Body Shape Issue

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hburns89
hburns89 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone!

First question I've ever posted but since I can't seem to find any other discussion or article pertaining to my issue I figured I'd just post the question myself and see where that goes :smile:

So I've recently started my weight loss journey and my highest weight was 280lbs (I stand at 5'4'') my starting weight was 276.4lbs and I've also been recently diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes. My current weight as of this morning was 269.5 (finally out of the 270s woohoo!) and as I'm taking pictures for my future progress comparison I'm noticing my body is not shaped the way it used to be.

I usually would gain weight evenly, I was athletically shaped and my body type is Top Hourglass (I have really large breasts but my shoulders are even with my hips). I've been classified as a Mesomorph several times over and I agree because it fits how athletic I was in my pre-teen years.

But since I hit the morbidly obese category and especially since I haven't truly exercised in years (I've also had a desk job where I sit for many hours for the past 2 years) I've noticed that I've basically stopped gaining weight in my lower body. I now gain most of my weight in my upper body which is unusual because I used to gain weight all over. I'm wondering if the reasoning behind this is medical or if it's the food I'm eating, or my lack of exercise has obviously decreased my muscle mass in my lower extremities?

Any help would be appreciated
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Replies

  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
    edited January 2017
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    I don't think there's a reason we gain weight in certain places. Some people just carry their weight in the upper part of their body and some more in the lower (butt, thighs, and legs). It's just part of your DNA.

    Losing the weight, it will sort itself out and you will lose weight all over - although more in certain places first. But how/where you lose first/last is beyond your control.
  • coleg04
    coleg04 Posts: 126 Member
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    sllm1 wrote: »
    I don't think there's a reason we gain weight in certain places. Some people just carry their weight in the upper part of their body and some more in the lower (butt, thighs, and legs). It's just part of your DNA.

    Losing the weight, it will sort itself out and you will lose weight all over - although more in certain places first. But how/where you lose first/last is beyond your control.

    I recommend you research somatotypes. This is important.
  • coleg04
    coleg04 Posts: 126 Member
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    Here's a good starting point from a scholarly source
    www.uh.edu/fitness/comm_educators/3_somatotypesNEW.htm
  • coleg04
    coleg04 Posts: 126 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    coleg04 wrote: »
    sllm1 wrote: »
    I don't think there's a reason we gain weight in certain places. Some people just carry their weight in the upper part of their body and some more in the lower (butt, thighs, and legs). It's just part of your DNA.

    Losing the weight, it will sort itself out and you will lose weight all over - although more in certain places first. But how/where you lose first/last is beyond your control.

    I recommend you research somatotypes. This is important.

    Somatotypes have been debunked.

    LOL. False.
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
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    The whole body type mesomorph/hourglass/eggplant etc are all so arbitrary. As you lose weight you'll probably find you lose in different areas at different times and you body shape might change several times over before you get to your goal, not to mention the impact exercise may have, particularly if you start lifting.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    coleg04 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    coleg04 wrote: »
    sllm1 wrote: »
    I don't think there's a reason we gain weight in certain places. Some people just carry their weight in the upper part of their body and some more in the lower (butt, thighs, and legs). It's just part of your DNA.

    Losing the weight, it will sort itself out and you will lose weight all over - although more in certain places first. But how/where you lose first/last is beyond your control.

    I recommend you research somatotypes. This is important.

    Somatotypes have been debunked.

    LOL. False.

    Lol not false. You do realize the person who made them up was a psychologist right?
  • coleg04
    coleg04 Posts: 126 Member
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    smotheredincheese wrote: »
    As you lose weight you'll probably find you lose in different areas at different times and you body shape might change several times over before you get to your goal, not to mention the impact exercise may have, particularly if you start lifting.

    And the reason some people lose and store weight in different areas? Somatotypes.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    hburns89 wrote: »
    Hi Everyone!

    First question I've ever posted but since I can't seem to find any other discussion or article pertaining to my issue I figured I'd just post the question myself and see where that goes :smile:

    So I've recently started my weight loss journey and my highest weight was 280lbs (I stand at 5'4'') my starting weight was 276.4lbs and I've also been recently diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes. My current weight as of this morning was 269.5 (finally out of the 270s woohoo!) and as I'm taking pictures for my future progress comparison I'm noticing my body is not shaped the way it used to be.

    I usually would gain weight evenly, I was athletically shaped and my body type is Top Hourglass (I have really large breasts but my shoulders are even with my hips). I've been classified as a Mesomorph several times over and I agree because it fits how athletic I was in my pre-teen years.

    But since I hit the morbidly obese category and especially since I haven't truly exercised in years (I've also had a desk job where I sit for many hours for the past 2 years) I've noticed that I've basically stopped gaining weight in my lower body. I now gain most of my weight in my upper body which is unusual because I used to gain weight all over. I'm wondering if the reasoning behind this is medical or if it's the food I'm eating, or my lack of exercise has obviously decreased my muscle mass in my lower extremities?

