Stubborn fat on hips

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?

Replies

  • rickiimarieee
    rickiimarieee Posts: 2,212 Member
    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.
  • sdewey415
    sdewey415 Posts: 93 Member
    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.
  • MishMashMisha
    MishMashMisha Posts: 39 Member
    sdewey415 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.
  • tamsin_hartley
    tamsin_hartley Posts: 4 Member
    jdog022 wrote: »
    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.
  • shaf238
    shaf238 Posts: 4,021 Member
    It's frustrating that we can't choose where the fat comes off from.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,053 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    savithny 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 :lol: 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.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    savithny 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 :lol: 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.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,507 Member
    sdewey415 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.
  • bex1086
    bex1086 Posts: 85 Member
    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.
  • Teabythesea_
    Teabythesea_ Posts: 559 Member
    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.