Need Help- from a teen

[Shadows]

Okay, so some backstory first-

I'm a teenage girl, 5'4''-5'5'', 117 lbs. I wanted to lose a couple lbs and be around 112-113 but I measured wrist and apparently I have a large frame (6.5 in.) so I'm reconsidering that goal.

I'm looking to tone up. I'm in decent shape, but I want to be in excellent shape.

I don't think what I've been doing lately is all too great.

Here's an example of what I'd eat in a day-

Breakfast:
English muffin
Glass of skim milk

Lunch:
nonfat yoghurt
protein bar (luna or pria)
sometimes a snack like almonds

Dinner:
tends to vary. anywhere from salad, to a veggie burger, to something with cheese for protein, since I'm vegetarian. I always have at least 1 vegetable and fruit with dinner.

In addition, sometimes I eat junk food. Nothing too drastic (unless I'm on the "monthly"!), usually like, one rice crispie treat OR a couple squares of a chocolate bar.

For exercise, I've been lacking on the cardio lately but I'm planning to get in at least 20-30 minutes a day through either running, walking, or dance dance revolution- sounds silly, but I play on the hardest level and it's an intense workout.

One of main goals is to attain a 4 or 6 pack. I've had a 4 pack before. Right now, I have a one pack- of flab!! For abs, this is what I've been doing every night--i don't know if I have the terminology correct, i'll just explain what i do--

10 crunches to the middle
10 to the left
10 to the right
10 mid-crunches (like I stay up in the middle, and go up, come back to the middle, without hitting the ground)
10 to the left
10 to the right

break

20 bicycles to each side
30 seconds of "rope climbing" (laying on back with knees up, sit up and hold it moving arms in a rope climbing motion)

break

10 leg "lowers" (legs straight and together, slowly come to one inch off the ground, back up, and repeat)
10 leg "pushouts" (legs straight and together,bring in to chest, push back out, and repeat)
10 leg lower/pushouts (legs straight and together, bring down, bring in to chest, push back out, bring back up, and repeat)

break

hold plank for 45 seconds (started at 30, i'm getting better)

break

ABCS (legs straight and together, draw each letter of the ABCS without touching the ground, come to one inch off the ground for each letter)

Any suggestions on how to improve diet/exercise?

[swanso5]

- if your only 117pds then you can't have that big a frame...even though i'm a bloke, wrist is the same and i'm small framed...i couldn't imagine there would be that much dofeerence
- tome = muscle mass minus ...do you have some muscle mass???
- breakfast needs to be bigger...try fruit and high fibre cerial
- have fruit and yoghurt mid morning
- no protein bars
- solid protein and veg / salad for lunch
- you need another meal like lunch here....maybe cut in half and add some almonds to both meals too
- no fruit with dinner, veg/salad only
- ahhh a veggie...do you wat nay meat at all (fish??)...if not then tofu will have to do and i think there is another protein a;ternative but i cazn't think of it
- granted i don't have monthly's but i'm tired of females using it as an excuse
- crunches don't build abs no matter how many different ways you do them...clean eating and heavy wt work does though...keep the planks though but get rid of everything else
- do you do any resistance training?

[adrianb]

You need to pick 1 ab exercise and just do 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps instead of the marathon ab workout you're doing now and...

I would stick to doing on one "quality" ab exercise like the ab wheel, hanging leg raises, or weighted crunches off a stability ball for 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps done about 2-3x a week

You may also need to work your TVA muscles to flatten your abs also

[Petersworkinout]

DDR is a great workout, Ive seen people lose 100 pounds in a year from just playing ddr

[bmac_21]

i have lost alot of weight doing DDR myself, but it is simply a cardio. Dont replace weights with it.

and interval training is probably alot better.