I have always been the typical spoon! I am small on top and large in the hip and thigh area. I have a sit down job, 9 hours a day. I have been low carbing for 3 months now and I have lost 20 pounds and 10 1/2 inches overall. Here is my problem: I keep losing in my waist which still makes my hips look large! I have gone from a 32" waist to a 29", hips have gone from 42" to 40", thighs from 26" to 24 1/2". I have a stationary bike, treadmill, thighmaster, and a glideslide....any recommendations? I don't want to continue doing the wrong exercises. I have a vacation coming up in June that I would love to have a cute bathing suit for! Thanks in advance.

Sorry, Cherio, but there really aren't any exercises that you can do which will 'target' a specific body part fat losswise. It is all a function of how much fat you have and how much fat you lose. Continued aerobic exercise and weight training will help you lose the fat - all over. Where it comes off is a function of genetics. Women typically lose the fat around hips and thighs last, if it's any consolation.

Nat

Oh well, not the reply I really wanted to hear BUT, I'll just keep doing what I have been and eventually it will HAVE to come off, right?! LOL

Cherio, if it were possible to spot reduce, we'd all be doing it

And yes, as you lose the fat all over you'll start to see changes. Keep in mind that as you have less and less to lose, smaller changes become much more noticeable - exercise has a cumulative effect.

Nat

Well, I am measuring and this month I had lost another 3 1/3 inches overall, so not too bad. I was just wondering why my waist was getting smaller and smaller while changes that need to be changing aren't!! No biggie, I'm not giving up, I want that cutie bathingsuit this summer.

Cherio,

I wish I were losing in my waistline. I seem to be losing just under it, on the belly, but the midriff looks bigger and bigger as I go. The waistline doesn't seem to budge even a half inch. I think it's dropping lower, but not getting smaller. If I could just lose an inch or so there, I could get a smaller size pants. The hips and legs are smaller than they were.

I guess we all have to be patient! It's not easy, but the results will eventually come. You are doing great. Just hold in there.

Atrsy,

It is good to know someone else is losing fat from strange places!
I am a mother of three, so I have that wonderful baby abdomen. I have lost about 61/2 pounds alltogether in 2 weeks and every inch has seem to come from the lower abdomen area. My waist is still huge and we won't even talk about my thighs. I too though well what excersize can I do, but targeting the leg area will only turn the fat to muscle which might make my legs larger not smaller. UUGGGGh!

Atrsy,

It is good to know someone else is losing fat from strange places!
I am a mother of three, so I have that wonderful baby abdomen. I have lost about 61/2 pounds alltogether in 2 weeks and every inch has seem to come from the lower abdomen area. My waist is still huge and we won't even talk about my thighs. I too though well what excersize can I do, but targeting the leg area will only turn the fat to muscle which might make my legs larger not smaller. UUGGGGh!

Brenda, this is a common misconception. Exercise will not make your legs larger in the long run. Yes for a while you may have some muscle and some fat but the fat will be burned by the muscle. I have seen results from women who've ended up with larger thighs when measure but they fit into smaller pants - what you end up with are firm and strong legs, nothing giggles.

Keep exercising - it does work.

Nat

Cherio,

I am too tired to excercise! My diet whips the energy right out of me.
Before I started the diet I exersized three times a week. I can't get myself to do even one now. I just can't get out of bed in the morning. Any suggestions?

Brenda, are you taking any supplements? Fatigue is often associated with loss of potassium along with water that is flushed out when you start a LC program.

Supplementing ith 400mg of potassium will help. You can get a product called 'nuSalt' in the grocery store - 1/8th of a teaspoon in a very large glass of water will do the trick (much better than swallowing even more pills ). Be sure you're well hydrated when taking potassium.

Also, have a look through the thread called 'Hot Links!' at the top of the "newbies' questions' forum (its a sticky) halfway down the post there is a link to information on Potassium/calcium and magnesium supplements and doses - taking the right supplements and vitamines makes a huge difference in how you feel.

It's also a good idea when you start LCing to give your body a two week window to adjust to burning a new fuel - going from glucose to ketones takes a lot out of you.

Nat

THANK YOU, Artsy! I know, I know....I have to be patient ( as I sit here eating my salad)! I am SO sore today. I painted my son's room over the weekend and I never realized how much exercise it really is! LOL My legs and butt are SO sore, it even hurts to sit!! And here I thought the exercises I were doing was working!!

Nat, I found some exercises in a magazine called "Shape" over the weekend for HIPS. It says the muscles targeted are the upper gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, and the gluteus medius. To do them I would need a step-up, a ball, and a pulley. In your opinion, since the area can't be targeted, is this a waste of time? Thanks.

Cherio, exercises like squats, lunges, crunches etc all 'target' specific areas - muscle that are targeted for growth. Fat spot reducing is what is not possible.

I do my squats, crunches, lunges, leg extenstion regularly - I am targetting the muscles for growth so that when I do lose the fat I have well defined and shaply muscles underneath

Nat

Hi again,

So glad your there today. Please tell me what "Ketones and Ketosis" mean. I am on the CAD diet and am unfamiliar with ATkins terms. thanks!