hi everyone, thanks for all the suggestions and tips...
vickybee, i'm so glad i'm not alone in this...
honestly, i like having a swimmers body cept that it is very difficult to find dresses that fit... so i usually end up wearing sporty outfits.
hopefully everything will look ok as my wedding dress is tube top with spaghetti strap style so it will definitely show my shoulders and arms. those with sleeves definitely don't fit that well...
mine is part muscle and part flab which was accummulated after i stopped swimming for quite some time. i've increased my cardio in order to burn more fat... and done some but limited strength training, cos i don't wanna add more bulk...
VICKYBEE 4/23/07 1:56 P
I am kind of in the same boat as you! I am a former competitive swimmer and my upper body is HUGE in relation to the rest of my body. Not a lot of fat, but tons of muscle. I always have a hard time finding stuff that fits well (sleeves and shoulders always too small!) My wedding dress currently fits just a *bit* tight in the chest/back region.
As the last post said, you can't really target FAT loss in particular areas. If you do have some fat to lose in your upper body - then lots cardio is the way to go (swimming would be a good option!). But if its your muscle thats mainly contributing to your upper body thickness, then thats a different story. To address this, I'm currently limiting upper-body weight lifting. I'm only doing light reps (20-30 lbs) on the rowing machine and using free 5lb weights 2x a week. You don't want to increase the muscle you already have up there too much, but you still want to remain toned to help burn fat. I'm also doing lots of cardio on the elliptical.
Even though my upper body is big and I have a hard time finding stuff that fits - I think its one of my best features and I can't wait to get more buff and show it off in my strapless dress =) Be proud of your swimmer muscles!
Seriously, pushups will do wonders. Try doing a few sets of 10 throughout the day. They're easier to knock out at that low a rep, and you have energy for more later.
Also, Pilates is fantastic for toning. Check out the Shape Magazine Pilates video. It's really easy to follow.
Good luck!!
SKI-BUNNY-0112 4/23/07 11:15 A
That's a tough situation!!!! Unfortunately there is no way to loose weight in specific areas. You could work on toning those areas though which might help. I'm sure, regardless, you are going to look so beautiful walking down the aisle in your gown!
SWEETKITTEN88 4/22/07 10:52 A
hi, i know it sounds like a funny question, but seriously, when i went for my wedding gown fittings, that's what my dress designer told me to do. she said most of my weight is above the waist, ie shoulders, arms, upper back, and chest area... ie: i'm 'V' shaped cos i used to swim every day when i was a kid... and even though i can lose weight easily if i work out and watch my diet, but it is usually from my hips... so the dress will look imbalanced when i wear it... does anybody have the same problem, and what did you do about it?
does anybody have the same problem, and what did you do about it? 
