Stubborn fat on hips
Options
tamsin_hartley
Posts: 4 Member
In need of advice please...
I’ve been maintaining a strict diet and going to the gym at least 5 times a week doing a combination of cardio and weights. I’m losing weight and toning up, I can tell in some areas more than others that I have lost fat. However, my hip areas don’t seem to have changed much and the fat in this area seems to be pretty stubborn.
Is there anything I can do to target fat loss in those areas or is this out of my control and my body will lose fat from wherever it chooses?
I’ve been maintaining a strict diet and going to the gym at least 5 times a week doing a combination of cardio and weights. I’m losing weight and toning up, I can tell in some areas more than others that I have lost fat. However, my hip areas don’t seem to have changed much and the fat in this area seems to be pretty stubborn.
Is there anything I can do to target fat loss in those areas or is this out of my control and my body will lose fat from wherever it chooses?
3
Replies
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Congrats on your success! You guessed it; there's no way to target fat loss from a specific area. Just keep at it!13
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You can’t spot reduce. I have to lose about 20lb before I see any change in my thighs.9
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I feel your pain. Fat likes to cling to my hips and legs. Unfortunately you cannot spot reduce
When I lost weight prior to pregnancy, my hips and legs were lost last. Took about 5-6 months of consistency. I also incorporated running at the time, so it’s possible that it helped but Im not certain.6 -
I lost 40 pounds and literally still had fat on my hips. My hips are naturally very big, but even at 125 (5’3) my hips still had a handful of fat on them.2
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Yeah, unfortunately we can't spot reduce. I'm 5'3" and at my lowest weight of 105 pounds, I had a visible six pack and I still had fat on my hips/thighs because of the way my body type holds fat. For many women, fat on the lower body is usually the last to go. Continuing with resistance training and eating at maintenance or near it will help change your body composition over time. It's been two years since I weighed 105. I'm 111 pounds right now and my thighs are slimmer than they were at the lower weight because I never stopped strength training. Building muscle in that area helped the look of my hips/legs immensely.9
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Women lose in the hips, thighs, and butt last. Generally. It is in our nature to lose there last and in the end, you may not lose all of it. We are made to create tiny humans and that area is there to help you care for them. It can also come down genetics. So just keep moving forward and you will notice changes. It also helps to take pictures. I take mine monthly to visualize the progress.3
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Good answers so far but define “strict diet”? Are you in a calorie deficit? Or eating at maintenance and going for recomp? Or you don’t know your calories and are just eating “healthy”?6
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Like all others said, you can't spot reduce, however you could incorporate 10-15 min of weighted hula hooping into your daily exercise regime. I always found it to be the best exercise for my mid section (waist, hips).6
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Women lose in the hips, thighs, and butt last. Generally. It is in our nature to lose there last and in the end, you may not lose all of it. We are made to create tiny humans and that area is there to help you care for them. It can also come down genetics. So just keep moving forward and you will notice changes. It also helps to take pictures. I take mine monthly to visualize the progress.
I wish this was true for me. My belly and love handles/muffin top are the last to go. But yep, OP, its all genetics.4 -
If that's where your body stores its favorite fat, then that will be the last to go.
Your body is like a fat-storing corporation. IT has "accounts" in lots of places, but there is one big profit-loss sheet that includes its total holdings. When it makes "fat payments" you don't get to choose which account they come from.
BUT: the overall total matters. Its difficult to lose below a certain total value. If the other accounts are empty, and your body is down to its Emergency Fund amounts, you're not going to be able to withdraw from the Butt Account without things like losing your period, etc.12 -
Good answers so far but define “strict diet”? Are you in a calorie deficit? Or eating at maintenance and going for recomp? Or you don’t know your calories and are just eating “healthy”?
Calorie deficit, making sure I’m eating healthily with enough nutrients and protein etc that my body needs. I’m 5ft 3 and currently sitting at 57kg, wanting to get to 52kg.0 -
It's frustrating that we can't choose where the fat comes off from.4
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If that's where your body stores its favorite fat, then that will be the last to go.
