How much did you lose before you went down a pants size?

fitbum19

For me, only takes 10 pounds. I lost 40 and went down from a 12 to a 5

ks4e

I carry my weight in my midsection. I had to lose over 10 lbs last time before I went down a pant size. My pants were baggy around my bum and thighs, but the waist was still tight. It wasn't attractive at all. I couldn't find the right pair of pants to flatter my frame until I lost well over 10 lbs.

rainunrefined

I wish I could remember the exact story, but here's the gist of paper towel analogy:

Al is a roll of paper towels. The center/core is Thin Al. Each paper towel sheet is a pound of fat on Al. The outer layer(s) barely go around the roll once so, if you take one sheet off of Al, you don't see much change. As you take more and more sheets off, each sheet wraps around a bit more and, the closer you get to the center, to Thin Al, the more noticeable each sheet you remove is.

Anyway, at your heaviest, it's going to take a while before the loss shows. As you get smaller, it will take less to go down a size.

When I started, it took me 30+ pounds to go down a size. At my smallest, I went down three sizes in less than 20 pounds. Body composition also makes a big difference. If you work on shedding fat, not just "losing weight," your measurements will go down more.

genius.

djkprojects

I lost around 10 pounds and went down from 34ish to 30ish around waist.

VanessaGS

For me it was about 15-20 lbs, but everyone is different.

sozisraw

down just over 20lbs, down two pants sizes!

kimmianne89

I have lost 28lbs and gone from a tight uk12 to a loose uk12 in Jeans.
But in dresses and tops etc I'm between a UK 8 and 10. from being a 12.

Amyy1982

I've lost 33lbs and I'm still wearing the SAME SIZE! Everything is just really big and my tighter fitting clothes fit nicer now

happyheart15

Plus sized clothes are cut bigger, so it might take until you get into regular or close to regular sizes to drop sizes quickly.

SezxyStef

Here is how my sizes worked with my weight:

I am 5'8

At 185- I was a size 12

At 168 or so I was a size 10

Now at 158 I am a size 8


I am hoping to get back down to 140-145 and wear my size 4 clothes.

This is the same with me...I am 5'7

At 195 - Size 16
At 185 - Size 14
At 178 - Size 10

Keeping in mind I do have a large frame (meaning large bones)

But of course weight vs size can be confusing. Think about it this way if you are just dieting and loosing weight your cloths will fit differently then if you are exercising and building muscle along with dieting and loosing fat. I am exercising to build muscle so I will take up less space at a higher weight...(1 b of muscle takes up less space then 1 lb of fat)

asp415

15lbs & pretty much fit into the next size down on the majority of things. I don't just do cardio though, I do a lot of squats, lunges, etc.

farmers_daughter

My beginning weight on my journey was 275lbs. Since then I've lost 40 pounds and have only gone down 1 pants size. I was a tight 20, and now I'm a loose 18.

I'm very bottom heavy which frustrates me. I have large hips and thighs and a small waist...so I tend to have to go a size bigger just to button up.

Just feeling a little discouraged and wanting to know if anyone else has gone through this too.

Yes, very discouraging, I lost 30 lbs, went from 213-183 and stayed in the same size 18, I did however force myself into a pair of 15/16's they weren't too bad, but I still had a muffin top.

Hugs!

gingabebe

I wish I could remember the exact story, but here's the gist of paper towel analogy:

Al is a roll of paper towels. The center/core is Thin Al. Each paper towel sheet is a pound of fat on Al. The outer layer(s) barely go around the roll once so, if you take one sheet off of Al, you don't see much change. As you take more and more sheets off, each sheet wraps around a bit more and, the closer you get to the center, to Thin Al, the more noticeable each sheet you remove is.

Anyway, at your heaviest, it's going to take a while before the loss shows. As you get smaller, it will take less to go down a size.

When I started, it took me 30+ pounds to go down a size. At my smallest, I went down three sizes in less than 20 pounds. Body composition also makes a big difference. If you work on shedding fat, not just "losing weight," your measurements will go down more.

genius.

