WHY do I have a 33 inch waist??????

Genetics play a role, yes but your rolls are not genetics.

I am 5'3 and in the avatar you see I weighed about 110 lbs or so. (IMHO that was too skinny.) I have NEVER had a small waist. What is more important that mere waist size is the question, are you in proportion? In the avatar you see my measurements were 34C" - 24 (3/4) - 34. But that was before I put on a considerable amount of lean mass. My bf% was about 14-15%

If you look at my home page you will see another pic of me. I'm wearing a silver bikini. You will notice a considerable difference. I was about 120 lbs. My bf% was about the same as you can see similar definition. My measurements had changed to 36C" - 25 - 35. My hips were still very lean but I had put on some muscle. My waste had gotten just a bit thicker from increased muscle. And though my breast size remained the same (they are implants), my lats had gotten bigger. I was still in relative proportion. It's very hard to maintain that type of low bf for a woman all the time. So you guessed it, my waste measurements would go up to 27" as this is where I carried most of my bodyfat, the other two measurements would only increase fraction of an inch.

Now as to why you have the squishy mid-section. I am thinking that you are likely skinny fat. Many aerobics instructors fall victim to this because they do so many hours of cardio on such a regular basis that their metabolism adjusts. So they must either continue to keep doing more cardio (which is very catabolic) and/or decrease the amount of calories they consume just to maintain their BMI. So they end up losing more lean mass thus DEcreasing their metabolism and they end up like a hamster on a the wheel they have in their cages; running fast and furious, however never gaining any ground.

How can you fix this? Well, first you have to stop doing ALL cardiovascular exercise for at least ONE WEEK to allow your metabolism to adjust. You will feel fat and bloated. But you will survive. While you are doing this start weight resistance training. The extra body fat is merely stored energy that your body can tap into to fuel more intense weight-bearing training. As the weeks progress you can add back some cardio to your training regimen or just keep it to (3) brisk 20 minute walks per week. This is more than enough to maintain cardiovascular health. You may find that you won't ever need more than this type of cardio to maintain an acceptable level of bf with NO SQUISHY midsection.

As for your diet - THAT IS KEY. I've only known of ONE vegetarian bodybuilder (Not that you want to compete, I get it but your directives are the same believe it or not). She looked amazing... I've been in the gym 28 years today and I have NEVER seen another.

I'm not telling you what to do. If you can maintain a vegan diet having your macro ratios at 40% (protein), 30% (carbs), 30% (fat) clean with no processed foods (ie fake fats, additives, preservatives, etc) then rock on. If not, you may want to consider making some adjustments.

BTW - I was also recently horrified when I broke out the tape measure and it came back at 30". My other measurements were well within the realm of acceptable. But my waste was 3 inches past "fat and happy". So let me tell you, that was all the motivation I needed to keep on the straight and narrow! I was 130 lbs when I did this measurement. I am guesstimating that I will need to lost about 10 pounds to get as lean as I once was. I've devised a meal plan that should get me there by 31 OCT. If you wish to view my journals and ask questions, be my guest. :glasses:

BTW - as to where to measure. It's simple. You measure at the narrowest part of your midsection. This are is different for everyone. The narrowness of your waste is determined by bone structure (breadth of hips and rib cage), how far your hips are from your ribcage, musculature and yes, body fat (or excess skin).

A couple things that stick out to me is maybe lack of protein and strength training. I read bob harpers latest book skinny rules. He mentioned that being vegan was no longer working for his body so he incorporated more protein...although he highly recommends fish he also recommended chicken and egg whites.

I am 5 ft with a 27 inch waist and that is my trouble spot. I carry quite a bit of fluff on top of my abs. As for sweets I know that is my problem.

Check out his book it's a quick read. Good luck!

LOVE that book!..... and Bob!

Because you are apple-shaped rather than pear-shaped?

Try this waist to hip ratio calculator:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calculator_waist.asp

waist to hip ratio is an indicator of genetic disposition, as people who gain more weight in their mid-section can be at a greater risk for type 2 diabetes and heart problems, if they don't keep to a healthy weight. I myself am currently the illusive, Avocado, between apple and pear. Overall fat loss will make that go away--don't worry sounds like you have just enough fat that what's left is that stubborn mid-section fat, a good way to kick that is just upping your exercise game. Find a way to make time for it. Weight lifting is good, but generally, any way you can get out and move will be beneficial. Keep it up here at MFP! I've found a 40/30/30 carbs/fat/protein is helping me. BTW, I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian and I find to get the extra protein I do protein shakes, but legumes such as chickpeas (garbonzo beans) and lentils are a great way to get protein and fiber.

