[Laura90]

Hi everyone,

So, I'm a newbie around here and I am so confused on what I should be doing.

I know exercise and diet come hand-in-hand but I don't know where to start.

I'm 5 ft 7in, 145lbs and have measurements of 33-28-41.

My goals are to lose 1 stone, tone up and lose a couple of inches around the hips.

So, diet...I don't know whether I should calorie count? How many calories should I be eating? Do I restrict carbs from my diet? Do I restrict anything from my diet? Do I follow a plan like Slimming World? I'm scared of eating the wrong thing and/or too many calories and putting on weight.

Next, exercise...Do I focus on cardio? Resistance training? A combo of the two? Do I just go running? Do I attend classes at the gym? Which classes should I attend? Do I just use machines in the gym? How do I know which machines are going to do the job? Do I just do home exercise?

I'm so lost and could cry as nothing has worked in the past I just look so plump and fat.

Any advice and guidance would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Lost Girl...

[mjf]

What you eat is at least as important as how much you eat. Some people find calorie counting useful. Personally I don't calorie count.

For losing weight, diet is more important than exercise (but exercise will speed up your progress).

A few things that most good diets have in common are: Avoid sweets, refined carbs, and deep fried foods. Avoid foods which are highly-processed. Eat a lot of vegetables. Eat enough protein and healthy fats. If you eat grains, eat whole grains.

If you want to post a list of foods that you eat, I'll let you know if I have any suggestions.

Some people lose weight more easily on a low-carb diet, but for many people it isn't necessary. I eat a lot of carbs, and it works for me.

For exercise you should be doing both cardio and strength training. Strength training will help you build muscle, which will cause you to burn fat faster.

For strength training you can either use machines or free weights, whatever is more convenient. Focus mainly on exercises that work large muscle groups (e.g. squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, pull-ups, bent-over row). If you're looking for exercises that don't need equipment, you can do push-ups and squats.

For cardio a few possible options are running, cycling, and swimming.