When we start losing weight, we often imagine exciting things lying ahead. There will be weight loss, of course, but we also imagine our shiny new bodies. Perfectly shaped thighs and calves, ab muscles carved in stone, a rear firm enough to invite quarter-bouncing.
But, what really happens when you lose weight? You end up with a smaller version of the same body you always had. To some of us, this is a disappointment, particularly for those of us with the kinds of fantasies I mentioned above. We don't just want a smaller body...we want a better body.
If you look at just about any health, fitness or weight loss magazine, you'll see something that perpetuates the belief that we can isolate and, therefore, shape different parts of our bodies with a few simple exercises. I just saw one the other day announcing exercises for "Sexy Abs, Butt & Thighs!" Who wouldn't want that? Even when we know a few exercises aren't going to transform us from ho-hum to 'Sexy!' it's tempting to try.
The truth is, you may not lose weight where you want (at least, not right away). And, it's entirely possibly you'll lose weight from some place you'd like to keep the way it is. Where we lose weight is not within our control - All the ab exercises in the world may strengthen your abdominals, but you won't lose fat there unless your body cooperates.
Spot training doesn't work and realizing that can be very liberating, allowing you to focus on the results you're getting rather than on what's not happening.
What do you think? Have you been frustrated when trying to lose weight in certain places? How do you deal with it? Leave a comment and tell us about your experiences.
your statement of being toned underneath, yet still have fat is sooooo true. i’ve exercised for years. i know i have a 6-pack underneath and biceps to be shown off, BUT, you can’t tell because the fat just won’t go away. i’ve eaten healthier (more veges and less sugar), and there’s no budging the fat. i don’t think turning 50 helps much, but come on! there’s got to be a trick to all this!
I’m with Michelle. I’ve always, always worked out. I am very fit. Just about to turn 41 and it seems like I am just pushing the fat from the inside out. I don’t know what to do anymore. Even if I try to diet, it just doesn’t come off. But I am not giving up the exercise. Any further suggestions?
I have recently gotten more involved in my workout sessions and eating healthier foods and have lost 10 pounds over the last two weeks. My pants feel much more loose and keep sliding off, which means I most be loosing most of it around my hips and lower waist (yay!). I have a curvy body and I don’t want to lose my curves. I feel the most troubling parts are my arms (specifically my triceps). I am not going to give up. I know if i stay determined and dedicated I can reach my goals. It just takes some patience.
That’s a good point – “a smaller version of the same body”. So if you’ve always had a big belly (or thighs, or bottom) it will always be big relative to the rest of you…… but smaller than before you lost the weight.. Frustrating but true….. has been for me anyway!
After learning I needed to do an hour or more of cardio (walking, cardio machines, etc.) pretty much seven days a week plus eat a healthy low-calorie diet to lose about 2 lbs. a week I was able to take off 45 lbs. over a number of months. I did some strength training while losing my weight. After I achieved a within-normal-range weight for my height I started incorporating more strength training plus yoga into my routine. I can see a huge difference in the shape of my body with the strength training. I may not have the definition of a 20 year old sports model, but I do have nice definition for a 52 year old, and I continue to improve. I look great in my clothes. With strength training as well as weight loss it is possible to get rid of the “menopot” belly.
“Perfectly shaped thighs and calves, ab muscles carved in stone, a rear firm enough to invite quarter-bouncing.”
I just enrolled into a fitness center today. The above statement really tickled me off, coz that is exactly what I was dreaming of. Strangely, I am not disappointed.
I have exercised for years as well and I’m a certified Personal Fitness Trainer. Through experimentation on my own body, I have found that it is a combination of everything, i.e. cardio, specific muscle training, & nutrition that makes it all work. Doing just one of those or even two for me, just doesn’t cut it. It’s the combination, & mixing up of exercise with healthy diet that works. Keep the body guessing! Don’t get in a rut. For example, just walking everyday won’t do it. It’s a good way to start, but, then add some core work & a healthy diet and that is when you will start to see improvement.
I agree with Maggie. I used to be a fitness instructor and I have been working out 5 days out of 7 for years upon years. It is a balance of eating right, moving (mixing it up), and, believe it or not, lack of self depracation. You have to love yourself, in every way. See the positives and stick to changing the negatives. I always try to look the best way Karen can, not like Cindy Crawford, or anyone else for that matter. I am going to be 49 this year and though I used to mourn that youth is past-I stopped that now. I want to look great right now. Here it is…cut out salt, cut back on sugar, increase the veggies and add some raw nuts. REALLY adhere to portion sizes-hard as I eat like a sailor but hey, it is a small price to pay for having energy and fitting that much better in my pants. Menopuse and Hypothyroidism plague me, but I keep moving. If I am tired I still exerrcise maybe not for 40 minutes but it is the discipline that I try to stay with. At the end of the day, I wish there was one good thing to do to blast the fat, but it takes time, energy and positive attitude…
Kathy, Maggie, Karen……Ditto! You are all so right, there’s really no rocket science to it! It’s pretty simple! About me, I have always trained and been quite fit and firm but the wheels came off during what I coined “The great depression of 2009/2010″ and I gained a whole 20kg! I was frustrated and then when my fiance called off the wedding and we broke up last July I decided I was either going to gain a further 20kg from depression or take back my life! So on a cold SA winter morning at 5am I got into my old running shoes and hit the road running! I’ve lost 21kg since then, I now run 18km at a good pace but even after all that weight loss I had the same body shape but smaller! I lose weight firstly in the face and neck (I have a friend who often jokes and says I can carry water in my clavicle) LOL! I have started and Exercise Science course and I am on track to becoming an Indoor Training Instructor and Personal Trainer! Who ever thought you could ever realise your dream at 35? So yeah, the trick is all in the MIXING IT UP and watching what you eat!