5'4 ladies. Trouble with goal weight.

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arw060310
arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all! Ok here's the story. I am 5'4 and started at 156lbs. I am now currently 135 ( only 2lbs away from my goal ) and well, I don't LOOK or feel like I've lost 21lbs. I maybe look like I've lost 10 max.
I'm now in a smaller size jeans, but my stomach is still HUGE. Like, it looks like my midsection is a balloon and hangs over my pants in all areas, no matter what size jeans I'm in.

So my question is, how many of you ladies have had this issue? I'm very discouraged because I'm so close to my goal but still almost look the exact same as before. And yes, I've taken "progress" pictures, if you could call it that, and there is a slight difference, just not 20lbs worth of difference.

At 5'4 what is a reasonable goal? I thought 133 would be perfect, but apparently it's not. I have a medium fame, somewhat large hips and thighs, but my stomach is absolutely disgusting and discouraging =[

Not too sure where to go from here. But any advice or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    I'm just laying out some options here. You will need to decide for yourself which is best for you.

    1. You could decide to lower your goal. I'm an inch shorter, have a medium to large frame and I decided it was time to start losing weight when I weighed just a few pounds more than your goal weight. You could definitely lose more pounds and still be at a healthy weight for your height.
    2. Focus on toning instead of weight loss. Especially work on your core to help shrink the tummy area you don't like.
    3. Combine the two. Lower your goal weight by 5 pounds and work on toning. If after 5 more pounds, you still don't like what you see, lower it by another 5. (That would put you at 123 which is still healthy for 5'4"). By that point, you should definitely be seeing a big improvement, especially if you're putting in the core work.
  • snailrunner
    snailrunner Posts: 215 Member
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    If you're 21 I'm guessing you don't have kids? My stomach does that and it would do it if I were 20lbs lighter (I'm 61kg, don't know what that is in pounds) but it's because I have had two babies. It must be even more disheartening if you've not had kids! What kind of ab work do you do? I've just started 30 Day Shred in the hope of some improvement in the region.
  • K1Teacher
    K1Teacher Posts: 324 Member
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    I'm 5'4" and I think 133 will be perfect for ME because I gain/lose pretty evenly over my body. For YOU it's obviously a bit different - you probably have a smaller bone structure than I do, too. I would lower your goal a bit...maybe 125? See where that takes you...
  • shelleyroppe
    shelleyroppe Posts: 1
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    Hi,

    I'm 5'4" too. My heaviest was 155 as well so we're super similar. My happy weight is between 120-123 but body types are all so different that I wouldn't think that yours would need to be the same as mine. Could you get your body fat measured somewhere and see what a good fit range would be for you?

    :smile:
  • jennor8or
    jennor8or Posts: 204 Member
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    i would say it sounds like even though you've lost weight you haven't lost a lot of body fat. Depending on what you're eating and if you're working out you may be losing some fat but also losing water and muscle. If you're not a big gym or running person I would suggest trying Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. Do it for the full 30 days and you'll be really amazed at the difference. I think you'd be happy with the results. Using her I've been able to lose inches and body fat.
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
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    Thank you for your replies! I really want to lower my goal. The problem is, is that I feel like at 135 my body is already fighting me on losing more weight. I'm trying eating more, eating less, working out more, toning, and it's like a war!! I'm going to take your suggestion and lower my goal to 128, and even if it takes a fight, I can't handle the tummy! But my question is, is that if 20lbs hasn't made a huge difference, will 5 extra pounds be noticeable even?

    No kids here. I'll explain what it looks like. My pubic bone area is really flat, and then my lower tummy sticks out a good 2 inches from that flat area. and the line goes all the way up around my hips. So I'm really flat, and then its like the fat just BAM! Starts! lol.
  • jlsAhava
    jlsAhava Posts: 411 Member
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    I took a peek at your pictures - and I think you're selling yourself short. When comparing the picture of you and your husband (?) to the pictures of you in the mirror, I can see a big difference in your face and body.

    Sometimes it's hard to see (and accept) the differences in ourselves (even positive ones). I think you should ask a trust-worthy friend (someone who tells the truth, even when it's not what you want to hear) what kind of difference they see in your before and afters. I'm guessing they'll see the the 20lb difference that you don't.

    I wonder if it's that you're "skinny-fat," which is caused by not having enough muscle tone. Have you been strength-training? It makes a huge difference!

    Best of luck!
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
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    I took a peek at your pictures - and I think you're selling yourself short. When comparing the picture of you and your husband (?) to the pictures of you in the mirror, I can see a big difference in your face and body.

