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Weight Loss Forum / General Topics / June 2004Hips, Thighs and Stairs
Perhaps you all can give me some advice here... I carry a lot of my weight around my hips and thighs. I live in one of the many cities along the Niagara Escarpment (700 km cliff that runs from Niagara Falls to Tobermory in Ontario) where there are not only plenty of trails, but also stairs that go from the mountain to downtown (A LOT of stairs). I love to run these stairs during the summer nights (and then my knee pays for it later ;)), but am thinking that this may do more harm then good when it comes to trying to slim down in the hip/thigh area. Should I just leave the stairs for now and maybe just concentrate on upping my cardio at the gym on the elliptical? I have been doing interval training on the elliptical for about 45 minutes for the past few days now (instead of 30 minutes) and almost completely cut down on doing any weight training for my legs and have mostly been concentrating on biceps and triceps instead (have some definition now!). For leg exercises I stick to squats, lunges, and the abductor/adductor machine. Will this help with slimming the hips and thighs? Will running the stairs just ruin what I have been doing and bulk my thighs up? BTW, thank-you for your responses before... I am using Fitday now and I can't believe it but it actually makes me want to watch what I eat because if I eat something bad I don't want to put it in and see my calories for the day. I find that I average about 1500-1600 cals/day and according to Fitday I am burning more than I eat. Not seeing any change on the scale though - just fluctuating between 134 - 136. However, I have lost a WHOLE 1/2 inch from my hips, lol. ~Liz > Perhaps you all can give me some advice here... I carry a lot of my > weight around my hips and thighs. I live in one of the many cities [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > may do more harm then good when it comes to trying to slim down in > the hip/thigh area. I agree with your thinking. If you are trying to spot reduce the size of your thighs through exercise, it does not work. If you are trying to burn calories thru exercise, at the cost of ruinationof your joints, it is not worth it. > Should I just leave the stairs for now and maybe just concentrate on > upping my cardio at the gym on the elliptical? I would do just that, and would also eat less. > I have been doing interval training on the elliptical for about 45 > minutes for the past few days now (instead of 30 minutes) and almost [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > hips and thighs? Will running the stairs just ruin what I have been > doing and bulk my thighs up? in conjunction with a diet, exercise helps reduce the fat... > BTW, thank-you for your responses before... I am using Fitday now and I > can't believe it but it actually makes me want to watch what I eat because > if I eat something bad I don't want to put it in and see my calories for the > day. I find that I average about 1500-1600 cals/day and according to Fitday > I am burning more than I eat. fitday is known to overestimate calories burned. > Not seeing any change on the scale though - > just fluctuating between 134 - 136. However, I have lost a WHOLE 1/2 inch > from my hips, lol. how tall are you? i <SNIP> > > Not seeing any change on the scale though - > > just fluctuating between 134 - 136. However, I have lost a WHOLE 1/2 inch > > from my hips, lol. > > how tall are you? A whopping 5 foot nothin! ~Liz ><SNIP> >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > A whopping 5 foot nothin! Oh, I see. Can do a couple of measurements to see if you are "big boned"? Some people have naturally thick arms and legs because they have wide bones. i > ><SNIP> > >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > i I understand this... but is it not possible for me to "tighten" up the flab? I think this would make a huge difference. From what I've been told, cardio can make your thighs smaller, but the shape won't change. I'm not looking for immediate gratification but I'd like to eventually be able to wear a skirt without the dreadful "thighs rubbing together" that many must painfully endure. ;) ~Liz >> ><SNIP> >> >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > I understand this... It was a question... >but is it not possible for me to "tighten" up the flab? it is! losing fat and gaining some muscle is the answer... > I think this would make a huge difference. From what I've been told, cardio > can make your thighs smaller, but the shape won't change. I'm not looking > for immediate gratification but I'd like to eventually be able to wear a > skirt without the dreadful "thighs rubbing together" that many must > painfully endure. ;) fat loss is the answer here... been there done that... i > I'm not looking > for immediate gratification but I'd like to eventually be able to wear > a skirt without the dreadful "thighs rubbing together" that many must > painfully endure. ;) YES you CAN!!! Keep losing fat. Don't hurt your knees for any reason. Try Pilates? It was maybe my happiest milestone when I realized my thighs no longer touched each other! And I think we share the distinction of being the shortest gals on asd <g>  SignatureWalking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 > > I'm not looking > > for immediate gratification but I'd like to eventually be able to wear [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > YES you CAN!!! Keep losing fat. Don't hurt your knees for any reason. > Try Pilates? I totally do Pilates! Tho, not as often as I should :(. I normally do Pilates on days that I just am too lazy to get to the gym. But, I'm at that point that if I DON'T do something physical during the day then I just feel YUCK, so the tape goes in. I'm using GAIAM tapes at the moment. Any that you care to recommend? Not into joining a Pilates class - I'd rather make a fool of myself in my own living room ;). ~Liz - Hurrah for short girls! > It was maybe my happiest milestone when I realized my thighs no longer > touched each other! And I think we share the distinction of being the > shortest gals on asd <g> "Liz" wrote: > I totally do Pilates! Tho, not as often as I should :(. I normally > do Pilates on days that I just am too lazy to get to the gym. But, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Pilates class - I'd rather make a fool of myself in my own living room > ;). I use Mari Winsor's tapes. Saw them on an infomercial with Daisy Fuentes and didn't see them doing any sit ups. Silly me! Anyway, I love them and totally credit them for reducing me one more size without losing any more weight once I started maintenance. Now I alternate the Advanced Body Sculpting with Krista's dumbbell workouts every morning. I walk after supper. (I *still* can't do situps without weights on my ankles! - I think it's 'cos I'm short ;-)) SignatureWalking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 >"Liz" wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >(I *still* can't do situps without weights on my ankles! - I think it's >'cos I'm short ;-)) I can't either. I'm not particularly short, but I have short legs and a long torso, and am somewhat larger on top than on the bottom. I don't worry much about it, though :-). Chris 262/150/ (145-150) > >(I *still* can't do situps without weights on my ankles! - I think it's > >'cos I'm short ;-)) [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Chris > 262/150/ (145-150) I don't like to do sit ups as they hurt my back.... I just do all types of crunches now..... >> >(I *still* can't do situps without weights on my ankles! - I think it's >> >'cos I'm short ;-)) [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >I don't like to do sit ups as they hurt my back.... I just do all types of >crunches now..... Most of the trainers at our gym have their clients do crunches rather than situps. They are a strain for many people. If you do want to do situps, it's a lot easier on your back to do them sitting on a Swiss ball. I think crunches can be just as effective. Chris Chris Braun wrote: > Most of the trainers at our gym have their clients do crunches rather > than situps. They are a strain for many people. If you do want to do > situps, it's a lot easier on your back to do them sitting on a Swiss > ball. I think crunches can be just as effective. I can do them fine as long as I have weight on my ankles. I don't fret over it but do you think the act of keeping your legs down without weights during situps makes them more effective? I just keep thinking there's a set of muscles I've missed <s> and I'm short ;-) SignatureWalking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 > > Most of the trainers at our gym have their clients do crunches rather > > than situps. They are a strain for many people. If you do want to do [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > and I'm short ;-) Some days I do my situps or crunches with my legs straight up in the air or my calves resting on a swiss ball. Most of the time I do my full sit ups on the incline board so then my feet are held down. >Some days I do my situps or crunches with my legs straight up in the air or >my calves resting on a swiss ball. Most of the time I do my full sit ups on >the incline board so then my feet are held down. I usually also do situps on an incline board, or sometimes with Tom or Ahmed standing on my feet. I often hold a plate or dumbbell overhead to add resistance. Ahmed likes to move his hand around to different places and have me touch it. I also like to use the incline board to do reverse situps (or whatever you call them), where you hold on with your hands at the top of the board and lift your legs and butt up off the board. (When I first started trying this and was out of shape and heavy, I could barely