Your body is like a fat-storing corporation. IT has "accounts" in lots of places, but there is one big profit-loss sheet that includes its total holdings. When it makes "fat payments" you don't get to choose which account they come from.
BUT: the overall total matters. Its difficult to lose below a certain total value. If the other accounts are empty, and your body is down to its Emergency Fund amounts, you're not going to be able to withdraw from the Butt Account without things like losing your period, etc.
Balance sheet
But yeah. My Thigh Account will have funds available forever! 5 -
If that's where your body stores its favorite fat, then that will be the last to go.
Your body is like a fat-storing corporation. IT has "accounts" in lots of places, but there is one big profit-loss sheet that includes its total holdings. When it makes "fat payments" you don't get to choose which account they come from.
BUT: the overall total matters. Its difficult to lose below a certain total value. If the other accounts are empty, and your body is down to its Emergency Fund amounts, you're not going to be able to withdraw from the Butt Account without things like losing your period, etc.
This is the best way I have ever heard this explained! Pretty sure my Hip, Thigh and Butt Accounts have some kind of corporate offshore shady tax shelter arrangement going on, because it takes a long time for payments to come from there.7 -
If that's where your body stores its favorite fat, then that will be the last to go.
Your body is like a fat-storing corporation. IT has "accounts" in lots of places, but there is one big profit-loss sheet that includes its total holdings. When it makes "fat payments" you don't get to choose which account they come from.
BUT: the overall total matters. Its difficult to lose below a certain total value. If the other accounts are empty, and your body is down to its Emergency Fund amounts, you're not going to be able to withdraw from the Butt Account without things like losing your period, etc.
Balance sheet But yeah. My Thigh Account will have funds available forever!
Mine too! And I don't care.
When I was in high school I used to fret about my big feet and calves, but have long ceased having pointless angst about the body structure I was born with.2 -
Here is another who tends to spare in hips and booty. I do intermitent fasting and one or two fasted trainnigs a week. It forces your body to use your stored fat. While is true you can't target the area where the fat burn will occur, i would give a try to this strategy. Being a bit more agressive on your fat storages could help.10
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kshama2001 wrote: »If that's where your body stores its favorite fat, then that will be the last to go.
Your body is like a fat-storing corporation. IT has "accounts" in lots of places, but there is one big profit-loss sheet that includes its total holdings. When it makes "fat payments" you don't get to choose which account they come from.
BUT: the overall total matters. Its difficult to lose below a certain total value. If the other accounts are empty, and your body is down to its Emergency Fund amounts, you're not going to be able to withdraw from the Butt Account without things like losing your period, etc.
Balance sheet But yeah. My Thigh Account will have funds available forever!
Mine too! And I don't care.
When I was in high school I used to fret about my big feet and calves, but have long ceased having pointless angst about the body structure I was born with.
Amen to that. See it all the time here, though. All the fitspo in the world won't change one's bone structure or genetic fat distribution. As corny as it sounds, "Be the best version of you" very much applies here.4 -
MishMashMisha wrote: »Women lose in the hips, thighs, and butt last. Generally. It is in our nature to lose there last and in the end, you may not lose all of it. We are made to create tiny humans and that area is there to help you care for them. It can also come down genetics. So just keep moving forward and you will notice changes. It also helps to take pictures. I take mine monthly to visualize the progress.
I wish this was true for me. My belly and love handles/muffin top are the last to go. But yep, OP, its all genetics.
Same here. I am also 5'3" and even at 115 pounds I still had love handles.0 -
I'm a pear shape too and like you find it frustrating, my lower half just seems so much bigger!
I'm 5'1 and weigh something like 108lbs yet my thighs still rub together and I still get muffin top. Mind you even my top half leaves a lot to be desired, not to mention my c section pouch.2 -
Rositawurst wrote: »Here is another who tends to spare in hips and booty. I do intermitent fasting and one or two fasted trainnigs a week. It forces your body to use your stored fat. While is true you can't target the area where the fat burn will occur, i would give a try to this strategy. Being a bit more agressive on your fat storages could help.
Any deficit requires your body to use stored fat. IF is not unique in that aspect, nor is it more effective than creating a deficit any other way in terms of burning fat.4
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