Fat arms!

cruzmom123

I am 35 years old and have always had fat arms. I hated going to proms or being a bridesmaid due to my self-consciousness. Even when I have to get a flu shot, I usually wear a cardigan so that I can let it hang off my shoulders rather than take it off completely. You will NEVER catch me wearing sleeveless!!! Even in the "dog days" of summer I wear cardigans. (thankful for an office job). My question is...how can I get leaner, thinner arms? I'm afraid if I lift weights, my arms will bulk up even more.

jemhh

You can't spot reduce so if you want less fat on your arms you work on having less fat all over. That means eating fewer calories than you burn, so either eat less or move more or do a combo.

I would also suggest lifting weights or doing exercises such as pushups, pullups, and dips. Once you lose some of that fat you want your arms to have a nice shape, right? Resistance exercises will help you attain those nice strong curves. Plus you'll have the added benefit of being able to lift and carry a lot more without having to yell for help.

TropicalParaMonster

I share your troubles. The sad thing is we can't remove fat from one place. You'll see loads of the "tone your arm workouts" which only work if you practically have no fat to lose and just want to tighten.
Are your arms big as in muscles or fat? You need to incorporate both cardio (fat loss) and strength training (for toning and fat loss) to get the best of both worlds.

cruzmom123

I would have to say my arms are big in both fat and muscle. The fat is mostly the under portion of my arm so for example, if I were to wave at someone, it would jiggle underneath. If I were to flex, you can see a little muscle there. It's weird. Thanks for the advice. I'm currently eating under my calorie goal while doing cardio 3 to 4 times a week. I have lost 10 pounds in 43 days but mostly from my hips and thighs.

dbmata

keep up the loss and you'll get there.

Chieflrg

Eat at a deficit and you will lose the fat eventually.

Also you will not "bulk" up your arms by lifting weights. Its hard enough for men to do so and we have way more testosterone than women.

amf0324

You sound like me. I hate my arms too. And for some reason my arms is the last place to lose weight.... I'm grateful for cardigans but jealous of fit arms.

Cherimoose

cruzmom123 wrote: »

I'm afraid if I lift weights, my arms will bulk up even more.

That can't happen in a calorie deficit, now matter how much a person lifts. Doing just cardio burns away muscle too, which lowers your metabolism. So follow a good, full-body lifting program and lift heavy. Don't make the common mistake of just working your arms.

SingingSingleTracker

cruzmom123 wrote: »

I am 35 years old and have always had fat arms. I hated going to proms or being a bridesmaid due to my self-consciousness. Even when I have to get a flu shot, I usually wear a cardigan so that I can let it hang off my shoulders rather than take it off completely. You will NEVER catch me wearing sleeveless!!! Even in the "dog days" of summer I wear cardigans. (thankful for an office job). My question is...how can I get leaner, thinner arms? I'm afraid if I lift weights, my arms will bulk up even more.

As mentioned above, you cannot spot reduce. Rather, work on maintaining a deficit in the CICO equation (calories in vs. calories out). Perhaps set up your goal of losing a 1/2 pound to a full pound a week. Eventually, the fat in the arms will go away if you remain disciplined with your calorie tracking and deficit.

randomtai

You won't "bulk up".... and keep losing fat.