Looking for advice from women who have successfully whittled down their lower half

julesmww · February 2016

How did you do it?

Running, low GI diet, low carb diet, PIYO - nothing has helped get the weight from my last baby off of my problem areas. I'm still the same size I was 19 months ago when I gave birth. Going to give calorie counting a try. Did that work for you? Also, some say exercise, others say don't as it slows weight loss. Some say working out slims thighs, others say it adds inches and bulks them up. What worked for you? I'm almost done weaning her, and am so desperately wanting to fit my clothes again. It's been way. too. long. Feeling quite hopeless, though. I've tried lots of things, but all I manage to do is maintain my size and weight.

Looking for advice specifically from women whose weight likes to cling to their lower half (butt, hips, thighs), and who have successfully shrunk those areas.

Healthy_4_Life2 · February 2016

Unfortunately you can't spot reduce, but moderate calorie deficit and exercise has been my best friend to losing over 70 pounds. You can do it!! ☺

VictoryGarden · February 2016

I have monster thighs (until I became really overweight, I had to buy pants to fit my THIGHS, not my waist.) The only time they went down was with a calorie deficit diet. Some of us just don't have that balanced body type, I guess. I ran. I lifted. I played sports. I walked everywhere. Nadda. Only overall weight loss reduced those areas.

julesmww · February 2016

True - totally agree you can't spot reduce. With my body type, I feel there are some things that help and some that hurt, so kind of hoping for advice on what helped. Thank you for responding - wow - 70 pounds! Impressive!!!

chimpy123 · February 2016

calorie tracking and exercise - buy a food scale and weigh and track everything. Don't worry about bulking up - you have to eat and work specifically for that and besides, muscles are lovely!!!

icemaiden37 · February 2016

Weight training has helped me to achieve a more balanced look - my hips and waist are smaller than when I started but my shoulders are a bit bulkier so I look more in proportion. I've lost 3 jean sizes from a UK16 to a UK10, weight wise I've lost 7kg. My thighs have only gone down by a couple of cm but they've changed shape a lot - the fat is shifting from my inner thighs and I have muscle definition now. My top half has gone from a flabby UK14 to a tight UK12 - no more bingo wings! I'm a bit rubbish at sticking to my calories so although I've been at this for 10 months I've only really got my nutrition under control since November. Check out the ladies weight training threads - there's loads of women on mfp who have had a lot of success with strength training and tons of inspiring before and after pics.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1120789/females-only-lifting-weight-training-results

RoxieDawn · February 2016

Your problem areas are part of the entire body. Mindset is the issue. I kept looking at the problem areas and called them problem areas! I have to get pants to fit the legs and not the waist. It is just part of it. I did not add inches, the inches were already there, I just transformed them a bit (bulked them up, lost some fat, but there are essentially the same size)

I am 48 years old and those so called problem areas have been there many many moons. So stop looking at everything as a problem area and concentrate on a heathier you, and if you want to change up things with the look of your body, decide what you need to do to achieve it.

If you just want to get back into your clothes, then simply loosing the weight should be enough to do that, right? If you want to get stronger, leaner (cut body fat) then lifting is the only answer that will do that.

leviathas · February 2016

Strength training helped me. Lots of squats, lunges, step ups, burpees etc. and a calorie deficit to go with it.

Sumiblue · February 2016

Calorie counting works. I'm pear shaped & not much will change that. But you can improve your shape. January '15 my hip-butt circumference was 40". Today it is 36.5". My thighs are 2 inches smaller and I lost a lot in my waist.
I've lost 20 lbs with keeping a deficit & lifting heavy. I started with Stronglifts 5x5 (3x week) & have moved on to PHUL (4x week). I do Kettlebell circuits or HIIT once a week. I'm on no particular diet. I eat what I want, just less of it. I'm 5'2", 46 yrs old. I had my baby at 42 & it took me 3 yrs to get serious about my fitness. I lost all over but my lower half got smaller. I also built muscle in my shoulders which helps me look more balanced.

hamstertango · February 2016

I'd say just start simply with the calorie counting, weigh food, log it using MFP stick to the calorie goal and you'll loose.

