Different body types and carrying your weight well?

janiep81

rguzame wrote: »

So I am wondering if there are other people out there like me that have trouble losing weight and carry their weight "well". People are always shocked when I tell my weight. I am 5'7, 28 years old and 218 lbs but I wear a size 12 pants. Is anyone else out there close to this and have you had success with weight loss? Years ago I ran for 4 months for an hour a day and tracked everything but ended up gaining weight! So I started doing yoga and lost a lot of weight not even watching what I was eating. I ended up being 160lbs and a size 6. Now years and 2 children later I find myself struggling again. I want to walk/run and lift weights but I can't lose weight like this! And yoga is getting harder to do it hurts my joints. Anyone with similar problems?

I'm not far off from that. I am a little under 5'8" and wore mostly 14s at 215... could probably squeeze into some 12s still... (needed 16s sometimes but didn't buy them lol). I'm currently comfortably in a 10 (couple of 8s... same story) at 177-ish.

How is your body proportioned? I am an inverted triangle (but not an apple). I have wider shoulders, a slightly defined waist, broad chest but small boobs, hips smaller than shoulders but still fleshy thighs and upper arms. I tend to build muscle relatively easily and even overweight and unhealthy had a better body fat percentage measurement than other women my weight.

I also have a long torso and shortish legs, which seems relevant because logic tells me a torso weighs more than legs... so that would account for "carrying weight well," maybe?

I run, walk, lift weights, and do yoga. Sometimes I do exercise videos or HIIT at home but I like to keep it simple. Running is the thing I really enjoy.

...and I couldn't agree more about diet. This is the first time it's really clicked with me that it's all about diet, but it really has. Now I have the freedom to choose what kind of exercise (and whether or not to exercise) because I am consistently eating around 1600 calories. I eat more if I work out, but I don't HAVE TO work out to eat more, if that makes sense.

Good luck!

CoffeeNCardio

I'm 5'2" and I've always (except for my come to jesus moment in a fitting room which led me here) been able to "hide" my overweightness behind clothes. I've sort of become an expert in what to wear and how to wear it to appear to be a lot smaller/more shapely than I really am. (the key is mom jeans combined with slightly loose tops, I swear) My highest weight outside of pregnancy was 176, where I started, and people were SHOCKED to hear that as well as shocked to hear I needed to lose 61 lbs to get into my good BMI.

That number, 176 doesn't seem like much when you're comparing it to your 218, but imagine you were SEVEN inches shorter. It's huge for someone my height so hiding it was a must. I've lost a little over 18 lbs in about 2.5 months doing just walking mostly. No weights, not running, just walking on my treadmill and calorie counting. It's been much easier than I imagined it would be.

I also haven't really "watched what I eat". I eat mostly the same stuff I did before in smaller quantities. I've cut out a few things that are really really calorie dense because I don't want my whole day's allowance spent in one place for 10 minutes of delicious, but I still enjoy my heavily creamed and sugared coffee, I still eat noodles and things, I've never been a dessert person, or candy and sweets, but I still eat tuna melts, mayonnaise, cheese and all. I switched up to lower calorie bread because I don't particularly like bread anyway, it's just a delivery system for the tuna salad and cheese:) And I scarf down avocados (pretty calorically dense) like a paper shredder takes paper, and I'm losing happily. For me at least, CICO is perfectly adequate. I think it would work for most people if they logged accurately and consistently. I hadn't any earthly idea how much I was eating before. We have more money now..... that doesn't happen to us...

Need2Exerc1se

I am pretty muscular so I tend to weigh more than most people would guess. Even my doctor was surprised at my weight. I weigh quite a bit more now than when I was younger and wearing the same clothes.

As to carrying the weight well, I think that's just opinion. My husband likes it because he likes curvy women and I have a pear-to-hourglass shape. Other people may prefer a look with thinner legs and hips.

But I've never had a problem losing weight when I wanted. As long as I eat less than I burn I lose weight.

