Am I Doing the Right Thing?

vintageprop

Hi everyone.

I would really appreciate some advice as I'm getting discouraged and am wondering if I'm doing the right thing..

I need to get rid of my big butt and thighs. (10-12 pounds?) if it wasn't for the complete disproportion to the flat top half of my body then this wouldn't be such a problem. I know this is from sitting all day at my desk job without exercising and eating too much and it also gave me cellulite. I can't fit into jeans that I should be fitting into. Its extremely frustrating..

I weigh 116. I'm 22 years old and 5"7. I know that sounds skinny but I don't look right. Even other people have said so which is extremely rude but anyway..
I started walking every day while eating fewer calories and no more junk food. I then started doing pilates for an hour. For five days now I've been biking for an hour with the hour of pilates also. It's been 1 month total.
I noticed a little difference during the first few weeks, with my butt getting a little smaller but nothing has happened since.
I eat about 1100-1400 cal a day while trying to include more veggies and fruits.

Should I just keep up with what I'm doing? I wish I knew how long it would take to reach my goal. another month? or two? Any help would be appreciated!

vintageprop

Hi everyone.

I would really appreciate some advice as I'm getting discouraged and am wondering if I'm doing the right thing..

I need to get rid of my big butt and thighs. (10-12 pounds?) if it wasn't for the complete disproportion to the flat top half of my body then this wouldn't be such a problem. I know this is from sitting all day at my desk job without exercising and eating too much and it also gave me cellulite. I can't fit into jeans that I should be fitting into. Its extremely frustrating..

I weigh 116. I'm 22 years old and 5"7. I know that sounds skinny but I don't look right. Even other people have said so which is extremely rude but anyway..
I started walking every day while eating fewer calories and no more junk food. I then started doing pilates for an hour. For five days now I've been biking for an hour with the hour of pilates also. It's been 1 month total.
I noticed a little difference during the first few weeks, with my butt getting a little smaller but nothing has happened since.
I eat about 1100-1400 cal a day while trying to include more veggies and fruits.

Should I just keep up with what I'm doing? I wish I knew how long it would take to reach my goal. another month? or two? Any help would be appreciated!

mgullette

Two words...weight training. It completely changes the shape of your body, even if the numbers on the scale don't change much. You can lose inches all over and drop body fat. Muscle burns calories. Try it 3x a week along with your walking or other form of cardiovascular exercise.

sassiebritches

Are you trying to lose weight, because 117 is small....or trying to tone what you have? I can't imagine you having a large tuckus...and whoever said that was being an idiot...sorry but thats what I think.

I used to date a guy who rode bikes, he had a girl butt and thighs....I would maybe stay away from that and do the pilates, some toning stuff.

And lastly there does come a time when we cannot get away from genetics doll. You may have to live with some of it....

Good Luck!

vintageprop

to mgullette

There is a 6lb pound weight lifting portion in my pilates video that focuses on the arms.. I guess that's not enough to fill the weight training? but there's also push ups and many other muscle related workouts in the video.
Thanks for your suggestion! I'll try to do more.

to sassiebritches

I am trying to lose weight and tone because like I said my butt and thighs are too big for the rest of my body. it is not fitting and makes me feel extremely uncomfortable and unhappy with myself. I'd like to just take the fat from the back and put it in the front where I need it if you know what I mean.
aww, stay away from riding a bike? I always feel so good after doing it, I actually feel my butt and thighs tighen up for a few minutes after but the feeling does goes away.
and that is true about genetics.. which is another reason why I will never have kids!
Thanks for the input

MisdemeanorM

At 116 and 5'7" you are at a unhealthy, underweight BMI.

What size pants are you trying to fit into that don't fit? I am at a healthy weght but I won't fit into a size 6 no matter how much I think I should be fitting in to them! :laugh: (I am 150 and only 1.5" taller than you.)

Your weight loss, if you have one, will be VERY slow because you dont have any weight NEEDING to be lost. You need to focus on toning and do stick wtih the healthier food choices and cut out the junk anyway since it is overall better for your health and your weight / body look. (Skinny people have heart disease etc too).

