Hello, I am 26 (until next week). I started a work out plan on Feb 1, 2006. I have lost 5 lbs and a couple of inches. The problem is I am already thin, I just wanted to tone up and get rid of my buddha belly. I am 5'4 and right now I weigh 108. Before I get any stuff about anorexia, I have always been thin and my entire family is very thin (most are thinner than me). I have a problem with saddlebags and excess fat in my butt and stomach that most of my family does not have. In highschool I had a six pack, after my first kid I had a very sexy flat stomach, after my second kid I have a very pronounced buddha belly. I don't know what difference it makes but they were both cescerean. I still weigh more than I did in highschool but I am concerned about losing to much weight, and still have not got rid of all my belly (although I look like I lost a good bit off my legs this month) My waist is 25 inches so I know I am not fat I am quite thin but most of the belly is still there. How do I get it flat again with out getting to much thinner? I eat fairly healthy but I do not eat alot. I struggle to eat 1300 cal. a day and I usually do not make it. Once again before the anorexic stuff starts this has been a life long eating pattern. I have never ate alot. I eat 5 meals a day, spaced out by about 3 hours so my energy does'nt drop. I eat veggies and fruit. I eat some meat but not alot and I do not eat alot of junk food. I work out my bottom half about 3 days a week for 30 min and I work out my abs for 15 min 4 days a week. I also do 30 min. of cardio 3-4 days a week. So what am I doing wrong? Why will the belly not go away? Does my waist have to look like nothing to get rid of it? I still want to look like a woman when I am done, not like a scrawny boy.

Hi Wynona,

So what am I doing wrong? Why will the belly not go away?

You don't sound anorexic at all. I weighed 107 lbs for most of my life and I'm 5' 6'! My waist was 24" back then. As for what you're doing wrong? Nothing. You've gotten rid of all the excess belly fat . What you have left is excess skin from the stomach stretching out during pregnancy. It's that little pooch women hate so much and most men couldn't care less about. The only way to get rid of it is to have it surgically removed.

As for the saddlebags and excess fat in the butt, that's most likely genetic, even if the rest of your family doesn't have it. You've already worked off the excess fat and you can't affort to lose any more weight, so it sounds like it's your natural build.

My sister always had it, even when we were teens. I had the bubble butt and no thighs, and she had the wide butt and wide thighs even though we were both skinny.

You can change the look of your thighs and butt by weight bearing exercises. It won't change your basic genetic build, but your thighs will become more muscular in appearance and your butt will be lifted and toned as well.

What you need to do is strength training, upper and lower body with real weight. Not a zillion reps with a small pink dumbell. ;) Use a weight that you can only get 10-12 reps in for 3 sets per exercise. Add some lean muscle to keep from getting too "skinny" while maintaining a healthy weight. As a result, the new lean muscle will give your body more tone as well as bump metabolism some so that you will be able to healthfully burn the fat on your "problem areas". You can even build some curves in the rear with squats and lunges as well as giving a better taper to the waist working the upper body and shoulders. Trust me, this strategy works very, very well. I have seen amazing transformations just adding real weight training to a program. A full body workout (which will take 45 to 60 minutes) twice a week in addition to 3 or 4 days of cardio would be an excellent start.

You both said what I had really been thinking. I thought it might be loose skin, but I was not sure if that could really happen with a thinner person. You sound like you know your stuff. I usually get told that I need to just get over my self, or I am anorexic. Sometimes thin people could use improvement too. I have a body measurement chart and I had noticed that most of the weight I lost was lean muscle instead of fat. I agree with adding lean muscle but am not real sure how. I use a 5 lbs weight for my arms, 10 reps and 2 sets. I use 2 1/2 lbs ankle weights for my legs, same reps and sets. When I use 10 lbs. weights my arms look VERY muscular so I try not to do to do that. I have a bubble butt with wide thighs, I do all the lift excercises but try not to add too much bulk there either. I already can't fit my butt in what my waist fits in. If you got the time give me a couple more details about those workouts. Mine is getting boring and it sounds like ya'll have some good pointers.

I already can't fit my butt in what my waist fits in.Oh my gosh! Are you saying you want your butt to be the same size as your waist? I hope that's not what you meant. :eek:
I think there's a couple of weight lifters on this board who can tell you what kind of weight training you need to be doing. Naxis, are you one of them?

I think she means that pants that her butt fits comfortably in are too loose in the waist.

And yes I am. :)
It sounds like you are just working arms and legs a little. You're missing the big muscles like the chest and the back. Start with 10 pounds if that's all you're comfortable using, but I urge you to try to use a heavier weight. Skip the arm exercises like curls and tricep extentions. Do presses and flyes for the chest, rows for the back, and lunges and squats for the legs. These are what are called compound exercises, meaning that they work more than one muscle so the arms will still get some work, but you won't be *targeting* them. Doing one exercise from each muscle group (3 sets per exercise, 10-12 reps per set) will put more lean muscle on you. Maybe once a week include ab work as well. Remember that in order to get real lean muscle benefit, you need to use a weight that you are only *able* to do 10-12 reps. If you're able to breeze through it, it's not doing any good.

Ha Ha :jester: , no that is not what I meant, my butt is just so much bigger than my waist I would'nt mind making a little more even. My waist is size 0 and my butt is a size 5. It literally looks like you could set a drink on it and not have to worry about it going anywhere. While my husband loves my butt it sure does make wearing pants with out a belt a problem. I do something called Prone Iso Abs (off the web) and try to do a few shoulder excercises but no I don't do alot of back work. I have trouble standing up straight for long because it hurts the middle of my back bone. What might fix that? I also do pec curls but I am still doing what I started with 6 weeks ago and it really is not much of a challenge. I want to get more out of it but I am worried that more weight with make me look too muscular. my arms already look pretty defined. I could use a little toning up on my love handle area, mostly in the back. Sounds like maybe I could use some back excercises. I have 2 5lb weights, 1 10lb weight, 1 15lb weight, and some resistance bands. Do I need anything else?

...my butt is just so much bigger than my waist I would'nt mind making a little more even.A normal hip/butt on a woman should be bigger than the waist. Without the butt and hips, we'd look like a boy.

It doesn't sound like your butt size is the problem. If you're wearing low-rise jeans, that's the problem. They're more geared towards young teens who still have a more boyish build, thicker waist, no hips. I have the same problem and I hate to wear belts. But if you really do have a problem with saddlebags and it's actual fat and not your genetic build, then you should be able to tone them with the lower body workouts. I love what lunges and squats do for my thigh muscles.

Back exercises will improve your posture. A weak back will make it hard to stand or sit up straight.
I also am not familiar with pec curls... is that flys? Have you done presses? Are you using enough weight? I'd use at least two 15 lb. weights for flys and presses, as well as rows. As for toning up, there are no exercises that will target love handles. That is a myth. The only way to lose the problem areas is through fat loss which has to occur all over. If adding some lean muscle to the torso doesn't help, it is possible that your genetic blueprint is simply working against you. I don't really know what else to suggest. Short of lipo, the stubborn spots just have to be burned off.

I got the term pec curls out of a magazine, it is working the muscle under the breast by lifting hand weights above your chest from the side, while lying on your back. I think I got it now, I hope so anyway. Since I started this routine I have knocked out most of the saddlebag problem now I just need to maintain it.