How do I lose the fat without making my muscles any LARGER?

I've always been thick; thick thighs, strong calves and large biceps for a woman. I put on some weight after my kids were born so I'm up to 180 lbs. I still have these large muscles under the fat though. I want to lose the weight so I have been watching what and how much I eat and exercising. Lately I started the 30-day Shred and I can see my muscles getting larger. THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT!! I need to lose the extra pounds and fat around the muscles. I have no desire to make my muscles any larger than they already are. Any suggestions??? Any at all??

Once you lose the fat the muscles will be pretty. If you don't lift now you won't look good when you lose the fat. You need the muscle for your shape.

I didn't look good when I had muscle AND fat either. But I ended up looking good once the fat was gone. My story here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

Keep Lifting. You will lose the fat faster than you will build muscle. Lifting makes you look younger and makes your bones strong. I just had my DXA scan and it showed that my 51.5 year old bones are that of a super athletic 30 year old. Scientific proof that lifting holds back the clock!!!!

You say you've always been "thick", however, thick does not mean muscular. What strength training have you done in the past and what exercises are you doing now that build your muscles?

Eating at a calorie deficit just means you've got to stick to your daily calories if you are following MFP guidelines. If you've calculated your own macros and calorie deficit using the formulas that are out there, then make sure you stick to that to ensure that calories in are less than calories out. Honestly, even if you continue to strength train, but you are using more calories than you take in (calorie deficit) and you are watching your carbs/fats/proteins (macros) you will lose body fat and even a little muscle. Muscle is NOT easy to build! Especially if you are on a calorie deficit.

Weigh and measure your food, stick to a strict calorie deficit and try to to exercise 3-4 times a week. You will see results.

When I said thick, I mean muscular. I played soccer for years and was on colorguard in high school to give me the big bicepts (that's the people in the band who twirl the huge flags around). I have always had large muscles, the flab is the recent addition.

Giving you the benefit of the doubt... shed the flab, keep the muscle, then you can re-evaluate if you think you're too think/muscular.

Maintain a healthy deficit, workout a couple of times a week to maintain some level of "in-shape-ness", be patient.

What doubt?

The "doubt" is that by doing 30 day shred for a few weeks, you've built any muscle. It is REALLY hard for anyone to put on muscle, but really hard for woman, much less at a calorie deficit. I am a muscular woman. Played sports most of my life and gained weight having kids. I am a runner as well. While incredibly muscular, I finally started a lifting program 5 weeks ago. I am getting more compliements in the last 5 weeks than you can imagine. Muscles aren't bad and you aren't going to look like a she-man. You have to work REALLY HARD FOR YEARS (and probably take some drugs) to get that to happen. I haven't lost a pound, but I'm in another dress size. I lift heavy and I doubt that I have actually built any quantifiable muscle. I did gain a bit the first 2 weeks due to the fluid flooding my muscles for repair. That evened out.

More muscle, more fat burning. Plus, I happen to think an athletic build is sexy...as do others

Don't supplement with steroids or growth-hormone and you'll be fine, not going to get massive.

Try 'AB_RIPPER X" from P90X or Cardio Ab's from Insanity.

Absolutely amazing results.

What does calorie deficit mean? Eat less than recommended calories? I always thought that was severely dangerous.

A caloric deficit simply means if your body needs 2000 calories just to make it through a normal day, give it 1800. Your body needs a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound. If you cut 500 calories and burn 500 calories per day, you can healthfully lose 2 lbs per week.
I lost 100 lbs over a 2 year period. That was over 10 years ago. Except for when I had my daughter, I haven't gained any of it back. Its not dangerous, but make sure you eat good foods in your calories. Foods with high fiber and vitamins help to satiate you as well.

Thanks, that makes sense! I've been eating right at 1200 per day so maybe it is working and I can't see it yet! I do want to start working different exercises to try to target the problem areas. For instance, doing scissor lifts (I think that's what they are called, on your side, lift one leg straight up) to cut out the flab there. I also do a variety of versions of chest raises to try to get the fat under and around my biceps. I try a lot of different ab exercises but I have a hard time with them because of the mommy pooch. It's like having a ball between you, I can't sit up without hitting the "ball".

Exercising various body parts does not have anything to do with fat loss in those areas. Fat comes off of your body all over, you have no control over it.

That's what I've always heard but it can't hurt to try!

Actually it can if you waste too much time flopping around like a fish trying to target your abs when you could be burning 10x more calories doing something else.

YOUR Body IS Your Body! ACCEPT it and Love who YOU are.

I frequent this site solely to learn and gather useful information, and have never felt the need to post something until now. Can't help but notice how annoying and pointless every one of your posts lately has been. Must be nice to have that kind of free time. That is all.

What to take home from this:

1. You can't do crunches and expect to lose fat on your tummy
2. Eat at a proper deficit and exercise will allow you to drop body fat
3. You SHOULD be lifting weights
4. Women don't naturally build HUGE muscles, they must eat like a sumo wrestler and/or take steroids