Is anyone fat/out of shape when they honestly do everything 'right'?

[NorhamGardens]

I work out, ran 10K recently, try to juggle food and exercise with a busy life like everyone else.

I try to eat well and have eliminated some foods as I can't trust myself. This means I haven't eaten cake in 3 years, or a biscuit or a fried, mashed or roast potato. I love chips and haven't eaten them in 3 years. Ditto crisps. Also no white pasta, in 3 years. Also no chocolate in years. Sometimes a sweet or two. I eat enough too, don't starve. Also no pizza, ever.

Control is my middle name.

I eat well, I eat wild or brown rice and wholemeal bread at lunchtime. I eat fish, I eat vegetables, I eat healthily. I follow guidelines. I sometimes have a low fat milk shake made with banana and have the odd smoothie. The odd glass of wine I have too.

I have thighs that are sagging, ugly cellulite and a huge fat tummy. It doesn't feel fair at times. I am smallish and an ample 14. Most I know of this size honestly eat far more unhealthily and do less exercise. So perhaps I need to cut down on the calories? I don't think so in honesty. Or up the exercise, probably.

Anyone similar?

What are your portion sizes like? I only ask 'cos my sister has been complaining about not being able to lose weight despite eating right but looking at her portion sizes I'm not surprised.
What would you eat in a typical day?

I am controlled with my portion sizes too. I eat the same thing most days. Fruit and cereal for breakfast. Fruit, mainly berries and apple the size of my palm. Cereal with skimmed milk, small bowl. Coffee with low fat milk and sweetener, sometimes two coffees. Mint tea. Sometimes size of wholemeal toast, no butter.

Lunch, raw fish, salad, boiled wild rice (plate sized).

If I am running I have a banana or smoothie too.

Dinner, pulses, beans, fish, brocolli. Sometimes a half baked potato. Sometimes a cheese and salad wrap, not much cheese. Sometimes boiled eggs and a salad. That sort of thing.

I have a small bowl of oatmeal if still hungry or have worked out that day.

I eat out sometimes and then would eat a little more and have a couple of glasses of wine, but never more than that.

Thyroid is normal.

I know I don't over eat. I could do more exercise. Currently only fitting in one run and one weight training and cardio session a week.

How much does age play a part?

How much does genetics play a part?

Thnks.

Not sure about age or genetics (although I'm sure they do play a part).
Really don't know what you're not doing to be honest, it all looks pretty healthy. Can't see much veg though about from salad. Someone cleverer than me will come along shortly though and say something useful.

It is impossible for us to tell if you are eating too much for you as everyone's basal metabolic rate is totally different. Maybe you could try using one of the internet sites to log you food intake for a week and then you can see how many calories you are eating, and also the proportion of carbs to proteins to fats , and it could just be that you just need to tweak your ratios a bit, maybe adding some more healthy fats to your diet,or swapping some of your carbs at breakfast for some protein. Everyone is different and it is pretty much trial and error to find out what works best for us.

Age does play a part in how our bodies react. After 30 women begin to lose muscle mass which means our metabolic rate begins to slow down and we need fewer calories to maintain our weight. What weight training do you currently do? Weight training can not only help change your body shape completely but is something that can help increase your basal metabolic rate, meaning that your body will burn more calories even when at rest, but you would need to fit in at least two, ideally three sessions a week to reap the rewards, and you would need to follow a proper plan that will work your whole body and leave you breathless, not just doing high reps, light weights as these will have no effect whatsoever.

are you exercising properly ie working hard enough?

a mate of mine was a couple of stones overweight despite 4x weekly hour long gym sessions

she swapped this for 4x weekly classes, where the instructor pushed her to work hard, and the weight just melted off without changes to her diet.

Two things I'd try - weighing your portions, and keeping a food diary.

The food diary has to be as strict as possible. Put in EVERYTHING, even the stuff you don't realise, like finishing off the kids meals etc. Maybe try it with no carbs for a short time?

Looking at what you've said you shouldn't be overweight, so either you're eating more than you realise (most people under-report in a food diary by about 40%) or you really need to change your exercise habits.

I do work hard in gym, with trainer, but probably need another session a week.

Portion sizes are size recommended and not large.

I'm not big as such but aware most who eat far less 'well' are smaller than I am.

I think about everything that goes in my mouth and have done for about 3 years.

Other slimmer friends 'fast' and detox but I've been advised these don't work?

How long have you been working with your trainer, can they also advise on your diet as well?

I know it is hard but try not to compare yourself with other people, we are all different and you need to find what will work for you and fit in with your lifestyle. You mentioned you could only fit in one weights session a week, if this is due to childcare etc, could you invest in some free weights so you could do a couple of workouts at home as well?