Big Thighs= Bigger Size
 

I am discouraged about by not fitting into the same size clothing as others who weigh the same as I do and are the same height. I tend to carry my weight in my thighs and butt which means I have to have a bigger size even though my waist is a size smaller.

Does anyone else have this happen to them? I am on my way to my goal weight of 130. I have weighed that once before and was close to a size 8. Does anyone know of anyway I can lose weight in those specific areas?

Thanks ahead of time for any advice!

You can't spot reduce your weight. Everyones body is different and we hold onto fat in different area...Like you, I have large thighs, but my stomache is flat(under my loose skin)....and it just enhances your figure...gives you more curves which are awesome...

Don't worry about being the same size as someone else with your stats...its your body...not theirs...

I have the same thing happen to me, but I have the opposite shape - I put on all my weight (ALL OF IT) in my middle. By the time I find pants that fit my waist, they're literally 2-3+ sizes too big on my hips and thighs. Needless to say, I wear a lot of empire waist dresses.

GraceAlone, it's the same for me. I'm very pear shaped! And it's true you can't spot reduce (unless you have liposuction, of course).

My plan is to build up my chest, back, shoulders and arms with weights so when I've lost enough fat on my lower half, I don't look scrawny up top.

Also, you can be smaller (all over your whole body) at 130 than you were before. If you have a higher lean body mass % and lower body fat % than you did last time at 130, you will probably be a size 8 or smaller.

Ok, that leads me to another question. If I can't spot reduce, how do I overall increase muscle mass and decrease fat. When I was around 130 before (after having three kids, then I had two more, so I am where I am at now) I knew I needed to reduce my fat percentage. I do more strength training now and more intense cardio (running elliptical) than I did when I lost before. Is that all I can do to increase muscle mass?

Yep, weight training (lift heavy) and get your protein in!

The number one thing you can do is lift heavy. That goes a long way to preserving the muscle mass you have right now while you're losing fat. Getting adequate protein and not going too low in calories is another biggie.
It's hard to build up muscle mass while on a calorie deficit, but not impossible. Especially if you weren't lifting the last time you lost the weight, you are much more likely now to be able to gain muscle (the so called "newbie gains").

I learned a lot about lifting heavier from http://www.stumptuous.com which also has some full workout routines, too.

Right now I follow a "5/3/1" routine, which is 5 reps and 3 sets of some very basic lifts, with about 90% of the 1 rep maximum weight I can lift. Sounds overly complicated, but it's actually very quick and simple to do!

As far as getting clothes to fit, tailoring will work wonders!

ALWAYS buy items that fit you well at your widest (in your case hip and thigh) and most of the time a decent tailor can do some quick and easy nips and tucks to get them to fit at the waist.

Getting clothes custom fit to your body can make you look even more amazing! And it will show off how small your waist is, those curves are sexy! Rock em!

VABS: How do you determine the 90% of what you can lift? I am so afraid I will hurt myself!!

Thanks for the encouragement ladies! I am getting more comfy with my body, but it sure takes time when you've viewed yourself as ugly for so long.

I have the same problem, I have friends who wear the same size as I do but they are heavier and it is because my weight all goes to my hips and butt. On the other side once the weight is off and the body is toned hourglass bodies look amazing in fitted clothes

Don't be scared! There's an easy way to figure out your 1 rep max.

The key is you want to lift the heaviest weight you can, while still maintaining PERFECT form for that exercise.
A helpful way to figure this out is by watching a video of the lift in question.

If it's so heavy that you're wobbling around, arching your back, having to add a little bounce to get the weight all the way up, etc, then that's MORE than your 1 rep max.

But it does need to be heavy enough that you really can't lift it again perfectly right away. You would need a pretty long break before you could lift it correctly again.

Once you've figure that out, then it's just the weight x .9 = your 90%

Your 1 rep max is going to change a lot over time, and it can even change workout to workout. So don't worry about it being an absolute perfect number. And not everybody has access to very small increments of weights, so you have to work with what you've got.
Just use your 90% until the lifts seems to have gotten easy, then it's time to measure that 1 rep max again.
Really this is all about finding a light enough weight so that you won't hurt yourself, but heavy enough to get the optimal growth from your muscles.

Thank you! I am looking forward to trying this the next time I am at the gym. My hubby and I go twice a week (I exercise the rest of the time at home) to lift weights at the local Y.

Fun fact about me:
I was the same weight for three months, yet during that time I went from a size 10 to a size 6. I've only lost 11 pounds since August, but I feel and look like a whole different person.

Everyone is different. Your own body is changing all the time. Sizes really don't mean much. Neither does weight. Try to focus on how you feel and how you are becoming a better version of yourself over time. And don't compare yourself to others!!! It just created stress and insecurities you don't need.

I'm like you - I have a very small bone structure and collect in my thighs and legs. A lot of women my height look nice and proportional at 150-160 pounds, but when I was that heavy I looked sloppy and fat and had more than one chin.

I've been my weight before, but my waist is 2 inches smaller than then, now that I've been lifting a few times a week for almost a year. Running and lifting has whittled down my thighs quite a bit and made them shapely and muscular instead of like melted candles.

Hate to sound like a cliche but weight training is like magic - my favorite part is that you get to eat a lot more too!

I have the opposite problem... ..big belly ans small thighs. It's very frustrating to say the least. Hopefully in the end it all evens out.