HELP?! 22lbs down but not a dress size??

melissavaughan5
melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, i started dieting and excercising about 3 months ago. I'm 5'3 and my starting weight was 178, my current weight is 156 and my ultimate goal weight is 120 lbs. However i am yet to go down a dress size which is so frustrating! I was a UK size 16/14 and would've thought my 14's would've been loser by now but are still as tight as ever! And thats just the tops, I can't even get into size 14 jeggings, even the 16's are quite tight! It's hard not to get discouraged as I work out 7 days a week, 4 cardio days and 3 resistance/weights, yet i'm still not seeing a difference in my size. The scales ever so kind to me, my clothes not so much :/. btw my weight is distributed pretty evenly around the body, my arms are quite big, as is my stomach, and legs. Just wondering where exactly this 22lbs worth of weight has come off?!

Replies

  • mcpherson4
    mcpherson4 Posts: 287 Member
    Curse you, stretch denim!!!! Those 22 pounds are gone. Focus on that . :)
  • caseyjade88
    caseyjade88 Posts: 89 Member
    Look at pictures before your weight-loss, compared to pictures of you now. That helps soooo much in finding where you're losing the weight. Most people seem to lose in the face first, and then gradually in other areas.
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
    Different people will show it differently.

    Not saying youre doing this, but when I was bigger I kid myself into believing I was a smaller size than I was. So I thought I didnt lose any sizes either, but it turns out I never fit into the UK 12s to begin with!
  • nlwilliamson
    nlwilliamson Posts: 225 Member
    I can understand this problem!
    I am also 5`3 and my starting weight was 190. I am 19.8 (pretty much 20 woohoo) down, yet my jeans/shorts don't seem much different if any. I did put on a belt that I havn't worn in a long time and it goes up 3 more holes, have you been measuring? Iv'e lost a bunch of inches but my jeans feel the same. I'm starting to wonder if my jeans were painted on in the beginning! haha

    We have similar stats, add me if you would like for support and motivation
    xx Nikki
  • michelleshere
    michelleshere Posts: 19 Member
    22lbs is AWESOME!! Sometimes our body has to catch up, and it takes time for skin to shrink. Some of your loss will be water, and if you aren't lifting weights, you aren't toning, which helps pop that body into shape.
  • pfftx
    pfftx Posts: 11
    I'm in the same boat--I am down 13 lbs but not a single inch lost from any of my measurements. HOWEVER I did just look at my comparison pics today comparing the 216 lb me to the 203 lb me and boy is there a difference! Actually way more of a difference than I would have thought. I think the problem is that all my lbs are coming off my big fat overhanging belly, which isn't measured like my waist or hips.

    In short--keep the faith, look at progress pics (and if you don't have any yet TAKE THEM), and keep it up! For my part, I know that my size 12 clothing will fit in about 30 lbs which means that pretty soon now the inches are just going to have to start falling off. I think that the deal is that you lose from certain big areas first, and then you'll start to see the hips / waist / thighs shrink rapidly and you'll start losing dress sizes. Good luck!
  • briannadunn
    briannadunn Posts: 841 Member
    WOW, that is very unusual, I would expect you to lose something but it sounds like your body is retaining a lot of water in your muscle because of your workout routine. I would also try cutting things out that you might be allergic to or get your doctor to look at what you are eating. I can weigh 20 pounds lighter and fit the same clothes that I wear now but that is because I took out all that I am allergic to and also started building muscle. :>/ keep plugging away, the water in your muscles will eventually go down or you have put on some serious muscle.
  • LindaLou252
    LindaLou252 Posts: 106
    You will! Just don't give up! Everyone loses weight differently. I've lost 30 lbs and have only gone down a size in jeans. My bra size, however, has decreased by a cup! :/ Ha! I can tell I've lost a lot of my weight in my back, as I have entirely lost a roll ;) Regardless, that doesn't help my jean/dress size. I've started running recently and thought my jean size would decrease another size by now, which it hasn't... yet. But, my legs are trimmer and toned, as well as my booty! So, I'm the same size, but I'm looking way better b/c I'm filling out those jeans better. I know, with time, I will lose another size. Maybe you're one of those loses in the face, neck, and/or arms first kinda girl. Just be patient. It will come. 22lb loss is absolutely amazing! Focus on the positives and stick with it!!! :)
  • ShirleyFed5
    ShirleyFed5 Posts: 35 Member
    That's so frustrating! I can relate though. It's taken me 8 months to get 22 pounds off and clothes size didn't start changing for 5 or 6 months, but then they started changing fairly rapidly. I am a similar size with similar goals. Even though it's hard, keep being persistent and it will happen. Congratulations on that much weight lost in that period of time. Great job!
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    I was tight in my 12's and now they are loose/regular... and I have a 15 pound difference right now.

