lost 25 pounds and still have a fat stomach & thighs :(
ablot63
Posts: 71 Member
hi guys! so far i've lost 25 lbs and i have around 15-17 more lbs to lose, which would bring me to around 120 lbs (i am 5'3" and a girl). the weirdest thing, though, i think is that despite having lost so much weight (more than half of my goal!!) i still have a large stomach and thighs!
my waist has been stuck at 27 inches and my hips at 36 inches for the longest time!!! i had hit a long weight loss plateau which i just recently got past by eating unhealthy for two days and then switching back to healthy eating (crazy, i know!!). i don't weigh myself that often, but this morning i was .8 lbs down from last week, which is slow progress, but it's still progress... inches aren't seeming to come off though! and i feel like the fat is just stuck there. i haven't noticed a significant change in over a month... please tell me what i can do! i want to achieve that toned/fit look with a relatively flat stomach and thighs that don't stick out like mine do....
i've been doing HIIT cardio 5x a week in the mornings. each of my workouts burn anywhere between 250 and 360 calories. about 2-3 times a week, i add in an additional workout in the evenings. i do various things, from aerobic dance, to stretching, to yoga, to pilates, to weight lifting (only up to 8 lbs though), to circuit training. all of these secondary workouts almost always include a good 10-15 minutes of strengthening exercises to tone my abs and legs (i.e. squats, alternating lunges, planks, mountain climbers, calf raises, etc).
as far as eating goes, this is almost always what my diet looks like (sunday- thursday):
breakfast: 2 slices of whole wheat toast, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of jam (200 cals)
mid morning snack: protein shake, one serving of fruit (~200 cals)
lunch: grilled chicken, or beef; greek yogurt sprinkled with granola/fruit (300 cals)
mid afternoon snack: second serving of fruit, one serving of nuts (200 cals)
dinner: grilled chicken, fish, or beef; 1-2 servings of vegetables (300 cals)
i make sure everything i eat is low in sugars (like the yogurt, granola,, protein shake, jam...etc). as you guys can see i eat all natural and healthy, nothing bad for you.
i do normally "treat myself" on fridays and saturdays. not the whole day, but just one meal per day.
the scale is moving but i havent even lost .1 inches off my waist, arms, thighs, or hips in days.. i hope i'm not losing muscle??? i've been working out, walking a lot,etc so i don't see why that would be the case.
any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.
my waist has been stuck at 27 inches and my hips at 36 inches for the longest time!!! i had hit a long weight loss plateau which i just recently got past by eating unhealthy for two days and then switching back to healthy eating (crazy, i know!!). i don't weigh myself that often, but this morning i was .8 lbs down from last week, which is slow progress, but it's still progress... inches aren't seeming to come off though! and i feel like the fat is just stuck there. i haven't noticed a significant change in over a month... please tell me what i can do! i want to achieve that toned/fit look with a relatively flat stomach and thighs that don't stick out like mine do....
i've been doing HIIT cardio 5x a week in the mornings. each of my workouts burn anywhere between 250 and 360 calories. about 2-3 times a week, i add in an additional workout in the evenings. i do various things, from aerobic dance, to stretching, to yoga, to pilates, to weight lifting (only up to 8 lbs though), to circuit training. all of these secondary workouts almost always include a good 10-15 minutes of strengthening exercises to tone my abs and legs (i.e. squats, alternating lunges, planks, mountain climbers, calf raises, etc).
as far as eating goes, this is almost always what my diet looks like (sunday- thursday):
breakfast: 2 slices of whole wheat toast, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of jam (200 cals)
mid morning snack: protein shake, one serving of fruit (~200 cals)
lunch: grilled chicken, or beef; greek yogurt sprinkled with granola/fruit (300 cals)
mid afternoon snack: second serving of fruit, one serving of nuts (200 cals)
dinner: grilled chicken, fish, or beef; 1-2 servings of vegetables (300 cals)
i make sure everything i eat is low in sugars (like the yogurt, granola,, protein shake, jam...etc). as you guys can see i eat all natural and healthy, nothing bad for you.
i do normally "treat myself" on fridays and saturdays. not the whole day, but just one meal per day.
the scale is moving but i havent even lost .1 inches off my waist, arms, thighs, or hips in days.. i hope i'm not losing muscle??? i've been working out, walking a lot,etc so i don't see why that would be the case.
any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.
