Is anyone else's figure type changing?
 

I have always had an hourglass figure. I remember my measurements for 8th grade sewing class (1972!) were 35-25-35 and even when I topped out at my highest weight, the proportions were pretty much the same except waist even more extreme, 12-14 inches smaller than the bust and hips. I always had "thunder thighs" and didn't even wear shorts in high school as the fat on the inner thighs would push the fabric up to my crotch. My rude nickname was Big Butt *****.

But now that I'm losing the fat, I'm ending up with a different shape. The first suprise was the thighs. They slimmed down first and have a much more pleasing shape then they ever did when I was younger. I started wearing shorts when I was 50 lbs down and can wear every style and length without the ride up or chub rub. I have no butt left at all.

But the big suprise has been my waist NOT decreasing at the same rate as the rest of me. That measurement has not decreased at all in the last 30 lbs. My ribcage/bra band size is actually 2 inches smaller than my waist. Those 30 lbs. appear to be coming off the dreaded pot belly (which I've had since age 12) and a bit off the upper arms.

Suddenly jeans fit me off the rack! I used to have to try on dozens of pairs to get ones that would fit over my thighs and hips and not leave a 4 inch gap at the waist. Now I seem to have more of what I called "boy hip" ratio. Now I still end up trying on quite a few pair, but that's mainly cause I hate the low rise look (on anyone, I just don't find them attractive) and spend my time searching for those few styles out there that go up to natural waist.

So, am I going to keep this new figure type or once my body's done with dumping the fat off the belly and arms will it go back to whittling my waist? I am 50 but haven't gone through menopause yet so I don't think it's hormones changing body shape. For those of you who are approaching maintenance or have attained it, did you end up with your old body shape or a new one?

Yes..., me too, but I suspect the thicker waist is age-related and probably not a good thing.

I too have very slim and shapely thighs without a hint of "chub rub". My butt is small, my arms and upper body are relatively slender... my band size has decreased and my bust size has stayed the same.

However I my waist is still 36" on a good day, and will still bloat out even more than that...

From the front, it looks like I have a nice hourglass, but in profile, my belly is rounded from just under the bra line down to the lower tummy....and I don't get how I've gone from an 18 to a 14 without seeming to change my measurements at all. Maybe I'm just bad at measuring? Weird.

Everything I thought about my body type turned out to be wrong, pretty much. Fat, I had sort of an hourglass/figure 8 shape. I assumed this would continue to be the case as I lost weight. So very wrong.

I don't believe I'm saying this, but my figure type appears to be willowy. Willowy with a rack, anyway. :) I suppose it shouldn't surprise me so much, given my height, but it's been kind of a shock.

That's interesting. Last (real) time, I got within 16lbs of goal but I was still pretty much spherical, just a lot smaller sphere than I'd been! Not that I wouldn't settle for that now, but oh, I'd love an hourglass!

I just noticed this the other day. I had a small waist with hour-glass figure (36-26-38) until I gained weight. I am definitely not losing the inches in the waist at the same rate as everywhere else as I'm currently 38-34-42. I'm thinking also that it's sadly age-related.

My waist was the last to go. In the last 10 lbs, I lost 2 inches and ended up with a 27" waist.

I was a heavy pear, and now I'm a thin pear. I have the same body shape as ever!

I did have a threshold around 175-180-ish pounds where I lost my waist. Until I reached that weight (when gaining) I had this idea that even fat I kept my defined waist. And I did ... until I got above that threshold. Then my middle went all blob on me.

Anyway, I'm sure that threshold is different for different people. I think you may still find that your more defined waist makes a reappearance :)

Uber - You've described my experience of these last 30 lbs. exactly. Waist measurement is 36 and not moving at all while in that time I've gone from size 18 to 14.

While I actually prefer the proportions I've got at this stage, I am finding it a bit annoying that the waist size is staying in unhealthy range. Oh well, guess I'll find out in the next 30 lbs. if it's an age-related change or just my body deciding to concentrate on using fat stores from other areas first.

CatherineF 6ft tall with a BMI of 24? I'd say willowy!!! Good for you! You must look amazing...

Caryesings well we HAVE to lose from somewhere, right?

Mines is going from refrigerator box to hourglass...does that count?

I'm pleased to say I kept my shape and still have a realtively small waist.

My measurements before were:

B: 48"
W: 40"
H: 53"

Now

B: 36.5"
W: 30.5"
H: 41"

So a pear then and a pear now.

Kitty

On my walk this morning I realized I'm also changing shape. I used to be a pear but right now I'm more of an apple with all my weight apparently coming off my butt and thighs while my bellyis shrinking much more slowly.

Still, I've got a looong way to go yet so I'm hoping my belly starts catching up... I'd rather be an hour glass but I think that's unlikely. When it comes to fruit I much prefer being a pear than an apple....

In the last 15 pounds I have lost mostly from my waist/belly, both according to measurements and my visual check. There's really a substantial difference in how I look now. Whereas previously, I was losing pretty proportionally from waist/belly and hips--thus, staying pretty apple-ish--which was bumming me out. Now it looks like I'm moving toward my natural pear shape.

In part, this is due to the fact that I'm strength training very regularly--so I think I've probably lost about 20 pounds of fat while losing only 15 pounds of weight. And, my muscles are plumping out my legs and arms in a way that helps my belly look a little more proportional, too. But when I wasn't training regularly, the fat wasn't coming off my belly as nicely.

So I guess I'm working my way back toward the "shape" (pear, but I can look like an hourglass with the right padded bra ;) ) that I used to have. It certainly is starting to look the same to me.

Before I gained the weight I was a pear shape. At my high weight I was an apple with very large butt and thighs. When I got down to 150 I was an hourglass. The last 15 pounds took me back to a pear. I would have stayed at 150 to keep the boobs, but I feel a lot better at this weight. Padded bras are great, I have a large collection now :D