I have really high cholestral too. And I don't eat animal fat nor eggs It is a genetic thing. Definitely try removing the soy . . . the problem is that it is all processed. I forgot to mention this, but shoot for more NATURALLY occuring fiber than what MFP suggests. I am usually 10 g more at the end of every day because I eat sooo much salad.

My diary is public, you are welcome to go check it out.

I love the spirulina, here is what I buy

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015VI2U8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

You want to get 100% pure, non GMO. Otherwise they put a lot of unnecessary fillers.

One more suggestion, and this might sound silly . . . get happy. If your emotional well being is faltering, your body will hold on to negative things, including fat! I have eaten the same for a long while, but I was gaining weight!!! 50 lbs in a 2 year period. Well, I broke up with my boyfriend, (the best thing I have EVER EVER done) and withing 4 months, I am down 18 lbs.

A step in the right direction is realizing that you are beautiful, and you are healthy, and that you are proud of your self for working towards a goal. DO NOT beat yourself up, but make wise decisions.

Are you measuring in the right spot? That seems awfully large for your height and weight. Unless you're just super skinny everywhere and every bit of fat is sitting in your waist.

I'm 5'3" and 155 pounds and my waist is 29 inches. Granted, I'm an hourglass, so I have a small waist in general, but still ...

^^^^ This. If you measure your waist where most people now wear thier pants whichis below the navel about 3" then 33" is pretty normal but at the actual waist which is a good 3" above the navel then 27" is more normal. I measure both. I'm 5'1" about 136 right now and above the navel I'm 26.5" but below I'm 33"

I just made a terrible discovery...my waist is 33 inches! Or 83 centimetres!

That goes against all the government/medical guidelines saying anything bigger than 33 inches or 80 centimetres is a serious health hazard, even if the rest of you is fine.

I'm 162 centimetres and 55 kilograms, that's 5'3 and 121 pounds in American. So I'm not really overweight, my BMI is okay, I'm slightly chubbier than I'd like which is why I'm on here...but my legs and arms are pretty toned and slim and my waist is HUGE. I had no idea it was that bad, I knew it was where I stored all my fat and that trousers are always tight on me (dresses are not)...but above the healthy range? When I'm a size 8 (4 in America)? Searching on this board and others I see people with my height and weight normally have 26-28 inch waists! Even people who are larger overall and I see eating more than me have smaller waist measurements! What is wrong with me???

And what do I do?

All the guidelines I see online say boring things which I already do and have been for years and yet I STILL have a huge waist. You know, they recommend cardio (I do a fair bit) and cutting out soft drinks and beer and stuff which I never drink anyway...I am a dairy-avoiding vegetarian so my diet is mostly vegan, I have a pretty bad weakness for vegan sweet treats but not excessive amounts, maybe like 2 biscuits a day (or maybe that is the problem and I have to cut out desserts completely?). I normally have 1200-1500 net calories a day and do 30-60 minutes of cardio every day plus martial arts and dumbbells a few times a week. I'm a bit nervous to make my diary public but would it help?

Could it really be pasta once a week and a couple of vegan biscuits most days doing this? Should I go on a severe vegetable-only diet? Or should I up my cardio to 2 hours a day? Add in an intense weight lifting schedule?

I'm really only concerned about my waist...I'd like to be fitter and stronger overall but I can already do 10 kilometre runs without stopping, proper push-ups, see individual muscles in my arms/legs etc...but I have this giant fat waist with huge fat rolls when I sit down. It's incongruous. I'm quite worried.

You say that you see people your size on here eating much more than you with a smaller waist....hmmm...maybe you could try what they are doing and see if there is something to it?

Believe the real problem is relying on the government to tell you what is healthy.

The healthy waist size is 35 inches for women. you are good to go.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/150376-healthy-waist-size-bmi/

That is incorrect. A "healthy" waist size is no more than half one's height. It's relative and Livestrong has some very questionable advice.

This "half ones height" seems off. Because I am 66inches and if I had a 33 inch waist, I would look VERY silly!

I honestly believe it is largely genetic. Your bmi is way less than mine. I am 5'5 and 174 pounds but my waist is 31.5. At your weight it was about 25 even when i did next to no exercise. But i have an hour glass figure like my mother before me and im sure it is largely genetics that predict your body shape. Eating healthy, exercise, keeping within the healthy bmi range, i think they are more meaningful than waist measurement in your case. Some people just can't help their body type.