Okay.... I haven't been losing weight at all.
But I haven't gained anything. ^_^

but the question is, does fat shift around, because for the past two weeks I've notice that my belly is getting bigger @_@ but I'm not gaining anything. My new pants don't fit anymore and my shirts are getting tight.

I don't get it @_@

I've always wondered the same thing, because I've often kept clothes that I "grew" out of, only to find when I lost the weight again, they didn't fit the same way even though I had reached the same weight I was at when they fit right.

I say yes just because when I was pregnant I didn't gain weight, but my belly got bigger.

If you're eating more fiber than usual you could just be bloated. My stomach can get really out there if I overdo it with too much fiber or gassy foods!

kaplods, I noticed the same thing. When I would lose weight before, I was thinner in the stomach and bigger in the hips and thighs. Now, I am thinner in the hips and legs and bigger in the stomach.

I think it can/does. Not sure how, but I think it shifts before it leaves.

I think it does too....or something like that. This time, last year, I was wearing size 8 clothes. Now, even though I'm only 3 pounds up from my goal weight, I can barely get into a size 10 with some clothes. I think my belly has gotten bigger too!!!

It's not so much that fat "shifts" but rather your body distributes the weight differently with age. I know that when I was 32yo, I weighed 158, I wore a size 8-10. Now I'm 43, I'm 158ish and wear a 12-14. (dammit)

Also, weight lifting exercise ... you can lose fat, but gain muscle, and the scale might not move, but your clothes WILL fit differently.

I think I have something like that happening too. I have a little tummy left (at least it's little when I'm standing), in that very low tummy area. As it is slowly shrinking, it looks like the fat is being gradually redistributed to the sides and hip bone area.

I don't mean that those areas are getting all of the fat, but as the skin tightens I think it's pulled out to the sides and in.

Now fat elsewhere (batwings) isn't budging - but a large % of that is loose skin. I need to return to weights exercise and see if I can help that stuff along on it's way out.

Plus - as one area shrinks, other areas may appear bigger or fatter because we are used to looking at them relative to the original 'fat' area (ie. my mid-back area seemed bigger when my butt finally shrunk and reshaped enough to became seperate from my back and thighs).

I think fat shrinks in one area leaving the area next to it appear larger. I know my stomach appears larger to me now than it did 6 months ago despite losing weight. I know it can't be after losing 59 lbs. I did stop doing stomach crunches at the gym because that was making my tummy stick out more and since stopping it is going down a little. When I get to my goal I will start doing crunches again and see what happens.
Terrie

I have an injured ankle and have been unable to exercise for almost 3 weeks. I was doing an hour a day on the treadmill. I am starting to notice now that my once very thin legs are looking a little bigger, but my tummy is getting flatter and waist of jeans is looser. I am sticking on-program with my eating.

If you're working out religiously, it's most likely muscle bloat. I had that for a good three weeks. Then, once my body adjusted, it just disappeared overnite (and took a few inches with it!). Drink lots of water a cut out salt - eat bananas to avoid calf cramps. That should help flush out any possible bloat.

I'm no scientist, but I think this is right. I think as we get older, our bodies change and distributes it differently, especially after having babies. I can't speak for anyone else, but I know for my own body, it was never the same again after having my first baby. I didn't gain the same, I didn't loose the same way. Come to think of it, the way I gained/lost weight wasn't the only thing that changed

is it possibly that time of the month? That always does it for me.