Weight vs. Clothing Size

Before pregnancy, I wore everything from a 12 to a 16 in women's clothes (5'8" and ~180 lbs). Different clothing manufacturers size differently. Certain cuts of jeans would fit me better in one size rather than another also.

Remember, nobody sees the size but you, so just find clothes that fit well and that you feel comfortable in.

It depends on body shape, type of clothing (pants vs skirts vs tops, etc), brand of clothing, styles within that same brand, vanity sizing, and so on.

I've been wearing Lane Bryant jeans since 1998. When I weighed 225 pounds, I wore a size 20. I weigh 319 pounds now, with the same shape (pear), and I just put on size 20 in their "Right Fit" brand. That's a difference of nearly 100 pounds. Hooooooly vanity sizing.

Even if I stay within their items, though, I have to try everything on. I wear anything from a 20 to a 26, depending on the cut and style and whether it's jeans, dress pants, cargo pants, or a skirt. It's crazy.

When my boyfriend asks what size I wear, I tell him to get me a gift card so I can try stuff on.

Oh, and it's for this exact reason I don't really pay attention to someone saying, "I wear size X." It tells me nothing about what they look like because sizes vary so much.

It is where u carry ur weight. Also ppl who are taller can weight more and been in smaller sizes as they have more places to put the weight. ALSO those who weigh more could do so because they have more muscle. Body comp plays a big roll. Don't compare urself to ppl. It will only lead to heartache. Trust me, I know.

It's weird, isn't it? I'm also a size 22, but I weigh 259 and am 6'2. We could never share clothes! :-)

I often feel/wonder the same thing.
I am 5'4" and weigh 239. I wear size 18 in most clothing items. I have a couple 16s and still have a sz 20 that fits. I wear L/XL in tops.

Sometimes I don't get how someone who looks bigger than me weighs 20 Lbs *less* than me?!?! I guess it's just where we carry our weight and how it sits on us?
I try not to compare myself to others but it's hard lol

it's going to be a factor of where you carry your weight and your body compostion. at the same weight, someone with a higher body fat is going to be in a larger size than someone with the same weight but higher lean body mass.

i'm 5'5 and i've always had a pretty high amount of lean body mass so i tend to be 25-35 pounds heavier than what i look. i'm currently 195 pounds and wear a size 12. my weight is also distributed fairly evenly . last time i was 125 i was like a size 2 in pants but much larger in tops because of my chest.

it's also going to depend on the brands as well. some brands will do vanity sizing more so than others

I know what you mean. My mother in law is 5 4 same as me. She is 130 and looks a little fat. She is a TINy bilt lady with little fingers and small feet ect. I wear a bigger size, have size 8 fingers sice 10 shoe, but look a lot leaner. Bone size really does matter. : )

Its all about density... one pound of fat takes up a lot more space than one pound of muscle. Therefore, two people who are the same height and weight but have drastically different body fat percentages will look completely different and wear very different sizes.

I definitely has something to do with body shapes, and bones, and of course, fat in different areas of the body. I am an hourglass shape with medium-small bone structure. I thought I was an apple for a long time because I have always carried most of my fat in my belly, but the more i slim down, the more I see how my hips and shoulders are closely proportioned, and how my waist is actually smaller than my hips. I have been overweight since 2002, and obese since I had my son a year and a half ago. My clothes fit me different before i got pregnant, since now my hips are wider. Even though I weigh less than I did at my highest pre-pregnancy weight, the same jeans I wore then don't fit me yet. I have even more fat in my belly because it was distributed to my lower abs the more my kiddo grew in my belly. Strange, but I also gathered more fat in my hips and rear then, too. I am shrinking, however, and can fit into my "highest" pre-preg jeans, but not the ones I wore the few months before I found out I was pregnant...

Also, I remember one of my dear friends when I was 13 could fit into a size 3 jeans, but I couldn't. She was a tad shorter than me, and bulkier, but her body was more straight than mine was, especially with the curves I had even as a preteen. I was actually a little jealous of it, but of course, it wasn't a big deal. I just realized that we are all shaped different, and some of us are not destined to fit into certain things even at our most fit, healthy times.

I just don't get it. I'm 212 lbs and a size 22. Now, I'm only 5 ft tall, but how can others who are only a couple of inches taller than me weigh more and be in a smaller size? Even when I was around 125 lbs, I was still a size 10-12 depending on the type of clothing? I just don't get it...Can someone please try to explain it? Is it where I carry my fat that makes the difference? It's mosly around my middle.

I'm in the same boat as you...I'm 5' 3.5" and currently 215, and I'm in a size 22. When I was 120 lbs I was a size 10 or 12, but that was over 25 years ago. I also carry most of my weight in my mid-section. What gets me is that I've lost over 50 lbs, and I'm still pretty much the same size, although the clothes are a little bit looser.

Another thing to remember is that the way sizing works now is very different than 10-20 years ago. A size 6 when I was in high school is closer to a size 2 or 4 now, and that was just 12 years ago. Vanity sizing changes over the years, which is highly irritating.

I just don't get it. I'm 212 lbs and a size 22. Now, I'm only 5 ft tall, but how can others who are only a couple of inches taller than me weigh more and be in a smaller size? Even when I was around 125 lbs, I was still a size 10-12 depending on the type of clothing? I just don't get it...Can someone please try to explain it? Is it where I carry my fat that makes the difference? It's mosly around my middle.

I'm in the same boat as you...I'm 5' 3.5" and currently 215, and I'm in a size 22. When I was 120 lbs I was a size 10 or 12, but that was over 25 years ago. I also carry most of my weight in my mid-section. What gets me is that I've lost over 50 lbs, and I'm still pretty much the same size, although the clothes are a little bit looser.

Another thing to remember is that the way sizing works now is very different than 10-20 years ago. A size 6 when I was in high school is closer to a size 2 or 4 now, and that was just 12 years ago. Vanity sizing changes over the years, which is highly irritating.

i just reminded myself of that. i have a pair of size 12 jeans from about 6 years ago. my goal was to be in those by oct 1. for sh*ts and giggles i tried on a pair of non stretchy 12's (my avatar :happy: ) and those fit great. my guess is that these old size 12's are probably closer to a size 11 or even a 10

It is never going to be a good thing to compare yourself to anyone else - every body is different.

Side note: I'm a 29yo Australian.

That being said, I am 172cm tall and last year I weighed 212.74lbs (96.7kgs) and I was wearing size AU18-20 (US 14-18). After 14 months of changing my diet and going to the gym for medium workouts (not light, not too heavy) I now weigh 148.5lbs (67.5kgs) and I'm wearing size AU10 (US6). Everyone has a chance to change their appearance and you CAN do it with the support of others and educating yourself about nutrition and how it works for YOUR body.

I'm not a Personal Trainer and I am not a Nutritionist - just a regular girl who wanted to lose the weight. I still have a few kgs to go, but having been where I was compared to where I am, I am not sorry that I made the effort.

Now that I am close to goal, I realise that it isn't about the number you weigh or the size you wear, it's about how you feel when you look in the mirror. Be happy and remind yourself WHY you are doing this - for YOU!

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