Weight loss vs. size loss

liya368
liya368 Posts: 122 Member
in Motivation and Support
I read on another post that someone lost about 40 pounds and went from a size 12 to a size 0. That is a wonderful accomplishment. The post was many pages long. I admit I did not read the whole thing. I don't know how long it took her or specifically how she did it.

I lost 30 pounds in 6 months. I am proud of myself. But I only went from a getting tight size 15 to a size 13. I don't get it. Shouldn't I have lost more than one pants size? I want to lose another 30 pounds but at the rate I am going I will be 120 pounds wearing a size 11. That doesn't seem right.

Replies

  • Lauracharder
    Lauracharder Posts: 141 Member
    when i first started working out i was 150 pounds, size 12. now i am 150 pounds, size 5.

    muscle takes up less space then fat.

    *** maybe you need to go and get fitted somewhere. it is possible you are wearing the wrong size clothes?
  • GiGiBeans
    GiGiBeans Posts: 1,062 Member
    I dress people for a living and have seen women cram themselves into clothing 2 sizes too small because they loathe getting a bigger size or they are just plain delusional. You may have lost more than 1 size if your clothes were tight to start out with. There's also body shape to consider - lots of women carry their weight in either their stomach or thighs and are forced to stay in a larger size if those places are slower to lose weight. Keep losing weight and you'll lose inches, promise.

    Edited to add - also in the larger sizes there is more leeway as to weight, they are cut fuller. There really isn't a big difference between a 4 and 2 and a 2 and 0, about five lbs at the smaller sizes
  • saeede83
    saeede83 Posts: 96 Member
    when i first started working out i was 150 pounds, size 12. now i am 150 pounds, size 5.

    muscle takes up less space then fat.

    *** maybe you need to go and get fitted somewhere. it is possible you are wearing the wrong size clothes?

    Wow, so it's possible to change so much in measurement and nothing on scale. Great job! May I ask what kind of exercises you mostly do?
  • roodica
    roodica Posts: 8 Member
    For me, i can lose 10lbs and not see a difference, then lose another 10 and really drop in size. Who knows, its probably how you carry your weight. Maybe the next 10 will make all the difference for you!
  • saeede83
    saeede83 Posts: 96 Member
    I read on another post that someone lost about 40 pounds and went from a size 12 to a size 0. That is a wonderful accomplishment. The post was many pages long. I admit I did not read the whole thing. I don't know how long it took her or specifically how she did it.

    I lost 30 pounds in 6 months. I am proud of myself. But I only went from a getting tight size 15 to a size 13. I don't get it. Shouldn't I have lost more than one pants size? I want to lose another 30 pounds but at the rate I am going I will be 120 pounds wearing a size 11. That doesn't seem right.

    Did you lose your weight through diet only or excercised as well? Excercise, specially lifting helps reducing the size
  • EmilyEmpowered
    EmilyEmpowered Posts: 650 Member
    when i first started working out i was 150 pounds, size 12. now i am 150 pounds, size 5.

    muscle takes up less space then fat.

    *** maybe you need to go and get fitted somewhere. it is possible you are wearing the wrong size clothes?

    THIS 100%!!!

    I lost 107 pounds and went from an 18 to an 8/9
    Since January, I have lost only about 8 pounds and have lost 2 more sizes. (total size difference is an 18-4since January went from an 8/9 to a 4)

    What made the difference? STRENGTH TRAINING! I was really pudgy and still had a lot of "fat" due to not retaining much muscle as I lost weight. Now that I am working on building that muscle as well as losing fat, I am not losing much scale wise but a whole lot in inches!

    :drinker: Good luck!
  • zipnguyen
    zipnguyen Posts: 990 Member
    overall body composition > weight loss
  • Soccermavrick
    Soccermavrick Posts: 405 Member
    It has a lot to do with where you are losing the weight, but also what your natural body composition is. If you are tall and thin, sizes may melt much easier. Shorter, maybe inches do not vanish as much.

    Now I am male, but here is an example. I am tall and lean. After College I was a 32 waist at 180 lbs, 6'2, I ballooned up to 42/44 inch waist at 245-250. Now I am down to about a 36 inch waist, but I am only down to about 225 lbs. Part of the trick is though, I have been gaining muscle, so I am probably down more like 35 lbs, not just 20 the scale says. (I am going by my wife's opinion, since I did not track my body fat on the scale though it has decreased.)
  • Lauracharder
    Lauracharder Posts: 141 Member
    Wow, so it's possible to change so much in measurement and nothing on scale. Great job! May I ask what kind of exercises you mostly do?

    i zumba 2 times a week, pilates/yoga/lift weights/walk 1-3 times a week for the past 3 years. I also watch calories, anywhere between 1200-1800 dependent upon my activity level and watch my sugar intake.
  • msbutterfly1982
    msbutterfly1982 Posts: 3
    I've gained the weight back now, but the last time I lost 50 lbs (200 to 150), I went from a size 12 to an 8.
  • zoukeira
    zoukeira Posts: 313 Member
    Everyone loses clothing sizes slower to start with, once you're smaller you'll loose faster. The bigger you are the more weight you'll need to lose to get to a smaller size.
  • liya368
    liya368 Posts: 122 Member
    Thanks everyone. I'm short; only 5 feet. I've cut back on my exercise because when I do I don't see any weight loss and that frustrates me. Right now I want to focus on getting closer to my goal weight and then work on toning my body.
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
    There was also a post recently that showed how different women's sizing can be ... showing a gal in a 4, 9, 11 pant (and they all fit perfectly) ... there was some comment on that thread about womens vs juniors sizes, but STILL, I know at times I wear a small in one style (ok ... not lately, that's the goal again) and a large (or even x-large) in tops. And pants can vary quite a bit, sometimes a 10 fits fine in one style, when I can't fit into a 12 in a another brand, but I can squeeze into an 8 in yet another ...