    Any help would be appreciated

    In my experience and observation, some people are shaped very differently when obese compared to when they are at a healthy weight. I think that some of it comes from being inactive and having increased levels of visceral fat, which is the fat that packs around your internal organs. But then some women get that plus enough fat gain in their hips, etc. to keep defined waists. I just kind of throw up my hands and say "who knows?" at times :)
  • coleg04
    coleg04 Posts: 126 Member
    edited January 2017
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    The only articles I can find countering somatotypes are from unscholarly sources.

    Since this is simply a way of categorizing body types based on the relation between hips and shoulder width you can't really debunk it. Why do some people store weight in their butt and some in their stomach? Because the individual with larger hips has a larger surface area in the rear for fat to be stored. I am a mesomorph so the easiest place for my body to store weight would be in my stomach/chest area. Biology!
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    Hormonal changes as we age (and as we gain weight) can altar where we gain weight.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    Your body is not a constant machine, it is continually adapting to the world around it and to it's own hormone and biochemical shifts over time. I don't think there is anything you can eat that will change how your body has decided to react. Strength training will alter body composition, that's the only thing I know of that you can kind of control where muscle gains will occur based on what strength training you chose to follow.

    When I was younger extra weight always went directly to my love handles and chest...then for about 10 years everything started going directly to my belly...most recently the belly is shrinking and my booty appears to be growing instead. There is no pattern or rhyme or reason that I have been able to find, it is what it is.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    coleg04 wrote: »
    The only articles I can find countering somatotypes are from unscholarly sources.

    Since this is simply a way of categorizing body types based on the relation between hips and shoulder width you can't really debunk it. Why do some men store weight in their butt and some in their stomach? Because the man with larger hips has a larger surface area in the rear for fat to be stored. I am a mesomorph so the easiest place for my body to store weight would be in my stomach/chest area. Biology!

    The site you gave isn't a research article either. Body shapes/types are real for sure but that has nothing to do with ecto, endo or meso.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    edited January 2017
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    These are the technical definition of somatotypes

    Endomorphic Body Type:
    soft body
    underdeveloped muscles
    round shaped
    over-developed digestive system

    Associated personality traits:
    love of food
    tolerant
    evenness of emotions
    love of comfort
    sociable
    good humored
    relaxed
    need for affection

    Mesomorphic Body Type
    Mesomorphic Body Type:
    hard, muscular body
    overly mature appearance
    rectangular shaped
    thick skin
    upright posture

    Associated personality traits:
    adventurous
    desire for power and dominance
    courageous
    indifference to what others think or want
    assertive, bold
    zest for physical activity
    competitive
    love of risk and chance

    Ectomorphic Body Type
    Ectomorphic Body Type:
    thin
    flat chest
    delicate build
    young appearance
    tall
    lightly muscled
    stoop-shouldered
    large brain

    Associated personality traits:
    self-conscious
    preference for privacy
    introverted
    inhibited
    socially anxious
    artistic
    mentally intense
    emotionally restrained
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
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    Espressocycle wrote: »
    Hormonal changes as we age (and as we gain weight) can altar where we gain weight.

    This.
  • doittoitgirl
    doittoitgirl Posts: 157 Member
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    I have yoyo'ed a lot since high school. I noticed this last go around I am 10 lbs away from my highest weight but I can't fit into the pants I could a few years ago when I was at my heaviest. Hormonal changes, age, and activity level all played into my belly getting bigger than the rest of me. It's not unusual to gain weight in different places over the course of a few years. There's not much you can do about it except lose it, and when you do, it will go away wherever it wants whenever it wants.
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
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    Espressocycle wrote: »
    Hormonal changes as we age (and as we gain weight) can altar where we gain weight.

    ^ Agree with this. Hormones can affect fat distribution patterns. It would be hard to pinpoint an exact cause/effect relationship since hormones are affected by environmental factors, but also just change as we age. For instance, I've read that high cortisol is often associated with belly fat, but there are lots of interactions at play and lots more hormones than cortisol.
    Here's a more detailed article: https://www.metaboliceffect.com/hormonal-body-fat-signatures/
    IMO, his recommendations are overgeneralized. In the end, diet and activity work for any shape.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited January 2017
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    coleg04 wrote: »
    smotheredincheese wrote: »
    As you lose weight you'll probably find you lose in different areas at different times and you body shape might change several times over before you get to your goal, not to mention the impact exercise may have, particularly if you start lifting.

    And the reason some people lose and store weight in different areas? Somatotypes Genetics.

    Fixed it for you. Somatotypes are a made-up construct and people rarely fit neatly into one of those three categories. Somatotypes are about as scientific as horoscopes.

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