Defined Waist

roxyyrainy123

So, I'm currently near my goal weight and the changes are great but I'm getting slightly obsessive now about having a defined waist. The major issue is my hip bone and lower rib cage are very close together which leads me to believe no matter how small I get I'll never have a defined waist. I'm at 23% body fat and am aiming to get to 19-20%... But, when I get there I don't want to be bummed out. Has anyone else lost weight and still don't have a defined waist?? Or is it under fat still and need to get to like 15%??? Any help or ideas are greatly appreciated

gmallan

Unfortunately a lot of this is determined by genetics. I have a short, wide torso too. I'm probably about your target bf% and have some waist definition. I am what some people refer to as an athletic hourglass i.e. my hips and chest are bigger than my waist but not with enough difference to be considered a true hourglass. At the end of the day there isn't much that you can do about it - there has to be a certain amount of room there to hold your organs, muscle and essential body fat and if your torso is small, there is less opportunity for it to shrink. One thing that can help to create the illusion of a more defined waist is building your glutes and upper body so there is a bigger difference in your measurements. Plus, booty

roxyyrainy123

@gmallan I feared this is just my body lol but was hoping at some sweet spot of body fat percentage all bodies have a defined waist You're so right I need a booty to offset it. I hike 7 miles a day and in order to get a booty I guess I need to dabble in the world of weights and not just resistance exercises... It's so weird I thought I'd be over the moon once I lost weight but I'm constantly finding more stuff "wrong". Frustrating lol.

drgmac

Have you tried keeping your carbs under 100 grams a day?

gmallan

Unfortunately weight loss does not equal happiness, it doesn't even mean you're going to be happy with your body. I think the mass media, social media and photoshop have a lot to answer for making our expectations a bit unrealistic. You have to get to a point where you acknowledge and accept that this is your body, this is what you have to work with and that there are certain things about your appearance that you can change and work towards and certain things you can't. Focusing on the things you can change will help. I think an even better approach is to primarily focus on fitness goal rather than body goals. In both respects strength training has helped me to love and accept my body more.

If you want a fantastic program for glute building, I can highly recommend Strong Curves by Bret Contreras. It made a massive difference for me.

roxyyrainy123

@gmallan you're absolutely right... I've been binge scrolling "fitspiration" on Tumblr lately. It's super unrealistic and these sites make it seem like hard work will give you ANY body you wish. Thanks I needed a reality check!!! And okay new project lol self acceptance AND a booty!! I'll check out the Strong Curves program!!

girl_inflames

You can always go with a waist trainer! (a real one) My measurements are currently 35-27-35. I'd rather keep my waist at a 27 and have larger outer measurements, but I don't think it works that way lol. So -- I'll probably work on waist training. I really want a more hourglass figure and I've always admired Burlesque ladies like Dita Von Teese. It's a serious commitment if you do it though, it takes a long time


Also...I think if you get to 15% BF (that's REALLY low for a woman) you might have even less curvature...I don't know if you want to go that route

socalrunner59

gmallan wrote: »

Unfortunately weight loss does not equal happiness, it doesn't even mean you're going to be happy with your body. I think the mass media, social media and photoshop have a lot to answer for making our expectations a bit unrealistic. You have to get to a point where you acknowledge and accept that this is your body, this is what you have to work with and that there are certain things about your appearance that you can change and work towards and certain things you can't. Focusing on the things you can change will help. I think an even better approach is to primarily focus on fitness goal rather than body goals. In both respects strength training has helped me to love and accept my body more.

If you want a fantastic program for glute building, I can highly recommend Strong Curves by Bret Contreras. It made a massive difference for me.

Well said. Having yo-yo'ed four times in my adult life, only now am I accepting and loving the body I have. As I drop back down to my running weight of 110, I remind myself with each lost pound that 110 is in fact my happy weight.

The quest for perfect body is a rabbit hole. Fitness is so much more important. I belong to a very small gym with a diverse membership. Regularly I see elderly people in the gym working with with physical therapist, most who can't walk without assistance. They are a reminder of how fortunate I am for my good health and the importance of fitness for a better quality of life. Jane Fonda once said fitness is the key ingredient to aging well.

gmallan

@socalrunner59 I've had enough sporting injuries that have stopped me doing things I love to know that every workout is a blessing and there are plenty of people who want to workout and be fit and healthy who don't have that. Sometimes I need to remind myself of that when I'm in the middle of a hard workout

arditarose

I had a defined waist when I was fat. Genetics can be a limiting factor, but luckily with bodybuilding you can help shape your body a bit. Growing your shoulders and legs can help create a more hourglass figure.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

girl_inflames wrote: »

You can always go with a waist trainer! (a real one) My measurements are currently 35-27-35. I'd rather keep my waist at a 27 and have larger outer measurements, but I don't think it works that way lol. So -- I'll probably work on waist training. I really want a more hourglass figure and I've always admired Burlesque ladies like Dita Von Teese. It's a serious commitment if you do it though, it takes a long time


Also...I think if you get to 15% BF (that's REALLY low for a woman) you might have even less curvature...I don't know if you want to go that route

how is a waist trainer going to give her something she may or may not have due to her genetic makeup or how her body is made?

