On body shapes

timtam163

I hate the whole apple/pear/boyish thing, because we are individuals damnit!!

Except I recently realized, after losing a good amount of boobage due to weight loss, that I probably have a "straight" or "rectangle" body shape. When I gain weight, it's always around my torso, and my waist hardly ever loses inches, and even now that I'm smaller I always look a little pregnant heh... I'm 5-10 lbs from my goal maintenance range but my stomach still hangs over my waistband and I just have to keep reminding myself that that's just how my body shape is. Honestly I'm jealous of people with bigger hips; my body shape only seems to look "right" when I'm thin, whereas other body shapes look "curvy" when they're thicker.

Can anyone else relate to a straight/rectangle/boyish body shape? What works for you diet/exercise-wise?

bribucks

Everyone wants what someone else has ... I am hourglass, teetering on pear, and while I appreciate some of my curves, I would give anything for slimmer thighs! That tends to be where I carry my weight.

A suggestion for you - have you tried any lifting, or do you stick to cardio? If you do exercises to build up your hips/booty, it may give the appearance of a smaller waist. I'm thinking of starting Strong Curves soon since I've heard good things about that one!

timtam163

Haha yep envy will always be a fact... I do lift, do core, etc; I have built some hips/glutes and it's helped; I also heard (and I'm not sure how much I can rely on this) weight loss for people who tend to collect weight around their middles responds to reducing sugar intake, but I don't eat that much sugar. Ultimately there's only so much I can do; it'll probably just mean weight loss, which is annoying because I'm ok with my weight (just not with looking pouchy!)

I'll check out Strong Curves! I've seen it mentioned a few times, seems like it's worth a shot!

NadNight

brianneangell08 wrote: »

Everyone wants what someone else has ... I am hourglass, teetering on pear, and while I appreciate some of my curves, I would give anything for slimmer thighs! That tends to be where I carry my weight.

I feel you! I try and love my body as much as I can (after all we can change weight but when it comes to physical bone structure there's not much we can do without some serious surgery!) but I often see girls with the rectangle body shape have amazing, long slender legs and I can't help but get a little jealous as I have little legs (I'm 5 ft 6 but have to wear skirts made for children or women under 5 ft 3 so the length doesn't drown me....) :L But then I guess they might be envious of my small waist, so no one has the only desirable shape, people just often see what they don't have.

I haven't really looked into Strong Curves but I've heard it mentioned before so now I'm curious!

jesspen91

I totally understand. I am apple shaped and I am so jealous of people with hips and booty. Yes my legs are a nice shape but I feel like my upper half comes from a totally different person to my lower half.

However people have told me that they would love to have my legs or boobs so I guess we can't have it all.

Strong Curves is definitely worth a try as I have managed to build up my lower body a little bit but I feel that with my genetics I can only go so far. I also have to make a conscious effort to use my glutes while working out as my strong thighs and hamstrings tend to take over.

timtam163

jesspen91 wrote: »

I totally understand. I am apple shaped and I am so jealous of people with hips and booty. Yes my legs are a nice shape but I feel like my upper half comes from a totally different person to my lower half.

However people have told me that they would love to have my legs or boobs so I guess we can't have it all.

Strong Curves is definitely worth a try as I have managed to build up my lower body a little bit but I feel that with my genetics I can only go so far. I also have to make a conscious effort to use my glutes while working out as my strong thighs and hamstrings tend to take over.

Oh interesting, I've noticed this too... I'll try to focus on finding more balance in my movements as well. My glutes used to get sore when I deadlift but now most of the tiredness I feel is in my hamstrings, so I might have to check my form.

Bluebell2325

A personal shopper once told me I had the body type of a brick, was not sure how to take that one.... I AM straight up and down, but a BRICK??? WTF...

glassofroses

Honestly I am still not 100% sure on what my shape is these days because I'm lean everywhere but my little tummy but I wouldn't say I'm an apple because I have a long torso and there is a 8-9 inch difference between my natural waist and hips. I wouldn't say pear either as I don't carry excess weight on my bum or thighs. Inverted triangle? But I'm too wide at the bottom. Hourglass, I'd say my chest is a little bit too small.

