I say lift, and lift heavy. Toning is the building of muscle, no matter how you look at it. Women often worry about getting bulky. That is VERY unlikely to happen in women without outside supplements.

I use to have what a black girl called a "pancake ass" I was skinny fat about 4 years ago.
Now I have a perky round butt that is NOT a pancake... how I did it? LIFTING! I have been lifting consistently close to a year now.. it will be a year this mid July. I lift 3 times a week.. about an hour each time. So yeah...lift lift lift

Just focus on your calories

Set your protein at 0.65 - 0.8g protein per lb bodyweight (at desired bodyweight) at a minimum
Set your fats at 0.35g per lb bodyweight at a minimum
Eat carbs to taste

Eat a wide nutritious diet - lots of brightly coloured vegetables, proteins, wide range of foods

If you find there's a food you find it difficult to moderate consider temporary elimination

if you don't have blood pressure issues don't worry unduly about salt

don't worry about sugar either unless you have specific medical condition - it's the fact that highly tasty foods tend to have high sugar / high fat and hence high calories that is the issue with weight maintenance and not the sugar per se


sort your calories and then focus on the minutiae