How to slim the thighs and bottom? I'm in a bit of a situation!
StinkyCheeze
Posts: 26 Member
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
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Ask your parents for new Genes. No literally this is the answer because that is what controls where the fat comes off and how it gets put on.
The only way is to lose more weight/Fat.
So the next time your family makes a comment, tell them its their fault!21 -
Unfortunately, your fighting against some genetics that are making things difficult. Maybe you can start strength training your upper body more and do a little bit of a recomp, so that you don't appear as disproportionate.6
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We can't spot reduce. Sounds like you are a pear shape which means your body likes to store fat in the hip/thigh area.
You can either continue with a calorie deficit (eventually your body will have no choice but to use fat from your hips/thighs) or try to do body recomposition or to just learn to embrace it.6 -
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.1
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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!)1
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Your situation is very typical and consistent with many females who are trying to lean out, including myself. What can help... building muscle all over. Either by recomping (maintaining your weight and focusing on progressive resistance training) or cutting down and then starting a bulk to gain muscle. Most people will go for the first option but keep in mind both options will take time.
My banana rolls are the last to go. They are very stubborn and I have never truly seen them disappear. BUT building muscle has helped. My recommendation for you right now, continue at a small deficit or maintain, keep protein high (0.8-1g per lb bodyweight), get on a good strength training program.. and have patience.6 -
Thank you for your answers. Darn it mom, and maybe dad... What's body recomposition? Does it require a special diet and exercise?0
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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.1
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You just described my body0
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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/p13 -
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!3 -
I have a pear shape too. There are no guarantees. Just do the best you can.1
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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.0 -
It will likely come off of those areas last, but it will come. Just keep eating at a deficit.3
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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.4 -
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.4 -
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 eventually0 -
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.
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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. 0 -
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 x2
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You look amazing in all of those pictures, @StinkyCheeze. I think you're being too hard on yourself. But, I also agree that recomp will likely get you where you want to be.10
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quiksylver296 wrote: »You look amazing in all of those pictures, @StinkyCheeze. I think you're being too hard on yourself. But, I also agree that recomp will likely get you where you want to be.
Thanks. True, I may be being a bit too hard on myself. But the scan even showed my uneven, and rather high fat distribution on my lower half. It's also currently often uncomfortable when I sit down. I've seen women who are amazingly lean top and bottom. That's my goal. And another goal I have is to successfully pull myself up on those bars at the gym. I've seen other people do it, both genders. I tried a few times but all the unnecessary weight in my lower half makes it too hard. And I stopped doing squats because last time I squatted, I fell backwards on my bottom. It was a common thing 0 -
StinkyCheeze wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »You look amazing in all of those pictures, @StinkyCheeze. I think you're being too hard on yourself. But, I also agree that recomp will likely get you where you want to be.
Thanks. True, I may be being a bit too hard on myself. But the scan even showed my uneven, and rather high fat distribution on my lower half. It's also currently often uncomfortable when I sit down. I've seen women who are amazingly lean top and bottom. That's my goal. And another goal I have is to successfully pull myself up on those bars at the gym. I've seen other people do it, both genders. I tried a few times but all the unnecessary weight in my lower half makes it too hard. And I stopped doing squats because last time I squatted, I fell backwards on my bottom. It was a common thing
Pull ups are one of my goals down the road. I have never been able to do one my entire life. When I was very young my arms were too weak, when my arms got strong enough, the rest of me weighed too much. Someday..1 -
StinkyCheeze wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »You look amazing in all of those pictures, @StinkyCheeze. I think you're being too hard on yourself. But, I also agree that recomp will likely get you where you want to be.
Thanks. True, I may be being a bit too hard on myself. But the scan even showed my uneven, and rather high fat distribution on my lower half. It's also currently often uncomfortable when I sit down. I've seen women who are amazingly lean top and bottom. That's my goal. And another goal I have is to successfully pull myself up on those bars at the gym. I've seen other people do it, both genders. I tried a few times but all the unnecessary weight in my lower half makes it too hard. And I stopped doing squats because last time I squatted, I fell backwards on my bottom. It was a common thing
It took me a YEAR of working on it before I could do one unassisted pull-up!!! A YEAR!!! I did negative pull-ups and band-assisted pull-ups until I could finally do one. Now I can do three sets of ten, and six sets of five with 10 pounds added to me. That has nothing to do with your butt!
