So both my boyfriend and my mum have commented on my posture recently - completely valid - but I just didn't realise how bad my posture is!

I don't know about anyone else, but when I was at my heaviest I just always walked around with a slump - sometimes without realising it. Maybe just to make myself smaller.

But now I have lost a significant amount, I feel more confident, but I am still slouching when I walk and it is definitely noticeable!

Any tips on how to hold myself better? ?

exercise! strengthen your back, glutes, core!

pay special attention to your shoulder and scapula positioning to be efficient and not promote further undesirable form

and when ur just walking or sitting around, try to remember to consistently stack your shoulders over your hips (you may have to squeeze ur shoulders together and/or tilt your pelvis, and or "bring your bellybutton towards your spine"...this basically means engage your abdominals, kinda like bracing urself for a punch in the stomach...

sounds like alot, (and at first it will feel like alot), but after awhile it becomes muscle memory

good luck!

There is a new sports bra (that Taylor Swift made viral) that is supposed to help with posture. I am thinking about getting one when I go into maintenance phase. They are expensive so I don't want to buy on when I'm still losing. I have terrible posture, both from being overweight and also being a reader, so I look into it a lot. There is also a device that you stick on your back and it vibrates when you need to sit up straight; I have thought about getting that one too.

https://forme.science/collections/women

I struggle with a slight slump after carrying 290 pounds on a five foot frame for years - SO I gave myself some grace here - as I hope you will, too. Several exercises that have helped - standing erect and doing front and back swimming breast stroke in the air. It feels great. Also stretch every morning with your hands as high as they can go. Rolling of the shoulders forward and back. I learned all these and more in a great water aerobics class. Walking daily in good athletic shoes conscious of your posture position not to lean forward helps your body to realign. Walking is the best!

Oh, the slumping. Yep me too. I think it was because I didn’t have a tummy to prop me up anymore. A friend told me her husband pokes her when she’s slouching to remind her to sit or stand up straight. I don’t have a husband (ha!) so it’s become a conscious habit to check my posture regularly. I even do it when sitting on the toilet. LOL! Am I sitting/standing up straight? Are my shoulders down & back? Is my weight balanced between my feet (not leaning)?

But yes, as @ms.sss suggested, work on your core muscles, glutes & back. Even simple shoulder rolls can help. Takes time to relearn & retrain your muscles though.

17 hours ago, ms.sss said:

exercise! strengthen your back, glutes, core!

pay special attention to your shoulder and scapula positioning to be efficient and not promote further undesirable form

and when ur just walking or sitting around, try to remember to consistently stack your shoulders over your hips (you may have to squeeze ur shoulders together and/or tilt your pelvis, and or "bring your bellybutton towards your spine"...this basically means engage your abdominals, kinda like bracing urself for a punch in the stomach...

sounds like alot, (and at first it will feel like alot), but after awhile it becomes muscle memory

good luck!

I've currently started back at the gym so I have a basic full body workout to get me used to it, and then I will see if I can add some more exercises to strengthen those areas! Any suggestions?

I am trying really hard to concentrate on straitening out my back as I sit at a desk most days! Your advice really helps and allows me to visualise it so thank you!

15 hours ago, Chatterboxdea said:

There is a new sports bra (that Taylor Swift made viral) that is supposed to help with posture. I am thinking about getting one when I go into maintenance phase. They are expensive so I don't want to buy on when I'm still losing. I have terrible posture, both from being overweight and also being a reader, so I look into it a lot. There is also a device that you stick on your back and it vibrates when you need to sit up straight; I have thought about getting that one too.

https://forme.science/collections/women

Oooh I shall have a look at this! Thank you

11 hours ago, Sophie7713 said:

I struggle with a slight slump after carrying 290 pounds on a five foot frame for years - SO I gave myself some grace here - as I hope you will, too. Several exercises that have helped - standing erect and doing front and back swimming breast stroke in the air. It feels great. Also stretch every morning with your hands as high as they can go. Rolling of the shoulders forward and back. I learned all these and more in a great Water aerobics class. Walking daily in good athletic shoes conscious of your posture position not to lean forward helps your body to realign. Walking is the best!

