@Andrae Smith, another thing worth mentioning about gaining muscle while "toning": it's pretty much impossible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, unless you use illegal supplements like steroids. However, you can achieve the effect where it looks like you're gaining muscle and losing fat, which is to gain as much muscle mass as possible while gaining as little fat as possible. You will always gain both, but the trick is to adjust your diet so that you gain more muscle than fat instead of the other way around. This process will lower your body fat percentage in relation to your weight and make you look more ripped even though you do gain some fat along with muscle because afaik it's impossible to gain only muscle.
Like @T.Trian is saying, you should stay away from scales as much as possible, and get yourself a tape measure or one of those digital things that you measure parts of your body with. This is what I am talking about: https://shopping.yahoo.com/793623885-accufitness-fattrack-gold-premium-digital-body-fat-caliper-1-ea/;_ylt=AwrBJR_rGEJTrlwAWxRgmolQ?bfr=0.0
Yup. If you get one of those electric body fat measuring... thingies, don't trust it much. The readings aren't really very accurate, but they do have one use: if you use it to measure your body fat every day at the same time, under the same conditions (the easiest would be to do it right after waking up or perhaps after the morning leak) to eliminate as many variables as possible, it will tell you whether your body fat is going up or down in relation to your weight.
Where are my words today? This is exactly what I meant. It's not really toning and building mass, just building mass without builing much fat. (note, just used the multi quote tool... omg, where have I been?) Anyway, that is a good point. I don't remember my last physical. I think it might have been last Summer, but then it could have also been in the summer before that... I know I definitely had one before I came to ASU, but it would be good to touch base again. I don't remember ever having blood work done 0.0 We were supposed to but... things came up. I'll have to do this soon enough. I do know enough about myself to know where I can/should start my workouts though. For the time-being at least. I'm pretty in-tune, in a sense but I'll have to make an appointment for a physical this summer... I don't pay much attention to the scale any more. I do get on from time to time to see where I'm at (e.g. if I'm gaining weight and haven't been exercising, I know I need to change some habits, especially if I can see and feel it).
body fat caliper @Andrae Smith if you can find a place where they are offering cheap hydrostatic weighing or a dexa scan its worth checking out, i know a lot a of uni's etc are offering it across the pond. as for your goals, most people have success with the traditional bulking and cutting phases, clean bulking should suit your needs. However seeing as you just want to be healthy and not build a bodybuilder physique just try various foods, regular cardio and weight lifting and do/eat what makes you feel healthy. No point killing yourself to look healthy but feel shit.
