Before I put on this weight during my pregnancy, I had a really large round (but I thought rather nice) butt and was pear shaped, with a pretty flat stomach. I gained about 35 pounds of fat while prego (the other 30 pounds disappeared 2 weeks following the birth so mostly water and baby I guess). Anyway, I now have this humongous stomach and now that I'm losing, its gone down a bit (OK, maybe more than a bit given that people have finally stopped thinking I'm pregnant) but my butt is also going down. I'm afraid my body shape has changed from a pear to an apple and I prefer to be the way I've been all my life, which was a pear. Anyone know what's going on? Will I get my old shape back after I lose this stomach or will my butt keep getting smaller as I try to lose this stomach, with my stomach winding up bigger than before at the same weight (my goal is high 120s; at that weight I had quite a flat stomach)?

Our body shape changes throughout life. If you lose weight, then gain the weight back, you won't necessarily gain it in the place that you lost it. If you then lose weight again, you may lose weight in other places. If you are going to shape your body, then weights are probably the best way to help give certain areas lift and a little umph.

Mami~congrats on only gaining 35 during your pregnancy! I gained almost 50 with mine (oops). Now 12 years post pregnancy, I think my body is basically the same as it was before--I still have the family pot belly that I'm sure will never leave. I also have the weak chin (ugh). I'd never really paid a lot of attention to my butt, but lately I have. I think it's rather flat, so I'm trying different exercises to tone it and "lift" it if you will. I don't know if it will work or not, but in the long run, I'm pretty happy with what I look like. I'll never be a model and wouldn't want to be anyway. I just want to be comfortable in my body and I'm almost there!

Oh, one thing that I can't seem to get rid of--those blobs of fat on the sides and back in the bra area. Like a tight T-shirt is NOT going to look good with those! Anybody have success in getting rid of those?

Allison, I WISH I only gained 35 pounds; actually I gained almost 65 pounds, but I lost around 32 within 2 weeks so I don't view that as fat. The other 30 pounds was pure fat (not water, not baby, not extra blood volume).

Nelie, I do work out with weights and have picked that up again. Though I haven't been able to do my heavy weight squats because my knees are unstable these days.

Its just that I always attracted guys that love big booties, including DH, so I'm worried that my shape has changed as I liked my big round booty because that was me. Its still rather large, but compared to my stomach, it looks tiny to me (though probably not to others)! I'm starting to think lipo may be the only way to reshape this body back. Hmmmmnnnn. What do you all think?

I have two kids (ages 2 yrs and 8 months)...the first I gained 60lbs and the 2nd I gained 50. I lost all of it with the first and I'm almost back down to my normal weight this time around too, but my body does not look the same...and yours probably won't either. I too always had a really flat stomach, but now after two kids it's not as flat, I still have this pouch on the lower half that drives me insane. So if in 5 years that's not gone I may consider some sort of p/s, but probably not. Anyway, I guess my point is, wait until your at your goal weight to even think about lipo, you're doing a great job, keep up the good work. Oh and I'm sure your husband loves you just as much as he did before even if your butt isn't what it used to be, afterall, you did give him a baby.

With my first baby I also gained about 60 lbs. Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey. I was so hooked on it. Anyway, I got back to my old shape after a year or so. With the second one I only gained 30, but he was really big. I had gotten my weight down after he was born, but even at that point I couldn't get the flat stomach back. It's like I have this slightly raised oval shape on my stomach. Like a layer of fat right where my baby belly was. I have always wanted a smaller tush, but sadly that didn't happen with my pregnancies. Other than that though, I think the rest went back to normal. Except the breasts. Yeah, not even close to before. I take much longer shopping for bras now, Lol.

Mami, I don't think you'll know what your body is going to look like until you get there. I'm a whole half an inch taller than you, and at out towering height, every pound shows somewhere On me, it's on my stomach. If I'm up 2 pounds, I can't see my abs at all. When I'm where I want to be, I can see ab definition. Three pounds makes a difference in the size jeans that I wear...you just won't know until you get there. What is wrong with your knees?