get my butt off the board even when I had it horizontal. The other day I tried one with the board horizontal and nearly did a back flip over the handles :-) .) Chris > I also like to use the incline board to do reverse situps (or whatever > you call them), where you hold on with your hands at the top of the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Chris I do those too, but I don't back flip :) My trainer had started me out with my legs straight up and had me just do the hip raises, but I've worked my way to full reverse crunches over time & the board about half way up the rack. Now I'm working on hanging knee raises from the chin-up bar. Jenn >Chris Braun wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >and I'm short ;-) I prefer to do my situps/crunches with my legs up. It does cause you to put more control in the abs and will actually help reach the lower abs as well. I do those too for variety. > I prefer to do my situps/crunches with my legs up. It does cause you > to put more control in the abs and will actually help reach the lower > abs as well. > > >(I *still* can't do situps without weights on my ankles! - I think it's > > >'cos I'm short ;-)) [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I don't like to do sit ups as they hurt my back.... I just do all types of > crunches now..... I'm with you on this PG. I've had lower back problems since I was a child and sit ups kill my back. Since I've started going to Bally's I've been working out on one machine that targets the lower back. Similar to a sit up but I can do it without any problems. I had double problems a couple years ago. I slid in the gravel on the bike and slipped off the seat hitting my tailbone. The tailbone bothered me for over a year. Between the tailbone and lower back I wasn't able to do any exercise that involved sitting on the floor or putting pressure on that area. Beverly "Beverly" <bowens@home.woh.rr.com> wrote in message news > I'm with you on this PG. I've had lower back problems since I was a child > and sit ups kill my back. Since I've started going to Bally's I've been > working out on one machine that targets the lower back. Similar to a sit up > but I can do it without any problems. I use the swiss ball and a crunch machine at the gym. I just started doing back extension exercises on this special piece of equiptment..... It is supposed to help lower backs too. > I had double problems a couple years ago. I slid in the gravel on the bike > and slipped off the seat hitting my tailbone. The tailbone bothered me for > over a year. Between the tailbone and lower back I wasn't able to do any > exercise that involved sitting on the floor or putting pressure on that > area. Ouch! I hurt my lower back slipping down icy stairs about 10-11 yrs ago. I got a ruptured disk in my back because of it. That combined with a lifetime weight problem! > Beverly > "Beverly" <bowens@home.woh.rr.com> wrote in message news > > > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > got a ruptured disk in my back because of it. That combined with a lifetime > weight problem! I took a bad dive off the high diving board when I was 10 and messed up my back. I gave up diving afterward. I switched to syncronized swimming - much safer<g> Beverly "Beverly" wrote: > I've had lower back problems since I was a child > and sit ups kill my back. Since I've started going to Bally's I've > been working out on one machine that targets the lower back. Similar > to a sit up but I can do it without any problems. Remember the reason i started walking was because my back was killing me. <knock on wood> It's been fine since week 2 of my new life. > I had double problems a couple years ago. I slid in the gravel on the > bike and slipped off the seat hitting my tailbone. The tailbone > bothered me for over a year. Between the tailbone and lower back I > wasn't able to do any exercise that involved sitting on the floor or > putting pressure on that area. Ouch! Try not to do that, ok? ;-) SignatureWalking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 > ><SNIP> > >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > i Here's a link to a site that tells how to judge your body frame size: http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/fitness/bodyframe.html I always assume I was small framed but according to this site, since my wrist measures 6.5", I'm large framed. Tonia > http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/fitness/bodyframe.html > > I always assume I was small framed but according to this site, since my > wrist measures 6.5", I'm large framed. That's funny, when I was fat, I assumed that I was big boned... until I took measurements. i > > ><SNIP> > > >> [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Tonia According to this site I'm medium framed. My wrist measures exactly 5.75"... so I guess I'm on the larger side of being medium framed. ~Liz i am 4 inches taller then u are 5'4 Angie > <SNIP> > > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > ~Liz Hi Liz I don't have much advice in the questions that you have asked. But I found it interesting that we are the same weight range. I was wondering what your goal weight was and how much you have lost to date. When I started losing weight I was 152. 