Very new to this, trying so hard to shift stubborn fat on hips and thighs.

[SJCunning]

Hi all,
Ive just joined and am enjoying reading all the threads and expanding my knowledge on all things strength, nutrition and fitness!
I am 26 years old, 5'8 and used to weigh 225 a few years ago. Dropped to current 145 by calorie counting and cardio over two or so years. Maintained for about three years but Im very keen to get to my goal body shape now and gain strength and fitness while dropping my still significant body fat percentage. My husband has written a workout program for me which ive been following for three months (hes a PT) and it involves 3 days weights split, 2 days HIIT and one sport. I feel stronger and my upper body is shaping up so nicely Im very happy with it. However, the fat roll around my hips, lower back and lower belly just won't budge! This and my upper thighs are serious problem areas which I know is common among women but I have no idea how to change it. Ive tried different daily calorie intakes (from 1800 daily down to 1300 daily) two weeks at a time with no change. I have a protein shake daily and my diet is good (with the occasional chocolate or pasta). Ive tried carb/calorie cycling. I really want at least one summer of my life to be able to wear a bikini with 100% confidence and minimal jiggling on my lower body! Its coming up to Summer here in Australia and I have about 3 months to really show myself what I can do. I get spurts of massive motivation and confidence and then get disheartened and want to give up every couple of weeks. Would love any tips, advice, berations, kick up the butt, whatever it takes to get my mind to click into losing this muffin top!

Thanks a million!

[gwnorth]

Ultimately it just comes down to your personal fat distribution pattern. Like many women you hold more fat in your lower body than your upper. As a result as you lean down, you see results in the upper body faster than the lower. You just need to keep plugging away at the fat loss. Eventually the lower body fat will start to budge too. It's something that I struggle with as well.

Good-luck

[wakechica]

Don't ever drop your cals to 1300.

Go read the stickies in nutrition, especially how to calculate your macros.

What's your lifting program?? Exercises, reps and sets pls.

[SJCunning]

Don't ever drop your cals to 1300.

Go read the stickies in nutrition, especially how to calculate your macros.

What's your lifting program?? Exercises, reps and sets pls.

Ok my weights program is a three day split as below (I'm not very strong yet)
P.s most of my gyms cable machines don't have weights written on just a level 1,2,3 etc

Mon - chest tris calves
-as many pushups as possible x 3sets
- Incline Flys (dumbbells) 4kgx12, 4kgx 12, 5kgx12 straight into 3kg til failure
- assisted dip machine for tri's level 12 3x10 reps
- seated chest press machine L3x12, L4x10, L4x10
- behind head tricep lift with 5kg dumbbell (not sure what it's called) 3x10
- standing calf raise machine 15kg x12, 20kgx 12reps (x3 sets with different feet position)
- various floor abs/core exercises

Wed - back bis hamstrings
- lat pulldown L5x12, L6x10, L6x10
- machine seated rows 3x12xL4
- dumbbell bicep curls 4kg, 20 alternate fwd hammer curls, 10 each arm of inward curls, 20 alt fwd curls.
- 10kg barbell curls 3x10 reps
- hamstring curl machine L5x10, L6x10, L7x10+L3 til failure
- various abs exercises
- 3x10 reps supermans on floor with 5 sec holds

Fri - quads and extra core (with hips and glutes) shoulders
- free squats with 6kg medicine ball 3x20 followed by wall sit to failure
- leg press L6x12, L7x12, L7x10
- shoulders 3kg dumbbells - lat raises x10, fwd raises x10, press up x 10 then repeat x2.
- leg extensions machine L5x12 (x3)
- smith machine squats 10kg 3x10
Floor work abs and hips

This is my main guide at the moment and although may seem light I always lift until I struggle to lift the last rep and if I can do more than I do.

Still getting there but I know it's about consistency and long term patience and I also get the genetics thing about weight distribution patterns but I see lots of before and after pics of women with my pear shape get the lean bikini body so I really would like it just one summer.

Thanks for all your help.

[jessrabbit]

Just a thought, try lifting heavier. If you're doing 3 sets of 10-12, you most likely aren't challenging your muscles. If you want the 'lean look' you have to have the muscle mass to support it. To me, it doesn't sound like you're trying to grow your muscles at all. It's going to take time and it may be frustrating, but keep at it and you'll get there!
Do you work out with your husband? If not, maybe you should a few times, if he sees how easy this schedule has gotten for you, he may help to write a new more challenging one.

[SJCunning]

Thanks for your response I do struggle with the last few reps as is (these reps are just a guideline) but I'll up the weight on most of my exercises and see if that makes a difference.
Thanks!

[wakechica]

Lots of accessory and not a lot of compound lifts. Go get New Rules of LIfting for Women or starting strength and follow one of those programs. Did you make your porgram yourself? Much better to follow a renowned program written by a pro. It had guidelines so you know how much to be lifting and how much to challenge yourself.

Make sure you're taking on the correct amount of calories and hit it hard from there.

How long you been lifting? You want to focus on big compounds with a little accessory work and if you can squat without using the smith as it will work your core a lot better. You should have squats, deadlifts, rows and bench (DB or BB) in there as a minimum of compounds.

Compounds also negate the need for cable machines. I use them only for tricep PDs, single arm rows and some ab work.

[Ang123]

Might want to get doctor to run a complete hormone panel to see what your levels are. Many women these days are estrogen dominant because of the abundant phytoestrogens in everything we eat or apply to skin these days. Estrogen dominance is known for causing fat distribution on hips and butt that doesn't want to budge even when rest of body loses fat. The treatment is topical progesterone cream. If you do some googling on this topic you will see there are a lot of articles on the subject. I tested low on progesterone and feel better when I am on it. The 10 days I have to be off it each month I feel like crap. I've lost 5 lbs since starting it though my exercise regimen and calorie intact as remained the same now as before and I had plateaued for months, so I think there is something to this.

[SJCunning]

Might want to get doctor to run a complete hormone panel to see what your levels are. Many women these days are estrogen dominant because of the abundant phytoestrogens in everything we eat or apply to skin these days. Estrogen dominance is known for causing fat distribution on hips and butt that doesn't want to budge even when rest of body loses fat. The treatment is topical progesterone cream. If you do some googling on this topic you will see there are a lot of articles on the subject. I tested low on progesterone and feel better when I am on it. The 10 days I have to be off it each month I feel like crap. I've lost 5 lbs since starting it though my exercise regimen and calorie intact as remained the same now as before and I had plateaued for months, so I think there is something to this.

Funny you should mention that ive just finished having these tests done and my hormones are out of whack. Especially my testosterone which is 3x the normal female maximum level! My naturopath prescribed topical progesterone cream and ive started using it yesterday so Hopefully that will make a difference to me as well!

Wakechica, my husband is a PT and wrote my program two months ago and we are looking at re-vamping it now to mix it up so Ill definitely have a look at those references your mentioned. Im scared of deadlifts due to a bad back and no matter how i try to maintain good form my back always hurts but Ill work on it.

Thanks all!