    I don't understand why sometimes inches come off faster than pounds and other times pounds faster than inches.
  • dbdimples58
    dbdimples58 Posts: 5
    Hi all, i started dieting and excercising about 3 months ago. I'm 5'3 and my starting weight was 178, my current weight is 156 and my ultimate goal weight is 120 lbs. However i am yet to go down a dress size which is so frustrating! I was a UK size 16/14 and would've thought my 14's would've been loser by now but are still as tight as ever! And thats just the tops, I can't even get into size 14 jeggings, even the 16's are quite tight! It's hard not to get discouraged as I work out 7 days a week, 4 cardio days and 3 resistance/weights, yet i'm still not seeing a difference in my size. The scales ever so kind to me, my clothes not so much :/. btw my weight is distributed pretty evenly around the body, my arms are quite big, as is my stomach, and legs. Just wondering where exactly this 22lbs worth of weight has come off?!
  • darrcn5
    darrcn5 Posts: 495 Member
    It took me a good 25 pounds down to be able to go down a size. I have a lot of weight in my butt, hips, and tummy, so it took a while for everything to decrease enough to be a size smaller.
  • dbdimples58
    dbdimples58 Posts: 5
    I'd lost about 20 lbs before I got on here, I was at 180 (I'm only 5'2") and got down to 161.3 I didn't notice much difference either....but other people did! I focus on how much better I feel, my feet don't hurt as bad, my knees & back feel better. Keep up the good work, and focus on how much better you must feel! i try to visualize how good I'll look when I get down to 125 0r 130. My daughter is only 5'3" and she weighs about 130, she looks GREAT!!!! That's what I look forward to, perhaps sharing clothes with my daughter again someday!
  • Flutterby1976
    Flutterby1976 Posts: 8
    I agree with roachhaley- maybe you rounded the scales and your dress size down earlier and are now rounding up?Are you friends and family noticing any difference in your appearnce? Have you been taking measurements and comparing? That's a lot of weight to lose and not notice any difference in your clothes. Once I'd lost 10kg (similar starting size to you) my trousers were literally falling of my hips. If you're being honest with all of this and are not noticing any CM changes I'd go see a doctor ASAP.
  • melissavaughan5
    melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
    Thanks guys! Well it turns out that i was a little in denial about being a full size 16 to begin with and considered myself a 14/16. Well who was i kidding, hadn't bought a size 14 top in months! Well, I bought a few yesterday and they fit perfectly, (albiet, a little tight) but i'm still a 16 in jean sizes :(. I take it that is down to me not losing much weight around my stomach/waist/legs area. Most of my weight has come off my neck, chest, shoulders and....i'd say arms because they used to be a lot broader, but less so now. Only problem is, the "chicken wings" remain so i'm still conscious about wearing short sleeved dresses/tops. So darn frustustating considering the amount of tricep workouts i do!! Hoping that i'll see some difference in my arms, stomach/waist and thighs in the next 10-20lbs. 36lbs is what's left to lose to reach my ultimate goal weight, seems like a lifetime away!!
  • YoYo1951
    YoYo1951 Posts: 370
    Twenty-two pounds is a lot of weight to lose. Good for you. But remember, this is supposed to be a lifestyle change, not a diet. Are you feeling better, are you healthier? This is what matters. The rest will come. Remember, change is a process, not an event!
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    Could your clothes have been a little on the small side to begin with? I frequently see people wearing a size or two smaller than they should be because of the give in the fabric.
  • melissavaughan5
    melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
    I definately do feel much better health wise so that is a major positive I suppose. And i think maybe my clothes were a little smaller to begin with. I was a size 14 for a long period of time (2 years) , gained a lot in several months, so had been wearing tops in size 16's before i'd started my weight loss 3 months ago, couldnt even get into 14's at one point. Now i can wear 14's again, but i'd prefer for them to be a tad looser, just a tad. I've also heard that the smaller you become, the less pounds it takes to lose dress sizes so hopefully the journey to size 12's and 10's etc will be alot shorter!
  • KayeeDaisyBee
    KayeeDaisyBee Posts: 124
    Thanks for posting this...i'm in the same boat. I have a lot of weight to lose though so i assume it's going to take longer for me than it would someone much smaller who weighs less but i think the best thing we can do if the scale is moving is JUST KEEP GOING. The scale can't display our UGW without it looking like we're at our UGW too so it'll come...it's patience though.

