Stubborn belly, hip, and thigh fat...

lovexlexi

So I'm 5'4 and I've lost 40 pounds from my highest weight of 165 over the past 2 years. I currently weigh 125 pounds but I still have a considerable amount of fat in my belly, hips, and thighs. It just doesn't seem to want to come off. I know a lot of people have had this problem and I was wondering how to overcome it. I probably need to lose another 10-15 pounds to get rid of it, which is always the hardest to get rid of. I fell off the wagon for a few months due to the stress of college and have only been back at it for about 2 weeks. I have been going to the gym every other day of the week for at least an hour. Granted the holiday's haven't really helped with my problem... Any advice or strategies that you could give me would really be appreciated! I know it will take a while to start dropping weight again, but I'm determined to reach my final goal in 2017! Feel free to add me as a friend.

sammyliftsandeats

Keep at your calorie deficit if you want to lose more fat.

Or because you're at a healthy weight, eat at maintenance and do a progressive lifting program to perform a recomp. It will change your body composition without changing your weight. It is a slower process though.

jemhh

Are you doing any resistance exercise--lifting weights, calisthenics, suspension system stuff, etc.? That is what I'd advise.

lovexlexi

I'll admit I don't do enough weight lifting. Right now I'm doing mostly cardio to try to burn the fat. I want to do more weight lifting but I don't really know proper form or how many reps I should be doing. I feel like my heart rate doesn't really go high enough when I do weights and I barely sweat or feel sore afterwards so I feel like it's not doing anything, but maybe that's because I'm not lifting enough weight.

jemhh

kirkmana94 wrote: »

I'll admit I don't do enough weight lifting. Right now I'm doing mostly cardio to try to burn the fat. I want to do more weight lifting but I don't really know proper form or how many reps I should be doing. I feel like my heart rate doesn't really go high enough when I do weights and I barely sweat or feel sore afterwards so I feel like it's not doing anything, but maybe that's because I'm not lifting enough weight.

Sweat and soreness are not indicators of an effective workout. Your current plan is going to leave you skinnier and no firmer than you are now. Pick up a copy of Strong Curves, read it completely, and start following one of the programs as written.

emilym3030

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cerise_noir

OP, just keep eating at a deficit and the rest of the weight will come off. Cardio isn't for fat loss; it's for cardiovascular health and for burning calories.

I agree with starting a progressive lifting program.

emilym3030 wrote: »

stay away from salt. You've probably heard this before but salty foods do not help and they might taste good but they are very fattening. I lost 2-3lbs in 2 weeks by completely cutting salt from my diet. try it, it might help

Cutting out salt completely from your diet is not recommended. Salt is NOT fattening, at all. Eating too many calories causes fat gain. Salt is just as fattening as water.

We need sodium as a part of electrolyte balance.

You lost water weight, not fat.

jemhh

cerise_noir wrote: »

emilym3030 wrote: »

stay away from salt. You've probably heard this before but salty foods do not help and they might taste good but they are very fattening. I lost 2-3lbs in 2 weeks by completely cutting salt from my diet. try it, it might help

Cutting out salt completely from your diet is not recommended. Salt is NOT fattening, at all. Eating too many calories causes fat gain. Salt is just as fattening as water.

We need sodium as a part of electrolyte balance.

You lost water weight, not fat.

Agreed!

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lorrpb

That 10-15 lbs you speak of will naked a big Difference. It confounds me why people who have weight to lose wonder why they still have fat in unwanted spots!

lovexlexi

In my opinion, every pound makes a difference, even if it's small. I just need to learn how to target these specific areas and tone them to rid them of the fat. My goal is to lose a bit more fat and start building some muscle.

bbell1985

OP, I'm 5'4". When I got down to 128lbs I wasn't seeing myself correctly. I saw fat. Looking back at me at that weight now, I was tiny. Though, I have had some 5'4" friends who feel more comfortable down near 115. It's up to you. 10 lbs makes a big difference.

Regardless, if you want a more defined body-you gotta lift/resistance train. There's no such thing as "toning" areas and spot reducing fat. You have to lose fat overall, and lift to maintain muscle mass.

lovexlexi

Thank you for the advice! You're right I should go less by the numbers and more by what I see. What would you recommend machine wise for lifting and resistance training? I suppose I should be focusing less on cardio, which has been my main focus recently. I just always thought cardio helped you lose more fat and weights were used more to gain muscle. I wanted to lose the fat before gaining muscle, but I guess they kind of overlap.

bbell1985

kirkmana94 wrote: »

Thank you for the advice! You're right I should go less by the numbers and more by what I see. What would you recommend machine wise for lifting and resistance training? I suppose I should be focusing less on cardio, which has been my main focus recently. I just always thought cardio helped you lose more fat and weights were used more to gain muscle. I wanted to lose the fat before gaining muscle, but I guess they kind of overlap.

They overlap because when you lose "weight" you lose fat AND muscle, but if you weight train, you can save more muscle. The end result is a more defined/lean look...rather than just a smaller version of your prior self.

