Hi there....to give a little introduction, I'm 26 yrs old, 5'3, 100 lbs. I've become interested in the low carb way of life not because I want to lose weight, but because I'd like to get rid of the lovely fat around my thighs (i know spot reduction is not possible). The reason I'm looking into low carbing is b/c I have been a vegitarian since I was around 9 years old. Since that time, my diet mainly consisted of carbs, and little protein. I have slowly introduced meat back into my diet, and am gradually beginning to enjoy it. I'm hoping that reducing my carb intake, and upping my protein will reduce my body fat. I also am very active. I workout 5 days a week. From reading the posts on the exercise forum, it appears I do too much cardio. I run 45 min a day. From being this active, I have reduced the fat around my thighs somewhat, but I am now looking at my diet to see if I could make an even bigger difference. Do you all think that low carbing would help me out in this area? Thanks much!

I'm sorry...just to add to this, would anyone have any suggestions on which lc plan might be best for my situation? Thanks again!

I'm new here to and I agree. Low Carb diets don't have to be for people just trying to lose weight. I've been LCing for a couple days and already feel shreaded. I recommend it even for those that want to lose only just a few lbs. Taking sugars and processed foods out of your diet as much as possible can only be a good thing. I started reading Atkins New Diet Revolution and it makes a lot of sense. I plan on moving to Protein Power on completion of this book. There is the 'Which low-carb plan is right for me link?' to the right, that I know will give you a little over view of the different plans. I'm not an expert here, but in my opinion I wouldn't worry about being die hard into a plan. Read into any of them and you will benefit, I would imagine. Five pounds of fat is not a lot and any LC plan will get it off. As more get informed, Low Carb diets will grow.

Hi Megan,

I think you are probably better off simply sticking to the exercising you are doing.

I know you say you don't wish to lose weight, but losing fat amounts to the same thing. Don't forget, women are supposed to have a certain amount of fat.

I suspect your perception of your body may be a little skewed, because you are actually underweight at 100lbs and 5'3". So I would be VERY careful if I were you.

If you do choose to eat low carb ( a very healthy way to eat) make sure you start on the Maintenance level of whichever plan you choose.
By losing any more weight you will be risking your health.

All the best to you, my dear.

Rosebud

Thank you both for your replies. I agree that I do not want to lose any weight...I just would like to get fit and trim, and I've always heard that you can't do that alone with exercise, and that's when I began looking at my tremendous carb intake. Thanks again!

Me again, sorry! One more question, if I go on only a "moderate" reduction of carbs, would it be beneficial to then also reduce fat intake? Thanks!

Since no one else seems to have responded, I tell you what I think. You should probably cut back on carbs for sure, absolutely stay away from sodas, juices and junk food like cup cakes and stuff. Pasta and potatoes always feels like storage food to me. I'd say get good fiber and high protein, moderate fats (but good ones) and medium to low carbs. If you eat bread, get the whole wheat w/3-4 grams of fiber. Try not to eat a whole lot of carbs for your last meal and get protein in with each meal.

Also, I know a girl that complains about her body when plenty of others would be more than satisfied with her. But because I understand her sculpting needs I can see what she is doing wrong. Like you she is a cardio fanatic. It might do you good to work out with weights more often. Muscle is what will burn that fat off. You don't have to worry about becoming manly because you, as a female, don't have the same hormones as a man does. Any female you see with buldging bi's and the shoulders of a linebacker is taking some kind of stimulant to get like that. How often are you working with weights?