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Replies
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There is a law of the universe that demands that the first weight you lose will be off your tits.
The next lot will be off your face. Then it drains slowly downwards. It's quite insufferable. Your top half will shrink... and then slowly your bottom half will shrink with this terrible lag.
And then finally at the end, like some cosmic lava lamp, it'll all sort of even itself out.
It's just proof that the Gods hate us really. We're definitely their little joke.
The only suggestions I can make are
'hang on in there'
'lots of twisty waist exercises'
lots of cardio on the legs.
good luck.0 -
I have the same issue. You can see my ribs yet my stomach and thighs are still bulging. If someone saw my upper half they'd say god stop losing weight but the bottom half would be a different story. I'm very close to goal so I am trying weights
. 0 -
Im just wondering what your frame is like,I would be 5ft 2 and a large body frame so if I was 136 lbs I would be fine! I think 27 inches in the waist is tiny unless you are very petit! As a matter of fact I think under that is very very thin,36 inch hips is not overly big either,you sound like you are doing all the right things! Make sure you are eating enough and drinking plenty of water!Best of luck!0
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You posted 2 weeks ago you lost your weight doing a 700 - 800 cal a day diet and then hcg. It's good to see you've upped your calories but you've upped your exercise so much at the same time that I doubt you're really getting the effect of those calories. Stop stressing your body out. Eat a little more, do HIIT no more than 2x a week and be patient.
Edited to add I didn't mean to imply just do HIIT, strength training is important to keep muscle. HIIT is effective but pretty taxing on your system and yours is already stressed.0 -
I have the same issue. You can see my ribs yet my stomach and thighs are still bulging. If someone saw my upper half they'd say god stop losing weight but the bottom half would be a different story. I'm very close to goal so I am trying weights.
You just 100% described my situation.0 -
Im just wondering what your frame is like,I would be 5ft 2 and a large body frame so if I was 136 lbs I would be fine! I think 27 inches in the waist is tiny unless you are very petit! As a matter of fact I think under that is very very thin,36 inch hips is not overly big either,you sound like you are doing all the right things! Make sure you are eating enough and drinking plenty of water!Best of luck!
i'm a pretty small/medium frame. from the front, my waist does look pretty tiny, but from the profile, you can see that there is still fat there. (that was a pretty horrible description, i'm sorry! idk how to describe it). i was expecting myself to be a lot smaller at this weight too tbh. i haven't weighed this much in years but i dont feel much lighter than past years
thanks tho!! 0 -
You posted 2 weeks ago you lost your weight doing a 700 - 800 cal a day diet and then hcg. It's good to see you've upped your calories but you've upped your exercise so much at the same time that I doubt you're really getting the effect of those calories. Stop stressing your body out. Eat a little more, do HIIT no more than 2x a week and be patient.
Edited to add I didn't mean to imply just do HIIT, strength training is important to keep muscle. HIIT is effective but pretty taxing on your system and yours is already stressed.
only twice? i've been told to work out at least 4-5 times a week. i guess i can try upping my calories to 1400-1500 a day instead of 1200. the problem is that i often can't find healthy items to fill those calories up with. i limit my fruits to only 2 servings a day, and i only eat carbs in the morning. i only have one yogurt a day. and no vegetables are that calorie dense. so i'm kind of stuck there. any suggestions?0 -
There is a law of the universe that demands that the first weight you lose will be off your tits.
The next lot will be off your face. Then it drains slowly downwards. It's quite insufferable. Your top half will shrink... and then slowly your bottom half will shrink with this terrible lag.
And then finally at the end, like some cosmic lava lamp, it'll all sort of even itself out.
QFT0 -
I have the same problem but I'm gonna add in some weight training & hopefully that'll help firm things up...0
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You posted 2 weeks ago you lost your weight doing a 700 - 800 cal a day diet and then hcg. It's good to see you've upped your calories but you've upped your exercise so much at the same time that I doubt you're really getting the effect of those calories. Stop stressing your body out. Eat a little more, do HIIT no more than 2x a week and be patient.
