Hips/love handles

chelsmaee7

ive lost around 7.5 pounds in the past 30 days and definitely notice a difference in all areas of my body but I haven't noticed any change in my hips/love handle area. I'm at 142 right now but even when I was at 115, I still had very large love handles. I was in a 0-3 size for pants but always looked bigger still because of my love handles creating a "muffin top". I'm smaller above and below this area and my stomach isn't big either.. It's just my sides. I know that you can't spot reduce but I was wondering if anyone has had any luck toning this area and how they were able to do that.

FatFreeFrolicking

If you've always had hips, you're always going to have hips; no matter what weight you are. Embrace it.

RodaRose

Women have hips, thank goodness.
If you want to modify body shape, lift heavy weights.

chelsmaee7

I'm not sure if it's actually even my hips. The only way to really explain is with a photo.. I still have a bit left to lose overall and don't mind my tiger stripes! I never had any sort of hips/love handles before I got pregnant. I was only around 95 pounds when I got pregnant, my son is 7 now but even when I've lost weight before, this area just always stays pretty much the same. I'm okay with having hips but the way I'm small above and below this area makes it hard to find anything to wear that I feel comfortable in.

debubbie

I am struggling to lose weight in my stomach - love handle area too, but I keep trying to eat at a calorie deficit and jog everyday for a half mile. I do a yoga - pilates class and volleyball once a week, and try to do strength training at least twice a week. I have lost a few inches in this area over the last several months by trying to stay active and at my calorie goal.

Try to measure your inches in that area every 2-3 weeks to see if you are making progress in that area even though it may not feel like you are.

Good luck!

pollypocket1021

It looks like skin and diastasis recti may be contributing to the contour. If those seem to be issues when you're at your goal weight, surgery is the only effective way (that I know of) to contour that area.

chelsmaee7

debubbie wrote: »

I am struggling to lose weight in my stomach - love handle area too, but I keep trying to eat at a calorie deficit and jog everyday for a half mile. I do a yoga - pilates class and volleyball once a week, and try to do strength training at least twice a week. I have lost a few inches in this area over the last several months by trying to stay active and at my calorie goal.

Try to measure your inches in that area every 2-3 weeks to see if you are making progress in that area even though it may not feel like you are.

Good luck!

I've only been working at this for just over a month now so I'm hoping that maybe in a few months I will see a change. I've been staying within my calorie goal every day.. Except today lol I have noticed a change everywhere else at least. I just bought a tape measure a few days ago so I can see what changes other than just the number on the scale. I think that eventually it has to go away!? It just gets so frustrating when I'm happier with how the rest of my body looks but then I have these things growing out of my sides that won't go away lol

debubbie

I know how you feel! Write your measurements down in a little book to look over when you get frustrated. It is amazing how inspiring it can be when you see the progress you have made over a few short months!

chelsmaee7

pollypocket1021 wrote: »

It looks like skin and diastasis recti may be contributing to the contour. If those seem to be issues when you're at your goal weight, surgery is the only effective way (that I know of) to contour that area.

I still have at least 15 pounds to my goal weight. I plan to adjust my goal when I get close to it. I feel like it's possible that when I was at around 115 before and unhappy with how I looked that I may remember it being worse than it actually was. Going from 95 pounds to 150 during pregnancy definitely had some very bad effects on my body.

arditarose

Eh, we can't choose where the weight comes off. I've had stages in my weight loss where my body has looked very odd. Keep it up, see how it looks at goal weight. If you're interesting in any kind of resistance training, it helps save LBM which can help with aesthetics in general.

acquiredgains

Do your hipbones protrude out naturally or is it mostly just fat in that area? If it's mostly fat, it could be because you just tend to gain fat on your hips

chelsmaee7

arditarose wrote: »

Eh, we can't choose where the weight comes off. I've had stages in my weight loss where my body has looked very odd. Keep it up, see how it looks at goal weight. If you're interesting in any kind of resistance training, it helps save LBM which can help with aesthetics in general.

I'm willing to try just about anything! So far I've only been walking, using an exercise bike, and occasionally doing body weight exercises but I would really like to expand the variety of different types of exercise. Going to a gym is out of the question for me but I do have some equipment at home and a pool. After looking at the picture more, I think there is a slight difference so that makes me hopeful that I can change this area.

arditarose

acquiredgains wrote: »

Do your hipbones protrude out naturally or is it mostly just fat in that area? If it's mostly fat, it could be because you just tend to gain fat on your hips

Just the way we can't choose where we lose fat, we can randomly choose where we gain it either.

arditarose

chelsmaee7 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Eh, we can't choose where the weight comes off. I've had stages in my weight loss where my body has looked very odd. Keep it up, see how it looks at goal weight. If you're interesting in any kind of resistance training, it helps save LBM which can help with aesthetics in general.

I'm willing to try just about anything! So far I've only been walking, using an exercise bike, and occasionally doing body weight exercises but I would really like to expand the variety of different types of exercise. Going to a gym is out of the question for me but I do have some equipment at home and a pool. After looking at the picture more, I think there is a slight difference so that makes me hopeful that I can change this area.

What kind of equipment do you have at home? If not a barbell and free weights, you could look into body weight training. You can take a look at "You are Your Own Gym", "Convict Conditioning", and the beginner body weight routine on www.nerdfitness.com

SLLRunner

I have little love handles at 139/140 pounds, and mom had them too even though she was 110 pounds. Grandma had them too.

