Hi I am new to this forum and just joined to get some suggestions. I've been working out (mainly doing cardio) 3-6 times a week for the past 6 months. My body has not really changed since I did not alter my diet and I was not really doing any weight training during this time. Anyway, I would like to be serious this time around and made a schedule to do 3 circuit training sessions a week (back/triceps, chest/shoulders/biceps, and legs) plus ~5 cardio sessions a week. My BMI is within the healthy range (it is 20.4), but I definetely have some issues with body fat percentage (especially around my mid-section). I know you can't spot train, but I would like to decrease the fat in my mid-section without making my arms any skinnier. Also, I do not need to lose any more weight (I am at 119 pounds and am 5'4"). Should I maintain my caloric intake or decrease it? I know I need to increase protein intake and decrease simple carbohydrate intake. I have attached my "before" pictures (the first one is the only picture I have of my back and the second one is embarrassing!):

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What does your current diet look like? Diet is the key to any fat gain or loss.

Also, don't necessarily go by BMI, it is a poor judge of health. According to BMI, I am borderline obese, yet I'm in decent shape. Focus on numbers like body fat percentage as a guage.

I have a degree in dietetics, so I know what to eat. However, I think I make the worst nutritionist because I eat way too many simple carbohydrates. I also eat out a lot with my husband, but I plan on changing that. I usually eat a very small breakfast, if anything at all, a sandwich or salad for lunch, and usually some type of ethnic food for dinner (my husband is Asian so we usually eat a lot of Asian food). My current diet is something like this:

Breakfast: fiber one granola bar
Lunch: Quizno's chicken caesar salad but with 1 tsp. red wine vinaigrette instead of the caesar dressing and the pita bread it comes with
Dinner: Vietnamese pho (it's a beef broth soup with slices of beef, rice noodles, mint leaves, onion, and a squeeze of lime) plus one fried egg roll wrapped in lettuce and around 8 ounces of sweetened soy milk
Snack: some kind of dessert (usually 1/2 to 1 cup of ice cream). I cannot go a day without a dessert!

I know I definetely do not get enough servings of vegetables and dairy (I hate drinking milk). Over the summer, I get more than enough servings of fruit (I have been eating 1/2 to 1 pound of cherries daily lately). As far as protein, I eat around 80-100 grams a day (which is more than enough from a dietitian's point of view but you may disagree with me).

Try to cut down the "Pho". It is probably one of the worse things on your diet. It is usually made with a lot of "bad" fats. My mother cooks pho each week. I know how bad it can be even though it is very temping. Anyways, your not looking to bad. Try to get more veggies and fruit and lean meat; you know "real" foods not processed stuff.

Doing full body workouts 3x and cardio 3x a week has helped me take off weight. The upper body lifting will help build muscle in your arms and back, and the full body aspect will help you burn calories. If you're going to start a training regimen, chances are you're going to have to increase your calorie intake to fuel it. (If you want to go faster/farther in a car, do you put less gas in, or more?). Posting a journal will help to track your progress and provide feedback. In it you should post your food plan/planned training regimen in detail. Hope this helps.

Hey Spud

I think you are already in good hands here, the main things I see are your diet its all about substitution w/me....if you really like ice cream alot then try some fruit smoothies w/whey protein mix....this will help you hit all angles...your craving for desert and at the same time will give you a serving or two of fruit and satisfy some proteins that you will need for your newly acquired workouts....You go gurl!