I'm 8stone 3 but feel bigger!

[Alicia870]

Hi all - hope this is interpreted in the right way. I am 5'3 and weight 8 stone 3. This was what I weighed before I got pregnant with my daughter who is now 6 months. So I've tried hard to lose baby weight and am feeling pleased with my efforts but I just feel that I don't look what I weigh.
I'm a size 8-10 and although I know that isn't big or anything, I would just love to be able to fit into just size 8. That is just my goal. But just don't get why I still fit in size 10 when I'm this weight. I feel that to lose weight when I'm now at this level means I have to cut calories even lower as I'm at a lower weight. Would exercise be the way to go here? I just want to aim to be in size 8 clothes exclusively!

Why ?

@roisinagusniamh everyone has a goal and that's the size I would like to be

Your shape will have changed with pregnancy, your hips and ribs can actually widen. It may have nothing to do with your weight. FWIW I'm 10st 7 and only 2 inches taller than you and a size 10. Everyone Carries it differently.

It's more a teenage girl's size.
10/12 is more realistic for an adult.
I'm 5'1 and size 10 .

Your body definitely changes after
Pregnancy you lay fat down differently. I also always say 9 months in 9 months out. Your body needs to recover from growing another human. So maybe up your excersises to see if that affects your body shape.

Size 8 isn't just a teenage girl size. It all depends on body shape. I'm 5ft 1 and am size 8 on the bottom half and 8-10 on top when I am about 8.5 stone. Clothes fit people differently.

You should be proud of your hard work, but please don't restrict calories even further of you're at a healthy weight. Eat sensibly, stay active - see where that gets you at the one year mark.

It may be that your hips or other bones have literally changed shape - in which case no amount of dieting will get you back to a previous exact clothes size.

Thanks everyone - I do still feel that there is fat that I could lose though especially around the middle!
Anyone else out there who is around this weight and wanting to lose some further pounds? I think just a few pounds would probably make a big difference - but I feel that at this stage weight loss is slowing down because its just harder to lose weight the less you weigh. Am I right about that?!

roisin that’s bollocks!!

alicia I’m 5’4 and weigh just under 9st. I have found that since having children my hips have changed shape. And now I’ve hit 35 I easily hild podge in my middle.
I find not eating bread, cakes or biscuits really helps. It means I can eat anything else then too!

I’m an 8/10 on bottom and an 8 on top

You might have separated stomach muscles, especially if you had a big bump (which happens often with shorter mothers). If so then it’s physio you need, and very careful specific exercises, not weight loss.

I would suggest getting a physio or a good Pilates teacher to check if you have separated muscles and go from there. Don’t do lots of crunches or planks as will make it worse.

At 5’3 and 8 st 3 I would expect you to be a size 8 - I am 5’3 and about 8 st 7 or 8 and I am in a size 8. Hence wondering whether you have a stomach muscle issue.

Oh and it’s nonsense that size 8 is for teenage girls.

I don't think losing weight would be helpful or healthy, you're much better off doing some exercise to tone up your muscles so you're closer to the shape you want to be.

I’m that height and try to stay around 8stone as if I go up to 8 stone 3 or 4 I start to feel bloated and clothes don’t fit as well. 3 or 4 pounds makes a difference at that height, particularly if you have a small frame

Thanks ladies - I did have ab separation and did post natal Pilates and 1:1 physio and have worked hard to try to close the gap. I'm sure there is a bit of a separation still there but physio told me it's not always possible to get rid of that completely. I'm doing hiit about 2-3 times a week and weight training once a week and try to maintain a calorie deficit. But it is difficult when u need less maintenance calories in the first place. It really is just my tummy that bothers me. I could fit in lots of size 8 clothes but some are just a bit snug so I just want to feel comfy in them. Maybe I'll have to work harder at the diastasis

@Teenageromance yea I think a loss of 3-4 pounds would make a big difference actually

And in terms of health, my bmi would still be in the medium range of normal even if I lost 3-4 pounds. At my height I think I could go to 7.5 stone and still be in the healthy range!

I'm 5'5 and 9st 0 and looking to lose half a stone, also a size 8-10. If I calculate my BMI on the NHS calculator it's in the middle of the green healthy range, nowhere near underweight. Size 8 is not just a teenage girl size, especially with vanity sizing, it depends a lot on your shape and build.

Ah ok you know all about the separation thing then ignore me!

Bit personal but... are you regular...? I find my tummy varies hugely depending on how recently I did a poo!

I would be cautious about reducing calories further tbh, especially with lots of exercise going on.

Oh except one thing - I see your baby is 6 months. I gained weight at that time as I was BF but dd was weaning and quickly eating more solids so taking much less milk. But I kept eating the same as when she’d been fully BF - obviously I didn’t need the same amount of food so gained weight. Could that apply to you?

I'm the same op, I have a bit of a belly due to diastis recti, and it is really starting to bug me. It's not as bad as some, but I did used to be a size 8, so it's getting to me that I've got it. But then I'm nearly 40 now, my body is changing. Diastasis recti can come back I think, I've not really done anything about it yet but I'm going to start trying to fix mine. A lot of exercises can make it worse so make sure what you're doing isn't actually having a bad effect. And good luck.

I'm not bf so unfortunately don't have the extra calorie burn! Stopped it at 6 weeks. True about that regularity thing - that could be affecting it. I do find in the morning I feel much smaller and flatter than after I eat any food, but I guess that's the same for everyone. I know that if I dropped a few more pounds it would have a big effect but as some people have said dropping calories isn't great. I have had tendencies to eat obsessed with calories before and really don't think it's healthy to focus too much on that. Perhaps just maintaining an active lifestyle will help 🤷‍♀️

Is it just me or does it definitely get harder to drop weight the lower your weight gets!

@ImTakingTheEssence I'm sorry you have that attitude. I never asked for sympathy and who is making anything a competition? I have been a specific size my whole life, it's just how I have always been built. I got pregnant and put on weight and have worked super hard to lose weight. I just wanted some advice on how best to approach fitting in my old clothes in a healthy way. I didn't mean to cause any offence

I also found my body changed size even though I weighed exactly the same, my feet are now more than a size bigger, calves bigger, stomach, it all just changed size so I was no longer petite. You already do a lot of exercise and eat calorie controlled, only you can say if you want to spend even more time and energy doing more than both as that's clearly what you'd have to do to lose more weight.