JoAnn Betten said:
anyways, i have been weight lifting every other day since then, a split
routine, upper/lower, takes me about 30-45 minutes.  plus i try to walk
every day (i've always done this), which varies between 2-6 miles a day,
weather permitting (i live in Pennsylvania--weather doesn't always permit).

the problem (?) is this:  i seem to have a layer of, well, fat, under my
skin.  on my upper arms, on my legs, on my belly.  i don't think i'm
overweight, i'm 5'9" and weigh 136 pounds.

My response:
It is possible that your weight training is not as productive as it could
be. Most women I see in the gym are not doing progressive resistance.  They
are not writing down the seat setting, using good form, then progressively
adding more reps or weight with each weight training session.  When they
come back to train the next time, they often do different exercises, or the
same exercises in a different order, put the seat on a different setting,
use the same or a different weight for an undetermined number of reps, and
have no record of the previous performance.  As a result, most of them do
not experience any body composition change or strength increase.  I often
see women doing multiple sets and high reps with very low weights and with
poor form, cheating themselves of results.

I have not seen you train so I don't know how you train, how consistent
and/or methodical you are,  what your form is like, and what exercises you
do.  It is possible that you are "working out" but not training in a way
that will increase your lean body mass, which is what will give you a firmer
body and shaplier curves, even if your weight stays the same or goes up.
With really hard training, you may be able to get better results, without
spending more time in the gym!

A good personal trainer is hard to find, but you might still want to search
for one.  Dr. Dave might have some tips to help you find one.  Most of the
people who work in gyms and conduct tours and show members how to use the
equipment are only a wee bit more knowledgeable than the members and often
lack the experties needed to help people get results.

As for your diet, eating more fish, particularly oily, deep ocean fish and
taking a fish oil supplement might help.  There is research indicating that
omega 3 fatty acids can help counter depression.  You might also consider
eating a salad, some cooked leafy greens, or  low glycemic fruit at
breakfast, to get more vegetable source nutients, and add more color, to
your meat and egg breakfast.   You could also check around to find DHA-rich
eggs, since wild DHA and EPA rich fish is getting harder to find.

Wishing you success,

Rachel