Escape_Artist

gmallan wrote: »

One thing that can help to create the illusion of a more defined waist is building your glutes and upper body so there is a bigger difference in your measurements. Plus, booty

This! 100%.

I highly suggest getting Strong Curves and reading up on the stuff Bret Contreras wrote. After losing weight adding upper body mass really helped get the hourglass shape and, well, the booty increase is quite nice ^_-

VintageFeline

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

girl_inflames wrote: »

You can always go with a waist trainer! (a real one) My measurements are currently 35-27-35. I'd rather keep my waist at a 27 and have larger outer measurements, but I don't think it works that way lol. So -- I'll probably work on waist training. I really want a more hourglass figure and I've always admired Burlesque ladies like Dita Von Teese. It's a serious commitment if you do it though, it takes a long time


Also...I think if you get to 15% BF (that's REALLY low for a woman) you might have even less curvature...I don't know if you want to go that route

how is a waist trainer going to give her something she may or may not have due to her genetic makeup or how her body is made?

She means a proper steel boned waist training corset. I know quite a lot about it and have been known to wear corsets myself but I honestly wouldn't recommend waist training to anyone who doesn't have a passion for it, it's kind of a fetish thing and not something to be done to change your body shape for vanity reasons. As soon as you stop doing it your body returns to normal and actually seeing any appreciable difference takes years and comes with its own risks and complications (such as muscle atrophy). And even then, if you are short waisted, your results are going to be limited by that anyway because genetics still plays a large part.

That out of the way, as ardita says, you can do a lot with recomposition but there's a lot to be said for accepting the shape you have. I'm very lucky to be naturally hourglass, I had a defined waist even at 220lbs. But it's not all sunshine and roses over here, virtually nothing is made for my proportions so unless I make it myself or alter nothing ever fits right, even nice stretchy sportswear comes with its issues!

nettiklive

I have the same problem! Like you, I always thought that if I lost enough weight (I never had that much to lose, 10-15 vanity lbs), I would suddenly magically look like a VS model. In reality, once I got down to about 18.5 bmi, I realized that I too have a short torso with very high hipbones (I'm a pear shape so they're damn wide too) and wide lower ribs, and almost zilch space between them. Funnily enough when I was slightly chubbier I actually thought I had a small waist because it stayed about the same but everything else was bigger so the contrast was more noticeable. I've now started lifting heavy with the hope of resculpting my body some and getting rid of the skinny fat look I had going, but I'm not holding out for much. Doesn't help that my ribs stick out like crazy, and I'm pretty flat-chested so they almost stick out more than my boobs...I can never tuck tops in or wear most belts because they make me look super wide and boxy..


I don't have a forum-acceptable full-length photo, but if you look at my waist here, you can see the ribs and the hipbones sticking out on the side and how close they are. It nips in and right back out, I don't have that elongated curve where the ribs go in right under the bust. I always felt my torso just looks weird and 'off' somehow. Even my belly button looks higher to me than most people's...

lithezebra

nettiklive wrote: »

I have the same problem! Like you, I always thought that if I lost enough weight (I never had that much to lose, 10-15 vanity lbs), I would suddenly magically look like a VS model. In reality, once I got down to about 18.5 bmi, I realized that I too have a short torso with very high hipbones (I'm a pear shape so they're damn wide too) and wide lower ribs, and almost zilch space between them. Funnily enough when I was slightly chubbier I actually thought I had a small waist because it stayed about the same but everything else was bigger so the contrast was more noticeable. I've now started lifting heavy with the hope of resculpting my body some and getting rid of the skinny fat look I had going, but I'm not holding out for much. Doesn't help that my ribs stick out like crazy, and I'm pretty flat-chested so they almost stick out more than my boobs...I can never tuck tops in or wear most belts because they make me look super wide and boxy..


