Hey, pear-shaped women...

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  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    How about celebrity pear-spiration?

    rihanna-2.jpg
  • Blondie1913
    Blondie1913 Posts: 30
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    I'm glad I am not alone lol I'm going to have to try Pilates asap... checking schedule at my gym NOW ;)
  • kristelpoole
    kristelpoole Posts: 440 Member
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    Have you tried doing toning programs for your lower body and lifting weights for your upper body? I find that my proportions looks better if I build some muscle in my arms and shoulders. Good luck.
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
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    The other thing about lifting HEAVY is that it will broaden your back, which will help to create the ILLUSION that your pear is smaller on the bottom, because your shoulders are a bit wider on the top.

    It really is a WIN-WIN for pear-shaped women. You change your shape. You build your muscles. You watch your (good) nutrition intake. And, then you'll be back here posting on "Success Stories" about how a PEAR turned into an HOURGLASS...

    Well said.
  • foster59803
    foster59803 Posts: 439 Member
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    Hello my pear shaped ladies! Same here... I lose 5 lbs and you can see my collar bones! I just ordered the New Rules for lifting for women, really excited to start! All I can say is thank God for Victoria Secret, boot cut jeans, and empire waists! Good luck to you all!
  • chocol8doll
    chocol8doll Posts: 14 Member
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    You need to even out by focusing on building your upper body. Only do light exercises for your lower half because those sqats may cause to much muscle on your lower half which makes it appear bigger. Look up exercises for pear shaped women.
  • lunarescape
    lunarescape Posts: 51 Member
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    ughughugh God I know what you meant. I'm the same way. I think my butt has gotten a little smaller but overall my thighs are still jiggly and not as toned as my upper body.
  • krnlcsf
    krnlcsf Posts: 310
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    Beeps2011 - thanks for the advice and explanations! I will look into heavy lifting. At this point I have to stick with things I can do at home and quickly, so maybe i'll have to pick up some heavier weights. But you've definitely given me hope that I can change! :flowerforyou:

    This has been very helpful everyone! Thanks! :bigsmile:
  • Elle408
    Elle408 Posts: 500 Member
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    Just a question to those "pears" out there... has anyone experienced this: After losing weight (i'm down about 20 lbs since joining MFP) I've noticed that my upper body is starting to look a little boney (muscular, but boney) while my lower body (i.e. hips and thighs... the trouble zones) doesn't seem to see much change. I've lost about 4-5 inches off my waist, plus 2-3 off my chest, but only maybe 2 inches from my hips. And I know 2 inches is nothing to complain about! But I'm wondering, if I continue to lose more weight is my upper body just going to look more and more skeleton-like? Or will I soon start to see more change in my hips/thighs? To be honest, I would really like to NOT lose anymore up-top... I don't enjoy looking in the mirror and seeing my ribs poking out. :noway:

    So... is anyone else noticing this?

    I could have written this post! my top half gets ridiculously skinny, bones sticking out etc. And my bottom half looks disproportionately large. An earlier user pointed out that there's this balance where you're almost comically disproportionate, and then after a further loss, you even out a little. This did happen to me. When I was about 140 I was a size 6-8UK on top and a 12-14 on the bottom. But after losing that further 10lbs or so I was still a 6-8 on top (because there really wasn't any more to lose off my top half I guess) but I'd gone down to a 10 on the bottom, but it was a nice curvy ten and I was really pleased with my shape!

    I guess the moral of this story, keep at it! It will eventually even out, and to make things a little more even i spent time working my muscles in my upper body, to make my arms and shoulders bigger, whilst just toning my bottom half. I had nearly achieved an hourglass by exercise and diet alone!
  • grapenutSF
    grapenutSF Posts: 648 Member
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    Beeps2011 - thanks for the advice and explanations! I will look into heavy lifting. At this point I have to stick with things I can do at home and quickly, so maybe i'll have to pick up some heavier weights. But you've definitely given me hope that I can change! :flowerforyou:

    If you aren't yet ready for NRoL, Nike Training Club is also pretty awesome, and helped me get more muscular in my upper body (eg with weights and pushups). It's an ipod app, and dumbbells (12.5lbs, eg) are sufficient. But def move to heavy as Beeps described. Some women on here do it from home, so it can be done!

    If you want inspiration, check out Staci:
    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • alphabettie
    alphabettie Posts: 43 Member
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    When would all of you recommend starting heavy lifting?
  • DenverKos
    DenverKos Posts: 182
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    Thanks for posting this, ladies! I'm another pear - I've lost 13 pounds and it's all been in my upper body - my collar bones, sternum and ribs are totally protruding, and you can't really find my hip bones - lol!

    At this stage in the weight loss, I feel so disproportionate - I literally look like a bad photoshop print of two different bodies! I know that eventually it will even out some, but this baby will always have back!
  • DenverKos
    DenverKos Posts: 182
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    When would all of you recommend starting heavy lifting?

    NOW! Seriously, lifting is ALWAYS a good thing for you. Start doing it now - if you're doing it consistently, 2 to 3 times a week, of heavy lifting, every week, you'll notice a slow down on the scale eventually, but this is a GOOD thing! The increased muscle mass will also increase your metabolism; don't try to fight the scale by cutting calories more because the muscles need them. When this happens, start using a tape measure.
  • meechi53
    meechi53 Posts: 195 Member
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    At my largest and smallest I've always been a size larger or 2 on bottom than on top, and learned to accept it. If the tummy is flatter, then the pear-ish hips look all that more attractive and that's where it's at ladies! Look at the Kardashians, J-Lo, Beyonce, Kate Winslet,

    Trying to get back to the size 10/12 (depending on the cut) bottom and Size 8/M top. Right now I'm at a 12/14 on top and 14/16 on bottom, just started on this website, working out again, etc and have lost 2 lbs in 1 week so..I know I'm headed on the right track.
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 11,928 Member
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    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    I can't tell for sure, but if you look at her before/after picture (at the very bottom of the article), it sure LOOKS like she turned from a "pear" into a much more symmetrical shape.

    Staci's been posted about 5,000 times on mfp, already, but I'm off to lift heavy, just now, so thought I'd re-read for motivation...
  • dennydifferent
    dennydifferent Posts: 135 Member
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    My boobs are disappearing, my collarbone showing, but my calves are still super wide and unable to fit in normal size boots. I guess this makes me a triangle. I just seem to get fatter as I go down. I'm surprised my feet aren't obese. :(
  • gnrshelton
    gnrshelton Posts: 358 Member
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    I am also pear shaped. Keep exercising and eating right and it will come together. First to gain last to lose theory I guess. I would gear my workout for the lower body. When I lost weight before I walked/ran on my treadmill. It firms up the lower part of your body while you loose. Keep it up it will come around.
  • rouleaux
    rouleaux Posts: 31
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    So glad to hear that I'm not the only one in the same boat! I am "skeletor" in my top half, and godzilla with love handlesin my bottom (size 4 top, size 8-10 bottom) - I've recently just switched to incorporate heavier all-body weight lifting after reading numerous threads (and decreasing my cardio), so I hope that will help... however I still want to lose another 10lbs - not sure how the muscle building is going to go while maintaining a caloric deficit.
  • MartiJJohnston
    MartiJJohnston Posts: 517
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    BUMP!! So glad I'm not alone... I feel a little better now!
  • realpure
    realpure Posts: 156
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    Great read! Learned a lot. Thank you for posting. Bump

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