I am active and workout at the gym five days per week, plus walking everywhere on top of that.

However, my diet/nutrition is what is preventing me from seeing results and I don't know how to overcome it. I am supposed to be cutting calories so I can work on burning fat, but I cave in so so easily when it comes to high-calorie foods.

While I am generally healthy during the week (although I could still cut back on some foods), when it comes to the weekend I gouge out on unhealthy, greasy and sugary foods which undoes all the good I did during the week. I have a habit of telling myself that it's the weekend and I've worked hard in the week, so I deserve a treat meal, but that treat meal turns into several high-calorie meals. For instance, last night I told myself I should eat a healthy salad for dinner but then I walked past a burger joint and got a burger and chips, then bought two chocolate bars for dessert. Today I told myself I shouldn't eat anything unhealthy, but I walked past a Japanese restaurant while I was hungry and had curry and rice and then bought a brownie to eat afterwards. It just becomes a never-ending cycle of self-pity and regret.

My best friend is also a negative influence as he's always suggesting we go to bakeries every weekend and have sweet pastries and I always enthusiastically say 'yes!!'.

My question is, and especially for people who have been in this position and have overcome it, what strategies worked for you where you could say no to high-calorie foods and manage to stick to a healthy diet and burn fat and keep it off? I have tried logging my food in apps like My Fitness Pal to keep track of what I eat, but some days, I just forgot or wasn't motivated to do it, so I just stopped altogether. I can't seem to find what works for me, and I am hoping someone may have a suggestion.

Thank you :)

I’m 43 F, I have always been tall and slender but I really want to build muscle. I work out 4-5 times a week. Examples of my workouts include HIIT classes, TRX, and weight training combined with cardio. I am toned I suppose, but I would like people to look at me and go “wow, she’s fit!” I feel like I have a body type that makes it hard to gain muscle. My diet is pretty well rounded for the most part. I’m going to see a naturopath mid December and have my hormones checked too. Anyhow, any advice or suggestions would be appreciated:)

I keep getting hit with ads for the Ladder app on IG. Saw some reviews on Reddit that seemed positive (some so effusive that they may have been written by people at Ladder, but I’ll choose to trust them), you can work out at home, the gym, or both, and they offer a seven day trial without giving them any CC info, so I figured what the hell.

Has anyone used the app here? Is anyone currently using it? Either way, if so, I’m curious to hear what you think about it. I’m 42 and slowly getting back into shape, losing weight, and I’m not trying to get involved with anything that’ll kill joints now or in the future (which is what I hear a lot about CrossFit).

I’m looking at the full year plan ($180) and I’d like to know what I’m getting into. I prefer to work out at home, so anyone who has experience with that while using Ladder would also be helpful.

Thanks.

I’ve been doing small group sessions with a trainer, along with my spouse, for a couple months, two days a week (going in solidarity with her for a few months, but we always planned that I’d stop and she’d continue). I also work out at home, making it 3-4 days per week on average. I have been using Gravl (similar to FitBod) to craft my at home routines, and the gym has their own format of full-body work.

I’m gonna stop the gym membership after December and plan on doing GZCLP at home. But I’m kinda at a loss for what to do at home in the meantime - I’m eager to start the program, but two days a week will be doing the gym routine for the next few weeks.

Any recommendations here? Anyone think I should start GZCL at home and, I dunno, just work around those gym days? Or should I force patience and just do some generic full body stuff for my at home days til the gym membership is up?

It’s a small group session at the gym (not open gym) so it wouldn’t work well for me to be doing my own totally different routine at the gym on those days.

My local gym is always so warm, especially during winter when the heat seems to be on high in the cardio room. It makes it difficult to run more than 2 miles before feeling like you’re in a sauna.

Does anyone have any portable fan recommendations for the treadmill? I was hoping to start bringing one with me to the gym to keep me running/walking longer.

Hi! I (30f) have been going to OrangeTheory Fitness since I was 27. Prior to that, I hadn’t truly worked out a day in my life other than gym class in high school. I’m getting tired of OrangeTheory for many reasons, and I keep getting injured (90% due to poor form, I’m really trying, but I’m still so new to this all. 10% due to the intensity of the workouts, I don’t think I’m designed for this style). I’m looking for a new place to workout! I lack accountability big time with the gym (hence going to OTF) and I would have no clue what to do by myself at a gym, so I’m looking for fitness classes that people swear by. Any recommendations? I don’t want to be the strongest person in the room, I just want to be slimmer, healthier, and a little toned, nothing crazy.