Edited to add I didn't mean to imply just do HIIT, strength training is important to keep muscle. HIIT is effective but pretty taxing on your system and yours is already stressed.
only twice? i've been told to work out at least 4-5 times a week. i guess i can try upping my calories to 1400-1500 a day instead of 1200. the problem is that i often can't find healthy items to fill those calories up with. i limit my fruits to only 2 servings a day, and i only eat carbs in the morning. i only have one yogurt a day. and no vegetables are that calorie dense. so i'm kind of stuck there. any suggestions?
Are you doing a keto diet?0 -
You posted 2 weeks ago you lost your weight doing a 700 - 800 cal a day diet and then hcg. It's good to see you've upped your calories but you've upped your exercise so much at the same time that I doubt you're really getting the effect of those calories. Stop stressing your body out. Eat a little more, do HIIT no more than 2x a week and be patient.
Edited to add I didn't mean to imply just do HIIT, strength training is important to keep muscle. HIIT is effective but pretty taxing on your system and yours is already stressed.
only twice? i've been told to work out at least 4-5 times a week. i guess i can try upping my calories to 1400-1500 a day instead of 1200. the problem is that i often can't find healthy items to fill those calories up with. i limit my fruits to only 2 servings a day, and i only eat carbs in the morning. i only have one yogurt a day. and no vegetables are that calorie dense. so i'm kind of stuck there. any suggestions?
Strength training 2x a week, HIIT 2x a week on different days. That's working out 4x a week.
Even tho I do low carb I don't recommend it unless you have medical or hormonal issues. Eat some brown rice and sweet potatoes.0 -
Are you doing a keto diet?
no.. do you recommend it?0 -
post some pics so that i can tell you your bodyfat % and how much you need to lose approx to have flat stomach. I would recommend you to stop doing so much different... things, and focus on weight lifting (heavier than 8lb) and finish off with some cardio. All you need.0
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Are you doing a keto diet?
no.. do you recommend it?
[/quote
I'm doing keto and I was able to lose an inch off my hips, as well as my thighs. If you try it though, be warned that the first week or two are HELL. You will feel crappy, like you have the flu, but afterwards you feel better.
However, you can't influence where you lose fat. I would suggest being patient on top of keto. It might take a while. I didn't lose those two inches right away.0 -
Being lean you need more calories because you have less body fat reserves to provide energy. So try upping your calories by another 300 to hit 1500 calories to start. Second it takes time. The more lean the longer it takes. Third weight train more and less cardio. At this point look for more composition changes rather than weight. Resistance training will provide those results. And last calories are more important than eating clean or carbs by a specific time. So get dirty and eat up. In fact there are no weight loss benefits of eating clean or eating carbs in the morning. In fact I end each night with an ice cream bar.
On a side not I generally recommend macros to be around 40% carbs and 30% fats and protein. For the most part this will allow you to hit 1 g of protein and .35g of fats which is recommended.0 -
post some pics so that i can tell you your bodyfat % and how much you need to lose approx to have flat stomach. I would recommend you to stop doing so much different... things, and focus on weight lifting (heavier than 8lb) and finish off with some cardio. All you need.
alright so the top left is my starting weight, and the bottom right is around 5-6lbs ago. so i have lost some since then.0 -
Being lean you need more calories because you have less body fat reserves to provide energy. So try upping your calories by another 300 to hit 1500 calories to start. Second it takes time. The more lean the longer it takes. Third weight train more and less cardio. At this point look for more composition changes rather than weight. Resistance training will provide those results. And last calories are more important than eating clean or carbs by a specific time. So get dirty and eat up. In fact there are no weight loss benefits of eating clean or eating carbs in the morning. In fact I end each night with an ice cream bar.
On a side not I generally recommend macros to be around 40% carbs and 30% fats and protein. For the most part this will allow you to hit 1 g of protein and .35g of fats which is recommended.
i'm just wondering.. how will weight training (i.e. dumbell presses, bicep curls..etc) help me to lose weight off my stomach and thighs?0 -
There is a law of the universe that demands that the first weight you lose will be off your tits.
