Lost weight, look worse than ever :(

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AmanthaHolden
AmanthaHolden Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys,
So, in the past four months I've gone from a ginormous 190 pounds to a fairly "normal" 134 (I'm 5'5 btw). I did it all through pretty extreme calorie restriction and without exercising (I know, bad idea). Now I fit into smaller clothes and people have commented on how I look much thinner, but , while my upper body has slimmed down (minus back of the arm fat), my lower body (esp. the hips) seem the same as before. I feel like this can't actually be right because I have gone done from a size 12/14 to a size 6/8 in my pants, but my whole lower half is still quite huge, especially when compared to my upper body.
My goal weight is around 115 so I still have ways to go but do you think that my lower half will start to get slimmer as I continue to lose weight? I know fat storage is partially based on genetics and gender and so on but has anyone had any experience with this?
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Replies

  • BunnybeeJG
    BunnybeeJG Posts: 344 Member
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    Hey guys,
    So, in the past four months I've gone from a ginormous 190 pounds to a fairly "normal" 134 (I'm 5'5 btw). I did it all through pretty extreme calorie restriction and without exercising (I know, bad idea). Now I fit into smaller clothes and people have commented on how I look much thinner, but , while my upper body has slimmed down (minus back of the arm fat), my lower body (esp. the hips) seem the same as before. I feel like this can't actually be right because I have gone done from a size 12/14 to a size 6/8 in my pants, but my whole lower half is still quite huge, especially when compared to my upper body.
    My goal weight is around 115 so I still have ways to go but do you think that my lower half will start to get slimmer as I continue to lose weight? I know fat storage is partially based on genetics and gender and so on but has anyone had any experience with this?

    First off 190.. is not ginormous ... unless you're like 4 foot
    secondly, it seems your lower body is just taking more time to adjust if your pant size has dropped... perhaps maybe youre finally discovering your body shape??
  • michikade
    michikade Posts: 313 Member
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    I personally feel at this point it's important to start thinking about weight training for body recomposition. A lower body fat percentage will help with inches in areas more than a few more pounds gone will.
  • squishycatmew
    squishycatmew Posts: 151 Member
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    You might simply be very pear shaped - wide hips and carry more fat around your hips/butt/thighs. That doesn't mean you look bad! It just means you have a booty :)

    I would definitely suggest looking into an exercise regimen - building muscle will help your lower body tighten up (as well as your upper body), but you may likely end up with a very well-defined lower half that is still proportionally larger than your bottom half, if that's how you're built. (I have huge thighs myself - they're balanced a bit by broad shoulder, and if I work at it I have a nice butt. I have learned to embrace my crushing thighs, even if it makes it harder to buy pants.)
  • chopperjockey1
    chopperjockey1 Posts: 9
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    I get the whole "bottom half is bigger than the top half" thing. For me it's genetic. But I have ALWAYS been that way. I had to buy size 12 pants and alter the waist to avoid the gap. Now I buy size 4 (and STILL altered the waist- LOL). I am a 2 on top. BTW, I am 5'1". I don't know how old you are, but 115 seems AWFULLY thin. The bottom line is are you HEALTHY. My suggestion: Tone it up. Either get with a personal trainer, find a REAL workout buddy or get some exercise equipment. Don't stress about the numbers. It WILL come off (trust me- I thought my trainer was going to kill me for a while because I was stressing). What you have is a fabulous shape that you (and most men) will LOVE. It's called "Curves," Honey, and a size 6 on the bottom is a GOOD thing!!!
  • fabnine
    fabnine Posts: 379 Member
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    So I was 197 and now weigh 134 but am only 5'4".

    First: Great job on your weight loss. It took me 3 years to get here.

    Second: You weren't ginormous. You probably look fantastic now.
    Sometimes we have difficulty seeing the new slimmer version of ourselves.

    Third: Unfortunately we can't spot reduce. We do the best we can with the body we have.
    I'm broad shouldered with slim hips so I think I'd love a bit more junk in the trunk.
    Weight training for body recomp really will help. You probably won't be able to change from a pear to an apple, nor should you want to.

