5ft 1, weigh less than 110lbs... but still look ALOT biggee

We're the same height and weight. I had the same complaints that you did (aside from the c-section) when I was doing mostly cardio.

I've lost little weight this year, but through incorporating strength, I've dropped my body fat percentage and that's what made the biggest visual difference.

PS; In response to the person that said weight training will make you bigger. I've taken my waist alone down 3 inches with strength training. Most definitely smaller. No lighter, but it doesn't matter.

You can have the same height and weight as someone else and be shaped completely differently. The body is three dimensional and people have different body fat distributions. This fact is why many garments are not made in larger sizes. You can't just grade up by adding 2 inches all around. Clothing manufacturers think it's too expensive to invest in the range of patterns they would have to make to fit larger women. That's why many larger garments are shaped like sacks, because they're cheaper to fit.

Back to the topic, I remember the first weight training books and magazines I read. The first was written or edited by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It noted that there would variations in outcome based on body type. There were men with little noticeable muscle development, although they were strong. There were women with very large lower bodies, which is fine if that's what you want. I've seen petite slender women lifters. I've also seen some very stumpy ones.

...Most people who do upper body weight find that their jackets are snug;they may need to go up a size or two. Why would the lower body be any different?

I posted an article about a New York trainer who whips models into shape for fashion shows. He won't let them use weight on the lower body because their hips will be too large to fit into the sample dresses.
Do you think he's paid thousands because he's wrong?

Yeah, no. My clothing has gotten looser not tighter since lifting heavy. Look at my pic - what a beast, right? I'm firmer not bulky. The OP may not want the ultraslim "runway model look" you've described above. I know I prefer a more athletic, toned look myself.

The wrong kind of weight training might result in your looking bigger.

Forever?

Like, if she gets a big muscle on her arm or leg or something, it's never ever going to get smaller for the rest of her life?

Think about it. She's curvy, and at under 110 pounds is close to her lowest weight. Her weight distribution is what it is. If you apply heavy direct weight resistance to areas that are disproportionately fat your adding muscle and it's just going to look bigger, which is not what she wants.

Most people who do upper body weight find that their jackets are snug;they may need to go up a size or two. Why would the lower body be any different?

I posted an article about a New York trainer who whips models into shape for fashion shows. He won't let them use weight on the lower body because their hips will be too large to fit into the sample dresses.
Do you think he's paid thousands because he's wrong?

New york models are probably not much more than skin and bones. There is absolutely no way there are eating at a calorie surplus to build muscle. I know there are a few examples of people building muscle with a calorie defecit but I believe that is only in some very overweight people, which the OP is not.

Sore muscles can retain water making them appear bulkier, but its only a temp thing.

The point was that if weight training actually made women smaller, those models would be lifting weights. They are told to avoid training because weights CAN increase size. Everyone here keeps insisting that weights can only make you smaller, and that every body type will respond in the same way.

That's because, frankly, the average NY model has nowhere to go but up, size wise.

my two pennies worth would be if the OP did build muscle (which is basically what thin people have without a large fat percentage) she would gain that and have more room to remove problem fat areas while maintaining a healthy weight, body type obviously plays a part but you can change your body type massively from it's original predisposition or you wouldn't see 5'4 blokes weighing 180lbs or a larger person weighing 250+ lbs the body is an adaptable thing and if you do the right things you can change your shape

so for the OP it sounds like she wants an intense ab and core workout, russian chops, sit ups, deadlifts, side planks. if a decent regime is undertaken it will pull your tummy in alot and bring back some of the skin with it

If her body type is such that she holds weight in her lower half she won't be able to lose that fat without liposuction. You can't spot reduce.

The wrong kind of weight training might result in your looking bigger.

Forever?

Like, if she gets a big muscle on her arm or leg or something, it's never ever going to get smaller for the rest of her life?

Think about it. She's curvy, and at under 110 pounds is close to her lowest weight. Her weight distribution is what it is. If you apply heavy direct weight resistance to areas that are disproportionately fat your adding muscle and it's just going to look bigger, which is not what she wants.

Most people who do upper body weight find that their jackets are snug;they may need to go up a size or two. Why would the lower body be any different?

