Is This Even Possible?? Lose weight but get bigger??

Do you know anyone who lost weight but got bigger? As in lost 20 pounds, but hips much larger (bigger pants)? Doesn't make much sense to me.
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Replies

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Do you measure? How many inches did you gain in your hips? Clothing sizes are not a reliable indicator!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,262 Member
    Over what time frame has this happened?
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    edited December 2015
    That is why weight is a terrible health measure. Your body composition may have changed by losing muscle and gaining fat (yes, that can happen). I’ll repeat @lorrpb, did you measure your hips, waist and stomach? If not, how are your pants fitting relative to how they used to?

    I have an infographic I give my clients that discusses the various health and fitness measurements that matter. PM me and I’ll get you a copy.

    Allan Misner
    NASM Certified Personal Trainer (Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist)
    Host of the 40+ Fitness Podcast
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    last time I lost weight and my hips got wider I found out I was pregnant.
  • JanieJack
    JanieJack Posts: 3,831 Member
    last time I lost weight and my hips got wider I found out I was pregnant.

    hahaha yeah that's the problem - I had a baby 6 weeks ago.

    With my first, I didn't lose any weight until after weaning him, and with this one I've already lost 23 pounds without doing anything (diet or exercise) so I was just SURE I would have dropped in size. However, I was shocked to put on some of my maternity pants and find that they were tighter than when I was 9 months preggers!

    Belly's gone down quite a bit with a bit of ab definition showing through so my husband says I look pretty hot (which is nice to hear this soon after C-section).

    I just don't get what's going on with my legs and behind. Dr said last week no workouts except walking (so that's all I'm doing) and not to worry about it. Was just curious if anyone else had similar story.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    edited January 2016
    Asking your question without letting us know you just had your **second** baby is.....something
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    DavPul wrote: »
    Asking your question without letting us know you just had your **second** baby is.....something

    (Was that "something" not giving the essential facts necessary in OP to receive meaningful and relevant responses?)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
    You just had a baby. That should pretty much answer your question.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Yes. Simply lose muscle and gain fat. Muscle is much more dense, about 1/3 the size for the same weigh!
  • JanieJack
    JanieJack Posts: 3,831 Member
    Am I missing something here or are you all just jerks? I've lost over 20 pounds in the 6 weeks since I had my baby. I would have expected the clothes I was wearing at 9 months pregnant to be looser, not tighter. Scale doesn't lie, but clothes don't lie either. Thanks for your "help"
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    edited January 2016
    JanieJack wrote: »
    Am I missing something here or are you all just jerks? I've lost over 20 pounds in the 6 weeks since I had my baby. I would have expected the clothes I was wearing at 9 months pregnant to be looser, not tighter. Scale doesn't lie, but clothes don't lie either. Thanks for your "help"

    Just having given birth is a unique situation weight loss wise. It isn't uncommon to drop a lot of weight quickly but that doesn't mean it is necessarily fat loss/going to put you in small clothes.
    You have the baby weight (I don't know if you already accounted for that but I assume you did) plus all the other things that go along with it like extra fluid and placenta.
    I'm assuming you weighed yourself after delivery and the 20 lbs is since then but it is common to retain a lot of water before giving birth and that would hang on for a bit after delivery , so that could account for some weight. Plus, with a c-section, you were likely given a lot of fluids during the operation. That adds weight. Even just your body recovering from birth and an operation can affect water retention levels that reflects on the scale.

    As for the hips - joints are looser during pregancy and for a while afterwards. Even if you didn't deliver, carrying the weight of you baby may have cause your hips to widen.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    no one is being a jerk... but you left out a glaring piece of information. You really can't expect us to give you advice or input without the whole picture.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    JanieJack wrote: »
    Am I missing something here or are you all just jerks? I've lost over 20 pounds in the 6 weeks since I had my baby. I would have expected the clothes I was wearing at 9 months pregnant to be looser, not tighter. Scale doesn't lie, but clothes don't lie either. Thanks for your "help"

    Nobody is being a jerk. You didn't give all the info in your OP and they're just pointing it out. Full stop. With over 3800 posts, you know a little something about how these forums work, yeah?
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    I lost 30 lbs of water after I had my baby. But my hips were wider because some of the weight I gained was fat and it stuck there. And, hips can spread out during delivery. The pelvis makes room for the baby, bones move. I did not need wider hips but I got them!
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    Even with having a csection, your hips can widen.
    Not all of the weight you lost after giving birth is actually fat.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    It's not uncommon for women to drop unusual amounts of water weight after pregnancy. It may be that, not actual fat loss. That's why the pregnancy info is relevant.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    Hips widen as part of the body preparing for baby's arrival. ..in time they will return to pre pregnancy size.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,581 Member
    JanieJack wrote: »
    Am I missing something here or are you all just jerks? I've lost over 20 pounds in the 6 weeks since I had my baby. I would have expected the clothes I was wearing at 9 months pregnant to be looser, not tighter. Scale doesn't lie, but clothes don't lie either. Thanks for your "help"

    Nobody is being a jerk. You didn't give all the info in your OP and they're just pointing it out. Full stop. With over 3800 posts, you know a little something about how these forums work, yeah?

    Unless all of those posts are in Chit Chat. ;)
  • JanieJack
    JanieJack Posts: 3,831 Member
    edited January 2016
    JoRocka wrote: »
    you left out a glaring piece of information.

    Yeah, but my question wasn't just about me- which is why I didn't originally write it about my case. I am genuinely curious what are all the reasons someone could lose weight and get bigger.

    Why? because over the years I've heard lots of "I lost 10-20-fill-in-the-blank pounds but am getting bigger" and I NEVER believed them. I just figured they were sneak eating or not really losing weight like they said. Well now it happened to me and it's got me thinking.

    I was really curious as to what would cause that situation and my original google search just came up with diet pill ads.



  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
    JanieJack wrote: »
    my question wasn't just about me- which is why I didn't originally write it about my case. I am genuinely curious what are all the reasons someone could lose weight and get bigger.

    Fluid retention from increasing exercise.. circulation disorders.. shrinking clothes.. :+1: