Improving my shape without dropping weight/inches

PikaKnight

Okay, so I think what you are getting at is that you got to goal and although pleased with your progress, you find you aren't as "tight" in areas that you had hoped. Is this the jist of it?

If so, as others have mentioned - strength/resistance training is needed to work on body composition. There are a few ways to do this and you can research on MFP or off site - bulk/cut cycles, lean bulk/cut, and recomping (eating at maintenance).

For strength training:

For the most bang for your buck, you'd be looking at heavy lifting with barbells (or dumbbells if you don't have access to barbells).

I highly suggest reading Starting Strength, Stronglifts, AllPros or/and NROL. Pick one of the routines and stick with it for a few months.

Other forms of strength/resistance training you could also look into are TRX Supsension and Sandbags.

If you don't have access to equipment, look into bodyweight routines from Convict Conditioning, NerdFitness, or/and You Are Your Own Gym.

Links to some of the above programs and some additional info:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/850719-strength-training-the-basics

Stronglifts: http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/
(For Stronglifts, please be sure to get the Free PDF on this and read through it, not just the summary)

NerdFitness: http://www.nerdfitness.com/resources/#resources-apps

AllPros: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/902569-barbell-routines-when-you-only-have-dumbbells



*To note: If you do enjoy cardio, you can definitely work it into your weekly routine with the above routines mentioned above

ndj1979

OK - but you cannot spot reduce fat. Fat is going to come off from where it wants, when it wants...so if you all of a sudden go up to maintenance then guess what? The fat that has not left your problem areas is not going to lose your problem areas. So if you want to lose more fat you are going to have to keep eating in some kind of deficit and lifting heavy.

You can't have it both ways and say "I like where I am, but I want to change these specific parts" because it does not work this way ...

My suggestion would be keep eating in a deficit until you are happy with your "problem" areas, and then increase to maintenance and keep lifting heavy...

Well, my fat hasn't obviously completely left my problem areas, but I guess I'd need to be at a very low weight / low fat % to have a small lower body since that's part of my shape. Most girls I know do have big thighs while having small arms or waists, but this doesn't mean that they look like someone sucked part of their body weight from them.
I don't want to sport reduce, I just wanted to know if there's a way to make my body look better, my problem area might be my lower body but as I already said I'm working on my upper body too, the difference is that I'm already seeing results there while I'm not seeing them on my lower body. I am obviously going to work on my whole body as I've been already doing.

Also, I thought that you couldn't build muscle on a deficit, which is something that I've been taught from the very beginning of my weightloss journey.

correct, you cannot build muscle in a deficit....

that is why most people do a cut and get their body fat % down to a suitable level and then do a bulk to put on muscle because when you do a bulk you are going to add fat and muscle...it is inevitable...so you want to limit the fat gains, and maximize the muscle gains.

Eleonora91

Okay, so I think what you are getting at is that you got to goal and although pleased with your progress, you find you aren't as "tight" in areas that you had hoped. Is this the jist of it?

If so, as others have mentioned - strength/resistance training is needed to work on body composition. There are a few ways to do this and you can research on MFP or off site - bulk/cut cycles, lean bulk/cut, and recomping (eating at maintenance).

For strength training:

For the most bang for your buck, you'd be looking at heavy lifting with barbells (or dumbbells if you don't have access to barbells).

I highly suggest reading Starting Strength, Stronglifts, AllPros or/and NROL. Pick one of the routines and stick with it for a few months.

Other forms of strength/resistance training you could also look into are TRX Supsension and Sandbags.

If you don't have access to equipment, look into bodyweight routines from Convict Conditioning, NerdFitness, or/and You Are Your Own Gym.

Links to some of the above programs and some additional info:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/850719-strength-training-the-basics

Stronglifts: http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/
(For Stronglifts, please be sure to get the Free PDF on this and read through it, not just the summary)

NerdFitness: http://www.nerdfitness.com/resources/#resources-apps

AllPros: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/902569-barbell-routines-when-you-only-have-dumbbells



*To note: If you do enjoy cardio, you can definitely work it into your weekly routine with the above routines mentioned above

Yes, exactly. Thank you so much. I'll look at each of those links, I'm glad that at least I now know what to do. I have enjoyed the first results I've got on my body after starting strenght training. I really hope this is the right way.

