Grab handfuls of fat at low body weight

  • What can I do? I don't weight that much for my 5'6" frame (see ticker for weight), but I still have HUGE globs of fat everywhere on my body and it is now just driving me insane! I haven't lost an ounce or an inch in months now to top it all off- I'd like to be at 117. Seriously though, has anyone else been at an ideal weight for their height and still had huge amounts of fat? What did you do to lose it (I mean I can't drop down to 100 pounds that would kill me)? How can I lose the rest? I can still literally grab handfuls off my stomach and and my above my hips in the rear and just under my shoulder blades of my upper back. I don't have to tug or pull to get it either. I have been doing the 30 Day shred now (yes, I've actually stuck to it) I've been walking lots and being very active, and I am now just very, very frustrated. Please someone tell me Hope if fast on the horizon..... and how to reach that horizon please, please, please.
  • Okay, I am your height and I'm 117 lbs. I can still see a little bit of flab covering my mid-abdomen. What's helped me is running and lifting 15 lb. kettlebells and some HIIT cardio. It's not unusual for even thin women to have like "pockets of fat" here and there. I've never been above 135 so I can't relate to a huge weight loss but I can tell you that running in general has tightened up my whole midsection and waist/hip and legs too. Just an overall great workout. Congrats on the 81 lbs. gone! Awesome job! Hope this helps.
  • Are you sure it's not loose skin? I have loose skin all over, and I went from 250 to 112. (I'm actually up to 117 now and it sucks) I am currently working on getting back to the 112. But I would suggest some weight training for muscle gain. Just to tighten things up if you feel it is fat and not loose skin.
  • Weight train! It'll tighten and contour the muscles underneath and cause the fat to be distributed more evenly. The 30-day shred is a good start for toning, so keep with it! You might also want to look into the 'New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women'. To tone your back you'll want to do push-ups, deadlifts, supermans...check http://exrx.net for exercises for those muscle groups!
  • Weight training for sure.

    There are lots of options. For a basic lifting program, Starting Strength and StrongLifts 5x5 are good reliable ones. People love NROLFW but I don't know much about it. If you want/need to use body weight only, try SimpleFit, or the workouts at http://bodyrock.tv (which are a strength/cardio mix but could probably help you build some muscle).
  • I thought of loose skin right away. I have it, I hate it but it is not fat, just plain old loose skin.
  • Okay, so I will stick with the 30 day shred and maybe I'll crack into some weights lol. I do realize that I do have some loose skin, but the vast majority is still FAT. My loose skin is really wrinkly at the bottom of my tummy- the rest is still fat poking out- almost look pregnant even UGH! It seems so unfair sometimes, I've come this far and still aren't happy. Confident, but not happy if that makes sense. How long should it take to start seeing some really good results? Anyone?
  • Yes to weight training (and lift heavy!!!). Also, try to make sure you eating enough protein when you do start with the weights.
  • Quote: Yes to weight training (and lift heavy!!!). Also, try to make sure you eating enough protein when you do start with the weights.
    What makes the difference if I lift heavy with less reps than if I lift lighter with more? I really don't know lol.... As for my protein,that is the worst part of my diet so thank you for bringing that up- protein shakes coming my way!
  • I'd say if you make a concerted effort with the weights, you should probably start to see results in about a month. I had really wrinkly skin on my tummy leftover from two pregnancies and weight training helped tremendously with that. Good luck.
  • Quote: What makes the difference if I lift heavy with less reps than if I lift lighter with more? I really don't know lol.... As for my protein,that is the worst part of my diet so thank you for bringing that up- protein shakes coming my way!
    If you check out the book New Rules of Lifting for Women it explains this way better than I ever can. However, basically, if you're lifting light weights repetitively your making your muscles used to endurance. That doesn't actually build the muscles, though. Using heavy weights at a lower number of reps helps to tear the muscles and then you rest, which rebuilds the muscles, making them bigger. Building your muscles is what will actually changes your appearance (building endurance with just make it so you can lift light weights longer).

    If you're lifting definitely work on getting in enough protein because that will also help you build your muscles. Another thing I'd suggest is keeping track of your workouts so you can see how you're progressing with the weights and as motivation. Oh, and never underestimate resting either because you really do need to rest your muscles after lifting otherwise they don't have a chance to rebuild (and you're at a higher risk of getting injured).

    There's a weight lifting forum here with a lot of great information. From my own personal experience I haven't lost a ton of weight lifting (sometimes you even go up on the scale afterwards) BUT I've dropped a lot of inches/clothing sizes and have toned up quite a bit. I even have some nice biceps to show for it.
  • Quote: Are you sure it's not loose skin? I have loose skin all over, and I went from 250 to 112. (I'm actually up to 117 now and it sucks) I am currently working on getting back to the 112. But I would suggest some weight training for muscle gain. Just to tighten things up if you feel it is fat and not loose skin.
    This is the first thing that came to my mind...
  • Quote: This is the first thing that came to my mind...
    It bulges out like I am pregnant...especially when I sit down lol