Uneven weight loss

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  • Hi All,

    I don't know if anyone else has experienced this but I have lost weight mainly on my upperbody-- I have lost over 50 pounds and can wear a size 14w on my top but my legs and butt are as big as when I began. I now look very odd with a very large (Fat) lower half.

    Any ideas or advice would be appreciated--
  • Well I have heard that you kind of lose weight in the reverse order of how you gained it. Since I gained my weight first in my legs and butt, it seems to be my top that is shrinking the most too. I guess the hope is that eventually, those lower fat cells will have to surrender too? Were you pear-shaped before? Not much consolation I know...but congrats on the loss...I am sure your butt will catch up eventually!
  • I've lost significant amounts of weight in the past, and I learned NEVER to save "fat clothes," because even when I reached the "right" size to wear them, they never fit like they did before.

    I also found some measurements I had taken to make a ren fair bodice at my highest weight, and compared them to now. If I remember correctly, I've lost 5 inches in my bust, 3 in my waist, and 0 (yep, zero, zippo) in my hips -- exactly the opposite of how I would have liked have had the numbers come off. I was already increadibly pear shaped, so if it continues this way, I'm going to look a lot worse, before I start to look better.

    Oh, well. I'm not in it for the mirror this time, but still I'd rather not look like a cartoon character if I can help it.
  • I believe your body sheds the pounds where you first gained or lastly gained. I think soon enough you will notice a difference in your lower half.
  • I've noticed that I lose from the top down as well. I've also seen in others that once they stop losing the fat "redistributes" in the same ratios as before...so the person who had an hourglass (though a large one) and became a triangle, will slowly revert to hourglass as the fat resettles.

    This seems to work...I don't know why!
  • I have this problem, too. This makes it good sense to keep going to get to goal!

    Never give up!
  • If you ever watch The Biggest Loser and look at pictures of the pear- or hourglass-shaped girls from weigh-in to weigh-in, you'll see that those body types do tend to get much smaller on top a lot sooner than they lose anything on the bottom. I'm the same way: I can almost fit into a 12 on top (!), but on the bottom I'm still wearing 18s, unless I buy my pants at Old Navy, which is cheating anyway.

    It's frustrating, but I take comfort in knowing that a) I *have* lost inches on my hips, according to my trusty tape measure, and b) there will no doubt be a dramatic drop in the size of my lower half when I get to the end of the weight loss process.
  • I tend to lose weight in my face, stomach,lower arms and calves first and furious. If you have lots of fat deposits in your bum,hips and thighs it will take a while for it to dissipate. Hold on though. Soon your body won't have a choice but to chew into the lower half!

    Munch away!
  • That happens. I lost most of my weight on top. This last 20 pounds has been coming off the bottom, finally!

    Not much you can do about it, the body takes the fat from where it wants to. Usually first on, last off.
  • I think a lot of us have that "problem" - which compared to not losing at all doesn't seem such an issue after all

    I have posted in the past that my first 20 lbs all came off my face, fingers, and feet But, hang in there and keep up the good work. It really will even before you know it.
  • It will come off eventually. I also lose upper body weight before the lower submits. I measured myself the other day and was shocked that I'd lost 3" from my hips in only a month and with only a 2-3lb weightloss that month. In July I measured B:41", W:34", H:46". This month this became B:41", W:33", H:43". I'm very nearly an hourglass

    Kitty
  • I think that happens to pears (like me). You mostly gain in the lower body, until you reach a certain point, and then it starts adding more and more to the abdominal area. Then it's the first weight to come off, returning you back to your underlying figure type, and you go on losing from there in a more even manner. That's been my experience.
  • I feel you--- I tend to lose on the thighs, butt, lower stomach last... sigh. Like everyone else has said, you just have to wait it out...
  • I always lose my lower half last too! Once I lost 60-70lbs and that is what happened! Don't get discouraged it will come off in the end! You are doing a great job, just hang in there.
  • I guess I'm the anomaly. I've lost nearly all my weight is the "width" of my hips and abs. The baby belly is still there, though. ><