Weight and fitness help

infor123

Hi, I'm sure there are threads already out there relating to this but I'm looking for some advice.....
I've always been a size 8-10....probably more 10 than 8 over last few years. I've always been happy with my figure and to be honest I could pretty much eat what I wanted and I was always the same weight.

However, over the year I seem to have ballooned! I'm now size 12 and have a lot of weight around my belly area. I have moved house and job just recently so therefore is neglected myself over the last two months but even so a while before this my clothes were tight and I just wasn't impressed with my shape.

I'm not really sure why this has happened. I always walk and have done various classes but I found since I started these the weight went on even more.

I'm determined to lose it though. I need to get rid of my belly. It feels disgusting. I walk every day, do sit ups and push ups every second day an eat as I would imagine quite healthily. Any advice? What should I be eating? I don't have much money at the moment due to this change in cirxumstances so I'm trying to do stuff from home. What quick and easy dinners lunches can I eat to help me here?

How many push ups sit ups etc should I be doing daily to help tone up? Thanks in advance.

Cake Man

infor123 wrote: »

Hi, I'm sure there are threads already out there relating to this but I'm looking for some advice.....
I've always been a size 8-10....probably more 10 than 8 over last few years. I've always been happy with my figure and to be honest I could pretty much eat what I wanted and I was always the same weight.

However, over the year I seem to have ballooned! I'm now size 12 and have a lot of weight around my belly area. I have moved house and job just recently so therefore is neglected myself over the last two months but even so a while before this my clothes were tight and I just wasn't impressed with my shape.

I'm not really sure why this has happened. I always walk and have done various classes but I found since I started these the weight went on even more.

I'm determined to lose it though. I need to get rid of my belly. It feels disgusting. I walk every day, do sit ups and push ups every second day an eat as I would imagine quite healthily. Any advice? What should I be eating? I don't have much money at the moment due to this change in cirxumstances so I'm trying to do stuff from home. What quick and easy dinners lunches can I eat to help me here?

How many push ups sit ups etc should I be doing daily to help tone up? Thanks in advance.

The reason why it has happened is because you've been/you are eating too many calories more than what your body needs which leads to weight gain. Doing classes and walking is great but too many people put too much emphasis on exercise when it comes to weight loss. It all comes down to calories (i.e. what goes past your lips), that will determine at least 80% of how you'll do. Exercise is great but is only at most 20% of the battle but will support weight loss.


When you say you "eat healthily", that doesn't mean much as what you interpret as healthy may be totally different to another persons definition of healthy. What exactly do you eat a day and in what quantities? Do you weigh out your food? Do you track everything you eat? I can nearly guarantee if you don't do the above (or choose not to moving forward) you simply will not succeed as you've no idea what and how much you take in.
Download the myfitnesspal app, buy a small food scales if you don't have one and weigh out and log everything that you consume.


Have you worked out your TDEE (the amount of calories your body needs per day to maintain your current weight)? Plenty of online calculators that you can get this. Eat 300-500 calories below this figure and you will lose weight. Re-calculate every few weeks.


Not having much money is not an issue, you can walk and do some exercises at home. Plus, nutritious foods (meat, eggs, veg, fruit, potatoes, rice) cooked at home is cheaper than regular take aways anyway.


"Toning up" as you say is basically cutting bodyfat (losing weight) and doing resistance exercises (lifting weights, bodyweight workouts). Also bear in mind you can't spot reduce fat (so you can't say I want to target my belly, doesn't work like that no matter how many push ups or sit ups you do), you will lose weight all over. It won't happen overnight and will take time and effort to work, no magic bullet solution.

infor123

Thanks for your reply.

Healthy eatin would include either a boiled egg or porridge for breakfast. Salad or homemade soup for lunch, some fruit and natural yoghurt. Dinner would meat two veg. Maybe a piece of toast in the evening or fruit.

I don't do take always TBH. My odd treat might be a bar at the weekend. I am honestly working on this for a while and it's not really giving results.

Cake Man

That sounds like decent enough eating but again, how many calories does that add up to each day? The only way to know for sure is to track everything in myfitnesspal. You can eat 100% clean and still put on weight, just like you could eat all junk and lose weight. Can't stress enough that it all comes down to calories.
What's your age, current weight and height? I'm assuming you're female?

Smoked Tuna

Cake Man wrote: »

That sounds like decent enough eating but again, how many calories does that add up to each day? The only way to know for sure is to track everything in myfitnesspal. You can eat 100% clean and still put on weight, just like you could eat all junk and lose weight. Can't stress enough that it all comes down to calories.
What's your age, current weight and height? I'm assuming you're female?

Can't agree with this more.

You don't necessarily have to use my fitness pal you can also log it in a notebook or a spreadsheet but many find the app is useful. Porridge in a small enough bowl with milk could be 400 calories whilst in a seemingly medium-sized bowl you could easily fit 800 calories in there.

For example a while back I counted calories for three months. The first two months I was in a deficit and lost weight. The third month I ate at maintenance on Average and low and behold I didn't lose anything.

Check the calculators online to calculate your bmr (basal metabolic rate) and if you eat maybe 10% above that it would be a good starting point.

infor123

Thanks so much for the advice. I will start calorie counting and recording and hopefully I'll see some movement. Fingers crossed!!😬