    Btw, not everyone drops a size every 10 pounds like some people say is supposed to happen. We're all unique, our bodies all respond differently...i don't think this is unusual...just a bummer. ;-]
  • melissavaughan5
    melissavaughan5 Posts: 16
    Yeah i definately agree with that, as long as the scale keeps going down, we'll eventually feel/look how we want- just a matter of time :)
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    There is a blog on here about comparing weight loss to a roll of paper towels getting smaller… and it is so true. When you first lose weight the weight just comes off in a small layer all over, then as you get smaller, each increment makes you exponentially smaller. So may be the first 22 pounds your current size clothes just fit better, but the next few pounds will probably take you down in clothing sizes more so...
  • dena789
    dena789 Posts: 165 Member
    There is a blog on here about comparing weight loss to a roll of paper towels getting smaller… and it is so true. When you first lose weight the weight just comes off in a small layer all over, then as you get smaller, each increment makes you exponentially smaller. So may be the first 22 pounds your current size clothes just fit better, but the next few pounds will probably take you down in clothing sizes more so...

    I like the analogy to a roll of paper towels and I can see it being very true. I have lost 25lbs so far and I am still in the same clothing as I was before. I do know that they are fitting me more loosely. I believe most of my weight loss to date has been from my belly area so my actual hips and top have not changed sizes very much. People have started to notice the change too.

    Keep the faith. You are doing very well and the changes in your shape will start happening. Be happy with what you have already done and keep going!
  • mstifb
    mstifb Posts: 230
    I understand the frustration. For me I've lost in my chest mainly, fractions of an inch in my waist, arms, legs - but nothing in my abdomen! Hopefully that will come later. :flowerforyou:
  • superhippiechik
    superhippiechik Posts: 1,044 Member
    Sounds like you are replacing fat with muscles. Good job!
  • Flutterby1976
    Flutterby1976 Posts: 8
    I posted the other day but have been thinking about your problem and had a bit of an epiphany... make sure you're eating enough protein!! I've been a vegetarian most of my life and unfortunately developed a dairy allergy which has made getting protein even harder. This app has really helped me consider my protein intake and I think that's been a big part of my weight loss because I've built up muscle (fueled by protein after a gym workout) which boosts your metabolism.I've just stuffed myself with a home made salad that included tofu and egg (protein) and steamed sweet potato (carbs) and I won't be hungry for ages (.. all nutrition for only 257 calories!). Keep up your efforts, you're doing great and you always feel the benefits before they start to show. I love the paper towel analogy too btw.

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