Aside from a healthy one inside, what type of body are you going for as your goal? In your mind's eye what's a beautiful shape for a woman?

I've generally always been on the highish to medium side of normal weight -- curvy you could say. Consequently I've gotten used to that shape and have never strived to be the thin type. Not sure if that's just some sabotage thing or what, but I've always feared losing my curves, but at the same time would think I looked fat when I had the curves. Silly me!

I started strength training many years ago as a purposeful strategy to try to increase my metabolism because I've always had quite a large appetite. So I figured the more muscle I have the more my body will burn at rest and the more I can get away with eating without gaining fat (this proved to be true from my RMR test, which said I had a higher than normal metabolism). Often I thought I looked pretty good and toned but other times I thought I looked too beefy in certain shirts, especially the tube top shape where there are no straps around the shoulders. On the other hand, the muscles have made me look even more curvy (bigger more shapely butt and boobs) and I was happy about that result.

I want to be curvy and feminine but toned with as flat a stomach as I can get (lipo maybe? LOL) with as big a butt as possible while still retaining that flat stomach. But I've decided (now, while writing this) to be happy with myself when I reach my goal and to stop thinking I look too big but then worrying or feeling funny if I lose too much. Like I could never just be happy with myself or something.

What about you??

Ay Claudia... right now my main goal is to fit my old clothes... I am by nature flat chested and no butt...
My middle core is the one that grows and grows. I just want to be fit, toned and skinny. I really dont care about my curves, they can go away if they want (and they will trust me, when I loose weight, I loose my boobs and my butt)

I actually like my body type, aside from having a somewhat flat butt and not such a defined waist. I used to be rather large chested, but had a reduction 7 years ago. So now I'm average in the chest area, but I'm still "bigger on top". I have a large ribcage and slim hips and slim limbs and a somewhat wide waist. Overall, I'm fine with my shape (Just wish I had a little more butt ). Wow, I said something almost positive about myself!!!!

Claudia-

If you want the biggest butt (curves) possible while getting/keeping a flat stomach-then just come on over and we'll switch bodies.

I am a natural hourglass-and I have slight ab definition even when I am 200+ pounds after right after each baby. (I am actually a few months pregnant in my profile picture if you click on my profile...) As I thin down, my belly is always the first thing to get really fit, then my chest, back, arms, etc. No matter how fit I get though-my butt is always "bubbled" and my hips and thighs fuller.


My dream/goal body would be to be around 145 pounds, about a size 9/10 for me...and be very fit through my strength training and dancing-but still curvy in the hips and thighs, and still a C-D bust for me. I wouldn't ever want to be a size 2, 4, or 6 in my profession with my height of 5'7". If I lose my curves, then I lose gigs.

The Reality and The Dream

I'm large-boned, so I will NEVER be a tiny little wisp of a gal. I have size 11 feet, very broad shoulders, wrists that are too large for a watch, and hands that are the size of my husband's that prevent me from wearing bangle bracelets (sigh!) I DO have a pretty muscular build from all the heavy work that I have done all my life, so I guess I am in the Clydesdale Class when it comes to build! I am built for WORK!

My dream shape would be a tiny, small-boned lass with size 6 feet who could wear any watch or bracelet from any store. I would have well-shaped arms that look FANTASTIC in any sleeveless top. My thighs would be shapely, too, and would show no hint of a varicose vein ANYWHERE on them. I would have a tiny waist. There would be no stretchmarks, no saggy skin, no wrinkles. People would NEVER expect me to help them move a washing machine or carry wallboard up three flights of steps. They would ask that Clydesdale Gal instead!

After being over 200 pounds for so long, I'll just be happy to hit goal. I'm pretty sort (5'2") and back when I used to weigh 150 I looked all sorts of cute, even though that's still heavy for a person my height. I've never gained much weight in my waist but I've always been very top-heavy and wide-hipped. So sort of hourglass-y. Which I didn't used to enjoy but I now look forward to seeing again. Unfortunately most of my friends are tall (over 5'10" which is pretty weird for girls) and thin. So yeah. I've always sorta thought that was "ideal"- but I've been overweight for so long, I'll be happy to just return to a semi-normal weight.

Claudia -

Like you, I'm a curvy gal. I'm Italian and I have the typical looks and body you would expect from an Italian woman: medium height, wide hips, big breasts, smaller waist, olicve skin, dark hair and eyes. I don't EVER want to have no curves. I would prefer to have a few kilos too many than to lose my curves.

When I think of what I want for my body, here's what I envision is accompaning my curves: toned arms; flat, slightly defined abs; high, toned tushy and cellulite free thighs. my thighs will always be on the larger side, I'm a pear so that's just how it is. But they can be toned and cellulite free.

Of course I look at the Victoria's Secret catalog and I feel like a little bug sometimes. But I will never be long and lean like Gisele, so why even go there? I know even when I get to my goal I'll still want to improve myself. I don't know if I'll ever be happy with myself, so I'll shoot for being content and self-assured

Ideally, I'd keep my breast size as I go down but I'm not sure I will. Honestly, I don't care if I go down to an A but it'd be nice to stay a C

I'd also like to be a "healthy" size, firm (after some plastic surgery to get rid of the excess skin) but not petite. I think a size 12 would be perfect for me. I want to remain curvy basically and don't want to look like a stick Now of course this is all my internal visualization because right now I'm the smallest I've ever been.

Hmmmmm...... I'm 100 percent "Italian American" and I have broad shoulders and a wide waist and small hips, so.....????
LOLOL I guess you can't generalize
Haha Not offended and no offense intended, but I guess we're all different...

I am not a fan of the heroin chic look. I want to look on the outside what I feel on the inside- kick butt strong woman! I like my hips and bust but I want everything to be firm.

Mami - I'm kind of like you, with a curvy butt, although alas, I come up short in the boobs department. (B on my best days, and let's just say that gravity is no longer my friend) I'd like my butt to be smaller than it is, but I do like its general shape. I'm fairly strong, and my legs tend to be muscular, but I have these chicken-drumstick shaped thighs that have always been the bane of my existence (ie. way large in the upper thigh, not so bad from the half-way point down).

I guess my ideal would be to have a figure like Katherine Heigl (Izzy on Grey's) - not skinny, has some curves, but just looks good. Since she's tall, and that's just not my shape, I'll settle for dropping some pounds, toning the best I can, and making peace with my shape.

Of course we are, I just meant that's the type of body/look most people expect from someone who comes from the Mediterranean - not that I'm special, more than I'm almost a walking cliché

Two words describe my "ideal body type"...


SALMA HAYEK.

That woman has the best body... she's curvy, voluptous, and ALL THAT!

Oh, and she's "petite". Like me.

Catherine Zeta Jones. She is such a beautiful woman.

http://www.bert.se/socker/images/Cat..._Jones_010.jpg

http://www.clubalibi.com/pinups/Cath...ta-Jones_2.jpg

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphic...04_231x340.jpg

That is by far the best description about how I feel.

I guess I also want my old shape back. I basically always had the same shape give or take a few pounds until I gave birth at age 38. I'm not sure if this is just my genes and child birth or if this is because I was a little older when I had my first baby. But I used to have a relatively flat stomach and small waist and then I would pick up any extra weight in my hips, thighs, butt and a bit in the boobs. Now I have so much weight on my stomach that I'm thinking I might need lipo just to get it all off and not have to be all skinny, which is not what I'm after. I like having some meat, but not on my stomach!

I suppose I'm also trying to focus on feeling good about myself whatever shape I am, and especially when I reach my goal. I used to feel pretty confident and thinking I looked good but at the exact same time I would be feeling fat or big sometimes. So silly.