Those "flabby" areas

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everher
everher Posts: 909 Member
So I have another 20 lbs to lose until I reach a healthy BMI and I plan to shave at least another 15 lbs off after that, but I'm wondering if that will help with the areas on me that are...flabby for lack of a better word or is that something I really have to work on with strength training.

Long story short, even when I was a healthy weight before I always had areas on my body that were flabby or softer than I would like. I'm still a ways away from goal, but I'm starting to worry that maybe this is more of a strength training issue than a weight loss issue as I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.

Replies

  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    everher wrote: »
    So I have another 20 lbs to lose until I reach a healthy BMI and I plan to shave at least another 15 lbs off after that, but I'm wondering if that will help with the areas on me that are...flabby for lack of a better word or is that something I really have to work on with strength training.

    Long story short, even when I was a healthy weight before I always had areas on my body that were flabby or softer than I would like. I'm still a ways away from goal, but I'm starting to worry that maybe this is more of a strength training issue than a weight loss issue as I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.
    everher wrote: »
    So I have another 20 lbs to lose until I reach a healthy BMI and I plan to shave at least another 15 lbs off after that, but I'm wondering if that will help with the areas on me that are...flabby for lack of a better word or is that something I really have to work on with strength training.

    Long story short, even when I was a healthy weight before I always had areas on my body that were flabby or softer than I would like. I'm still a ways away from goal, but I'm starting to worry that maybe this is more of a strength training issue than a weight loss issue as I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.

    Yep, resistance work would help those areas as well as the rest of your body.

    Best of luck.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Strength training is really the best way to get rid of the jiggly bits. Fat reduction helps but to really get a nice look you'll likely have to strength train as well.
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
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    Thank you both.

    I was beginning to think that's what the issue was, but then I kept thinking maybe more fat reduction will make a difference...

    Will look into a decent beginner strength training program and go from there.
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
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    +1 for strength training
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    everher wrote: »
    Thank you both.

    I was beginning to think that's what the issue was, but then I kept thinking maybe more fat reduction will make a difference...

    Will look into a decent beginner strength training program and go from there.

    More fat reduction will definitely make a difference. But strength training will help also, to preserve your muscle mass while losing the fat. And as a new trainer with plenty of body reserves left to call upon, you may even gain a bit of muscle in the process (often referred to as "newbie gains").

    As the saying goes, "Diet makes you look good in clothes; strength training makes you look good naked!" :)

    I never heard that saying before but I can definitely say it's true. I am happy with how I look in clothing. It's when I undress that I get a bit annoyed and wonder when the flabby parts are going to be less flabby.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    everher wrote: »
    I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.

    Being at a healthy weight is not necessarily lean enough to appear "firm". :+1:
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Cherimoose wrote: »
    everher wrote: »
    I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.

    Being at a healthy weight is not necessarily lean enough to appear "firm". :+1:

    ...and being at a healthy weight isn't the same thing as being at a healthy body fat percentage.
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
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    Cherimoose wrote: »
    everher wrote: »
    I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.

    Being at a healthy weight is not necessarily lean enough to appear "firm". :+1:

    See that's the thing. I can't really determine if ultimately I'm going to need to lose more weight to get the look or I want if this is just a case of me never really doing a structured strength training program.

    The areas that bother me are just my arms (triceps really) and my inner thighs. And if memory serves these are the same two areas that have always bothered me.

    I remember mucking about with a lot of arm exercises in my late teens trying to tighten up my arms, but was highly unsuccessful (wasn't following a program just was doing whatever for however many reps and sets) and I just gave up eventually and decided to live with them. Same kind of thing with my inner thighs.

    I'll confess I haven't really done any strength training exercises over the past 7 months since I've been on MFP. Some bodyweight exercises sure (squats and lunges and the like) but nothing regularly or with any type of progression in difficulty.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited May 2017
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    everher wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    everher wrote: »
    I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.

    Being at a healthy weight is not necessarily lean enough to appear "firm". :+1:

    See that's the thing. I can't really determine if ultimately I'm going to need to lose more weight to get the look or I want if this is just a case of me never really doing a structured strength training program.

    The areas that bother me are just my arms (triceps really) and my inner thighs. And if memory serves these are the same two areas that have always bothered me.

    I remember mucking about with a lot of arm exercises in my late teens trying to tighten up my arms, but was highly unsuccessful (wasn't following a program just was doing whatever for however many reps and sets) and I just gave up eventually and decided to live with them. Same kind of thing with my inner thighs.

    I'll confess I haven't really done any strength training exercises over the past 7 months since I've been on MFP. Some bodyweight exercises sure (squats and lunges and the like) but nothing regularly or with any type of progression in difficulty.

    Here's a great, very thorough read that you may find helpful: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/muscle-tone/

    (His entire website is actually full of good information, delivered in a no-nonsense manner.)
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    everher wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    everher wrote: »
    I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.

    Being at a healthy weight is not necessarily lean enough to appear "firm". :+1:

    See that's the thing. I can't really determine if ultimately I'm going to need to lose more weight to get the look or I want if this is just a case of me never really doing a structured strength training program.