I don't have a forum-acceptable full-length photo, but if you look at my waist here, you can see the ribs and the hipbones sticking out on the side and how close they are. It nips in and right back out, I don't have that elongated curve where the ribs go in right under the bust. I always felt my torso just looks weird and 'off' somehow. Even my belly button looks higher to me than most people's...

Shut up. You're gorgeous.

(If this is an example of how a fit short waisted person looks, the OP has nothing to worry about.)

robininfl

I am not built to have a waist. My ribs end very close to my hipbones, and ribcage isn't the tapering-in sort like nettiklive, above, has (who, by the way, looks awesome and not at all boxy). I was borderline anorexic as a teen (5'8" and 95lb) and did not have a waist; was up to 150 after baby #4, still no waist, though I did have hips when that big. I would probably have to take out ribs and wear a corset to look like I had a waist.

This is actually a very common body type, according to wikipedia "straight" is the most common female body type, despite the hype around hourglassy build.

Be the best YOU, do not try to be someone else. You are built sleek. Not curvy. You can get more butt by lifting weights, you can have awesome legs and arms, you cannot change your skeleton.


I also want to note that on very slender frames, a small waist can be terrifying. If you are already very lean, you might not actually look better with a smaller waist - it might be too small for your height.

rml_16

roxyyrainy123 wrote: »

So, I'm currently near my goal weight and the changes are great but I'm getting slightly obsessive now about having a defined waist. The major issue is my hip bone and lower rib cage are very close together which leads me to believe no matter how small I get I'll never have a defined waist. I'm at 23% body fat and am aiming to get to 19-20%... But, when I get there I don't want to be bummed out. Has anyone else lost weight and still don't have a defined waist?? Or is it under fat still and need to get to like 15%??? Any help or ideas are greatly appreciated

Not every woman has that body shape. Sorry. Genetics and all that.

roxyyrainy123

nettiklive wrote: »

I have the same problem! Like you, I always thought that if I lost enough weight (I never had that much to lose, 10-15 vanity lbs), I would suddenly magically look like a VS model. In reality, once I got down to about 18.5 bmi, I realized that I too have a short torso with very high hipbones (I'm a pear shape so they're damn wide too) and wide lower ribs, and almost zilch space between them. Funnily enough when I was slightly chubbier I actually thought I had a small waist because it stayed about the same but everything else was bigger so the contrast was more noticeable. I've now started lifting heavy with the hope of resculpting my body some and getting rid of the skinny fat look I had going, but I'm not holding out for much. Doesn't help that my ribs stick out like crazy, and I'm pretty flat-chested so they almost stick out more than my boobs...I can never tuck tops in or wear most belts because they make me look super wide and boxy..


I don't have a forum-acceptable full-length photo, but if you look at my waist here, you can see the ribs and the hipbones sticking out on the side and how close they are. It nips in and right back out, I don't have that elongated curve where the ribs go in right under the bust. I always felt my torso just looks weird and 'off' somehow. Even my belly button looks higher to me than most people's...

THIS IS INSANELY HELPFUL!!! This is my waist except pear shaped would be a blessing!! I'm a rectangle lol. I'm going to focus on building my glutes and calves and stop obsessing over a tiny waist I will never have. You look amazing, and have really put my thoughts in perceptive as far as what I can change and what can't be changed. My ribs stick out more than my boobs too

meshashesha2012

sorry to say but if you have a short waist then possibility of having a defined waist will be very low. Think of it logically, there's only so much space for your organs to go lol. I have about 2" between the bottom of my rib cage and the start of my pelvis. Even when I was underweight and a size 4 there wasn't a visible waist.

On the other hand, we have fabulously long legs so there's that :-D

evilokc

Im male so a lot of this wouldnt apply exactly but im replying because i too and becoming a little obcessive about my waist. Like you i have trimmed down enough that my waist has completely changed shape. I have never had abs and i have decided i must have them! I too will suffer the fate of genetics as far as the shape of my underlying muscles go. However while you cant defeat genetics you can push them to their limits. If its a defined waist you covet then continue to train and diet to that end. While you may see shadows of what your muscle structure is now you wont KNOW what you look like until you get your bodyfat down. Even if the final product isnt a photoshoped "tumbler" pic it will still be amazing. It will be an accomplishment that few achieve. Good luck with your goals. You got this.

MudRunChica

I have the exact same issue--about 1" between the bottom of my ribcage (which is pretty wide) and the top of my pelvis. I'm lucky I have a big butt and quads and that heavy weights have helped build up my shoulders to create the illusion of a waist. I've accepted my body for what it is and, although I'm not an hourglass, I have awesome abs! LOL