In the past few weeks I've been absolutely horrible. I haven't gotten totally off track with my eating, but I've been eating a lot more. I've also been skipping out on the exercise. I think it might be because I've been premenstrual, and because I've just been having a lot of problems with depression and not having energy, which I'm getting checked out soon. It's getting to be summer again and I always get so self consious during the summer. In winter I'm able to hide myself under hoodies and jackets, but I can't do that when it's hot. I'm just feeling really discouraged. I've lost some weight and I feel so much better since I started eating healthier, but I'm not really able to tell a difference in my clothes. I think I'm losing it mostly in my upper body. My arms and shoulders, some in my back I think. I'm not really seeing a difference in my hips or stomach and it's really discouraging me because that's where my problem is. I'm okay with the rest of my body, but I've got hips from ****. Ahhh, it's times like these when I resent my mother for raising me on fast food. I think that if I hadn't eaten fast food every day, sometimes twice a day, I wouldn't be overweight now. Oh well, at least I'm in control of myself now. Can't change the past, but I can make my own future, right?
Do you guys know what I mean?
Any encouraging words would be appreciated

I am not 100% positive (And guys, feel free to tell me I'm wacky wrong) but I think when you lose weight it starts downward. Like your face, chest, arms.. and then your lower half. But I could easily be wrong, this may be a wive's tale or som'm.So that may be why you haven't noticed in your hips yet. And trust me, my HIPS are huge. Your hips can in no way be as big as mine, and trust me, I ain't lying. I hate summer too, as far as being self-concious goes. I'm always the girl in the jeans and 3/4 sleeve tops, while everyone else is in shorts and flirty sundresses. This is the LAST summer I will spend this way! I know where you are coming from, and it's OK. When I feel all down and discouraged my first instinct is to EAT, and eat bad foods, but since I can no longer do that I try to spoil myself in other ways. I take bubble baths and read or lay around with my kids or come here and read posts and that makes me feel better. You have a great attitude and sometimes you just gotta keep on' keepin' on.. this too shall pass.

Hey, we should start a big hips club. I feel like so many people I see are the apple shape so when they lose weight, they drop sizes more easily. Since I am big huge pear, it takes me so long to see any difference in hy hips and butt. But I know it will come. I always look to my sister as a smaller version of me. We are built basically the same small on top and big on bottom its just I'm a 10/12 on top and a 18 (i pretend I'm 16 but that is really only in stretch denim) on bottom and she is 6 on top and 12 on bottom. She recently started really trying to work out and she has been able to lose some of her bottom. Now I realise it is possible if I work at it continually. I'm sure I will always be curvey and I like that I just son't want to be this curvey.
I know its easy when you are feelling down or overwhelmed to skip the work out but it is somem times the only thing that keeps me happy. I think the work out and the endorphins get all those bad feelings out. So even though its easy to want to skip please try and force your self to excersie, you will definatley feel better about yourself.
I know you can do it. I know I can do it, we just have to keep at it.

I'm much bigger in the lower body too I think everybody loses (and gains) weight differently, but from my personal experience, I definitely lose weight in the opposite order that I put it on. The first place I gain weight is in my legs, and that's where I've lost the least so far.

Hang in there!

Another big hip girl here. I have a small upper part and a huge lower part. I have big hips, big butt and big legs. I've been on my healthy eating plan since January and yeah I've noticed some loss in my lower half. Mostly in my legs (from walking everyday) but not as much as I'd like. I'm just keepin on keepin on. I try not to get discouraged but it's hard sometimes. I'm ready to drop a size in jeans but I guess it's not going to happen quite yet dangit!

I've noticed the biggest loss on my stomach, chest and hips. I've lost 3 inches off my chest, 4 off my stomach, and 3 or 4 off my hips. My thigs must've been the first place I put weight on. I've only lost an inch off of them! Everyone def. losses/gains weight differently, but it seems that most people here lose quicker on the upper body.

I can relate to this. I have been seeing a small decrease in my stomach. It seems to be the hardest part for me to lose. I hate it because there are days when I'm feeling really fit and then look in the mirror to see this huge (in my mind) hunk of fat hanging off of my belly. Chin up! We can get rid of it, it just takes time.

I've also seen a big difference in my upper body and not much in my lower body. I've lost a few inches off my hips (my big behind is no longer quite so big), but my thighs have yet to lose a millimeter. It's harder to notice when you are losing weight from your face, neck, and back. Taking measurements has definitely been good, because I can see that I lost two inches off my neck!

Thanks for all of your replies

I'm feeling a bit better now, even though I went clothes shopping today and couldn't find any pants that actually fit right. I'm so misproportioned though! When I buy shirts I have to get then big enough to fit around my hips, but then they're way too big in my arms and chest. Then I try to buy shirts that fit my upper body, but they are way too tight on my hips. And pants, blah. When I get pants that actually fit my hips they're too big in the stomach and butt areas, so it ends up making it look like they're bigger than they are. But when I buy pants that fit in those areas they squeeze the life out of my hips. Sucks, don't it?

Oh well! At least we're all on the right track

I have weird proportions too. I have a classic hourglass + big butt, even when I am really heavy I have a smallish waist[1]. I also have linebacker shoulders, and as such I am glad that I sew. I have NEVER found a suit that fit corrently. If it fits for shoulders/chest it's HUGE at the waist. Pants are the same way. If they fit hips/butt huge in the waist.

[1] When I was 170+ my waist was still 30 inches, when I am at ideal weight of 125 it's 23-24.

Hey fatbat I am curvy hourglass but with HUGE MONSTER TRUCK THIGHS!

My waist is indeed 28.5" at 170, I haven't lost a millimeter from my thighs since I started again last july and I've lost 21lbs since then!

I pm'd Meg who said that her legs were the last to slim down and she said yeah, def the legs were last to go! So maybe with my next 21lbs my legs might be able to fit into the size 8s as well as my butt!