Sounds like I carry my weight a lot like you. From the waist up I am built like someone who weighs about 110 lbs and from the waist down someone who weighs more like 180. It is the build my family came with so I know I never will be super thin in the legs. My dream look is to stand without my thighs touching, but I dont hold my breath for that one. I have very muscular legs with some hard to burn fat on them and "man calves."

As for people commenting that you need to be thinner in places, i have heard (actuall my husband relayed to me) some really mean comments from guys about a girl whose body I would kill for... so I think that is just stupid society and unrealistic expectations talking there...

Anyway - focus on toning up areas and eat healthy, but this is going to be a LONG process because your body does not need to lose weight so it is going to resist. Look online and find some butt and thigh toning exercises and keep working the upper body as well. Adding more muscle to the top will help balance out the bottom. One thing - dont watch the scale. You should actually expect to gain weight since muscle weighs more than fat and you will likely put on more muscle than you burn fat. You really could stand to gain 5 or so lbs of muscle though to put you at a healthier weight and BMI.

SHBoss1673

first things first. at 116 lbs and 5' 7" your BMI is about 18, that's not necessarily unhealthy, but it's at the low end of being healthy. So eating a caloric deficit is NOT helping things. I know this may be hard to fathom, but right now your body is considering itself at risk for starvation, so it's going to grab ANY fat you have and hold tight, you won't be able to really lose any fat until you up your calories to around 1800 (your maintenance). I know this is counter intuitive, but it's really the case for you.

See what's (probably) happening is you are eating at a caloric deficit, so it's virtually impossible for your body to create any new muscle, and very, very hard to tone up any muscle that you do have. so working out at all right now is a futile exercise. If you slowly up your calories over a couple of weeks (say 10% every other day), you should see progress within a month or so. Just remember, the first couple of weeks you may see modest weight gains as your body adjusts to the new calories, this is perfectly normal and healthy, don't concern yourself if you gain as much as 7 or 8 lbs. Soon enough your metabolism will heat up again, and will start burning the fat you need to instead of canabalizing your muscle stores (which I would bet the farm is what is happening right now)

If you want more info on this, feel free to email me, I have a few sites that I can point you too that teach about the human carbohydrate metabolism, plus a few studies done by the New England Journal of medicine that talk about this. And I think (don't quote me on this one) I have one somewhere from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition about this exact topic.

benw

I recommend you get to a gym with some good leg machines or get more then 6lbs and do some deep squats you need to realy work your legs. Please dont worry about what the scales are saying. Go by how you feel. Do you feel strong and healthy? I use the scales because I am over 230lbs and see it as motavating. Your weight is fine. Get working your legs and use a tape mesure.

kimber607

Hi

I know it stinks but everyone has a different body type
Unlike you, I hold my weight in my stomach/middle
Even in HS I had a horrible time finding pants/jeans that fit my waist and my legs
Even now, that I've lost 30 pounds, I still have the same problem
Based on your height and weight it doesn't sound like you need to loose more weight
I would focus on yoga/pilates and strength training to work on your things/butt

Good luck (HUGS)

Kim

kerrilucko

My body type is similar to yours. I have a nice shaped upper half, but my lower half is on the larger side. They call that a "pear" shape. You can't change it though, everyone has a different shape. I don't recommend you lose weight. I am 5'6" and a healthy weight range for me is 118-155 soooo you are actually borderline underweight. Try some toning exercises but do NOT eat at a deficit, your body needs its nourishment.

Kimono

I am just like you and I really didn't like it for a very long time. I am very small upper body, but every ounce of fat I have is in my butt and thighs. But there is a bright side, I have a tiny waist and good abs. Try to find the positive when you look in the mirror.
And yes, genetics play a big part. Where you store your body fat is genetic. This doesn't mean you could not change your shape some. Weight training is great for that. And remember that a pear shape is a heathier shape than an apple shape figure. Storing fat around your middle is much harder on your heart. And seriously, there is nothing wrong with a little junk in the trunk! Guys love it so work with it. Just look at JLo and Beyonce.

chrissyh

Hit the weights but don't eat just 1100 - I'd say 1250 minimum to lose but 1400 works better for me - My body doesn't like only 1200 - it stops losing completely but if I eat more I lose - go figure! Seems like at 116 pounds you should eat maintaining calories and work towards the muscle tone

vintageprop

Thanks everyone for the advice and info! Its comforting to know other people understand.
Its not just that my behind is big, but there is a lot of cellulite too and I can't stand it. I assume a lot of working out will get rid of this..I hope.