    You gotta Rock what you got!
  • shaynepoole
    shaynepoole Posts: 493 Member
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    I'm also 5'5" and went from 340 (now that is ginormous :) - not 190) to 150 - my bottom half shrunk rapidly compared to my top half - it does eventually settle out though - I had a period where I had to wear 36DDD bras before my body caught up to the weight lost (now a much more modest 34D but both sizes were at the same 150lb weight)

    Everything doesn't shrink overnight or proportionately - in my case, there was definitely some catchup period while my body had to settle in

    That being said - I do strength training twice a week and walk daily for 2 miles or more

    I checked the 115 and that puts you at the line between normal and underweight on the BMI chart - is that why you selected that goal?

    just curious since I am perfectly happy sitting on the other side between normal and overweight but I would have been happy anywhere under at 200 (even at 190.. LOL)
  • AmanthaHolden
    AmanthaHolden Posts: 7
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    Thank you for all of the replies! I'm going to start to workout with a personal trainer three times a week so hopefully that will make some difference. Also, I'm sorry if I made it seem like 190 was some cataclysmic weight, I just looked (and felt) uncomfortable when I weighed that much.

    @ shaynepoole: I'm not really sure why I chose 115, I just like multiples of five :) BTW, congrats on your weight loss, you look great!
  • fabnine
    fabnine Posts: 379 Member
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    I'm also 5'5" and went from 340 (now that is ginormous :) - not 190) to 150 - my bottom half shrunk rapidly compared to my top half - it does eventually settle out though - I had a period where I had to wear 36DDD bras before my body caught up to the weight lost (now a much more modest 34D but both sizes were at the same 150lb weight)

    Everything doesn't shrink overnight or proportionately - in my case, there was definitely some catchup period while my body had to settle in

    That being said - I do strength training twice a week and walk daily for 2 miles or more

    I checked the 115 and that puts you at the line between normal and underweight on the BMI chart - is that why you selected that goal?

    just curious since I am perfectly happy sitting on the other side between normal and overweight but I would have been happy anywhere under at 200 (even at 190.. LOL)

    Wow shaynepoole you're a weight loss superhero! Mighty Nice!

    @AmanthaHolden- no worries about the 190 thing - I was there I felt awkward & out of shape too.:wink:
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    I would suggest that 115 is too low of a goal to aim for and may well simply set you up for eventual failure as it could be quite hard to sustain that low of a weight. I think you should be putting your focus on weight training/strength training now and eating close to maintenance as that, more than anything else, is what will reshape your body to a form more pleasing to you. Lose another load of weight and you will simply end up losing more lean mass, and have nothing to work with.
  • 20Grit
    20Grit Posts: 752 Member
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    I am 5'5, 144lbs, (around a size 6 I think) I cannot imagine nor do I want to be 115, I think that would be way too low. I would suggest lifting, I have lost weight, a lot of weight, though diet alone, but I like to eat, a lot. Lifting has helped so much more than cutting calories.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I personally feel at this point it's important to start thinking about weight training for body recomposition. A lower body fat percentage will help with inches in areas more than a few more pounds gone will.
    This exactly.

    When I lost weight (and not nearly as much as you have!), I was disappointed because I was pretty much just a smaller version of my same, out of shape, squishy, former self. Sure I wore smaller sized jeans, but I didn't have the firm fit body I was hoping for!

    Exercise with some form of weight/resistance/strength training made the difference. If I had my way (money and space for a home gym with a nice set of barbells!) I'd be lifting the big stuff, but even with only dumbbells (a 30 lb set is my heaviest at the moment) I've managed to see more the desired changes in my body.

    It becomes less about the number on the scale, and more about the body fat percentage and the inches lost, and how you look in the mirror. I highly recommend looking into a weight lifting program - New Rules of Lifting for Women or Stronglifts 5x5 are highly recommended sources around here.

