Those at goal- are happy with your shape?

[MrsMiagi]

I haven't been a healthy BMI for so many years. I have lost almost 2 stones but still the same shape. I am exercising and eat plenty of protein. I have also lost tonnes of hair but that's another conversation :(
I think I imagined my shape would be like it was all those years ago but 2 children later, (one c section) I really dislike it. I still have another 2-3 stones to lose before I reach healthy BMI (lower due to my ethnicity) but for those who have reached goal, does it get better or do you rely on good shape wear?

I have lost 4 and a half stone and am now in the healthy BMI range, I’m happy with legs and shoulders, belly, upper arms are still flabby and have lots of loose skin which I’d prefer not to be the case, and ass is flat. I am working on toning and muscle development to try to improve it a bit. I have about 10lbs left to lose to hit the middle of the healthy BMI range which is my ultimate goal (and felt impossible 7 months ago).

Even with the flab and skin I wouldn’t want to go back to what I looked like before, so any and all improvements are a bonus at this point.

I’m very close to goal and I’m happy with my shape. It’s not exactly how it was pre-children but pregnancy and birth can permanently change your shape, even without excessive weight gain. I’ll always have slightly stretched, wrinkly skin on my stomach and a slight shelf above my c-section scar.

Can you articulate exactly what you’re unhappy with? What exercise are you doing?

I am most unhappy with my stomach and sides. Love handles I guess? My bum is also flatter. I am doing cardio at home or the gym for my heart but also lifting weights because I want to be stronger. Perhaps I need a PT to help with recomp. Can't really afford that and the jab at the moment! I agree i look better than I did and I am out of breath less often after walking up stairs

OK, a couple of things to pick up on:

If you have a tummy bulge which is not reducing as you lose weight then I would get checked for unresolved diastasis recti. It's so common but not widely diagnosed. A physio or a PT specialising in postnatal health will be able to diagnose it, and give you specialist exercises to heal it. It's important to do this first because if you do have diastasis recti then traditional ab exercises like crunches can make it worse. PTs are expensive but if there are any 'mum fit' type postnatal classes in your area run by a qualified PT then this is an affordable way to get some specialist advice.

'Mum bum' is a horrible name for a really common issue after pregnancy and if you Google there are lots of workouts online. It's to do with the postural changes from having a heavy bump, and will be exacerbated after weight loss if you have lost muscle.

As you probably know, cardio can't change your shape. For me, the thing which has made the most difference is Pilates and I'd highly recommend it. If you haven't focused on strengthening your core up to now you will notice a huge difference pretty quickly.

Thank you that's very helpful. I hadn't considered diastasis recti, there has been so much fat i wouldn't have realised!
I will also look into plates. I'm sure there are some beginner workouts I can find on line :)

I have lost weight but skin on belly has loose skin isn't ideal. It's my age, 51. I think it's as good as it gets. Lose arm skin. And worse, face. I'm lighting weights and gym and have finally taken step and had one filler and Botox. First time down this road. I think injecting opened a window. I actually am delighted as my nasolabial folds were bothering me and she suggested jawline on the day which actually. It's 2 weeks. The filler felt awful for 2 days but really I should have stopped losing weight as it gets a bit addictive the weight going down and lost sight of bigger picture

I am happy in general with my shape but still have big thighs (muscle and fat) and silly little boobs now, which I hope plenty of chest presses so some way to helping. Also hoping my neck pings back a bit.

I am nearly 11 months in and 7st 10lbs down.

Unlike you, I have no previous shape to compare to as I have been overweight pretty much since puberty so this has been a revelatory experience!!

Age and childbirth will have had a huge impact on your body. I am now only 4lbs from (the somewhat arbitrary!) goal I have set myself and have to accept my body will not look radically different to how it looks now (there’s a fair amount of skin😔). I am trying to focus on what it can DO rather than what it looks like. The joy of moving around in a body that is nearly half the size it was is immense and I marvel at how well I feel every day.

You will change shape a LOT over the course of the next 2-3 stone and strength/toning activities such as yoga and Pilates will make even more difference.

Stick with it and try to think about what your body can do - producing two children is pretty remarkable in itself.