New here! And help required!

[luthien]

Hi, I realise this may not be the right group but I'll go ahead

I've always had some kind of fitness routine in my life, however while growing up I found that being a woman I was expected to be slim not have muscles so anything that would cause me to develop muscles I was discouraged from doing.

Well fast forward 10 or so years, my fitness hit rock bottom, and I've started to find stuff I like and that works with me - I do HIIT, Krav Maga, Pole fitness and Body Weight Training - the latter go together. Most importantly ignoring the media's ideal woman! I don't care about being super slim so I don't diet, I eat healthy with a good balance of proteins for what my body needs. I have muscles and I like them

The only issue along the way I've found is I have all that muscle underneath the female fat - how do I go that extra bit to shift it? I want a bit more definition! I don't do weight training so to speak, it's not my thing, hence the body weight and pole fitness - basically instead of a horizontal bar its vertical - tough now you say lol!

Also how do I improve my core? This seems to be rather weak so planks are difficult to maintain, as are lifts and moves on a pole that involve being completely off the floor. Help; I soo want to improve my core!! Get some abs, just tone up round my middle.

[healthyjoel Administrator]

I think diet is the real way to show what's underneath. Just use an app like MyFitnessPal which will show you based on your BMI how many calories to be eating a day and how to track it. There's also this community which should be really helpful: healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh.... I bet BrightandBreezy might have a good core workout (picked you at random autumn!)

[luthien in reply to healthyjoel]

My BMI says I'm way overweight but my GP says to ignore that (she says BMI isn't always a good indicator of health); I have muscle not wobble and it's clear by my blood tests and diet plans that I'm eating healthily, plus she can see the changes as she's been my GP for years. She's done the waist measurements and thigh measurements, including the pinch test, there's not as much fat as the BMI would suggest, so it's clear I put on muscle much more quickly than I lose fat - I don't mind that as perseverance will pay off. But I feel I could do more if I work my core - it opens up so many more exercise I can do - I just don't have the strength in it and that's making me lose confidence.

I have my Bellabeat app that does the same thing; it does resting calories and specific calories based on whatever exercise I put in. I am eating the right amount, and the right things so dietary intake isn't the problem. MY DNAfit suggests I am more suited to endurance, but I like HIIT so could that be the problem?

Note I came on here not a weight loss site because I don't want to lose weight I want to tone up, improve areas of me to help my performance in certain sports - hence my core! I can never be skinny, my shape won't work that way, I've been the right BMI for my height 10 years ago, and I pretty much starved to get there, I was 20 and could fit into a girls age 10 clothes, that isn't right, showing BMI isn't everything. Some of my friend who are ripped have a BMI of over 40!

[SilavanaM in reply to luthien]

She' sright, BMI is only one measurement, as weight is only one measurement. Body composition and fitness are much more important. If she says you to ignore, I would ignore until she tells you otherwise.