Reddit reviews The Female Body Breakthrough: The Revolutionary Strength-Training Plan for Losing Fat and Getting the Body You Want

I am a female that started on stronglifts 5x5 in the spring. This led me to Starting Strength (the book), which is much better. It breaks down the exercises in a logical way that helps you solve your own technical issues. You WILL learn to lift effectively with this book. I fired my trainer shortly after starting the book, he was giving me bad information and overloading me so much that he was having to help me lift the weights. He told me this plan would make me big. It made me smaller. I have real muscle definition now that I've never before had in my life. I'm still working on it, but I can now squat 100 lbs. I started out only being able to squat bodyweight. One thing that no one seems to mention is the rush you get from this kind of lifting. I am addicted to this sport, it makes me look and feel fabulous!

Diet

Strength training was giving me definition, but I was losing fat at too slow a rate for my preference. It was frustrating to be building up sexy muscles that were hidden by fat.

I have a lot of trouble with counting calories. I have finally found something that works for me in a book called The Female Body Breakthrough. This book also has you lifting heavy weights, but I was already doing that. It was the diet part that really got me going.

Here are the rules:

• Eat 5 meals a day.
  
• Eat a protein and at least one fruit or vegetable at each meal.
  
• No processed food - especially processed carbs (Ezekiel bread is ok).
  
• No sugar.
  
• No calorie containing beverages (unsweetened coffee or tea is ok).
  
• Drink half your body weight in pounds in ounces of water every day.
  
• Eat whole foods as much as possible.
  
• Suppliment with a multi and a fish oil.
  
• Always drink a workout shake either during or within 10 minutes of ending your workout.
  
• Keep track, and stick to these rules 90% of the time.
  
  The method of keeping track is a simple grid with 5 meals plus a workout shake line and 7 days in columns. You get a check for when you follow the rules, an x for when you don't. Missing a meal counts as an x. Following this guide, you are allowed 3-4 x's a week.
  
  There are other stages of diet, but this is what I have been doing. 4 weeks, I've slimmed down enough to lose a pant size. People are noticing. I had to go in a hook on my bras :S
  
  That book is really good. She talks a lot about support, dietary mindset, and touches on women's issues like how your cycle might effect your eating and metabolism.

Yes to the weights! It prevents bone loss! It helps with balance! And mental health and retention! It will keep so many things from atrophying that have nothing to do with weight or appearance. (Do I sound like someone who has been hassling my 69 year old mother... yes, yes I do.)
I can recommend [a great book] (https://www.amazon.com/Female-Body-Breakthrough-Revolutionary-Strength-Training/dp/1605296937/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481426755&sr=8-1&keywords=female+body+breakthrough) you are interested. I found it much more approachable than a lot of the stuff people recommend on reddit. (Nothing age related, but starts out assuming you have never lifted a weight which I found helpful.)

Exactly! Even if you can only get three sessions, a good trainer will help you get started and will show you a bunch of exercises you can rotate into a routine. Oh! You know what? I have this book that my old roommate loved to use and even bought it herself after she moved out. I don't use it anymore and would be happy to mail it to you if you'd like. It has a ton of good reviews, and this regular blog I read also did an "experiment" where she did everything the book recommended and LOVED it. She used to do one fitness experiment a month and then would review it, and following this book was her favorite experiment. If you think it would be something you're interested in, let me know and pm me your address and I can get it in the mail the next day. :)