Have you ever gained a little weight, then lost it, then found...

[velouriaL]

..that your body appears to have changed a bit?

Over the last couple of months, I''ve gained and lost a little bit of weight (maybe a range of 10 - 15 lbs or so), but I find that even though the weight is off, and I''ve been exercising, my clothes fit funny.

I''m a big fan of the "zipper test" to see when I''ve been over-indulgent in food rather than obsessing over numbers on scales (as I am prone to do), and this is throwing me all off! Plus, I *like* my clothes and I want them to fit like they did before!

Has this ever happned to anyone else? What can I do about it?

 

[ame]

Are you more muscular maybe? I think that my clothes never fit the same way twice. As stupid as that sounds...

 

[velouriaL]

Maaaybe, but it doesn''t seem like it. Maybe differently muscular... I actually seem more flabby, though. Maybe I''m just (sigh) hitting my mid-20s...

 

[moremoremore]

ha. wait til you turn 30!

 

[hlmr]

Date: 7/22/2005 11:06:27 PM
Author: moremoremore
ha. wait til you turn 30!

and ha, ha when you''re approaching 40.

Heather

 

[velouriaL]

My mother had stayed in almost the exact same perfect shape-- above the neck AND below-- since she was in her 20s, and also claims that her 30s were her best-feeling and best-looking years.

Too bad I''m adopted. No fountain-of-youth genes for me!

 

[diamondfan]

A nutritionist I talked to once said that our bodies are cycling through changes every 7 years...and I think as we age our metabolism slows, and we react to things differently. I am almost 40 and have three kids, and though I always lost all the weight, my body is different for sure. Not fun when you cannot wear your favorites...

 

[Momoftwo]

You never lose it in the same order or places that you gain it. You may gain more in your waist and hips and then when you lose, it''s in your chest and a little elsewhere. You just never know. Also, as women age the tendancy is for extra weight to go to your waist and even if you dont'' gain weight, you will get thicker. It''s hormonal.

 

[Bagpuss]

Date: 7/22/2005 11:06:27 PM
Author: moremoremore
ha. wait til you turn 30!

and ha, ha when you''re approaching 40.
Heather

and ha, ha, ha when you''re over 50!

 

[hlmr]

Date: 7/23/2005 8:44:11 AM
Author: Bagpuss

Date: 7/22/2005 11:06:27 PM
Author: moremoremore
ha. wait til you turn 30!

and ha, ha when you''re approaching 40.

Heather

and ha, ha, ha when you''re over 50!

I was waiting for someone to post that!!

LOL

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/23/2005 8:44:11 AM
Author: Bagpuss

Date: 7/22/2005 11:06:27 PM
Author: moremoremore
ha. wait til you turn 30!

and ha, ha when you''re approaching 40.

Heather

and ha, ha, ha when you''re over 50!

You guys for forgot to mention after you have a baby (or two)!

 

[Mara]

I like how your body changes from year to year... or decade to decade. I find it interesting. I have recently lost about 10 lbs in the last 3 months, so I'm back to pre-wedding weight but yet I look better now than I did at my wedding (or so I think anyway), and especially in areas like my abs I can see more positive changes, could be attributed to healthier eating and a different type of exercise, I am doing more walking and toning than kickboxing in the last 3 months, just to see what sort of differences it makes. I am more 'lean' than buffed at this point. So I think it depends on alot of things, your diet, your exercise regime or if you have one or not, also your age, etc.

Sounds like it's time to get a new wardrobe!!

 

[Kaleigh]

10 lbs in 3 months is very good Mara. I like my body right now. I am pretty lean and feel better this way. I fluctuated the most when I was in my late 20''s after having my kids. If my clothes get too tight I just eat better and that seems to work so far. But being 43, I know the time is going to come when I''m going to have to do more than that!!!!

 

[Mara]

I fluctuate due to seasons mostly...I always look better in the summer because of how revealing summer clothes are! But in winter I crave comfort food so I end up packing on about 10 winter pounds. Thankfully I am tall, about 5''8" so it is hidden okay but I know what my body looks like with and without that 10 lbs!