Just work on your body and embrace the body you have.

chelsmaee7

acquiredgains wrote: »

Do your hipbones protrude out naturally or is it mostly just fat in that area? If it's mostly fat, it could be because you just tend to gain fat on your hips

I'm really not sure.. It's been so long since I've seen my hip bones! But i do think that a lot of what is there is fat. I can feel my hip bones but they're just covered by fat or whatever it is there.

chelsmaee7

arditarose wrote: »

chelsmaee7 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Eh, we can't choose where the weight comes off. I've had stages in my weight loss where my body has looked very odd. Keep it up, see how it looks at goal weight. If you're interesting in any kind of resistance training, it helps save LBM which can help with aesthetics in general.

I'm willing to try just about anything! So far I've only been walking, using an exercise bike, and occasionally doing body weight exercises but I would really like to expand the variety of different types of exercise. Going to a gym is out of the question for me but I do have some equipment at home and a pool. After looking at the picture more, I think there is a slight difference so that makes me hopeful that I can change this area.

What kind of equipment do you have at home? If not a barbell and free weights, you could look into body weight training. You can take a look at "You are Your Own Gym", "Convict Conditioning", and the beginner body weight routine on www.nerdfitness.com

I have a treadmill, exercise bike, jump rope, some weighted velcro bands,and Light weight Dumbbells and I also have some that i can take off/add more onto. I have basically no knowledge of exercises using weights but I think I definitely should try to learn more about it.

arditarose

chelsmaee7 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

chelsmaee7 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Eh, we can't choose where the weight comes off. I've had stages in my weight loss where my body has looked very odd. Keep it up, see how it looks at goal weight. If you're interesting in any kind of resistance training, it helps save LBM which can help with aesthetics in general.

I'm willing to try just about anything! So far I've only been walking, using an exercise bike, and occasionally doing body weight exercises but I would really like to expand the variety of different types of exercise. Going to a gym is out of the question for me but I do have some equipment at home and a pool. After looking at the picture more, I think there is a slight difference so that makes me hopeful that I can change this area.

What kind of equipment do you have at home? If not a barbell and free weights, you could look into body weight training. You can take a look at "You are Your Own Gym", "Convict Conditioning", and the beginner body weight routine on www.nerdfitness.com

I have a treadmill, exercise bike, jump rope, some weighted velcro bands,and Light weight Dumbbells and I also have some that i can take off/add more onto. I have basically no knowledge of exercises using weights but I think I definitely should try to learn more about it.

Look into the body weight suggestions.

Christine_72

I'm pretty much at my goal weight now. My face has thinned out too much (according to everyone else), my collarbones and hips are jutting out. But i still have a little pot belly! The only way i know to get rid of it without losing any more weight is to start weight training.
I've seen so many wonderful transformations on women who lift weights. Some of them weigh more than me but with rock hard flat tummies.

chelsmaee7

christinev297 wrote: »

I'm pretty much at my goal weight now. My face has thinned out too much (according to everyone else), my collarbones and hips are jutting out. But i still have a little pot belly! The only way i know to get rid of it without losing any more weight is to start weight training.
I've seen so many wonderful transformations on women who lift weights. Some of them weigh more than me but with rock hard flat tummies.

I've heard a lot of good things about weight training. I just don't really know where to start but I'm going to do some reading on it tonight. I might have to stop relying on my scale so much though!!

arditarose

I'm sorry, I know more about lifting than I do body weight training, but this link is often recommended for beginners
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

BirdGirlFit

I would say weight training and HIIT (high intensity interval training) is the key! Try Jamie Eason's Live Fit Program on Bodybuilding.com (it's geared towards beginners). She has an eating plan, pictures of exercises and a plan that is three months long. It's a great start that was really helpful to me when I first started lifting! I have been lifting consistently for about 80 days now (with macro counting to lose fat) and have lost 5 lbs and dropped a dress size. I didn't have a lot to lose but was looking to change the shape of my body and this has really worked. Lost lots of inches and gained muscle mass, I'd highly recommend this program!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html

chelsmaee7

BirdGirlFit wrote: »

I would say weight training and HIIT (high intensity interval training) is the key! Try Jamie Eason's Live Fit Program on Bodybuilding.com (it's geared towards beginners). She has an eating plan, pictures of exercises and a plan that is three months long. It's a great start that was really helpful to me when I first started lifting! I have been lifting consistently for about 80 days now (with macro counting to lose fat) and have lost 5 lbs and dropped a dress size. I didn't have a lot to lose but was looking to change the shape of my body and this has really worked. Lost lots of inches and gained muscle mass, I'd highly recommend this program!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html

Thanks! I will definitely take a look at this!! I probably won't be able to do the eating plan part of it but I really want to give weight training a try! I've managed to go down about one size in just over 30 days of eating within my calorie goal and light exercise so I would be interested to see what adding in more exercise could do for me!

SLLRunner

christinev297 wrote: »

I'm pretty much at my goal weight now. My face has thinned out too much (according to everyone else), my collarbones and hips are jutting out. But i still have a little pot belly! The only way i know to get rid of it without losing any more weight is to start weight training.
I've seen so many wonderful transformations on women who lift weights. Some of them weigh more than me but with rock hard flat tummies.

I have seen amazing changes in my body since adding weight lifting. It rocks!

Psychgrrl

I'd sign up for a couple sessions with a qualified trainer to make sure you learn proper form. Good form is key for safety and getting the results for which you're looking.