Exercises to get rid of belly and thigh fat - ideas please!

[AmandaGeorge]

Hello everyone

Now that I'm almost back down to my ideal weight after very nearly 17 years (it'll be 17 years in March), I've just got a flabby belly and thighs to get rid of, to be happy with my body again.  I'm disabled and can't stay on my feet for long and when I am on my feet I'm very unsteady at the best of times.

What exercises can I do at home to shrink my belly and thighs please?  I'm thinking sit-ups to get rid of my belly, but what about my thighs please?  How many sit-ups should I start from please and how often should I increase the number.  With my thighs I need to be sitting down (ideally) because I can only stand up for a couple of minutes with support in front of me and at both sides so that I don't fall over and become unable to get to my feet.  If I can do the thigh exercises either at the same time as the sit-ups or in bed at night then so much the better.

The easier to do the better please!

If it helps, the thigh fat is from being forced to inject into them for health reasons as a child and the belly fat is because of being hospitalised and unable to get out of the hospital bed for 3 months.

TIA!

Amanda

[JohnnyRow · Accepted solution]

There is no such thing as spot reducing.  All you can do is reduce overall body fat; your body/genetics determine where your fat is stored.

[AmandaGeorge]

Oh right.  Okey dokes.  So should I start with the sit-ups to get rid of my belly and my thighs will reduce at the same time please?  My GP is referring me to a Physiotherapist at the hospital again to strengthen my legs but would the physio be able to advise about healthy ways to reduce my overall body fat too, or would that be seen as cosmetic rather than health please?

[Corney]

AmandaGeorge:  Sorry to inform you of this fact, but there is no exercise that will isolate fat loss in a certain area.  Fat is deposited in areas that are genetically determined.  Males deposited in their bellies, women 's fat is generally deposited below their waists.  You can do hundreds of sit ups or crunches every day and it will not get rid of belly fat and thigh exercises will not get rid of large thighs.  

[AmandaGeorge]

Thank you @Corney , but my body doesn't agree with you considering I've dropped a clothes size and 5kg since September and close to losing another already and my thighs are because of being forced to inject HGH into them as a teen, neither of which are genetic.  Can we agree to disagree maybe?  🙂

[WendyB]

Sorry but I agree with the others you can not spot reduce any area. I suspect what you are seeing is weight loss in that area. It will shift to else where. And always does. Your trying to lose weight and its working.

[AmandaGeorge]

Thank you @WendyB but what I thought @Corney was saying was that females put weight on below the waist and that it was genetic, yeah?  My body doesn't seem to work like that though 'cos I got married in 2002 in a UK size 6 (American size 4) skirt and came out of hospital (2003) wearing UK size 32 (American size 30) and I'm now (2020) a UK size 14 (American size 12).  I'm 3kg off my ideal weight for my height according to a GP I saw back in September and there's no way I can lose 2 clothes sizes by losing only 3kg.

Where am I getting confuzzled please?  

Thank you!

[WendyB]

I do not think it is that way for all Women. We are all different. I dont think you can except to see a certain clothes size for a certain weight either. We all hold are weight in different areas.  Everyone is different

[AmandaGeorge]

Thank you @WendyB - that's why I was asking for exercises for my belly and thighs... I just want to get back to my original body shape that is right for my height and why I need exercises just for those two areas that have doubled (thighs) or tripled (belly) while I was in hospital is all.  It's taken 17 years so far, so I know it's a slow process, but now that I've got my Fitbit I'm more motivated to lose those last 3kg and get back into the right clothes size for my healthy shape (UK size 10, American size 8)... the other parts of my body are fine and dandy, I just need to lose what I put on while I was bed-bound in hospital for those 3 months is all  😊

[Corney]

AmandaGeorge: What I said was that generally women put weight on below
their waist and men gain their weight in their belly. Everyone is
different. Weight is put on all over the body and weight is lost all over
the body. People can not spot reduce in specific areas. There are no
specific exercises to get rid of belly fat or fat on the thighs. Yes we
can agree to disagree. Fat on your thighs was not due to any injections as
a teen. I suggest you look at you Mother and where she carried her
weight. Genetics does play a roll in where fat is deposited in males and
females.

[YojanaFitbit]

Great topic @AmandaGeorge, we all would like to have a magic recipe to get rid of that fat. 👍

Many diet companies and exercise moguls promise quick legs and bellies transformations with their programs but it takes time. I agree with @JohnnyRow genetics determine where your fat is stored. 😅

But you can get great results if you commit yourself to do specific workouts to lose some weight and tone your muscles.

Lunges are among the most comprehensive leg workouts because they tone the quads and the hamstrings while also slimming the inner thighs and buttocks. Follow these steps for a perfect lunge:

1. Stand up straight. Place your hands on your hips for extra balance, if needed.
2. Step your right leg forward, left leg back, and bend your right leg at the knee, creating a 90-degree angle.
3. To prevent injury, make sure your right knee doesn’t extend past your ankle.
4. Press your weight down into your heels.
5. Press back up to your starting position.
6. Complete your desired number of repetitions (reps) and then switch legs.

Other at-home strengthening exercises include:

• calf raises
• leg lifts
• squats

Reducing your calorie intake is the first step to take because your body will naturally utilize excess fat as its next energy source. There is no magic diet to get rid of leg fat, but watching what you eat can help too. 🤐🍔🍩

[AmandaGeorge]

@Corney  - I must have a rare body as well as 2 rare disabilities then 😉  It was the Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist that said the injections caused my large thighs - they were fine before I started the injections but doubled their size within 6 months of starting the 5 year course that I took and I've been trying to find a way to reduce them ever since.  My mum has always been thin and the only fat on her was due to the two ceasarians she had back in the late 70's for me and my brother but other than that, there isn't an ounce of fat on her!  🙂

[AmandaGeorge]

Thank you so much @YojanaFitbit!  Just standing up is difficult enough even on my best days and putting my hands on my hips would be pretty much impossible for me to stay upright with and if I'm on the floor, it's impossible for me to get up unless my husband literally pulls me to my feet.  I'm doing the leg lifts and sit-ups on the bed to wipe me out so that I can fall asleep quicker though - 50 sit-ups and 25 leg lifts every night  😊

[WendyB]

@AmandaGeorgeI do some exercises in the bed as well. I wont be able to get up off the floor either 😁😂

Like my stomach exercises 😁

Weights can also help a lot of different areas. If you have any they dont need to be real heavy I use 10 pound. And you can find a lot of exercises on Youtube even for the Belly

[AmandaGeorge]

OK, cool, thank you so much @WendyB !  I'll go looking on Amazon when I can afford it!