is it possible to make a waist smaller in width

altairego21
altairego21 Posts: 52 Member
edited November 25 in Health and Weight Loss
one thing that i am very insecure about is that my waist is very wide. i lost 10lb and my waist is still wide. i was wondering what can help with this?
i still want to lose about 8-10 more pounds
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Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    How wide?
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,260 Member
    What height, weight, age are we talking about?
    How wide is wide?
  • altairego21
    altairego21 Posts: 52 Member
    How wide?
    I am 28 inches on my waist but it is the widest part of my body!
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    How old are you?
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,096 Member
    You can't spot reduce. All you can do is keep losing weight and hope that your genetics will eventually let the weight come off of your waistline.
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,678 Member
    The answer is maybe. A lot depends on your current size and how much left you have to lose, current body fat and, sadly, genetics.

    Some people have naturally tiny waists, some don't - regardless of their size.

    You can lose some size by diet (eating at a deficit) and some by strength training (muscle occupies less space pound for pound than fat does), but if your genetics predispose you to a wider waist... You'll hit a limit.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    How wide?
    I am 28 inches on my waist but it is the widest part of my body!

    What are your height/weight stats?
  • altairego21
    altairego21 Posts: 52 Member
    How wide?
    I am 28 inches on my waist but it is the widest part of my body!

    What are your height/weight stats?

    I am about 5'3 and weigh 136 lbs.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Unfortunately you can't spot reduce, so it may or may not shrink down, depends on your genetics.

    What you can do is build up the muscle in your lats and lower body so your waist appears smaller and you have a more hourglass shape. But obviously it isn't that easy..it can take years and years of focused cycles of muscle building
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Nothing you can do, your natural shape can't be tampered with. I have a pretty thick waist, too. What you can do, instead of shrinking your waist, is building out your legs (particularly quads) and your lats, by lifting heavy and eating at a surplus. This will result in a more feminine X-frame hourglass type shape. It will take a long time and will be a lot of work, but it can be done. It's what I'm in the process of building, now.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Losing another 10 lb will make a big difference.
  • SteamPug
    SteamPug Posts: 262 Member
    How wide?
    I am 28 inches on my waist but it is the widest part of my body!

    What are your height/weight stats?

    I am about 5'3 and weigh 136 lbs.
    I’m 125 and have the same size waist, it happens ^^’
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    I'm 5' 5, 147lbs and measure 37 - 31 - 39. I'm in my 50s now, when I was in my early 20s I was134lbs and 36 - 25 - 37 (or thereabouts). 2 kids and a caesarean have not helped my tummy, but I know at my age to get much smaller all round I start looking really old and gaunt in my face (when I got to 140lb I looked so ill in photos!) I keep doing ab work to keep the middle aged spread under control, but the bottom line is I lost about the same number of inches off all my measurements so although I went down 2-3 dress sizes (depending on manufacturer) the proportions didn't change.
  • Urbancowbarn
    Urbancowbarn Posts: 97 Member
    I agree with the other comments—something is off here—but I wanted share a recent NSV that opened my eyes about my waist size. I generally track three measurement bust, natural waist, and hips. (36-29-36) I was trying to figure out why I felt smaller, but wasn’t seeing a loss in measurements or on the scale, and I was feeling like my waist was non existent. I ended up measuring around my navel and my high hip and realized my love handles, muffin top, whatever you want to call that area had diminished and I didn’t notice because I’ve been hyper focused on my waist size—that area had been giving me the illusion of a smaller looking waist before I lost weight. Lol!! I suspect you’re either going by pant waist size (completely inaccurate!) and if so pick up a soft measuring tape and get an accurate account of your dimensions. To answer your question though — ultimate waist size really is genetics and body shape. Pears and hourglass shapes have tiny waists. Apples and rectangles can get smaller waists with diet and exercise, but won’t look tiny due to the rest of their proportions.
  • altairego21
    altairego21 Posts: 52 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    A 28" waist is thick? That's my waist, and I have never thought of myself as having a thick waist before. I may not have a tiny, hour-glass waist, but my abs are flat, so it's all good to me. But maybe it's because I'm taller (5'7") so it doesn't look as "thick" as it might on a shorter person? It's still hard to imagine a 28" waist as being overly "wide." It sounds pretty normal to me. If that's the widest part of your body, what are you hip and shoulder measurements?
    yirara wrote: »
    one thing that i am very insecure about is that my waist is very wide. i lost 10lb and my waist is still wide. i was wondering what can help with this?
    i still want to lose about 8-10 more pounds