Right now I have been on a serious walking kick, doing about 8 miles a week which keeps me AND Portia in shape, and then doing the Core Secrets workouts at home with the ball, fun stuff. Lots of cool yummy salads which is good because it''s hot. Funny thing is when I eat something now that is comfort food, I feel sick....I wish that could happen in winter too. But in winter I want warm stuff, not cold salads and fruit!

 

[Kaleigh]

In the winter I want mashed potatoes with lots of butter and roasted chicken with gravy. I also eat more candy then too. It starts after halloween, when I sneak into my kids candy bags. Oh then the holidays come and then it's like what the heck happened???

 

[Mara]

I give up around the holidays, like anyone could stay on a healthy regime when surrounded by Pumpkin Pie, Mashed Potatoes, Yule Log, Egg Nog and Christmas Pork Tamales? No way!

 

[appletini]

Velouria: Right about the time I turned 24 my hips started to expand and I had a pesonal trainer at that time. She was a few years older than me and told me that this is normal around the ages of 23-25. Also even though I was doing lots of crunches and ab execises, I noticed my middle seemed to be getting better, and none of clothes fit right. I bought new pants for work so I could be comfortable. After a few months after I quit working out with the trainer, my body started to "slim" down some. I think the ab exercises built too much muscle so I got larger that way.

 

[mrs jam]

After my mom passed away, I did a lot of eating for comfort and packed on quite a few pounds. I''m 5''9", so I was able to carry it better than I would have been able to without the height, but I felt awful. I lost it all and then some a couple of months ago, and now I have no butt! I mean none! My husband is constantly asking me where my butt went. I can''t decide whether I like being buttless or not; it depends on the clothes.

 

[IrishEyes]

it''s funny how your body changes as you age. I''m only 25, but already I''m seeing the signs of age on my body, signs I saw on my mother and swore wouldn''t happen to me!!

Most of my life I was thin, usually about 118-120 lbs at 5''2". When I was younger, everything was firm and tight, even if I overate, which I usually did. When I got back from basic training in the Army, I was down to 108 lbs which was WAY too thin for me! I felt like a waif, even though I was all muscle from the training. But I quickly went back to about 115 or so when I started eating like normal again. When I got sent to Iraq, I overate constantly for comfort and to aide my depression over being away from home and seeing awful things all the time. Even though it was in the 140 degree range, I was one of the few people in my unit to actually gain weight, and I went up to 145 lbs., way too big for my petite frame.

When I finally got home, I worked out and ate right for a few months and lost all the weight, and I''m now hovering between 118 to 120 again. This time however, I''ve noticed that even though I''m a size 4 again, my clothes fit differently in different places than they did a few years ago. My thighs are slightly flabbier and my butt is bigger ( Dh loves it

) and I feel thin, but kinda "loose"

. I''ve been hitting the gym occasionally to work on my arms and legs to tone them up, but it''s taking awhile. So I do think that your body structure changes with age, even if you get down to your "high school weight", you will most likely carry the weight in different places now that you are older...

The biggest thing that bothers me is that I''m starting to see little spots of varicose veins on my legs. My mom has them like crazy, and I don''t want to have them! They are so unsightly, i''ve heard there is a laser that can remove them, but I have to look into that, and Im sure i''d have to wait until later when they are worse before having them removed. But they are ugly

 

[dazedland]

My mom had varicose veins removed when she was 43, they apparently get worse after you have children so if you are planning on having any after you give birth would be the time to get them removed. Her insurance covered it, I think it makes it painful as well as unsightly. I will definitely have them, I don''t yet (I''m 26) but it''s inevitable.

 

[IrishEyes]

No children for us, we are adopting. Hmm, maybe that will ward them off!! My mom has waitressed for like 30 years, so that could be part of it, being on her feet forever.

I''m just glad I don''t have cellulite yet!! I''m hoping to be in my late 30''s before that comes around!

 

[ursulawrite]

I feel that my body has improved in recent years. Now 28, I have plenty of muscle definition and serious strength that I didn''t have previously.

I take after my dad''s side of the family -- the whippets -- and even during my days of 30 units of alcohol a week, daily meat pies, fries and not walking anywhere, I only weighed 115lbs, at 5''7. I''m more like 110lbs now but I have the thinnest wrists and ankles known to man. At school I was so ashamed by my skinny pins that I would wear three pairs of leggings to make my legs look thicker!