Can't Lose My Love Handles!!
- Thread starter ladythomp
- Start date
Hi Kim! I'm intrigued by Cathe's answer as well. I've had four pregnancies and have three children (one miscarriage). My stomach is fairly flat (maybe a bit on the lower area) but still have love handles. I'm 5'2" and weight between 115-120 all the time and wear a size 4. I've always had these little handles and have about decided they won't go away.
Commiserating with you,
Cheri
Commiserating with you,
Cheri
1200 calories sounds awfully low - your body could be in 'starvation' mode, which will prevent you from losing any additional fat.
What is your diet like? A typical day? Are you eating enough protein? Are your carbs clean and, as for fats - are they 'good' fats like olive oil, peanut butter, avocadoes, fish oils etc? What is your height and weight now? You can track all these things at fitday.com - it is free to join and then, you can have a better handle on things.
Bottom line though - if your calories go too low it will become more difficult for you to lose weight or fat. You need to create a slight caloric deficit to lose weight or fat. The foods you consume need to be 'clean' - and cooked in thier most natural state - try to eliminate all processed sugar from your diet and eat sufficient protein. It also helps to break down your meals into 5 or 6 small ones per day.
Hope that helps :+
What is your diet like? A typical day? Are you eating enough protein? Are your carbs clean and, as for fats - are they 'good' fats like olive oil, peanut butter, avocadoes, fish oils etc? What is your height and weight now? You can track all these things at fitday.com - it is free to join and then, you can have a better handle on things.
Bottom line though - if your calories go too low it will become more difficult for you to lose weight or fat. You need to create a slight caloric deficit to lose weight or fat. The foods you consume need to be 'clean' - and cooked in thier most natural state - try to eliminate all processed sugar from your diet and eat sufficient protein. It also helps to break down your meals into 5 or 6 small ones per day.
Hope that helps :+
kathryn
Cathlete
Many of us seem to hold fat stores in "special" places that are the hardest to get rid of. And the old "last-hired, first-fired" saying goes for fat stores as well: the first fat you will lose is the last you put on, whereas the first place you started accumulating fat is the last place it will leave from. For most women, this is the lower abs and the hips/thighs area.
Just keep doing what you're doing, and be patient. Maybe clean up your diet a bit (NOT by reducing calories, which may actually be too low, but by making better food choices: whole foods over processed). Add some interval cardio 1-2 days a week (like Interval Max or IMAX2 or Cardio Coach).
Though there is no such thing as "spoot reducing," there is such a thing as "spot toning." Add some plank work and kickboxing to your workout to help tone the obliques.
Be PATIENT and CONSISTENT, and you should see progress.
Just keep doing what you're doing, and be patient. Maybe clean up your diet a bit (NOT by reducing calories, which may actually be too low, but by making better food choices: whole foods over processed). Add some interval cardio 1-2 days a week (like Interval Max or IMAX2 or Cardio Coach).
Though there is no such thing as "spoot reducing," there is such a thing as "spot toning." Add some plank work and kickboxing to your workout to help tone the obliques.
Be PATIENT and CONSISTENT, and you should see progress.
Hi Kim,
I just ordered a weighted hula hoop from sports-hoop.com. You should go check out the site. I ordered the 5 lb hoop . It says that it will take off 2 inches and 4 lbs from your waist in a month. I'd be happy with 1 inch a month. I don't have love handles but I am trying to get my waist down about 1-2 more inches. I should get it in by the middle of this week so I'll try to let you know. I have a hard time feeling any oblique work. Perhaps I am not doing it right.
I just ordered a weighted hula hoop from sports-hoop.com. You should go check out the site. I ordered the 5 lb hoop . It says that it will take off 2 inches and 4 lbs from your waist in a month. I'd be happy with 1 inch a month. I don't have love handles but I am trying to get my waist down about 1-2 more inches. I should get it in by the middle of this week so I'll try to let you know. I have a hard time feeling any oblique work. Perhaps I am not doing it right.
As far as the 1200 calories go, I am 5'2" and I eat about 1200 calories a day and have NO problems........ so don't let folks tell ya its too low.... or it seems to low, it may seems to low to them.... we are all different, and us shorties don't need as much food. I for one eat till I am full and thats it, I also watch what I eat....
Rhonda:7 :7
p.s. I don't normally post here, since its cathe's forum....
Rhonda:7 :7
p.s. I don't normally post here, since its cathe's forum....
