any tips for whittling down a pear shaped body?

[solstice]

I have flabby thighs, enormous hips, and a gut that looks like a spare tire. I don't have a lot of padding elsewhere which makes me the exact opposite of what a woman should look like. I am afraid I am taking off weight in my upper body significantly more than my lower body with this Atkins plan.

I know you can't spot reduce certain areas. Should I just try to melt off as much fat as possible and try to define more muscle mass in my upper body? Any exercises I should try? Is there a certain limit of cardio I can do before I start burning off muscle instead of fat?

TIA for any advice.

[kbfunTH]

Keep working on the bodyfat and get some full body workouts in during the week. Fat doesn't always come off evenly.

Since you're on Atkins, you're likely getting enough protein in your diet to support your current muscle mass and whatever training you're doing or about to start doing.

Keep your calorie intake somewhere near your RMR and you'll be fine. You'll be able to lose the fat without sacrificing much muscle, if any.

[lilli]

I have flabby thighs, enormous hips, and a gut that looks like a spare tire. I don't have a lot of padding elsewhere which makes me the exact opposite of what a woman should look like.
Actually, that's EXACTLY where most women carry extra weight, and EXACTLY how female bodies are supposed to look. Sorry if i sound harsh, but, you only weigh 100 pounds. The fat you want to lose may not even exist in reality. If you want to be healthy, you should re- think your images of proper body ideals and, then, workout with the goal of becoming strong and healthy. At 100 pounds, i would doubt you have much mucle mass. This is a serious problem for women as we age, much more serious than a few extra pounds in areas that they're naturally supposed to be (like our hips. we hold more fat there for many reasons, childbearing being 1 of them...) Building muscle helps our bodies in more ways than any other exercise. When you commit to a weight bearing exercise routine, you will be strengthening your entire body, including your bones, and you will become healthier and possibly live longer. So, to answer your question, to help a "pear shaped" body become healthier and stronger (and look better in the process,) weightlifting is the best option.

[lilli]

I know you can't spot reduce certain areas. Should I just try to melt off as much fat as possible and try to define more muscle mass in my upper body? Any exercises I should try? Is there a certain limit of cardio I can do before I start burning off muscle instead of fat?


You should do whole body exercises. That should be the foundation of any routine. I recommend core strengthening exercises- squats and deadlifts. Lunges are great for your lower body, and are easy for a beginner. for your upper body, do presses for your shoulders and back. If you try to build your shoulders a bit, your waist and hips will look smaller in comparison.
Too much cardio will definitely burn off muscle. 20-30 minutes 3-4 days a week is all you need. If you get really serious about the weightlifting, cardio will be a mere supplementation to keep your heart healthy- the fat can, and does, come off by lifting alone.

[AudreyB]

whoa...and u are under 100 pounds??>
how short are u?

anyways, i am a pear shape too- this is what works for toning up:
cross training/elliptical
running on an incline
TONS of cycling and spinning classes- GREAT for your bottom half

[Meg_S]

I'm sure you know that you can't choose where the fat leaves your body first.. looking at female bodybuilders a lot of them will become emaciated in their upper bodies because their lower ones are to their satisfaction. Not that you have to do this.. have you read the "How fat moves about" thread? It's in the best of section.

If your muscles are tight on your lower body and abs you just need to wait until you've lost enough fat for them to slim down, if they're not tight - start working them :) What will also help is building up your upper body. Don't think in terms of isolating your biceps and whatnot, do larger exercises which incorparate a lot of muscles. You want broader wider shoulders, a thicker upper back and chest - despite the masculine sounding adjectives this muscle looks very sexy on women and will help you to have a more balanced figure overall.

[kbfunTH]

What will also help is building up your upper body. Don't think in terms of isolating your biceps and whatnot, do larger exercises which incorparate a lot of muscles. You want broader wider shoulders, a thicker upper back and chest - despite the masculine sounding adjectives this muscle looks very sexy on women and will help you to have a more balanced figure overall.

YEP!!! :D

[gymgal33]

she is only 4'11" so i dont think losing 10 pounds is unrealistic at all. do walking lunges galore, w/o any weights and build your upper body, specially shoulders. It will make you look more proportionate.

[solstice]

I *am* really short with a small frame so uneven proportions are even more obvious. I had a friend complain about the the 10lbs she gained this summer all going to her cleavage. I wish the 10lbs in my hips could all go to my bust. Some women have all the luck.

[Meg_S]

(cough) as nice as it sounds to have weight go to your chest.. I'm 4 mos pregnant. Within the first 2 mos I think I was half again my weight, but in breast tissue... at this point I would do anything short of surgery to never have to worry about a large bust again. Talk about physical discomfort!! Boobs are not all they're cracked up to be, no matter how good cleavage looks. I'd settle for a pair of responsive nipples to keep me happy.

(grin) don't talk to my husband, he likesa handful.

[Bigdaddy99]

My advice would be target training those areas. I'm going to assume that you are doing some training right now. You'll need to work out your lower body twice a week (hopefully you belong to a gym). I suggest on one day you do Quadriceps and Calves and on the other day you do Hamstrings and Glutes. Keep your reps between 16 to 8. Start light and gradually increase the weight. If you can't do 8, your too heavy. Here's a sample workout schedule.

Quads/Calves
3 sets Leg Extensions (go light to warm up your quads)
4 sets Squats (this is the single best exercise for your entire body; keep good form, use a smith machine while learning the movement)
3 sets Leg Press
2 sets Hip Abductor (go light, very high reps 20+)
2 sets Hip Adductor (go light, very high reps 20+)
3 sets seated calf raises

Hamstrings/Glutes
3 sets Leg Curls (go light to warm up your hammys)
5 sets Straight Leg Deadlifts (go very light while learning this exercise; it not only builds your hammys and glutes, but your lower back as well)
4 set Glute Machine (looks like a standing one legged press)
2 sets Hip Abductor (go light, very high reps 20+)
2 sets Hip Adductor (go light, very high reps 20+)