I Don't Understand

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ForMyAngelBaby
ForMyAngelBaby Posts: 123 Member
in Motivation and Support
As of Saturday I have lost 20 pounds. I am thrilled with the results, but I'm confused at the same time. A few years ago I started losing weight, dropped 18 pounds and bought smaller clothes. I gained all that back and now I'm down 20 pounds and the clothes aren't fitting me! I figured I'd surely be down another pant size by now, but I'm not. I don't understand how I can lose more weight than before and yet clothes that fit me before are still too small.

Replies

  • hugglegirl
    hugglegirl Posts: 35 Member
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    Ah I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe just a little more and they fit perfect!
    Don't let it get you down.
  • jadethief
    jadethief Posts: 266 Member
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    I have the same problem. I lost 20 lbs and my old pants are falling off, so I bought the same brand and style in the next size down. Too tight! It amazes me that some people go down 4 sizes with the same amount of weight lost.
  • ForMyAngelBaby
    ForMyAngelBaby Posts: 123 Member
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    Right now I'm wearing size 16 pants and they feel too big on me. I tried on my size 14 pants that I used to be able to wear when I was 5 pounds heavier the last time around, and they are too small.

    The only thing I can think of is am I losing weight in different places this time?
  • jbutterflye
    jbutterflye Posts: 1,914 Member
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    Might be difference in muscle mass. If so you're not actually comparing apples to apples, because the muscle takes up less room (density) than fat but weighs more.
  • KariRoseDoll
    KariRoseDoll Posts: 47 Member
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    I agree with jbutterflye. It is more than likely a matter of muscle mass. I had my smaller clothes that stopped fitting me last year. When I wore them, I was 150 or so pounds. Now, I weigh about nine pounds more and they fit me again. This is thanks to a gain in muscle. So, I may weigh more, but I'm not as big.
  • Leorah12
    Leorah12 Posts: 6 Member
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    probably is that your weight in different places im having the same problem smaller pants are not fitting me that did when i weighed more but my face looks alot thinner than before and so do my arms just keep up the great work youll get there any weight loss is great!
  • psych0kitty
    psych0kitty Posts: 313
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    Make sure you get enough protein (people say 1g per lb of body weight, but sometimes that's unmanageable, so go for at least 30%) and do strength training so that you maintain muscle and lose fat. It sucks to hear, but you have probably lost muscle mass if you're physically bigger than you were at the same weight previously.
  • HollyHobbitToes
    HollyHobbitToes Posts: 131 Member
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    I have the opposite problem actually....I have worked out more this time around though so there is a 10 pound difference in how my clothes fit....I'm wearing stuff now at 182 lbs that I was wearing when I was 172 pounds...I had NO muscle before but now I have more muscle and less fat so I suspect that you may have been more muscular last time...did you lose the weight too quickly and maybe lost muscle mass?
  • AmbyrJayde
    AmbyrJayde Posts: 257 Member
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    As of Saturday I have lost 20 pounds. I am thrilled with the results, but I'm confused at the same time. A few years ago I started losing weight, dropped 18 pounds and bought smaller clothes. I gained all that back and now I'm down 20 pounds and the clothes aren't fitting me! I figured I'd surely be down another pant size by now, but I'm not. I don't understand how I can lose more weight than before and yet clothes that fit me before are still too small.

    I've lost a 100 pounds and only went down one size.... I'm pretty sure when I was at this weight originally I was at 22-24 or lower, didn't work that way on the way down...
  • lilacinfinity
    lilacinfinity Posts: 283 Member
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    Any weight loss is a proportion of fat & lean mass, unless you're REALLY diligent about your macros and lifting.

    So, say you lost 14lb of fat and 4lb of lean mass before. Then you gained it back. 18lb of fat.
    Now you've lost 20 lb, say 15 of fat and 5 of lean mass again.
    You effectively have another 3lb of fat on you than last time, even though you've lost an extra 2lb.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    You can lose significant amount of water weight and not lose inches or size.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
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    I'm having the same thing happen! The scale is down, but I'm still wearing my fat clothes. My working theory is that my fat clothes were much tighter than I was admitting to myself.

    However, I am noticing lots of little things...for instance it's much easier to get up from a seated position, and when I lay on my side my stomach isn't laying next to me anymore. lol Also, when I'm looking down into my iPad and the screen goes black and I catch a quick and horrible candid reflection of myself, I don't have as much of a double chin situation going on.
  • ereach4731
    ereach4731 Posts: 41 Member
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    You may have just lost water weight. Don't get down about it, just keep going.

    Also, how long ago was your first loss? Clothing companies have changes the way clothes are cut. Therefore, things from years ago compared to something int he same size today will fit differently. This is especially true if you are plus size.

    It can also depend on where you are gaining and losing your weight. I wish we could select this, but we can't. I tend to lose in my upper body first but gain in my lower body first.

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