CDPotier
Cathlete
I agree that 1200 calories is low, but the 20 points that Weight Watchers gives a 5'2" person weighing under 150 is about 1100 calories.
I am 5'2" tall, and although I do more than an hour of cardio a day, I need to cut down to around 1300 calories to lose weight. My basal metabolism is about that, and I did a calculation that, in order to maintain my weight with my current activity level, I can eat 1900 calories.
So shorter people usually have to go on lower calorie plans in order to lose anything, unforunately. I try to eat a great deal of fresh fruits and veggies, skim milk, whole grains, and lean protein like chicken and fish.
At about the third week, WW gives you a daily allotment for your exercise, but, if you keep pouring points on, weight loss also slows down to not even a pound a week.
I am 5'2" tall, and although I do more than an hour of cardio a day, I need to cut down to around 1300 calories to lose weight. My basal metabolism is about that, and I did a calculation that, in order to maintain my weight with my current activity level, I can eat 1900 calories.
So shorter people usually have to go on lower calorie plans in order to lose anything, unforunately. I try to eat a great deal of fresh fruits and veggies, skim milk, whole grains, and lean protein like chicken and fish.
At about the third week, WW gives you a daily allotment for your exercise, but, if you keep pouring points on, weight loss also slows down to not even a pound a week.
jazzi21
Cathlete
Hi:
I am in WW also... in counting my points, I noticed that to eat more, healthy and filling meals, each meal has to have sufficient fiber. For instance, if you ate meals of 150 calories, 0-3gms of fat, with 4 or more gms of fiber, each meal would be 2 points. So if you ate this way 10X's it would = 1,500 calories and 20 points.. Of course, we eat more calories than this for the main meals, but the trick is low fat and high fiber.. That way you can eat more bulk and feel satisfied for a longer period of time. If you exercise, more toward the upper end of your heart rate, doing circuit/interval workouts, consistently, this would not be too many calories. I am also 5'2" and have lost weight eating this many calories. Eating enough calories will also help maintain your energy level giving you the energy you need to work out. I hope this helps...keep up the good work!:+
I am in WW also... in counting my points, I noticed that to eat more, healthy and filling meals, each meal has to have sufficient fiber. For instance, if you ate meals of 150 calories, 0-3gms of fat, with 4 or more gms of fiber, each meal would be 2 points. So if you ate this way 10X's it would = 1,500 calories and 20 points.. Of course, we eat more calories than this for the main meals, but the trick is low fat and high fiber.. That way you can eat more bulk and feel satisfied for a longer period of time. If you exercise, more toward the upper end of your heart rate, doing circuit/interval workouts, consistently, this would not be too many calories. I am also 5'2" and have lost weight eating this many calories. Eating enough calories will also help maintain your energy level giving you the energy you need to work out. I hope this helps...keep up the good work!:+
I'm short - 4'11". I weigh between 112- 115 and wear a size 4 and sometimes a size 2. I have strong and flat abs but a tiny, tiny lower pooch and yes, tiny love handles when I sit.
I eat as cleanly as possible and workout 5 -6 days a week.
I can't say what my calories are because there are days I eat way too much and days I compensate but I seem to maintaining and I think I eat between 1200 - 1400 calories. If I didn't work out as hard as I do, I'd have to cut back.
As far as "shorties" needing less food....I think that is true but based on the individual.
As far as love handles - well, we all have some genetic fat we seem to hold on. I'm an hour glass and hour glasses tend to have a hard time leaning out - ala Cathe.
To the original poster - it sounds to me like you probably look great and you have to decide if it is worth it for you to cut your calories back and work out more.
Adding yoga to my routine has really helped strengthen and tone my abs but I think that extra layer of fat has to be genetics (and an addiction to chocolate.
I eat as cleanly as possible and workout 5 -6 days a week.
I can't say what my calories are because there are days I eat way too much and days I compensate but I seem to maintaining and I think I eat between 1200 - 1400 calories. If I didn't work out as hard as I do, I'd have to cut back.
As far as "shorties" needing less food....I think that is true but based on the individual.
As far as love handles - well, we all have some genetic fat we seem to hold on. I'm an hour glass and hour glasses tend to have a hard time leaning out - ala Cathe.
To the original poster - it sounds to me like you probably look great and you have to decide if it is worth it for you to cut your calories back and work out more.
Adding yoga to my routine has really helped strengthen and tone my abs but I think that extra layer of fat has to be genetics (and an addiction to chocolate.