    Good luck!
  • MaidensAndMonsters
    MaidensAndMonsters Posts: 89
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    190 is not huge at all for one. For 2, it's great that you've lost lots of weight, but your body likely consumed any muscle you had to fuel you while you were at an extreme deficit and not training your muscles. You now have to weight train. So many women associate their "dream bodies" with a low scale # but that's not all there is to it.....I know many fit muscular women who weigh more and look better than someone who weighs 115.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Sounds like you have a pear shape, in which case you are going to have proportionally large hips. Nothing you can do about that. Personally, I think it's a very pretty shape to have.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I would suggest that 115 is too low of a goal to aim for and may well simply set you up for eventual failure as it could be quite hard to sustain that low of a weight. I think you should be putting your focus on weight training/strength training now and eating close to maintenance as that, more than anything else, is what will reshape your body to a form more pleasing to you. Lose another load of weight and you will simply end up losing more lean mass, and have nothing to work with.
    Without knowing the OP's frame it's silly to comment on whether 115 is a good weight for her. Everyone has different goals and different abilities to sustain those goals.

    Marilyn Monroe was 5'5" and 118 pounds.
  • ExtremePhobia
    ExtremePhobia Posts: 40
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    Not just fat storage, but muscle. While you don't think of walking as exercise, you've had to get up and walk around at 190 lbs for a while. You've built up the lower body muscle to do that. In four months, you've still walked, so while you haven't gained any muscle, it's slowed the loss of muscle in your lower body (which is now lifting less). In other words, it's more that you're lack of upper body strength is now showing.

    Slow your loss, work your upper body. Burn the last 15-20 lbs by breaking it down and turning it into upper body muscle mass. You'll still lose sizes around the hips as you lose what fat you've got and you'll bring your upper body in line with your lower body.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,013 Member
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    That's great that you're going to be working with a personal trainer. I suspect that as you do, you'll begin to feel much better about your body and you may decide to change your ultimate goals. 115 may be too low for your body. Good luck with the rest of your journey :smile:
  • megacoco
    megacoco Posts: 32
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    Like the others have said, 115 is a bit low for your height. I went through a period of being very thin - same height and body shape as you, as well. I got down to 110 at my lowest... I ran 5 days a week and hardly ate. I still had proportionately large thighs and a booty, even at 115. Of course, I had very little muscle. It may work for you and you may enjoy it, but I have learned to like eating and being strong haha. Best you can do is embrace it and start adding exercise into your routine. Building some muscle, particularly on your upper body, may help you alter your shape a bit and even you out.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    You might simply be very pear shaped - wide hips and carry more fat around your hips/butt/thighs. That doesn't mean you look bad! It just means you have a booty :)

    How can someone who is 5'5" and weighs 134 and wears a size 6/8 pants be pear shaped? 134 is on the lower end of normal weight for someone who is 5'5".

    OP, you may want to meet with a nutritionist or a counselor to get a grip on your body image. You are NOT huge on the bottom if you are wearing a 6/8 pant at your height and weight. It takes time for your mind to actually catch up to your weight loss a lot of the time, especially if you lost the weight quickly. I am not against your doing some strength training, but first you need to get a grip on the body image issue.
  • thaatgurl
    thaatgurl Posts: 26 Member
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    I agree with the body training comments verses continuing to lose weight. You should start working on toning and enhancing your body shape instead of only focusing on dropping poundage. See how you like that first, and if it doesn't make you feel like you want, go back to losing.

    I am 5'5" and I can't imagine myself now at 134, so 115 sounds insane to me. I was about 135 when I was 20 yo and I looked good then but now, at 30 yo and after three babies, I don't think my naturally acquired hourglass shape would look too good if I weighed any less than 150-145. I don't know your situation, but having babies changes the body and I know mine would look creepy if I tried to go that thin.

    Good luck to you, deary, in whatever you choose to do. :)
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    Like the others have said, 115 is a bit low for your height. I went through a period of being very thin - same height and body shape as you, as well. I got down to 110 at my lowest... I ran 5 days a week and hardly ate. I still had proportionately large thighs and a booty, even at 115. Of course, I had very little muscle. It may work for you and you may enjoy it, but I have learned to like eating and being strong haha. Best you can do is embrace it and start adding exercise into your routine. Building some muscle, particularly on your upper body, may help you alter your shape a bit and even you out.

    Yep. I did the same thing. I went down to bordering underweight for my height, did no strength training, just cycling and a deficit, and my top half virtually disappeared and I lost a lot of lean mass. Of course, everyone is different, but I think it is the exception, rather than the rule, that the very bottom of the BMI index is the place to aim for, if one is going by weight rather than bodyfat, unless they have an exceptionally small build and were naturally that low in weight anyway.

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