Saddle bags and butt/thigh fat not budging?

aa2300
aa2300 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I’m a US size 4, 5’6 and about 130 pounds. I’ve reduced my calories to about 1700 each day and lost about 14 pounds so far. As far as weight goes, I only want to lose a few more pounds.

I run, walk, use resistance bands, body weight exercises about 6 days a week and I definitely have a little ab definition now. For the most part I’m happy enough with my progress except my butt and thighs, are still so fat. It’s like I carry all my weight there and nothing is working to reduce it.

I know you can’t spot reduce fat but is there anything I can do? Years ago I lost a huge amount of weight due to illness, I lost most of the butt fat eventually but it was the last thing to go and I literally looked anorexic, which I don’t want.

I’m still too embarrassed to wear a bikini to the beach because of how bad it looks. I feel like all the exercise combined with the calorie deficit I should be losing or at least toning more but I can’t seem to.

Anyone experience the same problem and found a solution?

Replies

  • aa2300
    aa2300 Posts: 4 Member
    That’s interesting, thank you! I use resistance bands already, but I don’t go to a gym so I haven’t used weights before and wouldn’t even know where to start.

    Do you think I need to go to a gym and start lifting?
  • EliseTK1
    EliseTK1 Posts: 479 Member
    edited June 2020
    aa2300 wrote: »
    That’s interesting, thank you! I use resistance bands already, but I don’t go to a gym so I haven’t used weights before and wouldn’t even know where to start.

    Do you think I need to go to a gym and start lifting?

    Here's another vote for heavy lifting. It will change your physique in dramatic and amazing ways.

    Resistance bands are awesome, but they'll only take you so far when it comes to building muscle. I recommend looking up a beginner's lifting program or investing in a personal trainer for a month or so to get you on the right path. Someone here may have a good suggestion for a program- I went the trainer route.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    aa2300 wrote: »
    That’s interesting, thank you! I use resistance bands already, but I don’t go to a gym so I haven’t used weights before and wouldn’t even know where to start.

    Do you think I need to go to a gym and start lifting?

    You can definitely make some progress with bodyweight or bands, but it will come to a point where it might not be as optimal and easy to add resistance especially for the lower body. Here is a list of programs here

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    Getting a coach or trainer if you are hesitant can help too, just make sure they are reputable and take your personal goals into account and don't just make you do a cookie cutter program.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    I started with Stronglifts 5X5. Only 5 lifts to learn, and if you download the app at stronglifts.com, it keeps track of your lifts and weights for you. I loved it.
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,471 Member
    aa2300 wrote: »

    Do you think I need to go to a gym and start lifting?

    YES, and you will never look back!

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,387 Member
    Yes! If you are worried about costs look at a proper dudes gym without all the video screens, courses and other stuff. You just need a squatrack, a bench, a barbell and weights.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,322 Member
    Another vote for lifting. I have chunky thighs despite being petite so I put them to good use lifting weights. At least they’re chunky for a reason now!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,387 Member
    I also have chunky thighs, and chunky lower legs as well. I did find that things improve a lot with a) strength training b) lots and lots of massaging and removing tight spots one spot at a time (I'm literally tight everywhere) and c) stretching - carefully but progressively as too aggressive stretching seems to work like a Chinese finger trap: you get even tighter. Well, I do anyway.
  • Hanibanani2020
    Hanibanani2020 Posts: 523 Member
    I found lifting followed by a medium intensity cardio to finish off is my golden oblique losing ticket
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,092 Member
    Get on a proven lifting programme. Resistance bands are ok for some excess pet work but u need to be picking some heavy stuff and putting it down again Ona regular and structured basis.

    Be patient. For me it took about 3 years to see decent progress. Others report much quicker progress than mine but tbh 3 years ain’t that long.

    My quads are more defined. There is still some fat on them but there much more shapely and less sorta wobbly and formless. My upper body is pretty muscular ( not huge size wise but defined). My gluteus are lagging a bit and I’ll be focusing on them when the gym reopens. Overall I’m delighted with my body,what it can do and how it looks.

  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,092 Member
    Sorry for the typos.

    I meant accessory work.
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    claireychn074 wrote: »
    Another vote for lifting. I have chunky thighs despite being petite so I put them to good use lifting weights. At least they’re chunky for a reason now!

    Same! I don’t think my thighs will ever be small (proportionally to my upper body), but I lost a lot of my hip and butt fat. Now I just need to focus more on glutes to fill out my pants. But if my thighs are going to be big, might as well be big and muscular and not big and flabby. They have plenty of fat left, but they jiggle less. That’s been an exercise in embracing the body I have not the one I wish I had and realizing exercise will take me to the limit of what is possible for my body, but won’t remake me into a different body. Not sure if that makes sense.

    But yes, lift all the things! And don’t be afraid to lift upper body even if your main area of concern is lower. Adding muscle to shoulders, chest, and back will help balance your look. I have enough muscle on my scrawny chest to mimic a little cleavage line and slightly bigger shoulders balance the big thighs so the thighs don’t look abnormally huge.
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    Thinking about my “can’t remake my body into something it’s not” comment, where I was going is that even if I were to somehow achieve slim thighs that didn’t tend toward touching at the top and blobbing out on the outside below my butt, I would look down and see...a whole lot of veins and stretch marks and cellulite. So the “ideal” slim, non-veiny legs devoid of stretch marks will never be mine without some major cosmetic work. And that’s okay.
  • Lolinloggen
    Lolinloggen Posts: 463 Member
    edited June 2020
    She is way too nice about it but @sardelsa actually has a blog that I would totally recommend
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,322 Member
    gradchica27 wrote: »
    Thinking about my “can’t remake my body into something it’s not” comment, where I was going is that even if I were to somehow achieve slim thighs that didn’t tend toward touching at the top and blobbing out on the outside below my butt, I would look down and see...a whole lot of veins and stretch marks and cellulite. So the “ideal” slim, non-veiny legs devoid of stretch marks will never be mine without some major cosmetic work. And that’s okay.

    Yes I want to be a good 6 inches taller with long sender legs and no cellulite. But I’m a stocky short person! 🤣🤣

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