A Cutting Issue

I'm not sure if this is just for people as large as me, but I'm having issues with the waists of my pants cutting into me. I've lost a few pounds, more inches than weight, but while I feel and notice it in my thighs and hips, my waist is still being dug into by my pants. Part of it is how short torso'd I am. There just isn't that much space between my chest and my waist. But, if I buy petite length pants, they're too short. I generally hunt around for those hip-hugger type pants, simply because they don't cut into my gut so much. I also wonder if there isn't something to it just from being older or from having my hysterectomy a few years ago. I'm just wondering if anyone else has this issue and what solutions you've found? Does it go away somewhat the more weight that comes off?