    ... a size 0 is beyond my comprehension. I have some cute size 8, 6 clothes that I'd really like to get back into though.
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    I was told that fat burns off backward to how it came on.

    So if you gained fat around your arms first, the fat around your arms will be the last to come off.

    Perhaps that has something to do with certain clothes not fitting as you originally expected?

    Maybe you could try items of clothing? Blouse, shirt, pants, etc.
  • EmilyEmpowered
    EmilyEmpowered Posts: 650 Member
    There was also a post recently that showed how different women's sizing can be ... showing a gal in a 4, 9, 11 pant (and they all fit perfectly) ... there was some comment on that thread about womens vs juniors sizes, but STILL, I know at times I wear a small in one style (ok ... not lately, that's the goal again) and a large (or even x-large) in tops. And pants can vary quite a bit, sometimes a 10 fits fine in one style, when I can't fit into a 12 in a another brand, but I can squeeze into an 8 in yet another ...

    ... a size 0 is beyond my comprehension. I have some cute size 8, 6 clothes that I'd really like to get back into though.

    This is true, also. I judge my clothing size loss by only two brands that I wear most often. (all my dress pants for work are one brand, all my jeans are one brand :laugh: I stick with what I know! )
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
    So 87 pounds lost so far....started this in a 20wp now wear 4/6p
  • greenmonstergirl
    greenmonstergirl Posts: 619 Member
    5'1"
    At 235 I was a size 22
    At 225 I was a size 20
    At 210 I was a size 18
    At 190 I was a size 16
    At 175 I am a size 14

    When I lost before (yes I"ve done this 3 times...oh the shame of putting it all back on after I worked so hard!, I know I know, it will NOT happen this time!)

    At 165 I was a 12
    At 150 I was a 10 but could squeeze in my mom's size 8's just to prove a point! LOL!

    I would like to be 150 by the end of this year and 135 at my goal. Not sure what size I'll end up being but 10 or less is fine with me! I do NOT want to be skinny. Muscular and toned sounds good to me. :) I do cardio 7x/week and weights 3x/week.

    I wish you all luck on being whatever size you wish to be!!!
  • tacticalhippie
    tacticalhippie Posts: 596 Member
    Thanks everyone. I'm short; only 5 feet. I've cut back on my exercise because when I do I don't see any weight loss and that frustrates me. Right now I want to focus on getting closer to my goal weight and then work on toning my body.

    Work out now, and you will get closer to your goal weight sooner.
    Build muscle now, instead of running the risk of losing some of it.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    I read on another post that someone lost about 40 pounds and went from a size 12 to a size 0. That is a wonderful accomplishment. The post was many pages long. I admit I did not read the whole thing. I don't know how long it took her or specifically how she did it.

    I lost 30 pounds in 6 months. I am proud of myself. But I only went from a getting tight size 15 to a size 13. I don't get it. Shouldn't I have lost more than one pants size? I want to lose another 30 pounds but at the rate I am going I will be 120 pounds wearing a size 11. That doesn't seem right.

    Neverminc, someone mentioned the difference in Junior sizes vs. Women's.
  • brdnw
    brdnw Posts: 565 Member
    This past 40 days i've only lost like 8 pounds, but i bought size 36'' pants about 45 days ago, and now i fit into a 32''

    i don't understand the body.
  • linsey0689
    linsey0689 Posts: 753 Member
    The bigger the sizes the more difference there is. Like I started at a 22 now I have lost 45 lbs and I am about a 18 or even still a 20. Sizes really don't matter much to me, so I don't pay that close of attention to it. But I also wanted to add I have extra skin in my tummy area even though I do strength training about 3 times a week so going down a size will be hard because I have stuff to hide. Lol, but good luck to you don't let any numbers (size or scale) control how well you think you are doing-- inside you know :)
  • rhinesb
    rhinesb Posts: 204 Member
    Plus some people are just shaped differently.

    At 230-200 lbs I am a size 18

    At 200-175 lbs I am a size 16

    At 175-145 lbs I am a size 14

    At 135 lbs I am a size 12


    I have larger hips. I'm not talking just fat I'm meaning my hip bones are really far apart (great for birthing babies but not so great for being in a size 0. I've never been below a size 12 even at my fittest.
    I'm 5'6" BTW
  • Birdiebull
    Birdiebull Posts: 9
    +1 to all comments saying to focus on body composition over weight!

    When I initially lost weight (180lbs to 140lbs) I went from a 12/14 to a 6/8. When I went from 140lbs to 130lbs, I became a 4/6/8. It really just depended on the brand and style. But what's crazy is that now that I'm 128lbs, I had to buy a size 2 in the exact same size 6 slim jeans that I bought last year! And they're kinda baggy! The main difference is that I've been focussing on lots of strength and resistance for the past 6 months. My body composition has completely shifted in those 2lbs.

    So just focus on fitness and you'll see a huge difference.

Categories