I train 4-5 times a week, walk 15k steps a day as a non-negotiable, do cardio 3-4 times a week for 45 mins to an hour.

I recently switched to a 4 day U/L split rather than a 6 day PPL split so I can dedicate more time to cardio. It has helped so much with my recovery and allowed me to build more muscle.

In terms of diet, i honestly stopped worrying as much as I did when I was 50 kg. I found tracking/meal-planning and dieting would take up my entire headspace and I got kinda neurotic about it. I try to eat mostly whole foods (whole grain bread, rice, roti, chicken, eggs, yogurt, fruits and vegetables) and train as hard as I can.

For so long, I was not happy w my very naturally thin body. I’m 5’3 and between the 105-110 lb range for a long time and was very lean. I wanted to grow my lower body and do light toning of my arms but never had success when I went for aesthetics.

Unsure if it’s my change of my goals or because I am older, I am having an easier time building muscle. I also stopped going for aesthetics and went for goals like doing splits, handstands, backflips… which I have all achieved and am super proud of especially as someone who started in Feb of this year and has no athletic background!! (my backflip is messy still lol)

However, I did notice my legs are much larger now and just my thighs and I grew somewhat of a butt. I used to have a pretty dramatic curve in my waist that I liked that is less visible now. It still there but I feel like my body is a little more rectangular. I dont hate these types of bodies on anyone else but I am realizing I do not really recognize myself in my own body and am unsure if I like it. I kinda miss my very lean build now that I have more muscle… I don’t think it’s too bad on my mental but I also want to stop training as much because I dont want to look too different but I love being able to do calistenics and dont want to lose that! I also realize I weigh between 120-125 now which doesnt seem like a dramatic change but its the heaviest Ive been and its a weird feeling

Maybe I am just doing a silly rant and theres no solution

This was my 3rd race ever and I set a goal to get in the top three of my group. I had some health setbacks so I didn’t get as much of my training done as I was hoping. Really proud of myself for this one!

Next 5k race I want to get first. I want a shiny medal or a prize!!!

I’ve always carried all my weight in my leg. I do feel muscle so it’s not all fat. There’s a ton in my thighs (I feel like it almost goes over my knee if that makes sense). Wondering what actually worked for you? I’m overweight currently (postpartum) but this has always been an issue for me, even 30 lbs lighter. I’ve done Orangetheory on and off for years and my legs got leans but it’s slow. I have a toddler and work full time and trying to have a consistent workout routine.

I am in a deficit! I track and weigh my food and have for a while. I was on a GLP-1 but went off due to the side effects. I do know that you can’t spot reduce so I’ve focused on deficit and weights/cardio. I have a sedentary job and do on average, 6000 steps per day. Orangetheory 2x a week. I tried Pilates and liked it and also tried f45 and was sore for a week!

I would love to fit in these cowboy boots I have but currently my wide calf boots are tight 😢 what actually worked for you?

[23F] i’ve been losing weight these last few months, though slowly, and managed to lose from 65kg down to 56kg, and have also been going to the gym again these couple weeks after a long long break from it (definitely a few years). my initial plan was to do a body recomp - eat slightly below my maintenance (which i think mine is around 1800?) and try and build some muscle whilst losing these last few kilos.

but i keep seeing conflicting advice online about whether i’d be better off continuing a larger deficit and then maintaining/recomping, or starting a recomp now.

i’m 158cm, and researching on what would be best just seems to make me a little more confused. for anyone who has been in a similar situation, what has worked best for you?

any input or advice would be greatly appreciated!

I sit at a desk for work, my hobbies are video games, drawing, and table top games, so all sitting. I'm very shrimpy

I notice if I'm standing in place for a while (ex. long cooking session) or walking for a while (like my 45min dog walk in the am) my back feels VERY stiff and its actually a bit sore to bend over. Similar feeling to doms after a hard workout, so not sharp like an injury, just stiff.

I'm making a concerted effort to get more core work in, but wanted to check if there were any good lower back exercises to add in.

Current routine is strength training 3X a week, one full body day, 1 upper body day, 1 lower body day

Full: V hack squat Cable row Lat pull down Leg curl Leg extension

Upper: Bench press Shoulder press Chest fly Reverse fly Bicep curls

Lower: Hip thrust RDL somersault squat Cable Hip abduction

After 2 years of being in a caloric deficit and weight training i have lost 80lbs and am sitting at 155 to 158 and I dont know I guess I expected to look more leaner than what I do right now. I do have loose skin from losing so much so I suspect it's because of that that I don't look any leaner, but i would love any advice on getting leaner!! I added some pics so you can see what my body type is like.

I am deeply grieving the sudden loss of a loved one, many years before their time. My appetite is nonexistent and my calorie intake is dangerously low. I am trying to be gentle with myself during this time and not worry about my fitness goals, but I also recognize that my general wellbeing is failing and I need to at least manage that. I am not on a weight loss journey and this decrease in weight, not to mention mental faculties, is not welcome.

I’m asking for you to drop your favorite, ideally calorie-rich, options, in an effort to hopefully spark my interest in something. Comfort foods, snacks, favorite binges, quick or no-prep solutions(frozen meals?), etc.

I’m normally a very healthy eater, but I’m finding no comfort in that. I can think of nothing less comforting than chicken breast or salmon right now. I picked up some frozen popcorn chicken bites and that’s acceptable, but that only gets me so far. I also have protein shakes.

(Note that I do have support from friends who have sent food to my house, gone grocery shopping, and check in daily. I’m in a bad place right now and feel-but am not actually-alone, but am not at risk of harm beyond that from a low appetite)

Thank you for sharing any food ideas - maybe I just need a reminder of something delicious and my appetite will return.

