Disproportionate shapes: The Pear-Shaped Featherweight
Hey everyone!
I'm a frequent lurker, rare poster, but I have definitely used 3FC a lot for weight loss support over the past few months, so thanks! I've lost about 10-15 pounds recently and I'm almost at my goal of 120, but people have started to say that I look thin and shouldn't lose any more weight.
Here's the thing: I'm pear-shaped. I'm very small on top and kind of just flaarreee out at the hips. I've got tiny boobs, tiny arms, small shoulders, you can see my ribs, a tiny waist, then all of a sudden there's hips and a big ole belly pooch and a giant *** (that one I don't mind so much!) and thunder thighs and wide calves. Now that I've lost weigh, my collarbones are kind of jutting and I'm down a cup size. But I've still got flab on my lower body to lose...
I know a lot of people here suggest weight training for featherweights and I'm definitely looking to start doing some kind of weights regimen. I've started incorporating weight resistance training like pushups, crunches, wall-sits, leg lifts, and squats into my routine and am hoping those give me more of the shape I want, but I don't know how to get rid of the flab even if I'm building muscle underneath. I don't want to look "too thin" or unhealthy trying to get the bottom half of my body to match the upper!
Anyone else having an issue feeling like their body is mismatched or like weight loss has occurred rapidly in one area but not in others? I find it so frustrating!
I have the EXACT same. I can count my ribs and there's not much boob left, but my legs are one big jello pudding. I showed my friend and she understands why I want to lose more weight to get rid of that, but I wonder what I'll look like at the top half of my body once I do. Will see what happens.
I have no advice as I am struggling with the same. I am not going for thin legs, but just a bit smaller so the proportioning looks normal and I can say for myself htat in a bikini I don't look fat.
One of the reasons we suggest weight training for pears especially is that it can balance you out a bit. You can build up your upper body and become an hourglass. This might also ensure that if you DO lose fat on your upper body that you keep/build muscle there and show it off instead of bones.
When I was obese, I was a pear shape for a while. I started lifting in '09: nothing serious, 40lbs max maybe (it wasn't until last year I went into beast mode ). In 2010 I had my college formal. I was still pretty much the same weight I was when I started lifting and I knew I hadn't changed too much since my senior prom so I decided to wear that dress. The dress was tight around my bust, but loose around my hips! I was dismayed thinking that I had gained weight, but now I realized that I had simply changed my body through weight training and got an hourglass shape.
I'm a pear shape to the bitter end. If I was losing weight for my torso, I'd be done now. But I'm willing to lose another 5 pounds (to the bottom of a healthy BMI, no lower) to see if my legs lean out a bit more and if I prefer my physique that way.
I agree with sontaikle: heavy weight training is ideally the way to go. You will build/retain muscle, and the diet will cause you to lose the fat. Your body will take off the fat wherever it darn well pleases, so you just have to keep going and see what happens...
I recommend taking progress pictures. Just updated mine yesterday. On the left: March 2011, ~132 lbs, 27" waist, 39.5" butt/hips, each thigh 23"; on the right, 8/6/12, ~120-121 lbs, 24" waist, 36.5" butt/hips, each thigh 21". As you can see, my legs aren't perfect-- I may never totally get rid of the cellulite and saddlebags-- but they are much improved. Since I have leaned out in the torso, and since I have added some width in my shoulders and upper back, I do look more proportional.
(Sorry for the 5 million dumb boxes. Don't want anything too personally identifiable. )
sumire - thank you SO MUCH for sharing your pictures. It's hard to say just how dead-on the motivational/inspirational effect is -- it is *so* helpful to see what someone else with the same body type has been able to do through the magic of crazy amounts of hard work. And you look amazing - wtg!
Sumire, your photos really are inspiring and there's a HUGE difference for a loss of only 11-12 pounds. Your arms and waist are looking especially phenomenal.
I'd honestly never thought about bulking up a bit on top to balance out the bottom. Time to hit the gym!
Thanks, ladies. Glad to be of help, and good luck to everybody.
And celebrate what you have! I spend too much time whinging about my hips and thighs, I admit, but we pears usually have nice arms and nice small waists, too... You work with what ya got!
Thank you SO much for posting those photos. At 132 you look great, but showing the difference 12 lbs & cut muscles makes - from great to perfect - is SUCH an inspiration!
Last edited by Mountain Mamma; 08-08-2012 at 03:57 PM.
Weight training has gone so far to broaden the look of my upper half (in such good ways) and shape my lower half. I would describe myself as more of an hourglass now. It's amazing.
I have struggled with my pear shaped body, and even with losing weight (which came off me everywhere, but less so on my lower half) nothing has ever made as much of a difference to my body shape/proportion, than taking up weight training.
I have done Chalean Extreme for about 3 months now (I am doing a slower more spaced out version of the program at my own pace) and discovered how exciting and gratifying it is to see changes taking place in my upper body (ok, so a little bigger, but more definition and better tone) and my lower half is getting tighter, tighter butt, tighter thighs, and my calves are the smallest I can ever recall they've been and I am not a gym person, I work out on my own, at home with my exercise vids, go running, walking, pilates, yoga, whatever I feel like at the time.
The thing is, I'm now less concerned about making my lower half smaller, as bringing my upper body into balance, so if that means my arms get a little bigger (but more defined), then so be it!
Walking and running really help in leaning out my lower half, with a regular routine of weight lifting. I saw really positive results in a month and a half! You just have to be patient and push further every day.
I'm another one who reshaped my body from a slight pear to an hourglass through weight training. I've lifted weights at least three times a week for more than 20 years and I just love it and what it has done for me. I can't recommend it enough.
I am struggling with the same areas. I have been dieting on and off for 14 years+. I FINALLY found something that works for me. Have you heard of or thought about trying crossfit? I started crossfit in august, 2012 and I lost 5 1/2" on my butt/hip and 2" on each thigh.
Last edited by tonyamartin; 01-21-2013 at 08:57 AM.
I'm the same damned way. I don't start losing weight off my thighs until I hit 106 and you could slice a melon open on my collar bone! I get visible ribs, chest bones, collar bone, and even /sternum/ before I start losing significant weight below the waist. It's annoying as frack but the only solution is to lift (and lift hard). Work your shoulders, make them /wide/... work upper body often and you'll end up looking great. Put the extra weight in the legs to an advantage and work your legs and calves, often. Squat butt!
Disproportionate shapes: The Pear-Shaped Featherweight
). In 2010 I had my college formal. I was still pretty much the same weight I was when I started lifting and I knew I hadn't changed too much since my senior prom so I decided to wear that dress. The dress was tight around my bust, but loose around my hips! I was dismayed thinking that I had gained weight, but now I realized that I had simply changed my body through weight training and got an hourglass shape.
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