Goal weight - lower body issues

sshintaku
sshintaku Posts: 228 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I hit my goal weight this week (5'5" 130lbs) and if I look from the waist up, I look great and if I lost more I would look too thin. From the waist down, I look better but still chunky. As I've been working on this, I focus my workouts primarily on my legs with squats, lunges, yoga, running and horseback riding. I get in upper body with yoga and 30DS. I naturally have large thighs and I'm ok with that BUT, I don't want to look emaciated on top just to look fit on the bottom.

Suggestions? I'm currently eating about 1400 cal, exercising 6x a week and hitting 25-40% protein.

Replies

  • wonderbolt_in_training
    wonderbolt_in_training Posts: 24 Member
    You're a pear shape <3 embrace the bootay!!
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    I feel like my thighs are huge too, but everyone just says I am crazy and there not : )

    Like you I am smaller on top!

    Sounds like the workouts your doing are good, and should target those specific areas - Maybe use some of the weight machines for your legs/thighs etc.

    Im using the spin bike, the stair climber and use the skiing one - But I think to myself are my thighs getting bigger the more there toning up??? The more muscle, the bigger they get??
  • Foulque
    Foulque Posts: 16 Member
    I feel your pain. When I am slim enough to have legs I like, my arms and chest start to look gross. In for answers to this too.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    very slight deficit, no more than 0.5lb/week weight loss goal. Take part in a progressive heavy lifting strength training program, and keep getting adequate protein, 100+grams/day, and time
  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
    Me too. I am so much thinner up top than on the bottom. It's aggravating, but I'm trying to accept it. My hips are wide (especially after childbirth), and no matter what I do I won't be able to reduce the size of my bone frame.
  • IGottaDog
    IGottaDog Posts: 7 Member
    Congrats on hitting your goal weight!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    You're a pear shape <3 embrace the bootay!!

    I agree. Find things you love how you look in. We're all different. Scarlet Johannson (whose name I can't spell) has a body shaped like that too.
  • MagdaSea
    MagdaSea Posts: 78 Member
    I have the exact same problem. I could look anorexic judging by my torso. Ribs, spine and collar bones highly prominent. Then from the waist down, it's like I'm a whole other person. My thighs are alright but my 'inner' adductor (adductor longus) always seems to need more work. My hamstrings take a whole lot of effort to get into shape (including my butt) while my quads tend to firm up faster but still problematic. Don't even get my started on my calves and below. If you think it is impossible for a 5'3, 112lbs girl to have cankles, I'd like to introduce you to my legs.

    Now I'm not saying this is the only thing that works, but in my 15 years of turning to an active lifestyle, only rollerblading has helped with my legs. I rollerbladed for probably 30 to 40 minutes at an intense level (meaning I was out of breath) every day for roughly 6 months,

    The difference in my legs was like nothing I had ever seen before or since because I haven't kept up a cardio schedule that intense for a while. Yes 6 months is a long time but it is to be expected when you have genetically resistant muscle/areas. I'm relatively sure that I noticed results much sooner though. I think after 4 months, my legs looked a whole lot better.
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
    I had to really work my upper body to help balance out. I still tend to be very lean up top even when my lower body isn't as lean as I like. Heavy lifting has helped all the way around.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    In to see all the suggestions. I'm in the same boat. The top half is starting to look like a coat hanger and two xylophones, but I'm still working on butt cheeks and the thunder thighs.
  • drangonfly2323
    drangonfly2323 Posts: 197 Member
    This is my problem too. I still have weight I want to lose but on my top half I am pretty happy with my results and then I look from the waist down and I feel like no progress has been made. It can be very frustrating. Congrats on reaching your goal weight.
  • sshintaku
    sshintaku Posts: 228 Member
    I wouldn't have even thought of roller blading. I was also considering biking maybe - has anyone had much experience with this? I unfortunately don't have access to heavy weights or machines, so the most I can do is add some 30lb hand weights to my squats.
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
    I wouldn't have even thought of roller blading. I was also considering biking maybe - has anyone had much experience with this? I unfortunately don't have access to heavy weights or machines, so the most I can do is add some 30lb hand weights to my squats.

