Forums >Cross Training>help please
Maggie & Molly
I'm going to put this in several places because I'm hoping to come with something. I am losing weight and getting lean BUT my arms are huge. In order for dresses to fit I need a large but a large is too big on the rest of my body. I am not sure what to do. I am open to all feedback. I get that this is a running site but I'm hoping to get some suggestions. Thanks.
"It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop."Wisdom of Confucius
HF 4363
Is that something that can be tailored? I'm an off -the-rack type person myself but depending on the cut of the dress, I wonder if you could buy the large for the arms and have it taken in.
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
2/3rds training
run more, kickbox and weight lift less.
My not-entirely-running-related 'Gram
Are your arms huge because you've been weightlifting a lot and have a lot of muscle, or are they huge because they aren't in as good shape as the rest of you? If it's the latter, you might try incorporating some weightlifting into your cross-training, that might help tone them up and reduce the size somewhat. Otherwise, getting clothes altered could be a good option, or consider doing something like sleeveless dresses and wear a jacket/sweater over it during cooler weather. That way the dress can fit the rest of your body, and you just get the jacket or sweater in the slightly larger size. Also consider different brands or styles--some types of dresses do have tighter sleeves, but I have bought a number of things over the last year that have "batwing" style sleeves that are quite loose around the arms. And different brands fit differently, so it's always worth looking at several different ones that have similar styles of dresses to see if a different brand might fit you better.
Cherrie when I was a swimmer on high school I was one to two sizes bigger on top. I wore a lot of separates
Houston Marathon 1-13-13
Rock n Roll St. Pete Half 2-10-13
Gasparilla 15K 2-23-13
Armadillo 10K 3-9-13
Ogden Marathon 5-18-13
Steamtown?
Baystate?
The Goal: Boston Marathon 4-20-15
thanks all. I have cut my weightlifting back to a 1/2 hour routine to see if that changes anything. The running will be increasing as I'm training for a 1/2 now so maybe that will help too. I had not thought about having dresses tailored. hmmmm. also separates. thanks!
It didn't occur to me that you might be looking for weight loss advice... I think the conventional wisdom is that you can't spot reduce. The best you can do is lose weight overall and hope the amount you want off your arms comes off. And, laying off weights probably won't help. Most women really have to try hard (eat a ton of protein, work arms several times a week) to put enough muscle on their arms to make them look larger. And, if you're dieting, it probably won't happen at all - unless your arms are truly a trouble spots, the fat loss should gradually shrink your arms while the muscle gain should gradually make them look more toned.
Hill Slug
It could be that your body holds on to fat in your arms. For me, it's my inner thighs and lower abs. These are the last places that look lean on me. It helps me to take measurements to actually track my progress when trying lean lower my body fat.
I would keep doing the lifting and kickboxing.
All time PR: 1:20 HM. 2:49 M
2013 goal: Master's PR HM Recover from illness/finish the year strong
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
measuring might help me to see any progress in this area at all. Right now I'm feeling like they are monstrous (although common sense tells me they are not)
Julia ~ I am losing weight however am down to the last 10 pounds or so. I have lost over 60 lbs so far. (over a long time period) The arms just don't want to give. ugh.
I like the suggestion of getting items tailored. You've worked hard to get a tiny you - so - if you fall in love with a dress and you buy the size that is most comfortable for your arms - pay the money and get it tailored to fit the rest of you. You'll then have custom pieces that fit you like a glove. I think it's important to feel great in your clothes, so if it costs a few extra dollars do it! Otherwise separates are always an option too.
Old , Ugly and slow
Is that your arm petting the dog.
That arm does not look big.
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2019 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes
measuring might help me to see any progress in this area at all. Right now I'm feeling like they are monstrous (although common sense tells me they are not) Julia ~ I am losing weight however am down to the last 10 pounds or so. I have lost over 60 lbs so far. (over a long time period) The arms just don't want to give. ugh.
Congratulations! It may be that you lose that last 10 put it'll take a few months/years for your arms to give up the weight.
And, +1 to separates. It took a lot of episodes of What Not to Wear for me to realize that there are just some things that will never look good on me. But, other things that will. I bet if you did something like a tank top (to account for your arms) and a skirt in the same color, layered with a fancy cardigan or pashmina in the same or complimentary color, it would look just as good as a dress and you'd be less self-conscious.
Another What Not to Wear tip: buy clothes to fit the biggest part of you and have the rest tailored. You can easily do that with a dress!
A Saucy Wench
Cherrie - I cant wear dresses and the more weight I lose the more it is impossible. Separates. At my thinnest I was wearing size 4 skirts and size 10-12 tops. Its just how I am built. Broad shoulders, big boobs, no hips.
If it is only the arms you can do layering with sleeveless dress and they have some very nice looking drape ..hmmm not sure what they are called, like a cardigan but not knit and not librarianish.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
Is that your arm petting the dog. That arm does not look big.
yes that is my arm. it is the bi/tri area to my shoulders that seems big to me.