Any exercise you can do is a bonus, try not to eat it back unless special occasions.
You've obviously got a little one and it is hard to get out especially in winter but as you loose you will probably want to step up your activeness naturally, walking for the hell of it for instance.

Those problem areas, you might find that they are not actually problem areas, just where your fat sits right now. You won't know until the weight is coming off.

I'm no expert but all my fat goes round my tummy and hips with skinny legs, I only started this past new year and have already lost a stone just calorie counting and simply walking the dog (vigorous through the woods). The weight is coming off my 'problem areas' already.

Just try and see! Good luck!

DawnieB1977 · February 2016

I've had 3 children and I always lose from the top down, so my lower half is the last place for it to go, but it does go eventually. I hold my weight in my hips and thighs. My youngest is 21 months now and I'm still not completely back to where I was, but I'm not far off.

I just keep active, work out a lot and eat healthily and at a deficit. I've actually found that too big a deficit can be detrimental to weight loss. I'm so active that my TDEE is around 2600 a day, and my PT has told me to eat more, and since I've done that I can see a difference.

jenmovies · February 2016

No kids but all my weight is in my middle, butt & thighs. I've lost four centimetres on my upper thigh by doing squats, lunges and leg lifts. However, you do need to combine this with calorie deficit and cardio. Good luck!

megginanderson · February 2016

julesmww wrote: »

How did you do it?

Running, low GI diet, low carb diet, PIYO - nothing has helped get the weight from my last baby off of my problem areas. I'm still the same size I was 19 months ago when I gave birth. Going to give calorie counting a try. Did that work for you? Also, some say exercise, others say don't as it slows weight loss. Some say working out slims thighs, others say it adds inches and bulks them up. What worked for you? I'm almost done weaning her, and am so desperately wanting to fit my clothes again. It's been way. too. long. Feeling quite hopeless, though. I've tried lots of things, but all I manage to do is maintain my size and weight.

Looking for advice specifically from women whose weight likes to cling to their lower half (butt, hips, thighs), and who have successfully shrunk those areas.

The only things that have worked for me long term was weight training and my nutrition. Nutrition more so has helped me scuplt the lower half imensely.

DeadsAndDoritos · February 2016

Calorie counting and heavy lifting is taking the inches off my thighs, hips, waist, arms and chest. You can't choose where you lose weight from. Don't be afraid of gaining muscle because it is very hard to do.

JMLSZ · February 2016

I have three kids and successfully lost the weight after each of them (though that was a long time ago and now I need to lose again). My method was absolutely logging what I eat. I found it very easy to nibble all day and not even know what my intake was, when my kids were little. Good luck!

MichelleMyBelle86 · February 2016

The only time I have successfully lost weight and looked noticeably better from it was 3 years ago when I was running a couple of times a week and also counting calories.
I stupidly stopped the running after a while, got lazy again etc - I tried Boxercise (which includes lifting weights), swimming, hot yoga, walking, paleo diets, clean eating with only whole foods - I lost a pound here and there but nothing about my body shape changed.

I've now joined my running club again and am doing the Couch to 5k, plus watching what I eat.
I'm not weighing myself but my work trousers are looser after only 4 weeks and I feel 'thinner'.

Just to echo what others have said as well, there is no diet or exercise that can reduce ONLY your tummy...It will come off everywhere in equal amounts.

I do find that when I want my tummy to appear flatter, cutting out bread, grains, pasta etc is a real help although when I do this I try and up my intake of carbs from vegetables.
And I'd only do this for a week or 2 if I want to fit into a specific dress or something - cutting out that stuff long term is just boring!!

Looking for advice from women who have successfully whittled down their lower half

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