Pear-Shaped Woes and Determination
Image from FabulousAfter40. Check out their clothing tips for short pear-shaped women.
There are many different female body types and over the years there have been many different ways to classify them. The most common methods are to assign shapes or fruit; for example, triangle, rectangle, hourglass or banana, apple, pear. In more scientific terms, there tends to be three general body types: ectomorphic (long and thin; harder time putting on weight), mesomorphic (athletic and muscular), and endomorphic (fuller-hipped, softer, and hard time getting lean).
I have figured out that I have a endomorphic body, and with my porportions-small bust, tiny waist, and large hips and thighs-I could also be called pear-shaped. That means that my weight tends to settle below the waist in my hips, thighs, and rear. Fortunately, there are less health risks associated with the pear-shape than with the apple-shape, those whose weight settles around the middle, due to the different type of fat that is stored. Also interestingly, it seems that variations of the pear-shape is the most common feminine form… Unfortunately, it means that it is harder to lose weight in the “problem” areas and takes considerable amount of effort to slim down and tone up. There has to be challenge to make things more fun, eh?
About a year ago, I gave up watching my weight and decided to focus on living a healthier, more active lifestyle instead. It has made a world of difference in my self-esteem. I have been keeping track of my measurements, though, and have been pleased to see that I have been gradually slimming down. It can still be frustrating when watch my waist narrow even more to 27 inches but my lower body seems stuck at around 41 inches. Technically, I’m a six 6 on top and a size 8 on bottom… but since I’m more “curvy” on bottom and not all size 8 slacks are designed for curvy women, sometimes size 8 slacks do not fit my thighs and ample derriere. It is nice to wear size 6 dresses, though, as long as they flare just a little around the hips.
Anyway, it is clear that I will not be slimming down any further on diet and moderate exercise alone. Fortunately, I bike almost two miles to work everyday for a total of about four miles. However, that is only keeping my weight constant, not helping to me to slim down further. So once I recuperate from this nasty head cold that I have, I am going to start going to the gym at my apartment complex and particularly start running again. I think the cardio, coupled with some circuit training, will help me to tone up. I have no illusions that I will ever be a waif-thin model, and though it has taken years, I have come to like my curves. However, I do realize that at the moment I am a bit too flabby and need to firm up.
2012 was the year that a few small but crucial diet changes helped me to lose a decent amount of weight. So even though I am not making any New Years resolutions this year, I guess you could say that I intend to use 2013 as the year I improve my overall physical fitness. In high school I ran cross country, and I would love to train myself back into shape and do a 5K maybe in the late Spring.