The next lot will be off your face. Then it drains slowly downwards. It's quite insufferable. Your top half will shrink... and then slowly your bottom half will shrink with this terrible lag.
good luck.
AHAHAHAH OMG this is hilarious and also sadly true :')0 -
Wow! This is the nice thing about a community - you don't feel you're the only person in the world who has gone flat chested, bony-shouldered, thin-faced ................ while still dragging that sack of potatoes from the waist down.
Some of us are just meant to be pears, I guess. At least, we'll be fit, healthy pears!!
It's not a case of misery liking company but when I read these posts, I just don't feel so bad, I realize that my body shape and the way I've lost weight is normal because there are a lot of us like this.0 -
yeah same here but I didn't mind losing some boob fat. It's so much more comfortable without it and easier to jump around. No flip flop bounce bounce going on. And the face fat, yeah I look younger without it. I can see some bone structure now. So I just do tummy exercises and I still have a fat behind..but I don't see it often so I can forget it's there. Ignorance is bliss
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are you sure you are right with your calorie calculations? Looking at your breakfast a tbspn of peanut butter is around 90 calories alone, and you get in jam and toast for a total of 200?0
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Ive only lost 26lbs so far, but have walked it off. The weight has come off my waist and thighs (and some off my face), Ive lost a wee bit from my stomach and none from my boobs (these are the areas I most want to lose it from), so I reckon the Universe must determine that the areas we want to lose it from will be the last areas we do lose it!
( 0 -
looking at your breakfast , i think is more like 350 than 200 cals unless you are using some reduced calorie version of the ingredients i don't know about-- having said that your overall intake even with that seems fine --maybe make sure you are measuring everything rather than guessing cals ( unless you already do)0
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Yeah, I'm doing keto and I love it. I still have a stomach and thighs, but finally am starting to notice they're shrinking ever so slowly. I think it's just weightloss's thing.0
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i'm just wondering.. how will weight training (i.e. dumbell presses, bicep curls..etc) help me to lose weight off my stomach and thighs?
If you do proper weight training (as in barbell training) you focus on compound lifts such as squats and deadlifts, those use the whole body including the core. Dumbbell presses and bicep curls are accessory exercises at best. There are plenty of threads around about weightlifting for women - don't be afraid to try new things and go heavy, you will not get 'big' you will just look awesome!0 -
Most likely those areas are where your fat naturally gathers. For me that area is my bum. This will be the last place where the fat disappears.0
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You know it is interesting how we each loose weight. My Mom, who is in her 70's is about 5'2" tall, 125 lbs but has a belly, small legs, thighs and bottom. Well, guess who is in that same predicament? I have a belly but I have lost a lot of weight in my thighs and legs. So here is my take as I have been exercising for awhile and I have to focus on my stomach.
1. Focus on training your core area (I do SeanT HibHopAbs and use the Total Gym plus P90X Core DVD) 4 to 5 times a week
2. Do not starve yourself.
The result is my abdomen is getting stronger and I still get my cardio in by doing exercise which focus' is on my problem areas.
Good Luck!0 -
Wow! This is the nice thing about a community - you don't feel you're the only person in the world who has gone flat chested, bony-shouldered, thin-faced ................ while still dragging that sack of potatoes from the waist down.
Some of us are just meant to be pears, I guess. At least, we'll be fit, healthy pears!!
It's not a case of misery liking company but when I read these posts, I just don't feel so bad, I realize that my body shape and the way I've lost weight is normal because there are a lot of us like this.
Totally understand. It really is comforting to know it's normal to have results like this! I'm struggling with the same problem areas, but I guess we've just got to keep slogging away and monitoring until we get there.0 -
What I wouldn't give for a 27 inch waist!
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Keep up the strength training. I use light dumbells too as I'm not allowed to lift heavy and I've found compound movements are starting to help with my tummy. Do you do your weight exercises in a circuit? I started out just doing 20 squats (or whatever exercise) and then moving onto another exercise but I've found if I do a set of 10 then work another muscle then come back to the squats and do another set for a total of 3 sets it seems to be more effective as I'm giving the muscles a little rest in between and I guess the break helps me push more0
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