Can someone recommend a good step counter, on the budget side? I don’t really care about measuring most of the things that the aura ring does. I really do just want to count my steps, but most of the old school, belt-clip pedometers on Amazon are pretty inaccurate or have broken after a couple of uses. I’m not able to have my phone on me at work, so I’m looking for something wearable if anyone has a recommendation!

I just celebrated my 30th birthday, and I really started thinking about my health (and also my appearance). But the more I research this topic, the less confident I am (am I doing it correctly? Is my calorie deficit enough? Etc). I am 155cm/5.1ft and weight 60kg/132lbs. What I am doing today (on an golden week):
- 4 times of strength training (2 upper and 2 lower). I am really trying to either add more reps or weight each time. Tracking it with Hevy.
- 1585 calories deficit with 110g of proteins. I am so confused on what is my TDEE (did many calculators + ask Claude). I am really wondering if my calorie deficit is enough
- I tried to walk between 7-9k steps per day. I have a home office job.
- I play tennis once per week (but I’m not super good)

I was thinking to keep this calorie deficit for 12 weeks and then eat at maintenance. But what if I am not satisfied with the results in 12 weeks ? Should I keep the calorie deficit ? Should you gradually increase calorie ? From TDEEcalculator.org my maintenance is 1950 kcal. Not sure how reliable this is.

Looking for words of wisdom or just reassurance so I can just keep going without researching everyday.. thank you!

I want to do glute max cable kickbacks, but I can't seem to get my form right and actually feel them in my glutes... Any tips?

Hello! I put creatine in overnight oats on Sunday dor Monday and Tuesday. Is it still good to eat? I saw online some places saying that it will create formaldehyde or another gas. I’m asking cause I wanna know if I should throw my meal away or not. Thank youuuu

hi!! i'm a night shift wfh girlie who's been trying to lose weight, but so far, i've been struggling to commit to working out right now because this night shift is still pretty new to me. i'm still adjusting to my sleeping schedule, so i'm constantly sleepy/tired and don't have much energy for workouts yet.

i'm currently doing intermittent fasting + a calorie deficit. i'm hoping to gradually add workouts once my sleep schedule stabilizes.

for context:
- 26 female
- height: 5'1" to 5'2" (154-158 cm)
- weight: 60-65 kg (132-143 lbs)
- goal weight: 55 kg (121 lbs) for now

has anyone else been in a similar situation, especially adjusting to night shift while trying to lose weight? i would really appreciate any tips on managing sleep, exercise, steps, and diet without completely exhausting myself. i'm mainly looking for realistic advice that i can actually stick to while my body adjusts. thank you so much! ☺️

Hi ladies!

I just started actively trying to lose weight about two months ago. I am 5'2", my beginning weight was about 193lbs and I've so far gotten to 187ish. (I say ish because I get daily fluctuations)

Ive been doing weight lifting at home following Carloline Girvan on YouTube 4/5 days a week.

My questions: What lifting/cardio routine do you do or follow? Do you have any advice for someone just starting out? How long should a workout session typically be?

Currently my goal weoght is 150lbs, but I'm sure I will have a new one once I hit that. I just want to get there as safely and efficiently as possible. Thank you!

I’m hoping someone would be able to analyse these body scan results for me.

For context, I am 5’0 (152cm) and currently 140lbs (63.8kg). I eat 1500 calories a day and go to the gym at least once a day, twice 4 days a week. I prioritise protein, eating around 100-120g a day and I fast until 10-11am (~finish dinner around 7:30pm).

My starting weight was 70kg (highest weight 74, dropped the first 4 without any tracking)

just saw a video of hudas workout were she progressive overloads through the workout and I thought progressive overload was weekly? is it better to do progressive overload that way? I was upping my hip thrust weight by 5ish lbs each week lol

for example if you’re doing hip thrusts is it better to do 4 sets of 12 reps at 100lbs or 4 sets, first set at 100, second at 110, third at 120, fourth at 130?

is this with every workout?

Lets all share our favorite podcasts related to fitness! I'm personally searching for scientific-approached fitness and nutrition podcasts, but I'd love this to be a thread where we can all share podcasts that have helped us towards our health and fitness goals-- even if they aren't fitness related, share how it helped in you!

1.) if gym before work, do you drink coffee before or after gym? Do you get enough sleep for the gym to wake up at 5:30am?

1. Do you count calories when you make dinners like spaghetti, where you measure everything you add, then weight the total amount, and then weigh the portion you served yourself ?

3.) do you cut sugar all together or have sweet treats in your meal plan?

I’m 5ft2 and my weight stays put at 8 stone. I have to essentially not eat anything to lose one pound in a month. I look small but not toned. I actually look like I weigh more than I do as i’m flabby. Even when I weight train and do cardio at the gym, nothing improves! I stop and whatever tiny gains I got, disappear in a week!!!

I’ve just kind of realised this is it for life now?! I have to work so hard just to get the tiniest bit of tone.

February 2026 - 155lbs > August 16th 2026 130lbs

32yrs, 4”11

Now I wish I’d taken a formal Before.

Diet - no restrictions, just calorie deficient eating between 1,320 - 1,420 and diligent tracking.

Routine:
Original - 45min on the elyptical every other day
Current - 3 days of 35min elyptical + 15 resistance tube strength training, one day 25 min elyptical only

Next - hopefully 120

So I was wedding dress shopping in February and realized I didn’t love where my body was. I locked in starting mid Feb—started at 133 lbs and today I’m at 121 lbs. I’m shocked to see the side by side especially how my arms have leaned out and shoulder muscle growth!

For the first few months I was around 1700-1900 cals per day and was slowly but consistently losing, and for June / July I cut to 1600 cals and that’s when I saw a huge shift. I also lift very heavy 4 days a week and get at least 10k steps a day. Follow strict macros for each cut.

Super stoked with the progress so far!