I weigh so little because my upper body is so small.. waist, chest and arms... my legs and butt used to be smaller too, making everything look more equal which is why I'm all crazy about getting that back again.
I must say, its a little shocking to hear that I should eat more! Not that I'm complaining..
I have felt better since starting to exercise and I feel healthier since I've been eating better so hopefully I will stay on track with that.
Thanks again everyone!

oh by the way, I can only fit into size 7 jeans. I want 5 again!!

mgullette

Well, are 6 lb weights challenging for you? There is no right weight for anyone, but women generally fall between the 3-20 pound range, depending on what exercises you're doing. I agree with everyone else though, up those calories a little bit. And don't worry about getting bulky because at your calorie level, there's no way you could build much muscle at all. And everyone, tone is just a nice word they use for women who build lean muscle mass because they don't want to turn women off and make them think they'll get bulky. Unless you're a hardgainer, or lifting heavy weights constantly and taking creatine or illegal substances, women will struggle to get bulky. Cardio works the heart and keeps the body fat down, but like someone else said about the guy who bikes all the time but has a flabby butt, that's all it does. Cardiovascular work burns muscle AND fat, so you need some strength training to build that muscle back up.

On a final note, how often do you see marathon runners (those who only run) who have nice physiques? I don't mean to offend any runners here, but you can guarantee that many of them do not have much muscle mass because they burn it off training. If you watch the Olympics and see the marathon runners, you wish they would weigh more than 87 pounds.

yellow_pepper

I highly doubt that weights are going to get your lower half smaller. They may, however, get your upper half bigger, which would balance you out. It just doesn't sound like that's what you want.

Your best bet is to run (NOT uphill), jump rope, and do ballet/pilates. There's no need to "lift weights" for your legs, if you do plenty of squat/lunge type exercises - both on flat feet and on your toes.

Check out these videos for the basic ideas: http://www.physique57.com/tanyas_tips.html
And for a similar workout that you can try at home, there's www.fluidity.com

Note: I don't have the Fluidity bar, but I attend a fitness class that offers a very similar workout, and I love it! Plus, all the instructors are professional dancers, who probably have the kind of body you're after.

Good luck!

yellow_pepper

On a final note, how often do you see marathon runners (those who only run) who have nice physiques? I don't mean to offend any runners here, but you can guarantee that many of them do not have much muscle mass because they burn it off training. If you watch the Olympics and see the marathon runners, you wish they would weigh more than 87 pounds.

I must respectfully disagree. Long-distance running is probably the BEST workout for maintaining a low body fat percentage. It also enables you to eat a lot more than you could otherwise and stay thin.

The trouble is that a lot of people think they can eat as much as they want after a run. A good metric is to eat an extra 100 calories per mile for a 130-lb person (For a 117-lb person, it's probably more like calories per mile). As you can see, the more you run (or walk!) the more you can eat. Just don't overdo it! And running will tone your legs (while keeping them thin) like nothing else... Except ballet/dance!

mgullette

Do a search on what 5 pounds of muscle looks like vs 5 pounds of fat. Which do you want on YOUR body?

vintageprop

I highly doubt that weights are going to get your lower half smaller. They may, however, get your upper half bigger, which would balance you out. It just doesn't sound like that's what you want.

Your best bet is to run (NOT uphill), jump rope, and do ballet/pilates. There's no need to "lift weights" for your legs, if you do plenty of squat/lunge type exercises - both on flat feet and on your toes.

Check out these videos for the basic ideas: http://www.physique57.com/tanyas_tips.html
And for a similar workout that you can try at home, there's www.fluidity.com

Note: I don't have the Fluidity bar, but I attend a fitness class that offers a very similar workout, and I love it! Plus, all the instructors are professional dancers, who probably have the kind of body you're after.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions! You're right, making my top half only bigger is not what I want.
So is riding a bike not a good idea for smaller butt and thighs? I'm not good with running... but I do pilates 5 days a week for an hour.

yellow_pepper

Cycling is ok if you keep the resistance low and move your legs fast. I avoid it because I don't like the feel of spinning the wheel - I like to add resistance - and that can make your legs bigger.

