3

I recently lost a lot of weight (from 107kg to 90kg) using a combination of a lot of bike riding and some nutrition changes, but I don't see any difference in my body size - my gut seems the same size and so are the circumference of arms and legs.

  1. Is this normal and healthy?
  2. Do I have to train the specific area I want to lose weight in?

1 Answer 1

4

You can't really spot reduce. In other words, you don't have any control of where you'll lose fat. Chances are you have lost some fat all over, even if you haven't noticed visible changes.

In fact, it's not a bad idea to make weekly measurements for this exact reason. You can actually measure your bodyfat pretty easily with a simple set of bodyfat calipers (instructions come with the calipers) along with a bathroom scale. Not only is it encouraging to know you're making progress, but you can even adjust your diet and exercise regimen accordingly if you determine that you're losing muscle, for example.

If you're interested in changing your body composition, building muscle, and losing fat then I'd look into high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as demonstrated here. Some exercises done with HIIT may be more anaerobic than others and you can pick and choose your routine based on your goals. But whatever you do, be smart and track your progress with bodyfat measurements. It literally takes 2 minutes and you only have to do it once a week.

2
  • I actually have calipers, but I was not using them. The only statistic I kept track of was weight. I'm gonna dig them up and start tracking it too. Thanks! I'll look into HIIT too.
    – Mikle
    Commented Dec 14, 2011 at 0:26
  • Plenty of good examples of people who have gained weight and appear "thinner". Keep up the good work! Commented Dec 14, 2011 at 10:29

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.