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

nika_bolinhos

I made a start at getting healthier when I was 85kg (188 pounds), I was about a size 18 at the time, or a very tight 16, after loosing 13kg (30 pounds) I am down to a size 12 and occasionally fit into a 10, that is UK sizes. Uhuu
Also, I started MFP after losing 5 kg, in case you are wondering about my tracker

outdoorslife

20 lbs for one pants size. It also depends how you are shaped... I will never get in standard size 36 mens pants. my quads are to big, and the cuts are wrong, but I might be able to have a 36" waist if I work hard at looking weight and getting fit.

Women have it much harder. The pants sizes seem arbitrary. Ignore them. Use MFP to set up not only weight but body fat and body measurements (ie. hips, waist, chest) so you can see real measurable changes. DON'T worry about what are your pants size or shirt/blouse size.

Seanb_us

A while ago ... I dropped 4 inches from my waist with a 30-lb weight loss.

twinkfran

Same for me - well I lost about 2kgs (5llbs) and went down a dress size. But I was exercising as well as dieting so put it down to toning up the muscle...

DancingMoosie

I've lost almost 30 pounds and 4 or 5 pants sizes. The last size down was with only 2-3 pounds lost, so body recomp. has something to do with it. I also went from a tight M/ loose L shirt to a S or XS.

elizabethduncanheydary15

I've lost 13 pounds and haven't gone down in a jeans size, but I have gone down a size in dress pants. It just depends on your body shape and the pants themselves. It's frustrating, but even more so when you're in between sizes and neither size looks good when you try to go shopping for new clothes/want to get old clothes altered.

jeanywren

Paper towel roll is a very good comparison, thanks

rachie590

I think the point here, is most of us have lost more pant sizes then we know, because at our heaviest we all probably should have been in pants 1 to 2 sizes bigger. As some of you have pointed out, at your heaviest you probably stretched your biggest pants to a bigger size. So if it's important to you that you lose a lot of pants sizes, you should surely count the size you should have been wearing as a size down. tight 14's probably should have been 16's or 18's and so on.

When your clothes that you have start fitting better it feels good! What feels even better is when you grab your old pants size at a store and you find out that you are swimming in it!

Good Luck to all!

cdcooper321

I've lost 45lbs and went from a 16-18 (depending on brand) to a 10. 215lbs to 170
My weight was stuck for a couple months and that when my size went down fast. I went from the 14 to the 10 without losing any real weight. Kick up your workouts and you'll see the inches fly. The scale may not...but don't get discouraged!!

melissafaith24

it varies depending on brands. ive lost 15 lbs and can still wear my 13/14's though they are a little loose but can also wear a pair of my 11/12's comfortably.

mandylgibbs

At 80lbs lost I've got from at 26 to a 18. So, that is about 1 size per 20 pounds which I hear is about the normal. My problem is my stomach! but the 18's fit perfectly all around.

Abells

all depends on what your goals are...just to lose weight or to lose body fat

Honestly:

When I was 151# - Size 11
I'm about 140-144 now - can wear size 5

amatxuof5

I learned this in my retail days. 30 pound = 1 size, on average. I have lost 50 pounds though and have only lost size myself.

Really? Wow! For me a size is usually just a few pounds - but it also depends on if I'm exercising or not. I have pants that don't fit when I stop exercising. When I went from an 8 to a 6, I didn't lose more than 2 pounds, but I was exercising A LOT and that changed my body shape. I have really thick thighs, so I know when my pants start to get tight I need to do A LOT of squats and step up the cardio :-). I'm trying to get down to a size 4 - I'm really short and not very broad (except where I wish I wasn't :-)) so I really would look better with a few more pounds lost.

arains89

I have lost 20 pounds and have gone down two sizes. From 12s to 8s.

KChesneyGal

ive lost 21lbs but have not yet gone down a pants size, i bought a size smaller in a pair of jeans and they fit but a little snug

Mia_RagazzaTosta

Not a single pound. Still at the same weight from4 months ago, but one pant size smaller.

This.

Yay for weight lifting!

eowynmn

A couple things to keep in mind:

Your starting size was probably too small for most people, because we have a hard time going upsizes.

The bigger you are, the longer it takes to lose a size. So starting at 275 (or in my case 289) it might take 25-30 lbs to lose that one size, but once you get under 200, the sizes drop at about 10 lbs a size.

So I started at 289, and I was wearing a 26, although really PROBABLY should have been a 28, but I will deny that til I die, and now at 235ish, I'm fitting around a 20-22, so you could say 20-25 lbs a size depending on how you want to look at it for me, but that first size was definitely more like 30-35, and the rest have been 15-20.

Also your bodyparts will shrink at different points, like my waist was going down incredibly fast, and my hips were staying the same, and now I'm losing in my hips. Good luck!

mommy20_0405

After reading all these post I am feeling very blessed. I have lost 30 lbs and gone from a tight 14 to a size 6. I will say in the beginning the first size took a while but after that it went pretty smoothly. I thank Zumba, running,weight lifting, and clean eating (of course everyone has there bad days) to the quick slimming of the hips and tush Keep working hard everyone and the results will come!

missdibs1

I've lost 15 and haven't even gone down a pants size yet, and still in the same size

Weight/fat comes off differently for everyone.

FOr me, my shoulders, face, and feet (I know) are the first things to get skinny.

Then my chest (i know ).

FOr me my tummy and legs/tush are last on the list.

You should still measure and celebrate! arms are smaller? Thinner face? etc etc

kalikitten99

I went down from a 16 to a 14 after losing just 10 lbs.

meme1997

you guys all are fantastic i just lost 1 kg before logging in myfitnesspal ... bad me

x3BeccaBearx3

i started at 240 pounds and was in size 16 (tight) and am down 51 pounds currently, and in a size 14 (fits just right) it took about 38 pounds or so until i fit into the 14. it was very frustrating! glad to know its not just me though.

Jaulen

I'm fluctuating with a loss of 10 pounds since I started MFP (14 if i go by my true HW), and some pants that I bought when I was at my HW fit TIGHTER (like I can't button them!) now....weird since I have some inches lost too.

I hate clothes.

redheaddee

Not a single pound. Still at the same weight from4 months ago, but one pant size smaller.

^This

I've been going to the gym the past month and have gone down a trouser size but despite my weight fluctuating I checked the scales this morning and I weigh exactly the same as when I started going to the gym.

Lifting weights is what has made this happen. Building lean muscle and tightening things up, but no weight loss specifically, down a pant size = winning.

Syriene

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.

This is why I hate shopping for jeans. The waist is all flappy cause I have to buy a size that accomodates the rear and hips. Every now and then I will find a brand that fits well in all areas, but when I go back to purchase more, they don't have the right size or they don't carry that brand anymore. *sigh*

Lbf321

I've lost 16 lbs since March and have gone down 5 sizes.

sapphies

I am down 28 lbs and 2 pants sizes. I have the same issue...bottom heavy. So, I probably am down 3 sizes in the waist.

caitlindrew422

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.

I love this analogy, I will definately remember it! Makes sense!!

sunflowerhippi

I sarted at 210, 16/18, 40-35-50 (28 thigh)
Now 165, 14/16, 36-26.5-44 (26 thigh)

So took me almost 45lbs to drop 1 size because almost all of my weight I loss was upper body, I went from an tight XL (juniors), to a L/XL (kids), M (Juniors), S (adult), for tops.

Espressocycle

33 lbs and still waiting...