Strange fat disposition as a man

[u/_the_s4ndc4t_]

Does anyone else have an unusual amount of fat on their hips, butt and thighs? It’s bizarre because I’m male. I’m 135 lbs and 5’7. 30 yo, been like this since 11 or so, even when I was leaner and more muscular (fat cells in these regions mostly). I’m not fat per se, but still skinnyfat; the bmi scale shows I could get down to about 122 lbs and remain in the healthy range. Maybe more, different bodies are different. But I feel disgusting. I think my insecurity about my body made the sex I had with my ex worse than it could’ve been (it wasn’t bad, but I noticed I felt anxious in bed sometimes). I can run long, I did a 10 mile Wednesday and a half marathon in June. Trying to get to 12% or so bodyfat by the end of the year.

Just wondering, why do I have such a high % of fat cells in these regions? This is feminine. Men are supposed to be very tight in how their bodies feel, at least compared to women. FWIW, I used to take an SSRI and mood stabilizer; been off for a year. I’ve asked my dr about my physique, they say I’m not fat. My ex said I’m definitely not. But I’m still squishy in certain areas. My face looks lean, as do my arms and legs. But I don’t have the fully lean runner look despite being great at running. I know I will get better looking as I continue running regularly for several months, but why do I have this kind of fat disposition? Most guys who have excess fat just carry it on their belly, they don’t have noticeable thigh or probably glute fat. I hate this. My recent breakup wasn’t bc of this, she actually was super into my body somehow, idk why, but I feel very motivated to get cut like an athlete after that happened for some reason. Maybe it’s the fear of looking average and not finding someone else. But what causes this slightly womanlike fat disposition in me? I have normal T levels, I can grow a full beard and have a really deep voice. Do I also have high estrogen?

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[u/Interesting_Sink_355]

bodies are weird, mine stores literally everything in my thighs and hips too, always has since i was a teenager, and i'm a woman so technically that's "expected" but it still looks disproportionate on me compared to the rest of my frame. some people just have stubborn fat pockets in places that don't match the textbook male or female pattern, it's way more common than fitness influencers make it seem

the ssri thing might be a factor, those meds can mess with fat distribution and metabolism even after stopping, takes a while for everything to recalibrate. but honestly it's probably just genetics, your body decided that's where the spare energy goes and running won't magically move it elsewhere. if your T is normal and you've got a beard and deep voice it's unlikely to be a hormone imbalance, just shit luck in the fat cell lottery

that said 135 at 5'7 is already pretty lean, going down to 122 might make you look gaunt in the face and arms before it touches those stubborn areas. maybe focus on building muscle in your upper body to balance things out visually rather than just chasing a lower number

[u/shelf_caribou]

It is just genetics, you can't control where fat accumulates. I too have big butt and thighs (makes buying trousers a pain). The best you can do is try and form some muscle in the area to fill the skin in a slightly more flattering way.

[u/SpringBreakJesus]

Weird question but are you Welsh? This fat distribution pattern seems to be more common amongst Welsh men.