I've been doing bicep curls every other day for months .I've noticed since I've started to do them my stomach has become more defined and abs are starting to come in. Is this normal? I don't even do any sit ups .

It's been crazy snowy here and usually for my cardio I go outside and walk/jog but it's been a bit unsafe lately. I found this because both myself and my kids were going a bit crazy! If you do a few of these with your kids it definitely will work up a sweat lol plus it tires out the littles!

Not sure if the post is allowed but it solved my weather issue :)

Hey everyone, I'm looking to convince my mom (55) to get into fitness. She's not overweight really but she also has no muscle mass and doesn't exert herself for any cardio.

I'm looking for any of the following:

• Articles that say why building muscle mass is good as one ages
• Beginner friendly routines / programs (she has a planet fitness membership (but doesn't go lol) so no barbell stuff ideally)

I tell her that 4-5 days a week of 40-60 mins of lifting is enough to make a difference. She has the mindset of "I can't" but I tell her that there's 70 year olds that run marathons and you don't have an excuse but it's not really convincing her.

on avg 6 day/wk weighted calistenicts b2b traditional resistance training at a gym; rowing, running, cycling, yoga..

A about two months ago I completed 9 straight weeks of going to the gym 3-5x a week.

After 9 weeks I was so burnt out I took 3 weeks off.

Anyone have any tips they have found to work for them?

5 days ago I achieved 2 years of sobriety. Life is better, I'm healthy and finally happy, setting goals and knocking them down.

All of you beautiful souls are more inspiring to the folks that need inspiration than you may realize. Keep up the good work and let's keep paying it forward.

💪 🙏 ❤️

Hi all,

38F, mom of two kiddos 4 and 2. Was in really great shape before and after my first….but have been super lazy about my diet for probably the last year at least (leftover Mac and cheese from the kids? sure!) and half-assing my workouts since my son was born 2.5 years ago.

I had a Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving this week, and at both places someone took the worst, more horrible and unflattering photos I’ve ever seen of myself. I realized I’ve had my blinders on and have gained a ton of weight lately. It’s time for me to get my head out of my butt and get back on track.

Feeling depressed about it though. I hate knowing I look like crap. On top of it, I had Covid earlier this year and apparently my body decided to have my hair fall out as a result…so my hair is dangerously thin and short, already making me feel ugly.

I know, woe is me. I’m just feeling ugly and in my feels and realizing it’s time to get back to work. I did before, I can do it again - it’s just so hard to start again!!!

Hope everyone had a great holiday and sending positive thoughts to those having a hard time!

Old Squat PR 275lbs New Squat PR 285lbs

Probably could of gone a inch or 2 deeper.

Someone suggested I post this here.

This was an all natural weight loss using caloric deficit diet. I started with low impact cardio (rowing) for atleast 30 minutes a day and then lifted for 30 minutes 6 days a week. I slowly worked my way up to running 3.5 miles a day now (I never thought I would get there).

But the main thing that helped me lose the weight was the diet. I was in taking ~1500 calories a day while consistently burning ~3000. And stuck to that for almost a year and a half.

Was into fitness back in my 20s but took about 4 years off the gym (work, life, moving)

Have been back in the gym a year or so.

Focusing on eating 250g of protein a day and keeping calories around the 3k mark.

Weights consistently about 4 days a week.

Surprising how much harder this was than in my 20s….

M 47, 188cm/6’2, 87kg/190lb Lost about 20kg/45lb over autumn/fall.

Now pretty trim, but I’ve noticed that I’m missing some definition due to loose skin hanging around.

Does it just take a while to correct itself, or is there something I can do to help it along. If it does correct itself, how long we talking?

Most of the advice online revolves around handing over stacks of cash to some clinic with a BS machine. Not going to happen.

Any advice? Thanks!

