Just got a treadmill?

Congrats! Most of the "experts" recommend at least 30 minutes of cardio (fast walking or jogging) 3 to 4 times per week. As far as how much is too much, I suppose you could walk 24/7 if you really want to. Losing weight will be a direct result of a combo of exercise and eating less, so how much you need to use it will depend on how much you eat, what size you already are, your goal weight, etc. If you do 30 minutes a day and eat about the same you are now you will probably begin to lose weight, somewhat slowly, which is the best way to keep it off over the long haul. I put it at a small incline and jog at about 5.5 which is about an 11-minute mile for 30 minutes 3 or 4 times per week.

The wife and I have a ProForm with automatic incline and we love it. I use it twice a day and I weigh around 230. My wife uses it once a day. It has been getting this kind of use for over 2 years.

I would suggest at least 20 minutes at a time on the treadmill to really get any benefits. If you can do that at least twice a week, you'll burn a good amount of calories. Also, doing your walk in the AM is beneficial because it'll jumpstart your metabolism and you'll burn more calories throughout the day.

As far as the incline is concerned, mix it up throughout the workout.

Oooo, treadmills are awesome! I think you can walk as little as 15 mintues a day and lose weight if you are also watching what you are eating. Remember that losing weight is 85% diet!

I would start out trying walking 15 minutes a day, then when that gets easier, try a small incline, then more and more as it gets easier.

Also, try cutting out just soda, white flour and anything that contains added sugar. You will be surprised at how much this will curb cravings for sugar!