    Sometimes it's hard to see (and accept) the differences in ourselves (even positive ones). I think you should ask a trust-worthy friend (someone who tells the truth, even when it's not what you want to hear) what kind of difference they see in your before and afters. I'm guessing they'll see the the 20lb difference that you don't.

    I wonder if it's that you're "skinny-fat," which is caused by not having enough muscle tone. Have you been strength-training? It makes a huge difference!

    Best of luck!

    Thank you very much! I can definitely tell a difference in those pictures, and honestly, in clothes, The difference is pretty big. The issue I'm having is the naked part of me lol. I took nude progress pictures (that's why I can't show those) and the difference is wayy less noticeable than with clothes. In the naked ones, I look like I've lost maybe 10lbs. Because with clothes I can pull my pants up past the pudge lines, and kind of even it out.

    I don't really "strength train", but I've been doing some Pilates exercises, and some exercises I learned in swimming that are supposed to help strengthen the core. Maybe that's not enough? Maybe my body isn't burning as much fat as I originally thought? Would it be helpful to bump up the cardio. Currently I do about 30 min of elliptical work a day ( high resistance).
  • jlsAhava
    jlsAhava Posts: 411 Member
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    No kids here. I'll explain what it looks like. My pubic bone area is really flat, and then my lower tummy sticks out a good 2 inches from that flat area. and the line goes all the way up around my hips. So I'm really flat, and then its like the fat just BAM! Starts! lol.

    I think what your describing here is something many women deal with. I know I've always had a tummy that is seemingly divided into a (relatively) flat upper half and a bulging lower half. I imagine we'd have to be nearly skin and bones before our ponch disappears entirely. Try not to worry TOO much about it. Everyone wants to look good naked, but in reality, we're naked only a very small portion of the time. The rest of the time we can use clothes to accentuate our positive assets :love:

    That said, cardio and strength training are two very different beasts. Only strength training can tone and define your muscles.

    Lastly, here's an old MFP thread I think you might find useful: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner?hl=relatively+light

    ~J
  • K1Teacher
    K1Teacher Posts: 324 Member
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    Maybe your tummy area will be the LAST place your body loses fat so you would definitely notice a 5 lb difference. Also, concentrate on strength training but keep up the cardio. Good luck!!
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
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    That said, cardio and strength training are two very different beasts. Only strength training can tone and define your muscles.

    Lastly, here's an old MFP thread I think you might find useful: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner?hl=relatively+light

    ~J

    Wow thank you for that thread. I didn't see that while I was searching. He brings up some GREAT points. He brings up good point about genetics and tummy fat. And with a mostly overweight/obese family, I can see where that is relevant for me.
  • kleavitt1992
    kleavitt1992 Posts: 592 Member
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    im 5ft 3 my goal is 120-125 im an apple so i dont think my stomache will be flat til then
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Go for more strength training.

    I am 5'4" and at 140 lbs. I am a bit from my goal (127) but I am also enduring that 'fighting' that you mentioned. It seems impossible to lose any more weight. I work out, I eat 'decent', my body feels happy where it is. I am not happy where I am!

    I have dropped from a size 6 to a size 4 (can squeeze into 2s) in the time where I went from 144lbs to 140 lbs. It wasn't so much the number on the scale as the amount of space I have been taking up. While I'd really love to see that smaller number, it is becoming more and more apparent to me that strength training is really helping me shrink.

    Start or continue strength training. It is so incredibly worth it.
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
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    Go for more strength training.

    I am 5'4" and at 140 lbs. I am a bit from my goal (127) but I am also enduring that 'fighting' that you mentioned. It seems impossible to lose any more weight. I work out, I eat 'decent', my body feels happy where it is. I am not happy where I am!

    I have dropped from a size 6 to a size 4 (can squeeze into 2s) in the time where I went from 144lbs to 140 lbs. It wasn't so much the number on the scale as the amount of space I have been taking up. While I'd really love to see that smaller number, it is becoming more and more apparent to me that strength training is really helping me shrink.

    Start or continue strength training. It is so incredibly worth it.

    My body started to fight me at 140 as well. It seems happy where it's at, but I'm not buying it lol. The next few months for me are really crazy, so I'll probably start REALLY strength training at the gym when my husband gets home. My measurements and weight have been shrinking consistently, which is a good thing. I can comfortably wear a size 7, but my tummy is so large that I look like I have a huge muffin top when they aren't that tight, and the size 9's are too big on my thighs/butt, but eliminate the muffin. I'm in an awkward stage! How often do you strength train? What exercises have you done to help you?
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    How's your protein?