Mel

I too, gained 60 lbs. with my first child (26 lbs. with my second). I never got down to pre-pregnancy weight but I did get close. My stomach, however, never quite got close . I kinda think that genetics play a little part in this. I have a cousin who gained a lot of weight with her pregnancy and returned back to normal very quickly. So you might look to your mom and see how she recovered.

I do know that excercise does do wonders. I went through a spell where I excercised alot (treadmill, bike, weights) and my leggs and butt did get quite boutilicious !

I lurk alot and see your post, and I think your doing great. Don't dispare and keep up the good work!

Thanks for the info ladies.

Mel, my knees have always been a bit screwy on and off since my 20s (though I was never overweight until now so not from that). I'll go through periods where one knee or the other will hurt when I go down the stairs and when I was pregnant they really started hurting. When I tried squats and lunges when I resumed my work-out (my back and hips were in agony when prego so I had to stop working out), my knees were just giving out so I had to stop. I used to do very heavy squats on the smith and walking lunges with 25 pound dumbells so maybe that added to my shape. I've tried some of the leg machines but I just dont feel I get a good work out as I'm never sore the next day. I know lots of people work to get a tiny butt, but I much prefer the opposite (not wide, but bubbly and round).

Abby, I think you're right about the exercise. I really need to step it up but I'm always running out of time. I'll be getting a home elliptical this month and plan to work out hard on that! Cannot wait

Jamie and Gogirl, I'm definitely not waiting 5 years to see if this prego stomach is going away. I'll def. do some lipo on it if it doesnt go away with my diet and exercise. I dont think its fair that us women go through all that to have a baby and then have to look different forever for our efforts. As I always say, I'm not going out like that!

Some years ago there was a very popular exercise program called Callanetics. The author, Callan Pinckney, really knew about core muscles and she also liked the nice, round, tight butt look. The exercises were geared for that and also abdominal tightening, and they don't work like most exercises (you do very small movements, many reps). The main book is called "Callanetics: Fit for Life" I think, and you can get it on Amazon or other book sites. There are also DVDs and videos now--some of them specifically for the hips and behind, the abs, etc. Something you might want to check out! Works muscles you never knew you had.

Jay

Any thoughts on bone structure? or very low body fat?

I found this picture
http://www.spinningbabies.com/index....d=78&Itemid=37

and this article
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rob8.htm

to be very interesting.

Hi there I had my two 16 months apart.. The first I gained 39 lbs and it naturally came off and I went back down to my normal weight. The second I gained 29 lbs and left the hospital 18 lbs lighter, my son was 10 lbs LOL I then breastfed and within a month went down another 30 lbs, without trying, making me the lowest I even had been. My son was 18 lbs by 2 months LOL breastmilk alone! Anyway talk about weight flucutations haha I am a pear and I was horrified by my stomach, both times. I also wondered if it would ever look normal again! And the answer for me was that it did. I think it would have happned quicker if I had excersized but I didnt. I am now only 20 lbs under my highest pregnancy weight and although my stomach isnt like it was when I was in my teens I am still a pear, even though I am at my highest non pregnant weight. It took a while I cant even say how long, I think i started avoiding mirrors and then one day reaslized I didnt have the stomach anymore.

I think the best thing to do, since avoiding mirrors isnt healthy LOL is to accept yourself and realize how beautiful you are even with flaws.

My hubby was a pear lover too, and he still liked me when I was pregnant and after when I was a flabby mess LOL and now when I am the state puff marshmallow woman

He didn't marry your body he married YOU.

Anyway that is my two cents

I think that butts are mostly genetic, but it's also made up of muscle, which you can work out. Mine is flat. It looks really flat if I gain weight in my abdomen, that's why I'm trying to cut down on the body fat%.

I think that when you lose the weight in your abdomen, your butt will be back in proportion with your body the way it was before. I've never had children, and I know a lot of women's bodies change after pregnancy. I also know a lot of women who look even better after they rest and get in shape after a pregnancy.

Congratulations on your baby, BTW.