    Are you sure you're talking about your waist? The waist in normal weight people is normally thinner than hips and rib cage, and shoulders. I cannot even imagine how that is possible. Are you wearing too tight trousers? If so then it's not surprising you have a muffin top. Does you belly stick out a bit? Then do some proper core exercises, for abs and back. That might improve your posture.
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    I've been wondering these past few hours as to how a 28" waist is "thick" on a 5ft 3" woman.

    In fact, I am still trying to figure out the shape of someone who is normal weight yet says: "I am 28 inches on my waist but it is the widest part of my body!"

    So, let's talk turkey @altairego21

    Your BMI is 24.
    Which falls within the normal weight/no increased health risks range.

    Your waist to height ratio is 44.44%.
    The normal waist to height range for women is... drumroll: 42% to 48%

    In other words none of your objective "specs" so far support your self reported perception of doom.
    I do not know how to insert a picture but on this website if you scroll down to Roz that is what I look like
    http://productionfitmodels.com/fit-models-2/
  • altairego21
    altairego21 Posts: 52 Member
    I am thinking there is a measure of dysmorphia at play here. Perhaps augmented by some societal Woo (like that silly paper width body guide)

    Op... Would you be willing to let us see what you look like, so that we can understand what your current shape is? That way we can tell you if a) you're perfectly normal and don't need to change or b) if there is room for loss at all

    You seem to be of average proportions.
    evileen99 wrote: »
    I'm gonna need a picture to see what someone whose 28 inch waist is wider than their hips looks like.
    I agree with the other comments—something is off here—but I wanted share a recent NSV that opened my eyes about my waist size. I generally track three measurement bust, natural waist, and hips. (36-29-36) I was trying to figure out why I felt smaller, but wasn’t seeing a loss in measurements or on the scale, and I was feeling like my waist was non existent. I ended up measuring around my navel and my high hip and realized my love handles, muffin top, whatever you want to call that area had diminished and I didn’t notice because I’ve been hyper focused on my waist size—that area had been giving me the illusion of a smaller looking waist before I lost weight. Lol!! I suspect you’re either going by pant waist size (completely inaccurate!) and if so pick up a soft measuring tape and get an accurate account of your dimensions. To answer your question though — ultimate waist size really is genetics and body shape. Pears and hourglass shapes have tiny waists. Apples and rectangles can get smaller waists with diet and exercise, but won’t look tiny due to the rest of their proportions.
    I do not know how to insert a picture but on this website if you scroll down to Roz that is what I look like
    http://productionfitmodels.com/fit-models-2/

    except with my fat in my midsection
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited April 2018
    you are the same height as me and 10 pounds heavier and your waist is the same size as mine, And my waist is small. I Believe its in your head and you need to ease up on yourself
  • gamesandgains
    gamesandgains Posts: 640 Member
    I'd have to see a picture... it could be genetic.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    I'd have to see a picture... it could be genetic.

    The OP posted a link to her picture above.

    OP, I see what you mean.

    My first thought was that the reason you might feel your waist is too large is because your hips are a bit on the small side. Also looking at the picture, what I would improve is I would start recomping. There seems to be a little bit of fat which I'd try to replace with muscle. It is a slow process but you will get there eventually. Just strength train and eat at maintanance. Don't worry about it, just be patient.

    That said, you look great. Don't get me wrong. I'm only saying what I said above because I'm also at my lower healthy bmi range and also need recomp more than anything else so I would notice such details. But they really are just details. Your body looks good.
This discussion has been closed.