I posted an article about a New York trainer who whips models into shape for fashion shows. He won't let them use weight on the lower body because their hips will be too large to fit into the sample dresses.
Do you think he's paid thousands because he's wrong?

New york models are probably not much more than skin and bones. There is absolutely no way there are eating at a calorie surplus to build muscle. I know there are a few examples of people building muscle with a calorie defecit but I believe that is only in some very overweight people, which the OP is not.

Sore muscles can retain water making them appear bulkier, but its only a temp thing.

The point was that if weight training actually made women smaller, those models would be lifting weights. They are told to avoid training because weights CAN increase size. Everyone here keeps insisting that weights can only make you smaller, and that every body type will respond in the same way.

That's because, frankly, the average NY model has nowhere to go but up, size wise.

You're missing the point, which is that lifting does not make everyone smaller, as has been claimed. The OP said she does not want to get bigger, so I'm pointing out something she might want to be aware of.

And you're missing the point that comparing the OP with someone of a different body type, saying it doesn't work for the other type so it won't work for her is logically fallacious.

If you can provide an reasonably-sized sample of short, curvy novice-lifter women who looked bigger (note: looked) after lifting heavy, I'll believe that you're being helpful to the OP.

The wrong kind of weight training might result in your looking bigger.

Forever?

Like, if she gets a big muscle on her arm or leg or something, it's never ever going to get smaller for the rest of her life?

Think about it. She's curvy, and at under 110 pounds is close to her lowest weight. Her weight distribution is what it is. If you apply heavy direct weight resistance to areas that are disproportionately fat your adding muscle and it's just going to look bigger, which is not what she wants.

Most people who do upper body weight find that their jackets are snug;they may need to go up a size or two. Why would the lower body be any different?

I posted an article about a New York trainer who whips models into shape for fashion shows. He won't let them use weight on the lower body because their hips will be too large to fit into the sample dresses.
Do you think he's paid thousands because he's wrong?

New york models are probably not much more than skin and bones. There is absolutely no way there are eating at a calorie surplus to build muscle. I know there are a few examples of people building muscle with a calorie defecit but I believe that is only in some very overweight people, which the OP is not.

Sore muscles can retain water making them appear bulkier, but its only a temp thing.

The point was that if weight training actually made women smaller, those models would be lifting weights. They are told to avoid training because weights CAN increase size. Everyone here keeps insisting that weights can only make you smaller, and that every body type will respond in the same way.

no one is saying lifting heavy will make her smaller, what they're saying is to change your fat percentage you need to build muscle then tone (i think?) not to a ridiculous point though, a single max rep of 10kg wouldn't give a massive amount of size, the superstition lifting heavy for a while will make you bulk up like the hulk needs to be buried, two months of lifting heavy will bring minor gains to anyone unless they go hysterically hardcore with it, even with suplements up to the eye balls and more protein you can shake a stick at the most for a beginner is about 1lb of lean muscle a week and they'd deserve a pat on the back for doing so and be limited to about 6 weeks worth of those gains where it would level out, and be a more gradual increase thereafter

to make sense of this -

a woman of 110lbs carrying... say 20% body fat to have visible abs would want to be around the 12 - 15% mark give or take. so that would be between 5 and 8lbs of fat to replace with muscle, if put on the right places say for example, stomach, back, chest and a bit of legs and arms you can rest assured it wont be so jiggly, will sit on your body tighter (or not protrude as much) and you'll weight the same.

idk if this will cause arguements or not but if you're not in agreement by all means say so, however, please direct your attention to the "look at me now" posts and you'll see the girls on here who have lost loads of weight you can see muscle tone all over them for the above reasons, to get those last few bits in shape and to get that great body, they've gone to tough lengths to get that flat stomach and toned bum etc etc it doesn't come just from losing weight, toning and building muscle is the key, and fear of bulding muscle/weight needs to be overcome

Why get malnourished when you can just lift weights eat more and get slimmer and stop looking heavier then you weigh?

Be wary of the advice to lift heavy. You are at or close to your goal weight and it sounds as if you think your body is very curvy. The wrong kind of weight training might result in your looking bigger. If you are taking advice from others, make sure you have the same body type, the same goals and are at the same stage of weight loss.

I think I generally disagree with this. All of this.

Me too.