    When I got within about 5 pounds of my original goal of 135, I increased my calories and my protein, and that made a big difference. Not only in my body, but in how I felt and was able to perform. Running was easier, planks were easier, I was able to do pushups from toes instead of knees, etc. I had more energy and was just all around more satisfied with what I was eating. I was around 1500 (before exercise) calories, and I aimed to get about 100 g of protein. I never limited my carbs and fat. I just strove for larger portions of meats, beans and nuts. And watching the sodium helped a lot, too. And the changes in my body composition made me not give a damn about the scale anymore.

    Naked or bikini pictures help show progress, too, so take them for yourself even if you'll never show them to anyone. I'm wearing the same clothes I wore about 10 pounds ago, but it's subtle changes. I'm not much smaller, overall, but I'm getting to be so proud of my belly, I'm afraid I might start picking up the nickname "the Situation." :laugh:

    So... that's my advice. Keep at it, work with a small deficit for a loss of no more than a half pound a week, and up your protein. The results will follow.
  • hotforcollege
    hotforcollege Posts: 34 Member
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    I'm your height and my goal weight is 115, but I've always been on the lighter side so it works for me.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    I'm nearly 5'5", and about 122 right now. My tummy only went down over the last 10 or so pounds, and another inch disappeared with 30DS and, bizarrely, push-ups.
  • arw060310
    arw060310 Posts: 256 Member
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    How's your protein?

    When I got within about 5 pounds of my original goal of 135, I increased my calories and my protein, and that made a big difference. Not only in my body, but in how I felt and was able to perform. Running was easier, planks were easier, I was able to do pushups from toes instead of knees, etc. I had more energy and was just all around more satisfied with what I was eating. I was around 1500 (before exercise) calories, and I aimed to get about 100 g of protein. I never limited my carbs and fat. I just strove for larger portions of meats, beans and nuts. And watching the sodium helped a lot, too. And the changes in my body composition made me not give a damn about the scale anymore.

    Naked or bikini pictures help show progress, too, so take them for yourself even if you'll never show them to anyone. I'm wearing the same clothes I wore about 10 pounds ago, but it's subtle changes. I'm not much smaller, overall, but I'm getting to be so proud of my belly, I'm afraid I might start picking up the nickname "the Situation." :laugh:

    So... that's my advice. Keep at it, work with a small deficit for a loss of no more than a half pound a week, and up your protein. The results will follow.

    I've been averaging about 80-95g of protein. And since I've upped that, my legs have much more definition. Idk if that's a trick my mind is playing on me, but my legs feel incredible. And with the exception of the sodium filled Chinese food I had a week ago, I try to keep my sodium low =] Well it really makes me feel better that you are in the same clothes for the last 10lbs. I have been too and was getting disheartened because I feel like everyone has been dropping clothing sizes along with the pounds. Hahaha at least you are proud of your belly! Nothing wrong with a little pride!
  • mpmama2re
    mpmama2re Posts: 212 Member
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    you and I seem to have the same body type by looking at your pics. I'm also 5'4" and I am at about 130ish. I've had two kids and the stomach area is something I really focused on. I got a few ab videos and it looks sooo much better. I really like the 6 week video from JM and the ab toning video from bob... really really good. as for losing a few more pounds you probably could. what kind of exercise are you doing? I find that running really helps as does weight training.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    I try to stay to this schedule:

    Mon - 30 min strength
    Tues - 30 min (or more) running
    Wed - 30 min strength
    Thurs - 30 min (more) running
    Fri - 30 min strength
    sat - off
    sun - long run, usually 2 miles farther than whatever I ran during the week. 1hr plus

    for the strength training I mix it up. sometimes I follow tabata routines from bodyrock.tv videos. I do a lot of squats, with and without weights. lunges and static/pulse movements. I try to follow the idea of 'lift heavy enough so it is difficult, and do as many reps as you can until you fail'. so if I can do 10 reps with a 5lb weight, I try a 8 or 10 lb weight and can only do 4 reps? I'll go for the 10 lb weight and try my best to push to 5 reps. the rep where you can't hold perfect form though is the signal to stop and move to a different exercise. so if I start getting sloppy with squats, I'll move on to lunges :) hope this helps!

    I wanted to note we seem to be opposite body types - i'm very much a pear and you sound like an apple. My bum/thigh area of pants is NEVER loose :laugh:

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