Kettle_Belle14

I have the OPPOSITE problem. I was 190 in high school and wore a size 18/20 (at 5'5", so maybe height has something to do with it??). Even now at 129lbs and 5'5" I still wear a 6, sometimes an 8. I'll just never be one of those size 2/4 girls unless I was TOO thin.

Shanel0916

I wish I could afford a breast reduction are you happy with yours?

Best decision I ever made. It was considered medically necessary do to the lower back pain that I had everyday as well. Defiantly worth looking into though it may not be for everyone.

rguzame

shadowfax_c11 wrote: »

rguzame wrote: »

To be honest I think the weight is in my bra lol. I wear a 36 J US bra size in uk 36GG. I have Chronic back pain and it makes exercising a lot harder! When I was 160lbs I was down to a 36 DD.

You need a better bra. I am a G and used to have a lot of lower back pain. We are talking about over 20 pounds of boobs. Of course we have back issues and need good support. Started wearing Enell sports bras a few years ago and that stopped. I won't wear any other bra now.

I also tend to not look as heavy as I am. I am very strong and have a lot of muscle which I think accounts for a lot of that. I would carefully consider whether you should worry so much about being a certain weight. If at size 12 you looked good and felt good why would it matter that much what the number on the scale is?

I will try those bras thanks! And the number isn't important to me anymore because at 150 lbs I look sickly where most people feel heavy. I need too lose weight though because I am tired a lot and my knees hurt from the extra weight.

rguzame

dredremeg wrote: »

I am 5'7" and was 210 lbs., I carried my weight well too. I am currently 160-162 lbs, US size 8. I have been maintaining for seven months now. I got my head and diet in check first and I started lifting heavy 4 days a week and lots of cardio. I still lift 4 days a week but only do cardio once or twice a week. I weighed (by grams) and logged everything I ate, I didn't need a cheat day or a cheat meal. I stayed within my calorie goal. I hit a plateau when I got closer to goal weight for about 4 weeks and then I had a woosh of 5.5 lbs. You can do it, I am rooting for you.

Thank you!

rguzame

nvmomketo wrote: »

I have a fairly large frame (broade shoulders and large rib cage) so I carried my extra weight well, but not as well as you. I was up to 185-190 lbs at 5'8" and wearing size 14. I looked overweight (I was ) but most people would under guess my weight by 20 lbs.

I'm now 155lbs and a size 10, and people are still surprised that I weigh so much.

It's a nice problem to have.

Lol I guess it is:)

rguzame

Jocampgrl wrote: »

i agree with everyone on food but you could also try Pilates which is similar to yoga but, in my opinion, easier on the jounts. its lower impact than running and lifting so i tend not to eat as much and it uses your body weight so you still get resistance training.

I will try it I have a few DVDs but never even tried it -thanks for the suggestion!

rguzame

brower47 wrote: »

I was almost 200 lbs, obese and didn't look great but in the overweight 160s people told me I looked great. It's not easy to lose weight but luckily there are a plethora of weight loss strategies out there and if you try 10 methods that don't work, there will be hundreds more for you to cycle through until you find the one that works for you. I've lost mine mainly though accurate logging and walking but that might not work for you.

Good luck!

Thank you!!

debrakgoogins

Yes, I am tall and no one ever believes how much I weigh. My weight isn't as important to me as my overall fitness is. I weigh myself to keep track of my weight fluctuations but I use measurements to monitor my success or failure. After all, no one knows what you weigh unless you tell them. In my profile picture, I weigh 195 pounds. I also reset my starting weight when I reach a certain fitness goal so it isn't a reflection of the actual amount of weight I have lost over time. My suggestion is that you take some accurate measurements - you can track them in the same place you track your weight - and begin watching that. Eat right, log accurately and take your measurements...see what happens.

blkandwhite77

I'm 5'7-5'8 and currently 214 wearing a size 14. When I was 285 I wore a size 20. Sadly my boobs are not the reason as I started at a 44DD and am now down to a 38d.

