Loose skin/fat upper abdomen

I am 24, 5'4 and weigh 60kg. After years of only drinking fizzy pop, I have decided to cut it out completely and become more fit and healthy. My problem area on my body is my upper abdomen, just under where my bra is. It's as if my skin is loose there or I have access fat. It looks terrible, almost like another pair of boobs. My side profile shows the saggy skin weighing down on the front with a roll on the side. This has really affected my self confidence and I am nervous about going on holiday because of it. I go to the gym twice a week, walk daily and eat good healthy meals. I avoid white bread, cheese, salt and fast food. I haven't drank fizzy drinks in 6 weeks. Although this new lifestyle is making my tummy tone up, I see no improvement at all from my upper abdomen. I have looked at people's before and after weight loss photos and can't seem to find anyone who had upper abdomen fat instead of lower abdomen. I considered I had what they call "fatty liver" so I take milk thistle supplements, avoid alcohol and fatty foods. Has anybody else had this problem? Or does anybody have any advice?

Hi Nix Tim

I am glad you are taking all necessary precautions to reduce fat. Workout is fine, but reducing upper body fat requires you to do cardio exercises - I will list some info for you - check with your trainer though -

Workout Details

Between the strength training and the cardio intervals, this workout is a calorie burning powerhouse. Aside from the initial calorie burn, it’s an opportunity to build lean muscle, and with time and diligence, you can raise your resting metabolism. Many of the exercises engage a lot more than just the muscles of the upper body, though this routine focuses most intensely on the shoulders, arms, chest, and upper back. This workout is appropriate for both men and women.

Doing strength training supersets are an incredibly effective way to build lean muscle and burn fat without spending all day in the gym. This style of training comes in multiple different forms but the gist is that you drastically cut the down time between sets by pairing different muscle groups together so that one rests while the other works, and vice versa.

Workout Structure Start off with some warm up cardio to get your body ready to work. We move directly into the strength training portion, which is 5 groups of two exercises. We do ten reps of each of the two exercises, followed by 1 minute of a bodyweight cardio exercise. Repeat that sequence before moving onto the next group. A quick cool down and stretch is included.

Warm Up Cardio – 30 Seconds Each

Jog in Place

Arm Swings

Lateral Arms Swings

Ventral Shoulder rolls

Small Arm Circles – Forward

Small Arm Circles – Backwards

Big Arm Circles – Forward

Big Arm Circles - Backwards

Butt Kickers

High Kicks

Squats Front Jacks

Upper Body Strength Training Routine – 10 Reps each, twice through

Bicep Curls - 15 lbs (per hand)

Bentover Tricep Extensions - 9 lbs (per hand)

1 Minute Jumping Jacks

Chest Fly - 15 lbs (per hand)

Reverse Fly - 6 lbs (per hand)

1 Minute Burpees + High Kicks

Lateral Raises - 6 lbs (per hand)

Ventral Raises - 3 lbs (per hand)

1 Minute Lateral Jumps

Overhead Press - 12 lbs (per hand)

Dumbbell Pullover - 12 lbs (total)

1 Minute Butt Kickers

Cool Down and Stretch – 20 Seconds Each

Jog in place Shoulder Rolls, alternating Big Arm Circles, alternating Cross Swings

Side Swings

Arm Cross

Pull Wall Chest Stretch

Overhead Tricep Stretch Toe Touch + Shoulder Stretch

You can do this upper body toning workout 2-3 times a week, giving yourself at roughly 48 hours of rest each time - or even more than that if you're still sore from the last round.

Strength levels vary greatly by individual and you should listen to your body. With that said, choose a weight that challenges your fitness level, but never sacrifice your form. Lifting a weight that pushes your own fitness level is a good way to end up landing on the higher end of our caloric estimations (just one of the variables we consider, along with bodyweight, gender, fitness level, exertion level, muscle mass, training type, interval length, etc).