You have a pear shape body if you have a smaller upper body, smaller breasts, a heavier lower body and a 0.8 or lower waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).
Here's how to figure out your waist-to-hip-ratio.
First, measure your waist one inch above your navel and your hip, around the widest part of your body. Then, divide your waist number by your hip number.
If you have a pear shaped body your metabolic rate is lower and any excess fat is directly under the skin (subcutaneous fat), to your great frustration mostly around your buttocks, hips, and thighs.
Pear Shape Body Health Risks
You'll be surprised to find out that although pear shape health risks are serious, they are not life-threatening. According to the Apples and Pears theory and to Dr. Savard, the author of "Apples and Pears - The Body Shape Solution for Weight Loss and Wellness", they are mainly related to:
osteoporosis
cellulite
varicose veins
eating disorders triggered by a poor body image, due to the highly advertised "rail-thin" ideal of insect-like fashion models
However, if after menopause you are seriously overweight, you could start to experience the same health problems as women with an apple body shape, due to the loss of estrogen in your body.
Pear Shape Body Weight Loss Diet
With a pear shaped body, your ideal proportion of macronutrients would be: 55% complex carbs, 30% proteins, and about 15% "good fats" (nuts, avocados, flax seeds, extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil, and coconut oil for your cooking needs).
Favor complex carbs (most fruits, whole grains, brown rice, all veggies except potatoes) and foods high in soluble fiber (oatmeal, barley, rice cereals, soy products, quinoa, mushrooms)
Eat moderately high quality proteins (tuna, trout, salmon, skinless chicken/turkey breast, very lean beef)
As you have seen earlier, if you have a pear shape body, you are at a higher risk of osteoporosis, so you might want to supplement your diet with minimum 0.5 grams of calcium three times a day.
Avoid fiber supplements, as they interfere with calcium absorption - and you need all the calcium you can get.
Pear Shape Body Workouts...
...should include both strength training and aerobic exercising:
do moderate strength training 4-5 times a week to tone up your muscles and shape up your body
do 30 minutes of aerobics 5-6 times/week at low to medium intensity, preferably early in the morning to boost your low metabolism; to protect yourself from osteoporosis, favor workouts that put pressure on your bones, like walking, rope jumping, dancing vs. swimming, biking, rebounding.
The most beneficial workouts for you are the 5 tibetan rites, yoga and various body weight workouts.
Here's the bottom line.
Let go of the "rail-thin" body shape ideal stupidly imposed by the media and of the self-consciousness of having a pear shaped body. Not only are you much more protected against serious health risks, your feminine, curvaceous body is more attractive to the opposite sex too ;)
Finally, you should know that losing weight will only make you a smaller pear, but will never change your pear shape body into an apple body shape >>
