New from London

Just thought I'd come by here and introduce myself.

I joined 3-4 weeks ago and am loving all the tools on the site, as well as all the helpful tips in the forums.

GOALS:
I am starting at 56 kg and hope to get down to 50 or under... I am 5 foot tall so I have a very small frame. I used to be very slim but I noticed within the last 2 years (I am 28) my metabolism has slowed down and left me with a "tummy" issue. I would like to get back to a size 8-10 and be able to wear tight T-shirts without crossing my arms defensively over my stomach... I would also like to get fitter and tone up my arms (my other current pet hate).

DIET:
I am keeping within the MFP parameters of 1200 calories per day (more on the occasional day when I eat out in the evening... but I try to compensate by eating sensibly on the next day). I am veggie so my diet is full of fresh vegetables and home-cooked foods. I take a packed lunch to work most days.

EXERCISE:
I joined a gym 4 weeks ago, and I am LOVING it! I go about 3/4 x a week and do 30 minutes cardio (running machine) then resistance training. I am absolutely terrible at resistance training, I can lift about 6-18kg on most machines, which makes me pretty embarrassed. I am hoping to build some muscle tone and move on to bigger weights before summer comes.

PROGRESS:
Well... after 4 weeks I have actually put on 1lb. I have thought hard about this, but think it is down to either (a) water weight (I weighed myself straight after a workout session, so had drunk 2 bottles of water... this really shows on me) or (b) hopefully putting on a bit of muscle rather than fat! Does anyone have any tips/ideas on this? I am looking at the difference in my stomach (and how my jeans fit), and it is REALLY NOTICEABLE. I am trying not to get down on myself, but it's hard because I am very goal-orientated and had set my heart on actual weight loss... maybe I should be changing my priorities.

Anyway, that's a long enough introduction from me! Would love to make some friends here, particularly other veggies or girls who are a little "vertically challenged".

- Ally.