Yes, because if it was always 30 lbs before you dropped a size you'd weigh zero to be in a size 2 or some such craziness.
I have lost about 17 lbs and am still in the same size so I guess I have about 13 more to go to get into a size 14.

geralynhoerauf

Starting weight was 175 lbs and it took almost a 20 lb loss to move from a loose 14/tight 12 to a size 10. Since then I have only lost another 15 lbs but slid right through size 10, size 8 and now the new size 6s I recently purchased are loose in the waist. In addition to the weight loss though, I have been concentrating on toning the abs and so have lost a total of 7 inches from my waist, going from 36.5 inches to 29.5 inches and have lost 5 inches from the hips.

jaimrlx

It's about 15 lbs for me.

It's 4 lbs for my 5'0, 110 lb mother. :grumble:

gerbies

The larger a person is, the more pounds it requires to move between sizes; the closer you get to goal, the less weight lost between sizes. I started at 275 and I'm now 254. I've gone down almost a size (pants were tight, now fit and/or are really loose). I know from the past, that I will need to lose about 30-40 lbs to be a size or two smaller (based on the pants.).

Also, it's all about how you lose weight. When I lost weight years ago, just doing cardio and cutting calories way back, I had to lose a lot more lbs to get into a smaller size. I was losing both fat, water and muscle. Last year when I lost a bunch of weight, I had to lose fewer pounds to see my size go down, because I was combining cardio and weight training.

Muscle, lb for lb, takes up less space than fat. Focus more on your size and how clothes fit than the scale.

It's better to be fit, than a "skinny fat" person.

annakdavis

I found that there is a really big difference between going from an 18 to 16- it is like going 18W to 18 to 16W to 16. Took me a long time to get from an 18 to 16, and then found it is about 15 pounds per size. I have gone from a size 22 US to size 12- which are baggie.

happycauseIride

I've lost 60 and only went down 2 sizes. I started at a tight 22 and am now in an 18.

JoelleAnn78

At 183 I was a size 12 ---- at 202 I was a size 12.

helyg

I went down a size roughly every 15lbs. I started at a UK 20 (US 16) and am now a loose UK 12 (US8). Am aiming for a UK10 (US6).

kkerri

I go down a size every 5-8 pounds.

contingencyplan

Back when I was obese and losing, it was roughly 20-25 lbs per pants size. Once I got to the point where I was within a somewhat healthy weight range though, that started to get tricky and wasn't consistent like that anymore.

bcattoes

I started out a size 12 and more or less skipped 10 (just wore baggy 12's) and got to a size 8 after about 25 lbs lost.

moxiecowgirl

I started out in a tight 26...like so tight it was screaming for mercy and probably should have been a 28. Now I'm in an 18/20, depending on the cut of the hip. It seemed like I was flying down sizes there for a while, but I have to say, this range between 20 and about 14/16 seems to be taking a lot longer. I'm still losing just as many pounds, it just seems like more have to come off to go down a size. I don't know if that's really true, it's just how I'm perceiving it.

TracyJo93

I have the same problem, sort of. I have a tiny waist and tiny thighs but very wide hips. I lost about 10 lbs before I went down a size, but I was only a size 4 to begin with.. so idk if that helps or not. Keep your head up! You've had a great loss so far, even if you haven't gone down a pants size!

KatManx

I've lost nearly 60lbs and gone from a 18 to a 8/10 (UK size). took a while to get down from 18 to a 16 but then i felt like i was constantly having to buy new clothes after that.

caspergirl7

i've lost 24 lbs & still haven't gone down a size. almost to an 8 but not yet. i think it depends on how you're built too.

Kat5343

Don't be discouraged. I am a loose size 18 and I weigh 223. I am so anxious to be below 200 AND in single digit sizes.... Just relish the fact that you have lost 40 pounds. Great accomplishment!!!

AiabliamsMommy

I lost 35lbs 2 years ago and only went down 1 pants size:/

Tiff050709

I just went down a size in pants. I still feel uncomfortable in them though. I guess the baggy ones just make me feel better? IDK, it's weird. Don't worry about it though, at least try not to! You are doing a great job, keep it up!