Question:
do many other people change their body proportions?

my open rny was 11/07/02, and while i've lost 85 lbs, i'm on the plateau from hell (though i suspect that we all think that OUR plateaus are worse than anyone else's)... i've noticed that my proportions have changed... i've been losing more from my arms and legs than from my middle.....i mean by the time my waist fits into my smaller slacks, the legs and butt are waaaay too big! is this common, or is it just peculiar to me?? to be honest, i'm having some difficulty with this, as my whole body image is now so different that i don't recognise myself in photos.    — tuxedoll (posted on March 2, 2003)

March 2, 2003
I have the same problem! I have lost 136 lbs BUT still have a slightly big tummy, too much extra skin. My legs are thin and my butt is flat but droopy. When I find pants that fit my waist, they are too baggy in my legs! I bought a pair of maternity jeans because they are bigger in the tummy area. It worked! I can't wait for summer so I can wear shorts and not worry about it too much! Congrats on the weight loss... Keep up the good work!!! Your plateau will break... have faith!! (open rny 11/8/01 -136 lbs...currently 159 lbs and lovin' it!!)
   — Laurie L.

March 2, 2003
Me too! I keep hoping that the abdomen will go down next but I don't know, I'm almost at goal weight.
   — Darlene P.

March 2, 2003
Yes, I am having the exact same problem and I only have 40 pounds to go. But I have a friend that had her surgery a month before me and the last place she lost was in her stomach and bra size. Seems to be typical.
   — joeandteri

March 3, 2003
I went through that when i had my c-section, and now i'm 6 weeks post op and i have lost over 30lbs and i would be able to fit into a smaller pants if it werent for my bloated up belly. I feel like i'm freaking pregnant now. I think it can take a while for youre stomach to go back down from having surgery. But if you dont think thats the reason i would try some crunches, i was only able to do 2 crunches when i started doing them last summer and i worked up to 3 sets of 12 crunches and I was so happy with the results of doing them. To do them correctly with out putting strain on your neck make a fist and hold it with the opposite hand and put it under your neck so your arms are on your chest and tuck your chin ontop of your hands. Then try one and do another exercise for a rest and try another and keep trying every day or every other day until you can do as many as you feel you should beable to do in one rep. Also, You will notice a change soon with crunches. Back in the summer i went from tight 26's to 24's and i went through depression and stuff and quit working out and went back to tight 26's. I'm lighter then i was last summer but i still fit a 26 cause I cant do my stomach exercises until my doctor says I can. Good luck with it, dont get discouraged, you are starting a new life and like a baby you had to start eating all over again and you can do the same for exercising, take small steps till you get where you want to be and then just maintain.
   — rachel W.

March 3, 2003
My waist was the LAST place I lost weight. However, I had always had a big butt and hips and now there the smallest things on me!! I'm a size 4 on the bottom now. At surgery I was a size 24!! Proportions do change, although I'm sure walking 5 days a week for 8 months didn't hurt either!!
   — Patty H.