    Well, biking is my main form of exercise and I'm in the same boat. Apparently biking doesn't really work your inner adductor muscles much. I'm trying to focus on working my upper body more (swimming, heavy lifting up top). I'm hoping that if I build more muscles on my shoulders and arms I'll look more balanced.
  • sshintaku
    sshintaku Posts: 228 Member
    I have pretty decent muscle in my upper body - I could use more definition, but i definitely have muscle. My issue is my ribs/back/stomach. I feel like if I lost another 5 lbs, my legs would look better, but then I would have zero chest and all my ribs would be sticking out. My body fat is still at like 22% and it's all in the booty! :D
  • carissa321
    carissa321 Posts: 20
    I agree :-) I'm a pear too!! it's a beautiful shape! I find that I just have to dress for my shape .. there are tons of tips and tricks on the web for dressing a pear shape :-)

    And CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
  • AmazonRDH
    AmazonRDH Posts: 203 Member
    I'm the exact same way. I somewhat solved the pear-shape problem by having big ol' boobies installed.... now I'm an hourglass :drinker:
  • tlebel75
    tlebel75 Posts: 10
    Weight train upper body and lots of lower body cardio and you'll get the illusion of a bigger upper body to out way lower body
  • sshintaku
    sshintaku Posts: 228 Member
    Weight train upper body and lots of lower body cardio and you'll get the illusion of a bigger upper body to out way lower body
    As opposed to trying to build more muscle in the lower body for definition? Interesting idea.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    How much of your weight loss journey included progressive strength training - 25%, 50%, 75% or 100%? Also, how large of a caloric deficit did you assume (ie average weekly weight loss)? Were you consuming in the neighborhood of 100% of your lean mass in lbs of protein grams (ie. have 95 lbs of lean mass and eat 95 grams of protein)? These are all important components in minimizing loss of lean mass as you experience a caloric deficit.
  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
    I believe these woman are asking what happened to my breasts? If so, don't worry about something you can do little about. You are a pear shape and can't do anything about having delicious thighs and anorexic breasts. Be glad that you have big glut and thigh muscles because they burn more calories than fat.

    You can always dress to accentuate the body parts you do like, or pad your bra.

    Beside, men like women in all shapes. They liked me when I weighed 97 pounds and when I weighed 235. Right guys? A little reassure here would be great.
  • sshintaku
    sshintaku Posts: 228 Member
    How much of your weight loss journey included progressive strength training - 25%, 50%, 75% or 100%? Also, how large of a caloric deficit did you assume (ie average weekly weight loss)? Were you consuming in the neighborhood of 100% of your lean mass in lbs of protein grams (ie. have 95 lbs of lean mass and eat 95 grams of protein)? These are all important components in minimizing loss of lean mass as you experience a caloric deficit.

    I don't have access to heavy weights, so my strength training consists of 30DS, yoga and hand weights for upper and lower body (15-30lbs). My protein intake started at 40g, now I try to hit about 70-80g. I've always been fairly muscular, particularly in my lower body, and I only lost 13lbs so I don't feel like I lost a lot of muscle mass? Maybe I'm wrong, I'm not entirely sure how at all works out. I'm at about a 400cal/day deficit.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    I ended up with this issue when I did primarily cycling for over a year. My lower half was quite muscular while my upper half seemed to have all but disappeared. I rectified this by taking up weight training so that it was balanced out, plus, I added a little weight in lean mass. I think that is the best solution, along with continuing to work on what you view as problem areas.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    I believe these woman are asking what happened to my breasts?

    No. What we're referring to is dropping weight much faster from shoulders and ribcage than from belly, hips and thighs.
  • kmglennie
    kmglennie Posts: 40
    I agree. Find things you love how you look in. We're all different. Scarlet Johannson (whose name I can't spell) has a body shaped like that too.

    I think ScarJo is more an hourglass because she's got some serious cleavage, but I totally agree on embracing the pear-shape! I am a size smaller on top than bottom, so I feel this.
  • sobriquet84
    sobriquet84 Posts: 607 Member
    embrace your shape girlfriend. i'm pear too. hips and all that are beautiful-- means you're healthy and will have very smart kids :) (that is if you have them.)

    (seriously).

    :flowerforyou:

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