I tend to lose balance toward the back during squats, too. Squat shoes fixed that. That also has NOTHING to do with your butt!!!
You are linking things to your physique that have nothing to do with your physique. Love your body for what it can do, and if you really want to do pull-ups and squats, find ways to do those things and don't blame your shape.3 -
I think you look great in those pictures.
I get what you're feeling, as I too have shed excess fat on pretty much my entire upper body (except the stubborn underside of the upper arms) yet still have fat stored on my thighs and butt. Sometimes it makes me feel insecure when I see people posting their pant size, as a lot of people who weigh more than me (and are the same height) are fitting into jeans MUCH smaller than my current size. I mean, I'm 140 and still in size 10s.
But to be honest when I get size 10s that fit, I think I look pretty great too. Our bodies are what they are, just because they don't fit someone's definition of perfect doesn't mean they're 'wrong.' 0 -
I think you look great!! We all want what we can't have. It sounds like you're at a healthy weight and have a great figure! I agree with building strength as a way to better shape your body than a diet. I used to be more "bottom heavy" before I got into running and becoming a runner definitely leaned me out. I am now much more proportioned (though my boobs got even smaller--so not fair!). I know cardio isn't what everyone here is recommending, but for me, going from inactive to endurance runner had a dramatic change in my body shape.0
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storyjorie wrote: »I think you look great!! We all want what we can't have. It sounds like you're at a healthy weight and have a great figure! I agree with building strength as a way to better shape your body than a diet. I used to be more "bottom heavy" before I got into running and becoming a runner definitely leaned me out. I am now much more proportioned (though my boobs got even smaller--so not fair!). I know cardio isn't what everyone here is recommending, but for me, going from inactive to endurance runner had a dramatic change in my body shape.
Running sounds like a challenge lol. Perhaps I could pull it off though. Did your body fat decrease? That's what I'm aiming for.0 -
StinkyCheeze wrote: »storyjorie wrote: »I think you look great!! We all want what we can't have. It sounds like you're at a healthy weight and have a great figure! I agree with building strength as a way to better shape your body than a diet. I used to be more "bottom heavy" before I got into running and becoming a runner definitely leaned me out. I am now much more proportioned (though my boobs got even smaller--so not fair!). I know cardio isn't what everyone here is recommending, but for me, going from inactive to endurance runner had a dramatic change in my body shape.
Running sounds like a challenge lol. Perhaps I could pull it off though. Did your body fat decrease? That's what I'm aiming for.
Oh gosh, yes. But this is all over a really long time stretch...I mean years from going from not exercising to starting to go the gym a few times a week, to discovering I loved running (who knew?) to running more than a dozen half-marathons and running almost daily for over 5 years. My weight didn't change much (was never overweight) but I went from the low 30s (when I was about 29-30 years old) to the mid 20s (around age 36-37) for body fat. I did also go from the usual "low-fat/high carb" diet everyone seemed to be on in the late 90s to a much more protein-focused diet, again over time. Not sure if it was that or the exercise that made the change.0 -
Okay this will be long.
I started at 212 dropped to 150 and maintained, then had a pregnancy was 204. I cut down to 134, 16% body fat, size 4 bottoms sz 10 KIDS tops, xxs adult tops and was straight bone on my upper half. I finally decided to do a bulk and did it over a few months back up to 148lbs. (I am 5'6)
I am now working on a slow cut and continue to lift progressivly the best I can to maintain as much of my bulk muscle as I can. When I was doing the bulk I did 2 upper per 1 lower days for my lifting to try to add as much muscle on my upper half as I could so that this time as I cut down my upper has more "thickness" to it so when I get down to where my thighs drop (which they did once I got under 140lbs, they dropped almost an inch each quick between 138-134). For my thighs to drop I need to be sub 18% body fat, my abs show at 23% body fat, like 6 pack cute visable abs at 145lbs. It is the body type.
Like above said genetics are it 100%. You can cut all you want and yes eventually you will get the thighs to lean out but your upper will be very lean and skinny. It is up to you what you want to do and how you want to go about it. You can either not care and just be uber lean or you can work on putting on mass on your upper half to give that more "balanced look" to it all.
This is me at 145lbs, and tested (bodpod) 22.4% body fat.
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I have the exact same problem. Even when I was 103 lb (height 5'2), I still had relatively bulky looking thighs and it drove me nuts. There's not much I can do about it. I'm scared to do lower body strength training exercises like squats in case my thighs get even bigger. =/0
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