5lbs. I am now bouncing between 132lbs and 135lbs. Also was wondering what kind of diet you were following are you just watching your calorie intake??????? Angie ps keep up the good work > Perhaps you all can give me some advice here... I carry a lot of my weight > around my hips and thighs. I live in one of the many cities along the [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > ~Liz >Perhaps you all can give me some advice here... I carry a lot of my weight >around my hips and thighs. I live in one of the many cities along the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Should I just leave the stairs for now and maybe just concentrate on upping >my cardio at the gym on the elliptical? BTDT... as someone who struggles with that very area, I'll give you what has worked for me. 1. If stairs make your knee pay later, then STOP doing it. (BTDT too, and am still recovering) 2. The only way to get rid of the excess weight in that area is to cut weight all over and build muscle. 3. Elliptical and running were the 2 that worked well for me. Lots of cardio worked well too. 4. Weight training like you are is good. Squats, etc. (although, per my physical therapist, she's nixed lunges because of the knee problems, at least until I get the pain to subside). 5. Diet. Low calorie, you've got to burn the fat from all over before you'll see results in your thighs. If you are anything like me, you first notice the weight loss in the upper abs, waist region, then chest, neck area. The last place to give a noticiable difference is the thighs. So, you just have to keep going. Eat right, exercise, repeat, forever. I've always had the same problem. I've bounced anywhere from 130 to 160 but always seemed to be carrying more around my hips and thighs. Try biking- very low impact on the knees (I also have bad knees) and for the first time I've really noticed a big difference in the way my hips are curved- in just 2 months! All those hills around your place might make for a challenging ride. ;) I started out at 154, I'm 5 foot 4 and now weight around 143 or so. I try to get out on my bike at least 3 times a week and for no less than an hour at a time. I went for 2 hours once, but that was a bit much for me. coop > Perhaps you all can give me some advice here... I carry a lot of my weight > around my hips and thighs. I live in one of the many cities along the [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > ~Liz hey coop were the same hight and I started out at 152.5 lbs and am now at 135lbs , I have recently started biking. Do you really notice that big a difference in the biking. I have gone out 2 times already this week. We have alot of bike trails where I am. Angie > I've always had the same problem. I've bounced anywhere from 130 to 160 but > always seemed to be carrying more around my hips and thighs. [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > > > > ~Liz > hey coop > were the same hight and I started out at 152.5 lbs and am now at 135lbs , I [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Angie Yeah I do, but then again all my diet routines in the past never included any regular excersize. When I go biking I go at a pretty good clip, and I have noticed that my hips have lost some of that 'bulge', but I won't know for sure until the 5th which is my monthly weight in at Curves. I don't have a scale at home and don't take any measurements- instead I just wait each month to see my progress. I have kinda big legs, that's what got me going on a bike originally. I saw a pic of myself on a vacation and was horrified to see how chubby they had gotten. I used to get complimented on my legs when I was at 130... :( BTW, congrats on the weight loss! You're around my target weight! How long did it take you to get there? very long time I actually gained weight I was at 125lbs last Sept. But then stress and personal problems came up and I kind of let go of things. My goal is to get back down to 125lbs again and then to maybe 110lbs. it wasn't easy and it's not easy now. I'm trying to get my eating back under control and I have cut myself off of diet pop today is day one without one. I'm taking this one day at a time. maybe if want since we are so close in weight range and what not we could e mail each other let me know what you think ? Angie > > hey coop > > were the same hight and I started out at 152.5 lbs and am now at 135lbs , [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > BTW, congrats on the weight loss! You're around my target weight! How long > did it take you to get there? |
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