SuzLink

I totally understand what you're saying! I am 5'7 & I was 210lbs (a UK 14/16 depending on the style) but people never believe me when I say that, so they must think I carried it well as well. I think its because my body was in proportion, albeit a large proportion. There was no one area which carried more weight than another, it was all fairly evenly spread out. In saying that, I carry it so much better now I am 59lbs less, but these same people sometimes suggest that I am now too slim (UK 12 mostly), although my BMI is still 23.6, so the higher end of 'normal'. But I think I look better, & I'm stronger & fitter than ever before which is the most important thing I can understand the struggle with joints as I have a dis-placed knee-cap which moves when exercising, especially with squats & lunges, & gets painful during long periods of walking/running (it feels like something is snapping within the knee-cap, but apparently it is okay....) but after physio, I have been shown how to strap it back where it should be & apparently over time the muscles should hold it where it should be...... So maybe you have an old injury you weren't previously aware of.....?

ColinsMommaOC

I am 5'7 and at 270lbs I am in a size 18 pants, but my top is a tight L or loose XL. When I was around 200 I was a size 12. Body composition plays a big part in how clothes fit. Also, the sizes in the US are ridiculously varied anyway. I would not use clothing size as a gauge.

I agree with the posters that have said it is all about diet.

mercy7889

Hi. I am 5'0" currently 107lbs. I have a broad back, broad shoulders, relatively toned arms, small breasts (B), some tummy flab, tight butt & thin legs. My hardest part to lose weight is my abdominal region-it's the last place to go while I am trying to lose weight. I currently fast walk on my tread mill. I also put the treadmill on different settings & inclines. I run fast on the straight always. I use the elliptical. I stretch a lot. I am a proud cardio enthusiast. I used to lift hardcore weights in the past, but I stopped because despite contrary belief "women don't bulk," I sure did. Everything felt tight. I build lots of muscle, but I didn't feel elegant or graceful. With this body type I truly believe slim is the way to go. If we are going to lift weights, do light reps & focus more on your bottom half. I'm going for a sleek trim look considering I am a shrimp. I'm finally learning to love, respect & accept my body. The Power of the V❤️

janiep81 wrote: »

rguzame wrote: »

So I am wondering if there are other people out there like me that have trouble losing weight and carry their weight "well". People are always shocked when I tell my weight. I am 5'7, 28 years old and 218 lbs but I wear a size 12 pants. Is anyone else out there close to this and have you had success with weight loss? Years ago I ran for 4 months for an hour a day and tracked everything but ended up gaining weight! So I started doing yoga and lost a lot of weight not even watching what I was eating. I ended up being 160lbs and a size 6. Now years and 2 children later I find myself struggling again. I want to walk/run and lift weights but I can't lose weight like this! And yoga is getting harder to do it hurts my joints. Anyone with similar problems?

I'm not far off from that. I am a little under 5'8" and wore mostly 14s at 215... could probably squeeze into some 12s still... (needed 16s sometimes but didn't buy them lol). I'm currently comfortably in a 10 (couple of 8s... same story) at 177-ish.

How is your body proportioned? I am an inverted triangle (but not an apple). I have wider shoulders, a slightly defined waist, broad chest but small boobs, hips smaller than shoulders but still fleshy thighs and upper arms. I tend to build muscle relatively easily and even overweight and unhealthy had a better body fat percentage measurement than other women my weight.

I also have a long torso and shortish legs, which seems relevant because logic tells me a torso weighs more than legs... so that would account for "carrying weight well," maybe?

I run, walk, lift weights, and do yoga. Sometimes I do exercise videos or HIIT at home but I like to keep it simple. Running is the thing I really enjoy.

...and I couldn't agree more about diet. This is the first time it's really clicked with me that it's all about diet, but it really has. Now I have the freedom to choose what kind of exercise (and whether or not to exercise) because I am consistently eating around 1600 calories. I eat more if I work out, but I don't HAVE TO work out to eat more, if that makes sense.

Good luck!

MissMonicaC4

I am the same way. I am able to wear a 12/14.. We are approx the same stats but im a shorty lol. I carry it all in my chest also. Blessing and a curse!!! I want to get in shape to define more of the hourglass figure I hope haha