In general, if you watch what you eat - that is, don't eat MORE than your maintenance calories - you shouldn't get bigger. My trouble is really that I usually do eat more than I should.

I think you'll do great. You're starting at a weight that most of us envy, and you're 5'7" - seriously. All you have to do is any exercise! Just make sure you don't up the calories TOO much. Think 1200 plus the calories you burn on the bike/treadmill, and you should be fine.

Kimono

Running has toned my legs up a lot also, and it burns calories like crazy. And walking on an incline is a great exercise also. That really works the butt and hamstrings.

vintageprop

Cycling is ok if you keep the resistance low and move your legs fast. I avoid it because I don't like the feel of spinning the wheel - I like to add resistance - and that can make your legs bigger.

In general, if you watch what you eat - that is, don't eat MORE than your maintenance calories - you shouldn't get bigger. My trouble is really that I usually do eat more than I should.

I think you'll do great. You're starting at a weight that most of us envy, and you're 5'7" - seriously. All you have to do is any exercise! Just make sure you don't up the calories TOO much. Think 1200 plus the calories you burn on the bike/treadmill, and you should be fine.

Thank you very much for that, makes me feel a bit better. I will keep going.

vintageprop

Running has toned my legs up a lot also, and it burns calories like crazy. And walking on an incline is a great exercise also. That really works the butt and hamstrings.

I wish I liked running but I just think its not for me.. maybe I started too hard with it and I need to slowly build up a tolerance for it but I'm not sure how to do that. Also, I live in Florida which means its always hot which is a really horrible environment to run in. That's why I like riding my bike, it gives me some breeze.

vintageprop

Oh and another thing, my bad habit is eating at night after dinner. (from 9-12) I can't seem to get away from this habit as its my favorite time to eat. I used to eat chips and cake at night but now that I don't eat any more of that, I usually stick with wheatable crackers and apples. I figure since I don't eat too too much during the day it sort of balances out?

yellow_pepper

Running has toned my legs up a lot also, and it burns calories like crazy. And walking on an incline is a great exercise also. That really works the butt and hamstrings.

The incline is good exercise, definitely. But it can make the legs bigger.

There's a great book on how to exercise for your body type. It's called "Escape Your Shape," by Dr. Edward Jackowski of Exude Fitness. http://www.exude.com/?page_id=6

Windandever: It sounds like you're a "Spoon." Jackowski recommends that Spoons AVOID resistance (and incline) for the lower body. Jumping rope is highly recommended for Spoons.

I'm an Hourglass. "Hourglasses® tend to look lighter than their actual weight would indicate.
Hourglasses® tend to gain mass in the thighs and the back of the arms." The plus and the minus. :ohwell:

Kimono

Many ideas as to what would make legs bigger or smaller. Don't know if we are helping much. In order to "tone" as many call it, you are actually burning off fat and building muscle. But muscle is more compact than fat so the size of legs will decrease and you calories burned even while inactive will increase. Leading to fat lose, and that is the goal.

SHBoss1673

Oh and another thing, my bad habit is eating at night after dinner. (from 9-12) I can't seem to get away from this habit as its my favorite time to eat. I used to eat chips and cake at night but now that I don't eat any more of that, I usually stick with wheatable crackers and apples. I figure since I don't eat too too much during the day it sort of balances out?

It really doesn't though. The metabolism slows down when you sleep. And for a few hours right before you usually go to sleep, the body starts that process. If you eat, then go to sleep, you basically are putting energy into a system that will use even less then when you are active, and that means more fat storage.

This is an issue for me as well, I like to have a snack as I watch my night time shows. Just try to slow it down, do it gradually, like any habit, easing away from it slowly is better then just stopping. Be conscious of what you are eating at night, think about it. Tell yourself to think about it BEFORE you put anything in your mouth, that actually helps me. For me, the mindless gnawing on food is a problem that I had to overcome.