Change your body shape with TF?

[Franci]

Hi.

I'm curious to know if a TF diet has had any impact on your body shape.

I read Deep Nutrition and the author says how going on a traditional diet affected her body shape, especially cutting the sugars.

I'm a classic apple shape and for obvious reasons I worry about the health implications about storing fat around the intestines.

Here another interesting link from the same author website.

It's true that I had a baby only 3 months ago and in the last 4 years I'm lacking good sleep, but I'm always been quite large at my waist although I'm not overweight and the only time I was very slim on my waist I was on a starvation mode.

[rockycrop]

I've been thinking about this lately as well, as I had a baby 2 months ago.  The weight is just not coming off like it did with my first, and I've been thick around the middle since I had my first.

But I've been wondering if our expectations for our bodies are too high?  Is the dangerous belly fat measurement based off men's bodies?  (I was told I had an unhealthy amount of belly fat when I joined a gym a couple years back).

Are women who've had babies supposed to be more rounded?  Was watching this video of the Zoe people in South America: (warning: lots of nudity) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPQmsplU7do and none of the women look muscular/how I think I should be looking.  Not that they are the end all, be all of traditional eating body types.

I was also thinking about the history of mothers and exercise.  I imagine there was a lot of walking/slow plodding/kneeling/squatting, but nothing too intensive like running (hard to carry a baby and run, plus the boob factor).

Would love to hear other's opinions on this!

[prancie]

All those women in the video looked like normal humans to me.  The look we see in magazines or on tv are exceptions to normal.  those women may or may not be healthy while being thin and/or muscular.  just like the proof of the pudding is in the eating, they proof of your health is in the living.  so, do you get sick often? do you recover at a normal rate or are your illnesses protracted?  do you get injured easily and when you do, how quickly do you heal?   and ultimatley, how long do you live and in what state of health?  

 I have had 2 kids and I still look a little bit pregnant.  I wonder if it is just that my uterus is stretched out, or did i collect fat around my intestines while i was pregnant.  it's tough when even the books of traditional diet don't address the physiology or pregnant or recently pregnant women.  

[prancie]

also, not all traditional cultures had traditions that were the best for mankind.  they worked with what they had

[CaraboosMama]

Nina Planck's book about nutrition during pregnancy (Real Food for Mother & Baby) is a good one for pregnancy, post-partum & toddler nutrition from a TF perspective. 

I think there is a certain amount of "this is your body type" that does not change despite TF eating...but there is a big difference between a well nourished, muscular & lean "apple" body type, and an overweight, SAD eating "apple" - does that make sense?   Eating traditonally has definitely changed my body (healthwise & shape), but exercise is a big part of the shape change too.  Hope this is helpful & not too vague:)

[GrassFedBeauty]

While you cannot change your body shape, you can change where you store fat.  Healthy women will usually store what fat they do have around their hips and thighs as storage for when they have a baby growing inside of them and need the extra energy.  As an apple shape, you probably store a little more visceral fat than someone who is a pear shape and this could have health implications.  By changing your diet you can change where you store fat and this will likely also improve your health.

[littlest birds]

I disagree that eating the right diet will change where you store fat.  I am "a healthy woman" and I don't store my fat primarily around my hips and thighs.

I am a lean and healthy version of the "apple" type.  I have broad shoulders, a wide waist, and narrow hips/butt, just enough so that I do not look very curvy.  I am kind of straight up and down.  I don't believe this would change with any diet.  Even well-toned my waist is not slender.  It's just a wide chunk of muscle.  I don't store much fat, and it seems to first be just a little extra layer distributed over a large area when I do.  That's about right for natural healthy rhythms like baby-growing and winter's energy stores.   If I go beyond that and get overweight it lands around my middle.  My mother has a barrel shape.

I have been vegetarian in the past (over twelve years ago for five years), I have been an casual omnivore for at least five years, I have recently eaten primal for several months, and now I remain low-carb/low-grain and eat the TF healthy fats, raw milk, etc.  I am not getting a round tush and hips from it. 

My exercise patterns (helped very much by my improved energy levels due to diet changes) have made a much bigger difference than diet directly has for my physique.  Biking and walking a lot has made a big difference for me.

It would not occur to me to want the body shapes of any particular traditional culture.  There are so many variations!  I am convinced that whatever type of body I get when I eat moderately of natural foods while engaging in active work and play along with constantly transporting myself via walking is my own "native" type.  I also try to approach food as though I were facing a bit of scarcity, so not too much feasting.  Getting out of the habit of full plates plus seconds has really helped my family's health and mood.

[newcastlemama]

Cool video!

For me sleeping makes a big difference for weight(and mood!)..When I am chronically sleep deprived I have a bigger belly and it is harder to lose weight. My 2nd child is 3yo and just started sleeping better and my new baby is a good sleeper so I actually feel good in general now after years of bad sleep.  I think that is why I held onto 8-10 pounds after my 2nd pregnancy (My ND thought so too...she thought I probably had mild adrenal problems from exhaustion).  

My 3rd baby is 2 mos old and I think it takes longer for the body to go back after each pregnanacy. Plus you're taking care of more kids every time which leaves less time and energy for other stuff.

I agree with  Prancie...I aim for feeling strong and healthy than if I can get "skinny" (which I can't..i am more of an hourglass shape with muscle). It is true for me though that I will carry weight more in my thighs than my upper body when I am healthy (sleeping, excercising ect).

[GrassFedBeauty]

It sounds like you are already a pretty lean person and don't carry much fat anyways.  The healthier you are, the less you store fat around your viscera (apple shape) and the more you store it in your hips and thighs (pear shape).  However, like I said, this only goes for fat and your musculature and bone structure are permanent.

[littlest birds]

So because people are healthier they get round hips instead of tummies?  Then I could probably guess how people eat by looking at their hips and bellies, right?

And what food should I eat if I want (for vanity's sake) to get fat in the right places?  Granted, I am not trying to get rid of any fat I already have.  I just want to add on a nice plump tush and hips to look better.  Every time in my life I have gained weight it's been tummy.  What's wrong with me? 

[alittlesandy]

Originally Posted by littlest birds 
  Every time in my life I have gained weight it's been tummy.  What's wrong with me? 

I've also read that stress can produce an excess of cortisol, which can cause us to store fat in our abdomen instead of our hips and thighs. From watching the video, it also looks like some women have a larger tummy than others. Maybe that's just natural? Finally, I've also noticed that yogis and belly dancers have "soft" abs and/or round bellies.

[prancie]

well, i've read that chronic weight gain in the tummy, underdeveloped hips and boyish figures could possibly be caused by your hormones not working correctly in puberty, perhaps due to diet.  I don't know if this is true, but it is an interesting theory.  The book, Deep Nutrition talks about that and she makes the argument that it's nutritionally related.

[littlest birds]

I was joking.  There's nothing wrong with me.  I'm not boyish and actually feel quite balanced all around.  I'm just naturally thick-waisted but I am not carrying much fat right now.  I find this whole idea a little far-fetched because I see so much of it being genetic. And it seems judgmental to think you can tag women as having a certain diet just by looking at them. 

I think there are a lot of women who store fat in their butts and thighs more than their abdomen who don't have very good diets at all, but they do look just like their moms.

I've had a few different diets but never different body shape.  So yeah, skeptical.

[rockycrop]

May I present this to the jury:

Albrecht Durer's "Studies on the Proportions of the Female Body" 1528

[IsaFrench]

that 's a rather protruding tummy ....

[erthe_mama]

That looks like my body... lol