Is weight loss harder for Pear shaped women?
 

I'm going crazy. I'm staying on this diet with little or no cheating and my weight just fluctuates 2 to 3 pounds a week! My arms look a little thinner to me but my hips and thighs won't budge! My pants and skirts do not feel any looser! I'm starting to lose my enthusiasm. Please respond, especially if you are a successful pear shaped loser. I need some encouragment!

I don't know if body shape has anything to do with losing good or not. But I do know that the fat on the hips and middle is always the last and slowest to leave. It is hard to judge your situation because I do not know how long you have been following your eating style or excatly what you are eating. I would think that you need to get your fats in to help you body get into gear.

One way to look at it is, you may be fluctuating right now, but you are not doing a steady climb up on the scale.

This was yesterdays menu:
breakfast: 3 eggs and 1/4 cup veggie meat (I'm a vegetarian), with a slice of swiss cheese. Veggie meat has 2 net carbs in 1/3 cup. Water to drink.

lunch: two veggie dogs (w/out bun) with mayo and mustard and a glass of crystal light lemonade.

Snack: Atkins shake and a slice of cheese.

Dinner: White fish (I eat fish) fried in keto crumbs, with a spinich salad and balsamic vinagrette dressing. Crystal light lemonade to drink.

Dessert: a slice of low carb bread with natural peanut butter and splenda sprinkled on top.

I also drink at least 64 ounces of water, usually more, every day.

Well, you've got 15 pounds to lose. The closer you get to goal, the slower it is. I've taken three months to shed the last three pounds I lost.
It doesn't look like a lot of food, and it sure isn't a lot of veggies. You can slow down your metabolism by eating too little. Many people have lost more when they started eating more veggies, even if it upped their carbs & calories.
You don't want the body thinking there's a famine out there. It will then hang onto your fat storage, and we ladies know where THAT is.
As for me, I was always pear shaped. Look at me from the waist up, and I could lose a few pounds. Look at me from the waist down, and you see I could lose a few dozen.
That was then, of course. I love the way I look now.
The only other suggestion I might have is checking the protein content of those veggie meats (since I'm not that familiar with them.) You should be getting half your ideal body weight in grams of protein per day.
Since you are shooting for 135, that would be at least 75 grams of protein a day (since on low carb, the body needs protein not only for its protein needs, but also extra to convert into glucose as needed.) Without enough protein, the body lowers your metabolism, and thus your weight loss.

A few thoughts:

1. Check the sodium content of your veggie meat and dogs. Since they are processed, the sodium content may be high, causing water retention.

2. Is your veggie meat soy-based? Soy can cause some people to stall/slow. If it is, consider switching to something else - a TVP product, for instance - temporarily to see if that makes a difference. For instance, buy TVP granules from a health food store and rehydrate them yourself - that way you will avoid both soy and the extra sodium.

3. The Atkins shakes and bars can cause some people to stall/slow.

4. Water, water, water! I'd suggest aiming for at least 100 oz. per day.

I'm more or less pear shaped, and conscientious (key word here) low carbing has worked for me for 7 years, and helped me lose 40 pounds. I also try to minimise the amount of processed foods I consume.

Mil

Ok thanks for all the information. I'm definately NOT getting half my ideal body weight in protein! And my veggie meat is indeed made with soy :(. So - More water, more veggies, more protein, more food!!!! Thanks again!

this is a question that i wondered about myself. I started this WOL at 152 now i way 144-145. Went to the mall yesterday and still could NOT fit size 10/11 jeans comfortably talk about a disappointment. I even felt llike i was looking smaller. I felt like my body would be in a 9/10 at least. I am very much PEAR SHAPE. I have a small upper body and wide hips and medium size thighs. my thighs even looked smaller to me. I seriously dont know what to do and am getting very discouraged. :cry:

I want to add a couple of other thoughts:

1. total caloric intake - make sure it doesn't drop too low - try to keep it above 1200 calories.

2. fat percentage - - be sure to keep your fat percentages up, at least to 65-70%. If you're not sure what your current intake is, you can set up a free account at www.fitday.com to keep track of your food to make sure you're doing that, at least in the beginning.

Some good ways to increase both: Avocado is great way, and 1/2 per day is allowed on induction. Olive oil, butter, mayo - all good ways to boost fat and calories.

Mil

Check out this thread.
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=23367

I have similar woes - but about my bellyfat. Seems I get nice and lean everywhere except the belly. You have to stay at it long enough ( with modifications of course as your body changes) to hit the really hard fat that doesn't want to leave. In a pear's case, the hipp/butt/thigh fat.

Plus - if you're feeling smaller you probably are. You can lose fat in all kinds of places that wont show in your clothing size - wrists, neck, bust, ankles feet.... it's discouraging not to see dramatic losses like some other people and to not turn into a bikini goddess within a month, but there are so many more benefits to eating this way than sudden weight loss.

take care - and keep at it.
Meg

Girl, I feel your pain. If I were any more pear-shaped, I'd have a stem sprouting from my head. (My starting measurements were 42-38-50. They are now 40-33.5-44.)

One of the reasons that bottom-heavy fat is sticky is that all the estrogen we produce encourages it to be there. That's why you don't see a lot of pear-shaped men. On one hand, that's a good thing because it means that we produce enough estrogen. (I've noticed that every single woman I've ever known who had fertility problems was top-heavy or straight up-and-down rather than pear-shaped or hourglass.) OTOH, it's a big pain to have big hips.

I recommend the book Escape Your Shape by Edward Jackowski. I think I got mine for $7 or so on Amazon. In it, he describes the four basic body shapes (we are known as spoons; the other shapes are cones, rulers, and hourglasses) and details the exercises required to change those shapes. I haven't started the workout yet, but my little sister has been doing it for three weeks, and she's seeing results already. This book is GREAT, although it goes against the establishment somewhat. (But hey, so does low-carbing, right?) For instance, did you know that spoons should never do lunges, squats, or kick-boxing?

Okay, I sound like an ad. But it really is a great book, simple and to-the-point.

Oh, and I second everything that Milhafre said.

I seem to remember we are not suppose to have balsamic vinegar as it is high in sugar. Check the book, I think that's where I read it. You learn along the way.
I know I was not losing and was having that vinegar. Stopped and started losing.

Oh you might want to quit the crystal light if it's not slpenda sweetened.
DO you count net carbs ot total carbs?

Ok, how much sodium should I be aiming for a day? And also in the crystal light it says it's made with succralose, and I believe that's the same thing as Splenda. Anybody know? Also when I drink it I mix it half with water and put the other half in the fridge, it's too sweet for me straight. I'll check out that book Frecklfluf. Thanks for all the help you guys! If I was able I'd give you all a hug.

Yes, sucralose is Splenda.