PikaKnight

Here's some additional reading if you like. Even though it's more about muscle and losing weight, there is still good information that might help you better understand some things

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

http://body-improvements.com/2013/09/04/can-you-build-muscle-and-lose-fat-at-the-same-time/

http://body-improvements.com/2012/08/22/qa-how-can-i-go-about-building-some-muscle/

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I've been doing recomp for the past year, OP. I eat at maintenance, get 1 gram of protein per pound of LBM, and a lift weights. In that time my weight and basic measurements have stayed the same (bust, waist, hip). However I've lost 2 pants sizes, so I'm losing inches SOMEWHERE, just not where I'm measuring. And I have a lot more visible muscle tone. But it's a slow process, think months and years, not weeks.

klalsaleh

you gotta hit the weights heavy to look less flabby but your weight may go up a little due to muscle gain. but ultimately you will start to actually wear smaller clothing but still look curvy at the same time.

miss_mckenna

Bar Method or yoga will change your shape. I've watched myself (yoga) and a good friend (bar method) change drastically over the last few years. Yoga lets you tone without bulking up. And, it's great for your brain!

Galatea_Stone

Lift weights, lift weights, then lift weights. Also do some cardio because moderate cardio gives better results.

To stay the same size overall, or to put on a little size then cut it off (which gives the best results), eat at slightly over maintenance and lift heavy with progressive loading. Or eat a little more than slightly over maintenance, lift heavy weights, then cut. The bulk-cut gives the best results because it gives you the best opportunity to put on muscle. Most women don't want to take this route, particularly after working so hard to lose weight. But if you work hard, it gives the best results by far. Even a lean or clean bulk (100-200 over maintenance) gives better results.

To stay the same weight and very slowly recomp, eat the same and lift heavy weights over a period of years. But you will lose inches (most likely centimeters). This route will take you a very long time.

Or eat at a slight deficit and cut the fat off to reveal the muscle you have. You'll get smaller, but if you have a good amount of muscle already, this is a great program. It fails if you don't have enough muscle, though. You'd need to get much smaller than I think you would want to reveal the muscle if you don't have a good bit of muscle on you already.

ETA: Protein! Make sure you're getting enough. Aim for 100-120+ grams a day.

Wow... very clear and well explained. Thank you! I think I really need to work on my proteins then... are you sure about the amount? Is there any way I can calculate my suggested protein intake basing on my weight and height?

Hi OP, I've been offline most of the day.

To answer your question, the percentage I gave you is based on .75 - 1 gram per pound lean body mass. It's the conventional wisdom on the amount of protein you should consume to preserve lean mass while training. Consume more to gain mass in a bulk. The calculation is based on lean mass and not height or weight.

I am bulking so I consume 1-1.5 grams protein per pound of body weight. It is high, but I'm getting the desired results.

Springfield1970

If you are anything like me OP, the fat comes off the lower body last. Really annoying, as I had to get to about 129lb (I'm 5'7") to look firm there. Very frustrating considering how much sport I do. I am really quite wobbly still in the booty area.

That's about 20% body fat, and I know you've worked really hard, but I think you may have to cut a bit more, very slowly, while lifting and eating sufficient protein, then do a clean bulk, then possibly cut again. I got down to 123lb then bulked up to 132lb now cutting to 127lb. I know when I'm happy with my body and the bulk has made me get there, even before my current cut. It's incredible.

I plan to do this ad finitum, as I'm not good at maintenance, and really enjoy the cycles now. I'm only ever + or - 100/300 from my maintenance.

pkw58

Bar Method or yoga will change your shape. I've watched myself (yoga) and a good friend (bar method) change drastically over the last few years. Yoga lets you tone without bulking up. And, it's great for your brain!

I agree. I don't think I could ever "bulk up" lifting weights, but I find that I stick with Barre and Yoga and am willing to develop more toning slowly over months vs weeks so that I can stick with it.

If you google "barre method" or "Barre3" you will find that you will tone up over time and there are many , many, on line and you tube routines. Pilates is another method. I find that the more I focus on my core and balance, the more "toned" I get. But it is not an overnight thing. I am 5'8" and my maintenance range is 126 to 133, but the scale seems to stick at 128. I am told by many that if you lift weights or kettle balls you get quicker results. I just can't get into much beyond some light dumbbells in my Barre3 arm videos.

redpandora56

bump

want to check out some of those links later!