How to slim the thighs and bottom? I'm in a bit of a situation!

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StinkyCheeze
StinkyCheeze Posts: 26 Member
edited June 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
So technically the weight/fat loss is working in terms of calorie deficit. I do a few different exercises like cycling, lifting weights, yoga, and swimming during summer. The problem is my body seems to lose fat everywhere except the area I'm aiming for which are my thighs and bottom. It's gotten to the point where my upper half is getting TOO thin. Even my family says so. I now wear a x-small in T shirts. My bottom half however remains the same, literally. I still wear a medium-large in pants depending on the brand. And there is a lot of "blubber" on the surface of my thighs and bottom, fat pockets, creases which are all cold to the touch and not solid unlike my upper body which has leaned out. They look like they don't belong on the same body. Additionally my bum cheeks still sag. I think they're called "banana rolls?" And I still have prominent "saddlebags." My current measurements are 34-23-42. I ended up getting a scan with accuracy similar to hydrostatic weighing. I believe it was called a dxa or dexa scan. It measures body composition, lean mass, weight and fat content. My height is 5'5 by the way. The scan detects where the fat and muscle mass is located and estimates the percentage in top and lower region of the body. The margin of error is only 1%. My weight turned out to be 145 (people don't believe I'm 145 and think I'm 20-30 pounds lighter but that's only when I wear a big, long skirt or baggy shorts to hide my large lower half lol)... Anyways, from the scan results, my upper half body fat % is approximately 15%. My lower half is approximately 29% That's nearly double! I need to slim my thighs and bottom. I can feel some muscle underneath when I press. The scan even showed there was some. Unfortunately, there's just a massive amount of body fat covering it compared to my upper half. And as much as I want to continue to lose weight, my body probably won't let it come off my lower half until my upper half looks anorexic. I can slightly see my ribs, not much but a tiny bit. Help!
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    you cant spot reduce, you just carry your weight on your lower body. so you either go leaner up top to lose more fat, or embrace your body as is. given your stats, you could lose another 10lbs and still be well within a healthy weight range. 45lbs is towards the top of the healthy range for your height.
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
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    I know how you feel. I have visible ribs and even my hips have shrunk to a smaller size than I ever thought they could but those saddlebags just won't budge. Unfortunately, there is no way to pick which fat your body burns. You just have to keep going. I do find that a progressive lifting program using heavy weight helps even things out. The additional muscle in my arms and especially my shoulders really helps make my overall figure look more balanced. (Plus, being strong feels amazing!)
  • StinkyCheeze
    StinkyCheeze Posts: 26 Member
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    Thank you for your answers. Darn it mom, and maybe dad... What's body recomposition? Does it require a special diet and exercise?
  • itschanelle
    itschanelle Posts: 86 Member
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    I have the exact same body type. I'm 5'6" and the fat on my lower body doesn't reduce down until I'm at about 130 pounds. There is a massive difference in my physique when comparing me at 130 pounds vs 140 pounds. It's weird. Anyway, continue lifting weights and lose more weight (fat). The weightlifting is important so you don't lose the muscle mass you already have on your lower body because if you are like me, there's already not a ton of it. I feel your pain, I really do.
  • PoundChaser2
    PoundChaser2 Posts: 241 Member
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    You just described my body
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    StinkyCheeze wrote: »
    Thank you for your answers. Darn it mom, and maybe dad... What's body recomposition? Does it require a special diet and exercise?

    Check out this thread for more info:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
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    StinkyCheeze wrote: »
    Thank you for your answers. Darn it mom, and maybe dad... What's body recomposition? Does it require a special diet and exercise?

    Start here:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

    Lots of great info!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I have a pear shape too. There are no guarantees. Just do the best you can.
  • StinkyCheeze
    StinkyCheeze Posts: 26 Member
    edited June 2017
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    you cant spot reduce, you just carry your weight on your lower body. so you either go leaner up top to lose more fat, or embrace your body as is. given your stats, you could lose another 10lbs and still be well within a healthy weight range. 45lbs is towards the top of the healthy range for your height.