    The areas that bother me are just my arms (triceps really) and my inner thighs. And if memory serves these are the same two areas that have always bothered me.

    I remember mucking about with a lot of arm exercises in my late teens trying to tighten up my arms, but was highly unsuccessful (wasn't following a program just was doing whatever for however many reps and sets) and I just gave up eventually and decided to live with them. Same kind of thing with my inner thighs.

    I'll confess I haven't really done any strength training exercises over the past 7 months since I've been on MFP. Some bodyweight exercises sure (squats and lunges and the like) but nothing regularly or with any type of progression in difficulty.

    Here's a great, very thorough read that you may find helpful: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/muscle-tone/

    (His entire website is actually full of good information, delivered in a no-nonsense manner.)

    This was extremely helpful. After reading this I think I better understand what I need to do.
  • lilolilo920
    lilolilo920 Posts: 184 Member
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    Another vote for resistance training!! Personally, I've found that I love weightlifting but if that's not for you, there are other bodyweight exercises you can do that might be more appealing like TRX!
    Cardio helps create a calorie deficit so you can eat more, resistance training helps you "shape" your body (for lack of a better word)
  • jlscherme
    jlscherme Posts: 157 Member
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    Could be genetics.
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
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    everher wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    everher wrote: »
    I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.

    Being at a healthy weight is not necessarily lean enough to appear "firm". :+1:

    See that's the thing. I can't really determine if ultimately I'm going to need to lose more weight to get the look or I want if this is just a case of me never really doing a structured strength training program.

    The areas that bother me are just my arms (triceps really) and my inner thighs. And if memory serves these are the same two areas that have always bothered me.

    I remember mucking about with a lot of arm exercises in my late teens trying to tighten up my arms, but was highly unsuccessful (wasn't following a program just was doing whatever for however many reps and sets) and I just gave up eventually and decided to live with them. Same kind of thing with my inner thighs.

    I'll confess I haven't really done any strength training exercises over the past 7 months since I've been on MFP. Some bodyweight exercises sure (squats and lunges and the like) but nothing regularly or with any type of progression in difficulty.

    Inner thighs are a "problem" area for many women. It's mostly fat there. By losing more fat and building your legs around it the whole thighs will look better.
  • CyeRyn
    CyeRyn Posts: 389 Member
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    Jillian Michaels no more trouble zones. I love this video. She hits the trouble spots especially triceps, glutes, and love handles. I just started this back up after a year off and she kicks my butt.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    jlscherme wrote: »
    Could be genetics.

    Genetics dictate a lot of things about your body, but that doesn't mean you can't change/improve it. You can't be somebody else, but you can be the best you that you can possibly be.
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
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    jlscherme wrote: »
    Could be genetics.

    It most definitely is. All the women on my mother's side are pear or apple shaped. My mother was a thin woman, but she carried a great deal of her weight in her thighs. She confided in me she spent years trying to make her thighs smaller, doing many different exercise programs, and finally just gave up. I'm not really trying to fight my proportions like she was. I just would like my inner thighs to be more solid for lack of a better word.
    everher wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    everher wrote: »
    I literally cannot remember a time when these areas were ever tight or firm even when I was a healthy weight.

    Being at a healthy weight is not necessarily lean enough to appear "firm". :+1:

    See that's the thing. I can't really determine if ultimately I'm going to need to lose more weight to get the look or I want if this is just a case of me never really doing a structured strength training program.

    The areas that bother me are just my arms (triceps really) and my inner thighs. And if memory serves these are the same two areas that have always bothered me.

    I remember mucking about with a lot of arm exercises in my late teens trying to tighten up my arms, but was highly unsuccessful (wasn't following a program just was doing whatever for however many reps and sets) and I just gave up eventually and decided to live with them. Same kind of thing with my inner thighs.

    I'll confess I haven't really done any strength training exercises over the past 7 months since I've been on MFP. Some bodyweight exercises sure (squats and lunges and the like) but nothing regularly or with any type of progression in difficulty.

    Inner thighs are a "problem" area for many women. It's mostly fat there. By losing more fat and building your legs around it the whole thighs will look better.

    This makes me feel better because sometimes I feel like it's only me with this problem and I can't fix it. It's definitely mostly fat there and I feel like even at my lowest there was mostly fat there. I remember even in high school I was uncomfortable wearing shorts. I would like at some point in life to be okay with wearing shorts.

    I think my body in general could use some strength training and it probably would make me look tremendously better when this is all said and done.

    I am planning this go around to go lower in the healthy BMI range than I have ever gone before. I'm hoping that will be enough to get rid of this fat I seem to store in my inner thighs, but I've also noticed, as I have before, that I lose weight in my thighs last.

    I'm also going to read The New Rules of Lifting for Women this morning and I am going to try to set up a meeting with one of the trainers at my gym to help me with this strength training stuff. I've always been intimidated by strength training honestly because I haven't the foggiest idea what I'm doing outside of basic stuff.