I literally defy labels it would seem. But! I definitely understand the tummy struggle. Its just there. Making clothes fit weird since the dawn of time. For me, it's a love of cookies and not being interested in big lifts. I have hypermobility so it just seems like asking for discolated joints, y'know.

Rule of life: always clench your butt. Or practice side kicks. You'll never sit down again.

bribucks

NadNight wrote: »

I can't help but get a little jealous as I have little legs (I'm 5 ft 6 but have to wear skirts made for children or women under 5 ft 3 so the length doesn't drown me....) :L But then I guess they might be envious of my small waist, so no one has the only desirable shape, people just often see what they don't have.

YES I am 5'3" and my inseam is only 26.5". Short stubby legs. For reference, the standard petite pant inseam is 28" and regular inseam is 30-32". I'm too petite for petite! I don't mind being short but I wish my legs were more proportionate. Ah, genetics.

DananaNanas

I'm curvy. I'd love to give my curves to my "boyish-shaped" friends but unfortunately it doesn't seem to work that way!

I've heard that about sugar and mid-section weight too! But I hardly eat any sugar o_O I eat one piece of fruit and a 100 calorie greek yogurt every day and that's about it for sugar. And sometimes tomatoes. I'd have to cut these out to reduce my sugar and I generally think of these as "healthy foods!" It's annoying.

and @Bluebell2325 that's just rude!! lol

DananaNanas

glassofroses wrote: »

Honestly I am still not 100% sure on what my shape is these days because I'm lean everywhere but my little tummy but I wouldn't say I'm an apple because I have a long torso and there is a 8-9 inch difference between my natural waist and hips. I wouldn't say pear either as I don't carry excess weight on my bum or thighs. Inverted triangle? But I'm too wide at the bottom. Hourglass, I'd say my chest is a little bit too small.

I literally defy labels it would seem. But! I definitely understand the tummy struggle. Its just there. Making clothes fit weird since the dawn of time.

Minus being lean... I think we might be shaped like each other lol.

mom23mangos

I'm another with a funky shape. Bone structure wise I'm more of a rectangle, but I've built up my upper body enough that I look more like an inverted triangle now. I have very narrow hips, but huge thighs and a scrawny upper body. I carry my body fat like a pear. I've seen some women have success changing their shape appearance by going through bulk and cut cycles to build up one area while slimming down another. That seems like a lot of work to me however. I'm just trying to come to an acceptance that "That's just the way God made me." and to be happy with my blessings. Like, I have well defined shoulders and back and can easily get abs. But I will never have shapely legs or see muscle definition. Last year I probably dipped down to ~12% BF. When I had my Dexa at 4lbs heavier I was ~15%. I STILL had fat legs. So if I want to stay in a healthy BF range, I'm going to have to come to grips with my short, stubby, powerhouse, T-Rex legs.

You apples may have to learn to appreciate your glorious gams and have to learn to live with a little muffin top.

Wouldn't it be nice if we were all hourglass shaped and stored our fat evenly?

mom23mangos

Bluebell2325 wrote: »

A personal shopper once told me I had the body type of a brick, was not sure how to take that one.... I AM straight up and down, but a BRICK??? WTF...

And @Bluebell2325, there is no way you are shaped like a brick! You have a beautiful figure.

glassofroses

DananaNanas wrote: »

glassofroses wrote: »

Honestly I am still not 100% sure on what my shape is these days because I'm lean everywhere but my little tummy but I wouldn't say I'm an apple because I have a long torso and there is a 8-9 inch difference between my natural waist and hips. I wouldn't say pear either as I don't carry excess weight on my bum or thighs. Inverted triangle? But I'm too wide at the bottom. Hourglass, I'd say my chest is a little bit too small.

I literally defy labels it would seem. But! I definitely understand the tummy struggle. Its just there. Making clothes fit weird since the dawn of time.

Minus being lean... I think we might be shaped like each other lol.

Nice, welcome to the shapeless shape club! And you'll be lean soon enough. You got this.

Also I hope that shopper lost her commission. A brick? Really? Unless she was talking about how rock hard your muscles are that word should never come up. @Bluebell2325

Kullerva

My measurements correspond to hourglass (34/29/34) but I have more of a boyish look because of my incredibly wide shoulders. I say learn to love the body you've got, and don't care so much about the silly labels.

DananaNanas

@glassofroses Thanks!