    My weight is towards the top of healthy range/BMI. But with the slight ribs showing and 23 in waist, skinny arms, etc. I don't know if losing more weight is safe at this point. My body has only been removing fat from my top half and that's it. There's not much to remove from there anymore which is worrying me about the approach. The only reason my BMI is on the high end of healthy is because of my lower half and that's it. When I wear baggy skirts and bottoms (to hide my lower half), people don't believe that I weigh 145. Not even my family did.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    It will likely come off of those areas last, but it will come. Just keep eating at a deficit.
  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
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    StinkyCheeze wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    you cant spot reduce, you just carry your weight on your lower body. so you either go leaner up top to lose more fat, or embrace your body as is. given your stats, you could lose another 10lbs and still be well within a healthy weight range. 45lbs is towards the top of the healthy range for your height.

    My weight is towards the top of healthy range/BMI. But with the slight ribs showing and 23 in waist, skinny arms, etc. I don't know if losing more weight is safe at this point. My body has only been removing fat from my top half and that's it. There's not much to remove from there anymore which is worrying me about the approach. The only reason my BMI is on the high end of healthy is because of my lower half and that's it. When I wear baggy skirts and bottoms (to hide my lower half), people don't believe that I weigh 145. Not even my family did.

    If you are resistance exercising your top half while losing weight, your body will eventually have no choice but to remove the fat from the lower half. your body isnt going to waste itself away while it has fat stores it can pull from.

    as others have suggested Recomp is an option, otherwise keep going with the deficit/exercise until the fat is gone.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    StinkyCheeze wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    you cant spot reduce, you just carry your weight on your lower body. so you either go leaner up top to lose more fat, or embrace your body as is. given your stats, you could lose another 10lbs and still be well within a healthy weight range. 45lbs is towards the top of the healthy range for your height.

    My weight is towards the top of healthy range/BMI. But with the slight ribs showing and 23 in waist, skinny arms, etc. I don't know if losing more weight is safe at this point. My body has only been removing fat from my top half and that's it. There's not much to remove from there anymore which is worrying me about the approach. The only reason my BMI is on the high end of healthy is because of my lower half and that's it. When I wear baggy skirts and bottoms (to hide my lower half), people don't believe that I weigh 145. Not even my family did.

    Yes, losing weight is still safe if you've got reasonable fat stores somewhere and you're not trying to lose it all ASAP.

    The way it works for stubborn fat stores is that you have to deplete the fat elsewhere first unless you want to have liposuction done or similar. It sounds like you've gotten to that point or very close. You should start primarily dropping fat on your lower half soon. Be patient and things will start to even out.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited June 2017
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    StinkyCheeze wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    you cant spot reduce, you just carry your weight on your lower body. so you either go leaner up top to lose more fat, or embrace your body as is. given your stats, you could lose another 10lbs and still be well within a healthy weight range. 45lbs is towards the top of the healthy range for your height.

    My weight is towards the top of healthy range/BMI. But with the slight ribs showing and 23 in waist, skinny arms, etc. I don't know if losing more weight is safe at this point. My body has only been removing fat from my top half and that's it. There's not much to remove from there anymore which is worrying me about the approach. The only reason my BMI is on the high end of healthy is because of my lower half and that's it. When I wear baggy skirts and bottoms (to hide my lower half), people don't believe that I weigh 145. Not even my family did.

    Your body will keep burning fat as you lose more weight, so it will come off your bottom half eventually
  • StinkyCheeze
    StinkyCheeze Posts: 26 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Thank you for your advice, everyone. I guess I'll keep going then and hope for the best. I'll take your word for it. Might also look into the recomp like the other few people suggested as well. By the way, here are a few pics. I made a collage. They're all current except for the one on the bottom right which was when I was overweight. Even when overweight though at 190 pounds, I still had fairly small arms, a 28 inch waist, and a skinny neck. A majority was my lower half.
    uasn1vjhwqyl.jpg
  • MrsPinterest34
    MrsPinterest34 Posts: 342 Member
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    Op that's what I'm dealing with right now. I'm so frustrated. Sorry I have no solution. Mine is worse because i'm short 5'2" waist is now 28 inches and hips 46 inches :( I can now fit in to an xtra small tank top but my hips remain at size 10/12 for pants. It's genetic and there's nothing I can do other than continue to maintain my deficit to lose more fat. At least I have broad shoulders, hopefully someday I'll lose enough inches to give me the hourglass shape.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
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    My waist (at the smallest part) is 29.5 and my hips are 37.5 at 5'5" and 140 pounds I wish I had your little waistline, we all have our problem areas mine is my tummy. The best advise I can give is carry on and try to incorporate strength training as I have noticed some progress with my tape measure. Its sods law our most paranoia inducing self identified worst bits are the last to reduce in size >_< but the grass is always greener. Good luck x

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