigue between eight and 12 repetitions. With lighter weights, you won't develop enough muscle to make a significant difference. Don't worry, moderately heavy weights will not make you look bigger: "Women have to lift extremely heavy weights in order to see big gains in muscle size" says Evanston, Ill., trainer CC Cunningham, M.S., a spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise. With a moderate strength-training program, you'll develop tone, not bulk.

Keep in mind that while muscle is heavier than fat, it takes up less space. "Most women report that as they start to develop muscle, their clothes fit better," Cunningham says. Plus, you'll have more power when you hike, jog or use the stair climber, which means you can work at a higher level and burn even more calories