I do not use machines. I suggest following a program such as Strong Curves or New Rules of Lifting for Women...free weights.

lovexlexi

I will look into those! Thanks so much! Your replies have been super helpful.

bbell1985

kirkmana94 wrote: »

I will look into those! Thanks so much! Your replies have been super helpful.

Have fun with it

lovexlexi

Quick questions, how many days a week do you workout and for how long? Also, how many reps do you normally do of each set?

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CharlieBeansmomTracey

kirkmana94 wrote: »

Thank you for the advice! You're right I should go less by the numbers and more by what I see. What would you recommend machine wise for lifting and resistance training? I suppose I should be focusing less on cardio, which has been my main focus recently. I just always thought cardio helped you lose more fat and weights were used more to gain muscle. I wanted to lose the fat before gaining muscle, but I guess they kind of overlap.

to gain muscle you need to either be eating at maintenance(a recomp), or in a surplus(bulking-but you wont get bulky) depends on your goals.as for lifting, free weights would be better, with machines you dont get the range of motion you do with weights, you also work more muscles with free weights compared to machines. look into a progressive lifting program or find a reputable trainer at a gym. There is also such thing as body weight training or resistance bands,but you will only get so far with those.getting adequate protein will also help prevent muscle loss(along with the weight lifting of course).I have been lifting for 4+ years and still have stubborn fat in some areas. its slow sometimes coming off. so you have to be patient.

bbell1985

kirkmana94 wrote: »

Quick questions, how many days a week do you workout and for how long? Also, how many reps do you normally do of each set?

Well, what I do might not be what you want to do. The first thing YOU need to do is state your goal. In this case it's lose fat, build muscle? Then you need to find a program with a progressive overload. Meaning the weight you use, or the volume (reps/sets) increases over time. The two programs I suggested above will do this.

I personally train for strength. Some days I literally do 6 single reps, with 5 minutes of break in between. Sometimes I'm in a hypertrophy block (muscle building) and work more in the 8-12 rep range. Training should be specific to your goals.

californiagirl2012

That is the last fat to go, and the first to come back. The caloire deficit is the only thing that gets it off. Focus on the food scale and not the body weight scale. The last 10-15 pounds is the hardest - and it's always in that area - and it comes off slower because your body does not have as much body fat stored as energy compared to when we all had way more body fat. The only thing that will work is super accurate tracking and CONSISTENCY. If we go too low on the deficit at this point, it's harder on the body because of the less stored energy in the fat cells, so it drives hunger up then it's easy to get a little heavy handed with food and not realize it (mental accounting games in our head). Stay patient, stay consistent with food, and it will finally come off - give it 60-90 days of super consistency

lisanhorowitz

kirkmana94 wrote: »

Thank you for the advice! You're right I should go less by the numbers and more by what I see. What would you recommend machine wise for lifting and resistance training? I suppose I should be focusing less on cardio, which has been my main focus recently. I just always thought cardio helped you lose more fat and weights were used more to gain muscle. I wanted to lose the fat before gaining muscle, but I guess they kind of overlap.

Hi Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor here. Lifting/ resistance is really important, but it's more important to lift with good form. I suggest you start lighter and look up how to do certain exercises on youtube. You could also start with body weight only exercises (pushup, tricep dip) which are really effective, but make sure you look up the form. Bigger muscles (legs back and chest) are going to burn more than smaller muscles (tricep, shoulders), but they should all be incorporated. It might be worth it to pay for one training session just to make sure you've got the form down, or just be really diligent watching youtube to make sure you're doing it right. Good Luck!

ninerbuff

kirkmana94 wrote: »

I'll admit I don't do enough weight lifting. Right now I'm doing mostly cardio to try to burn the fat. I want to do more weight lifting but I don't really know proper form or how many reps I should be doing. I feel like my heart rate doesn't really go high enough when I do weights and I barely sweat or feel sore afterwards so I feel like it's not doing anything, but maybe that's because I'm not lifting enough weight.

Cardio doesn't burn fat directly. It's an old myth that's circulated by the fitness industry. You burn glycogen first and foremost. And even at lower intensities, you may burn a higher percentage of body fat for fuel, but it's pretty insignificant. Fat is utilized exclusively AT REST. And again, you only burn off excess if you're in a decent calorie deficit.
Here's why you should lift. It keeps more lean muscle and helps to keep your RESTING METABOLIC RATE up. The less muscle you use, the lower more metabolic rate will drop. That means LESS fat burning.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

kirkmana94 wrote: »

In my opinion, every pound makes a difference, even if it's small. I just need to learn how to target these specific areas and tone them to rid them of the fat. My goal is to lose a bit more fat and start building some muscle.

You CANNOT target areas of the body to rid them of fat with exercise. It doesn't work that way. If you retain fat in those parts of your body, it's due to genetics.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

melaniedscott

You might try some exercises that focus on core...pilates and yoga are good.

bbell1985

melaniedscott wrote: »

You might try some exercises that focus on core...pilates and yoga are good.

It doesn't work like that.