Hi I’m 30 and I don’t get shinsplints I don’t have knee problems but my right hip socket grinds as bad as my teeth I guess… what can I do to minimize this?

Wanted to build more muscles on the upper body and arm, but worried if I eat too much meat and food, I will have a bigger belly fat problem. Any advice?

I’m looking for an app suggestion to lift weights at home.

I’m looking for a progressive program with videos where the instructor talks to me the whole time, but without music (so I can play my own). I love Caroline Girvan’s programming but since she doesn’t talk during the workout, I find it hard to follow (I have to keep looking at screen and pausing and rewinding). I need the instructor to talk through the whole workout.

Does anyone have a suggestion for me?

• weightlifting at home
• progressive program I can follow for several weeks (like Caroline girvan)
• instructor talks to me whole time
• no music, or the music can be turned off
• no ads (I will pay for it)
• uses barbell, kettlebell, dumbbells, bands

Thank you for any suggestion you have!

Edit: Some of you are under the impression I'm looking for weight loss advice just because I listed my weight but it's miles besides what I'm looking for. I just need advice for how I should approach my workout and find a way to make it consistent which is really hard for me and my ADHD. Starting to think this sub wasn't the right place to post.

Alright so I'm currently in a pilot project of getting my shape back on track and it's gonna be rough considering I haven't seriously worked out in 5 years and I now weight 350lbs but anyway, gotta start somewhere!

I tried to go with a 3-days plan but my ADHD brain doesn't respond well to that. It makes workout feel like a chore instead of a fun activity because of how restrictive it is but also, the pressure of doing all 3 workouts in my week.

What I WOULD like to do is to like make a list of the muscles I wanna workout throughout my week and just go off that when I actually feel like working out for fun. Sure I'd try to make it make sense like do all triceps workouts in one day and not spread them around because that's just gonna suck but you know, having the freedom of what I gotta workout with the only deadline being "as long as you touched each muscle at least once during your week".

I would also need an app to keep track of my weighs and all.

So do you think that's a good idea if I feel like that would work for me? If so, any app recommendation to track "free workouts" and still save my weights and all that?

Hey guys Iv suffered with terrible posture my entire life. The typical hunch back rounded shoulder and anterior pelvic tilt that so many of us suffer with in this modern day and age. I suspect a lot of of my issues are because I have a very weak core. For the first time in my life Iv been consistently going to the gym and progressing on my lifts, it feels great ❤️ I feel like if I adress my posture seriously it will really help my lifts improve. I'm sick of feeling like a limp noodle, anyone have any success correcting this in the gym ? Any routines, tips tricks would be greatly appreciated. Ideally something simple yet effective that I can stick with

Top photo is now, bottom is 2023.

Looking for feedback, body fat % estimate, any encouragement (you guys keep me motivated and disciplined). 6 weeks into a cut, currently around 188lbs. Started at 190lbs in June of 2023. Lifting 3 days a week, tracking with MacroFactor, BJJ 2-3 days a week, 10,000’steps daily.

My little transformation from March 24 until today. I was a gym goer, but going through the motions. Not a bad diet, but simply ate too much. I remember the moment when I realised that something had to change. At the pool with the kids. Sat on the side with a belly hanging over my shorts. I thought..."do i look like someone who goes to the gym/weight training 3-5 times a week". The answer was no.

Stress at work enforced me to start intermittent fasting (I was too nervous to eat breakfast). I was waking up (naturally) every morning 2 hours before work. Instead of mindless scrolling I decided to start hiking/rucking 4-5km. Long story short, I was in calorie deficit.

More focus and intensity at gym also helped as did counting my calories...if I was to give anyone advice-count your calories!!

I also started to take vitamin d3 and ashwagandha-maybe just a placebo effect, but i felt energy levels increase and stress/anxiety decrease.

I don't recognise that 1st photo from March. I believed I was in good shape for a "old man". The last photo is from today. I've just returned from a 2 week all inclusive holiday, so I'm carrying some extra weight (no regrets!).

If some of you are at the start of the process, stick it out. There was a period where my weight wouldn't budge and then suddenly it just started to melt away. I feel so proud and constantly perv on myself whenever I get the chance! Now I want to build muscle, but I have a feeling this will be much more difficult than losing fat!