As you say, I definitely need to give myself some grace! We started at a very similar weight, and I am 5ft 5" so I completely get it! I'll start trying those stretches in the morning - thank you

5 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Oh, the slumping. Yep me too. I think it was because I didn’t have a tummy to prop me up anymore. A friend told me her husband pokes her when she’s slouching to remind her to sit or stand up straight. I don’t have a husband (ha!) so it’s become a conscious habit to check my posture regularly. I even do it when sitting on the toilet. LOL! Am I sitting/standing up straight? Are my shoulders down & back? Is my weight balanced between my feet (not leaning)?

But yes, as @ms.sss suggested, work on your core muscles, glutes & back. Even simple shoulder rolls can help. Takes time to relearn & retrain your muscles though.

It is so difficult to stop! I didn't even realise how bad my posture was until recently - definitely to do with the tummy slowly disappearing!

Funnily enough I have asked my boyfriend & mum to remind me if I am slouching, but yeah I am just getting frustrated with myself!

I think I've always had bad posture. Last time I was this size, I was in high school. I didn't care about my posture then lol I was really active so I really wasn't thinking about it.

Once I had my son (at age 20), my PCOS kicked in hardcore and I gained a ton of weight that I couldn't lose. I assume my posture got worse, but I went from 165 when I got pregnant to 250 when I had my son. I lost about 15 pounds post baby and pretty much stayed there until I got pregnant with my daughter (at age 28). I went up to 315 when I had her and never lost a single ounce.

As time went on, I slowly gained and nothing worked for losing it, so my "give-a-damn" busted and I stopped caring. And by the time I was 38, I weighed 395 and by age 42, I was 421. And stayed there until I had my original surgery in 2022.

All through that, I'm pretty sure my posture just got worse and worse. And now that I'm 46 and weigh 245 pounds LESS, the bad posture is REALLY noticeable and even more uncomfortable than ever. I'm going to try some of the suggestions in this thread, because something's gotta give.

On 11/19/2024 at 8:53 AM, ms.sss said:

exercise! strengthen your back, glutes, core!

pay special attention to your shoulder and scapula positioning to be efficient and not promote further undesirable form

and when ur just walking or sitting around, try to remember to consistently stack your shoulders over your hips (you may have to squeeze ur shoulders together and/or tilt your pelvis, and or "bring your bellybutton towards your spine"...this basically means engage your abdominals, kinda like bracing urself for a punch in the stomach...

sounds like alot, (and at first it will feel like alot), but after awhile it becomes muscle memory

good luck!

I agree, but I think it's worth noting that there are multiple types of "Bad Posture", so i think my recommendation would be to see a physical therapist (I think you call the Physios in the UK?). They can take a look at your posture and recommend exercises to address your specific issues.

They do make posture reminders too. I would check with your doctor before you commit to one because everyone sells them and you want to make sure it’s not gonna hurt you but I was actually considering asking about them myself. My husband used one and it helped him.

So I have been reminding myself daily to engage my core, loosen my shoulders back etc and it is working slowly but surely - I am noticing less pain in my back now when actually standing correctly.

I just need to keep reminding myself not to slouch!

Thank you for the advice everyone!

3 hours ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

So I have been reminding myself daily to engage my core, loosen my shoulders back etc and it is working slowly but surely - I am noticing less pain in my back now when actually standing correctly.

I just need to keep reminding myself not to slouch!

Thank you for the advice everyone!

Well if that’s is helping then that device that beeps and just reminds you whenever you slouching may help. Someone else mentioned it and it is one thing I’ve considered as well. To me that would be safer than a brace because that may or may not have been created by a doctor but to me is not ideal when created without even seeing each patient. My fear is that my situation is different and it may pull my body into an unnatural position because it doesn’t fit properly causing more harm. But the beeping thing just reminds you do whatever you are already doing more often which you say is helping. Let us know if you try something like that. I’m curious to know if it works.