Anyone else find 10 pound loss does NOT = 1 Size Down

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Berkgal33
Berkgal33 Posts: 71 Member
in Motivation and Support
All over magazines, the Internet, talk shows everyone talks about how 10 pound loss is equivalent to dropping a dress size. I can only imagine it is when people only have maybe 10-20 pounds to lose. I have lost 44 and am only down 1 size. I have dropped 15 + pounds size since hitting this size, and am still a 16. I don't foresee myself getting into a 14 until I lose at least another 15-20 pounds. I don't mind waiting, and taking the smart weight loss route. I just think it is unreasonable for people to continually compare 10 pounds to a dress size. Am I alone in my thinking?

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  • Zarinelle
    Zarinelle Posts: 7 Member
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    No. This is totally true. I've lost 30 pounds without going down a pant size, it's kind of frustrating that that's what we have in our heads and it's not even sort of accurate!
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
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    Sizes 12 and up have a larger increase than 10 and under (more like 2" than 1" or so). Plus, when you're bigger around, it takes more fat to add an inch.

    It took a little over 20 pounds for me to go from a (SNUG) 16 to 14, another 15-20lbs to get into a size 12, but about 10lbs per size after that. Since I started lifting, I've only dropped 5-10 pounds but lost two more sizes.
  • prettypuffles
    prettypuffles Posts: 18 Member
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    i think the bigger you are, the more you have to lose to see results like that. i can gain 30-40 lbs and still fit my clothes... which isn't a good thing, because then it makes it easier to gain if you're not weighing yourself all the time :(
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,671 Member
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    I don't know how any magazine can make than claim. I'm 5'10" and 10lbs is nothing on me, but on my 5'2" girlfriend I think it would be 2 dress sizes.
  • gettinthere
    gettinthere Posts: 529 Member
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    I agree with JenHuedy, I can lose two sizes and absolutely no pounds by lifting weights. I find exercise plays a huge part in body composition. It seems to shift how my body weight is distributed.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I've never read or heard the 10 lbs = 1 size thing but yeah, I agree it's not necessarily accurate.
  • debsdoingthis
    debsdoingthis Posts: 454 Member
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    This is why people think "If I only lost 10lbs this <insert too small item> will fit. Its maddening
    and frustrating.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    10lbs will look different on people of different heights and different weights. A 10lb different from someone at 220lb will not be as noticeable as someone at 110lb. Likewise when you look at two people who are 150lb, one is 5'2" and the other is 6'2". Sizing would be influenced by this. Another factor would be how tight the clothes were when you started losing weight. At my biggest, I was wearing a size 16, only because I refused to buy anything bigger. I was stuffing there like sausage casing! At 40lbs lost, I am comfortably into a size 14. I expect the next sizes will change with less lost.

    In short, no 10lb does not equal one size.
  • Isabelle_1929
    Isabelle_1929 Posts: 233 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Berkgal33 wrote: »
    All over magazines, the Internet, talk shows everyone talks about how 10 pound loss is equivalent to dropping a dress size. I can only imagine it is when people only have maybe 10-20 pounds to lose. I have lost 44 and am only down 1 size. I have dropped 15 + pounds size since hitting this size, and am still a 16. I don't foresee myself getting into a 14 until I lose at least another 15-20 pounds. I don't mind waiting, and taking the smart weight loss route. I just think it is unreasonable for people to continually compare 10 pounds to a dress size. Am I alone in my thinking?

    If you ever happen to look at a sewing pattern with various sizes printed on the same sheet, notice the space between each size lines. By example, from size 6 to 10, the space is less than 1 cm. From size 10 to 16, the space is approximately 2 cm, and then from size 14 to 20, the space is 3 cm, etc.

    So you are right: the smaller you get, the less difference there are between sizes. I know that if I lose or gain 5 pounds, some of my suit skirts just don't fit anymore. Gaining 10 pounds? More than half of my wardrobe no longer fit.

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I had to lose 20 lbs for my first size change. Results may vary I guess is the answer.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    I think that above a size 10 it takes a bit more to go down between sizes for sure.

  • Southie33
    Southie33 Posts: 4 Member
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    I have about 35 pounds to lose total to be at my best weight and I'm down 13 lbs but still no change in size... It's very frustrating!
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    The bigger the size the bigger the loss needed. Of course, some folks might be just on the border between two general sizes and roll back a little more quickly. Also, weight loss is not rational and you may lose in different places first. I went from 12s to 10s very quickly because I lose in my hips first. It feels like I was in 8s forever, at least 4 months, but today I'm wearing new shorts that are 6s and had to pass on a white denim skirt because the size 8 was too big. And I still have 20 lbs to go! But I'm still carrying some weight on my back, arms and face so I might not change pants size again for awhile. I really think there's probably a lot of variation on this.
  • ltssharon
    ltssharon Posts: 195 Member
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    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage wrote: »
    I don't know how any magazine can make than claim. I'm 5'10" and 10lbs is nothing on me, but on my 5'2" girlfriend I think it would be 2 dress sizes.

    me as well at 5 feet 10.5

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