Regarding flabby skin and lower body fat

Question

I am a female with age 23. When I was a teenager, my weight increased to about 177 lbs. My fat is mostly deposited around my lower body and my arms are flabby. But, then I started going to the gym. For 2 months nothing happened, but, after that, I went to college, where I had an active lifestyle, and, for 6 months, I never ate any junk food and used to play games. So, when I cam back home, I realized I had lost 33lbs and my weight was 143lbs.

But most of the fat loss happen around my belly and upperbody ,I lost about 3-4 inches. Not much from my arms and legs and butt. I did loose some inches from my thighs. But now my maine concerns is my arms. Its not loose skin but like fatty loose skin. Its been 2 years after weight loss . Good thing is my weight is still around 143lbs but my arms is still flabby. Can I lose the fat or is it hormonal .

For me, when I exercise, I loose fat easily from my belly within a week I lost about an inch or two. But, I've never seen any huge results for my thighs. I am 23.

When I gained fat around my arms and lower part, my lifestyle was sedentary. So, I know at that time it was hormonal. Now I have an active lifestyle and maybe my hormones are balanced. How can I lose weight from these areas now?

Answer 1

Thanks for sharing! Congrats on the 30lb loss – that’s great work.

Unfortunately, we do not get to select where we lose body fat from. Each individual is unique and stores fat typically to a genetically based location.

You’re on to something referencing hormones: testosterone and estrogen are two of the biggest drivers of fat storage. Hence why women and men have different body shapes (particularly when it comes to excess fat placement). Biologically women store it in thighs/butt, whereas men tend to store it in their mid-section.

When it comes to your specific situation, however, there are quite a few other factors to take into consideration like dietary habits, activity level/lifestyle, types of exercise and most of all… consistency.

The idea of being able to lose fat in “target areas” such as your lower body/arms unfortunately is not possible. Spot fat reduction is an ideal theory, however, it’s been debunked by many scientific studies like this one.

If you want to lose fat (no matter from what part of the body) you must continue to be in a caloric deficit (meaning calories in must be less than calories out). Your body will genetically determine where that loss comes from first, but eventually those stubborn areas will start to lose.

Your increased activity in the gym and more active lifestyle is contributing to your current weight loss but paying attention to your dietary habits and food intake will ultimately further your success.

The TL;DR:

Spot fat reduction is not a thing. Unfortunately, we cannot “target” specific areas to lose fat from as our bodies have genetically and hormonally selected fat storage locations. Luckily, if you continue to be in a caloric deficit (3,500kcal = 1lb of fat) you CAN lose fat from these stubborn areas.

Be patient & consistent.

Ultimately, keep practicing a healthy lifestyle by being consistent in your activity and pay attention to your dietary habits. This will assist you in achieving your overall weight loss goals.