Has anyone else experienced a total change in their body shape *type*? Help!
 

Hello everyone.
All my life I have been a pear. I've always stored weight in my thighs, hips, lower stomach and butt. My stomach/upper body (other than upper arms) has never been a place where my body stores fat.

I am writing this because I am becomming alarmed, that the way my body is storing fat seems to be changing. up until recently my body shape has been the same as it always been, only slimmer. The past few days I've really started to notice that my usual high fat areas - thighs, butt, and lower stomach have all looked much, much slimmer. Of course, at first I was excited, I could fit into jeans that just a few days ago were tight. However, I soon started to notice I didn't really lose the fat, it only moved because my stomach looked much larger!

Before, my ribs were clearly visable and when I held in my stomach there was a pronounced indentations all around my ribcage and ribs clearly defined -- my upper body looked like I wasn't overweight more than 10 pounds, at most. Now, there is almost like a beer belly there, almost like I am pregnant. Even when I stuck in my stomach while lying down, I can't get my ribs to "stick out" like they used to (i could almost "pinch" the underside of my ribcage). The best I can get is my stomach to appear flat.

In short, my body seems to be changing from pear to apple. Fat is "moving" from my thighs, butt, and lower stomach to the stomach region of below ribs and above the navel.

This is very, very scary for me, not so much because of aesthetical reasons, but because health wise visceral fat tends to be an indicator of poor health.

Has anyone else experienced this before? Is it temporary? Why on earth would my body move fat to my stomach area? I am open to all suggestions. I just have no idea why this would happen...

(I should also mention that lately I have been very, very stressed and even a little depressed. Also I have been experiencing a tightness in my lungs/chest/throat, and breathing has sometimes been strained. If you think this has anything to do with whats going on don't hesitate to say something...)

ItsTheWoo, I don't know if this will help or not, but thought I'd share it. One of the books I read said that the fat tends to collect in the belly area in readiness for protection during pregnancy. I'm sorry I don't know which book since I've been reading so many lately. But maybe this will give you a place to start researching.

I know the fat redistributes, but I haven't read anything about where or how it places it. I do feel like my belly area is staying bigger than the other parts on me. It's the toughest area for a lot of women.

I hope you can find some answers.

Congrats on hitting your 150 early!!!

have u measured yourself? It's not likely that fat is moving to your stomach--more likely that you're loosing fat in other areas first (due to genetics, etc) and if u stick with the diet, u will then begin to loose fat off of your stomach. I have a similar problem--lost it in my thighs and arms....look incredibly lopsided but things are adjusting and will eventually even out (so i've been assured) :)
um, the stress/breathing thing is not good--i don't think its related, but i would get it checked out!

Hi there!

The tight chest throat and lungs and difficulty breathing on the background of stress and feeling low is likely to be panic attacks. Take some time to relax and treat yourself.

THis will definitely affect the way you see your body. FIrst of all get some objective measurements of your tummy and hips etc. Also there might be some changes in fat distribution, relative or real, that will all settle once you reach goal.

Speak to a friend (or us!) about your recent stresses etc, and if those tight feelings persist then see a doctor, other problems that cause those symptoms are asthma and allergies.

It very well may have something to do with it. Right now I'm reading a book called The Cortisol Connection, and in it, the author suggests that excess cortisol, the stress hormone, causes midriff weight gain.

that's true actually--there are many studies done on cortisol. You can get a cortisol test done--it sucks, but is easy. they take blood, give u a shot, u wait an hour, and they take blood again

The things you describe sound like an anxiety attack, but you might want to get checked out by a doctor, just in case......shortness of breath, tightness in chest can be a lot of things from acid reflux (heartburn, to anxiety, to your heart).

Want to let out any of your stress here?? We're here to support you. I know how hard it is for me to be on the diet and stressed!!