Fitness gets complicated, where are my abs?

I started this at my FB but don’t want to overwhelm people who really not in the topic. It starts like this

The more I read/learn about fitness and exercising, the more frustrating it gets. Clearly just exercising is not enough if you eat too much; dieting itself is not enough because you lose muscle with fat and become “skinny fat”. Only weights, only cardio, low carbs/no carbs/high protein/low protein – it’s all so complicated. Can we add some vegan lifestyle+nut allergies+no gluten challenge here? I guess to be able to get to the point where I want to be I need to become pro nutritionist and get a degree in something. Why it is so hard? Or the satisfaction is in the process of getting somewhere, no matter what is the destination point?

So I’ve lost the weight that I wanted, a year ago, now what? Reading about the rules and what needs to be done makes me feel like my body is a science project. No carbs after certain time. Fruits are carbs too, and I love fruits! You are telling me now I cannot have my fruits at night, while some other people are eating candies and cakes. Not saying they are right at what they do, but the fact…

Eating more to grow muscle. Now I want to grow muscle at certain parts, do I eat more those days? What exactly I should eat if I’m used to certain amount of food a day already? I read those protein shakes don’t really help, and carbs are the key…now what do I eat if I try to eliminate gluten? Do I stay on lentil soup and quinoa till the rest of my life?

Adding more greens is great, in a form of smoothies. But they are low in calories (I don’t add much fruit) – it lowers my calorie intake a day, and I’m already not eating much, mostly under eating.

Everywhere you go, you will read that abs exercising won’t do much and you need to lower your body fat to see the muscle. Now, why there are so many abs exercises then, in all magazines? I’ve never seen so much of a variety of squats, or upper body advertising. No one cares about those body parts anymore? I lowered my weight and body fat, now where are my abs? Why every time I eat, my stomach feels (and looks) like a balloon and every time I’m afraid to be called pregnant again? Is it a separate problem I need to address to the doctor? Or should I do more of those exercises that everyone says don’t work? Or is it because I didn’t exercise while being pregnant and my muscle tone is lost there forever? Last time I had stomach flu, my stomach looked great after. But I didn’t eat for a week, that’s not the way clearly

Just today I read about some squats and looks like I’m doing half of them wrong. How great is that. Do I need to work out with the trainer now? I don’t like to talk when I’m at the gym and I need some music, hate the thought of someone standing next to me telling me what to do.

Those are just a few concerns I have…