How many lbs equals a dress size?

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24

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  • debbs1970
    debbs1970 Posts: 5
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    This is my second time doing the "impossible" weight loss. First time 205>>>145 equalled out to 12 pounds per size average and was pretty close to that being exactly true each size down. That time 205 was a size 14 and 145 was a size 6 verging on a size 4. This time I am definitely less fit with less muscle and more fat. So I just dropped from 18 to 16 with only 8.8 pounds down.

    So if you are muscle and fit you will need to lose more weight for a size.
    If you are more fat and less fit you will need to lose less weight for a size.

    If you have never seen the artificial model of 5 pounds of fat next to the artificial model of 5 pounds of muscle...search it out on the net. The cubic mass of fat is much higher and takes up much more space.
  • Becca21
    Becca21 Posts: 361 Member
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    ive lost 5lbs and gone down 2 dress sizes
  • recoveryjunky
    recoveryjunky Posts: 162 Member
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    I've lost 30lbs and went from a 22 to a 14/16 :)
  • agdyl
    agdyl Posts: 246 Member
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    Clearly this depends on the size chart of the manufacturer, but in general:

    At 200 I was about a 14/16, and now at 172 I'm in a variety of 6/8/10's. The slim fit size 8 pants I'm wearing today are feeling pretty loose today - about an inch of extra space.

    Looking back at my measurements vs. weight - my hips have been shrinking about an inch every 5 lbs. My waist, upper thighs and ribcage all went down roughly an inch every 10lbs.

    Obviously that's going to vary depending on where your body holds fat. Haha, my ribs and waist never had nearly as much potential fat to lose as my butt...
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I am not even close to changing sizes. So it really depends on the person. I want to go shopping so bad - but refuse to buy the same size clothes. I am starting to think I will never change sizes and will never get to shop again. Saves me money though...
  • agdyl
    agdyl Posts: 246 Member
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    I am not even close to changing sizes. So it really depends on the person. I want to go shopping so bad - but refuse to buy the same size clothes. I am starting to think I will never change sizes and will never get to shop again. Saves me money though...

    Saves you money on clothes at least! :) I've been frustrated the other way where I've had skinny pants I was just dying to get back into. They fit for seriously like a week or two and now they're too big. I definitely need to wait until everything stabilizes before buying anything new that I really love (or at least that I didn't find on clearance or a secondhand store, so I'm not wasting a ton of money...).

    I think it at least feels like it goes in spurts though. If I average it all out over the past 6 months, it comes out to a nice steady loss of 1.15 lbs a week and makes sense, but looking at the graph it's up and down and all over the place. There are times when the measurements didn't match the scale at all - I'd gain like 4 pounds back and lose another inch on my hips/waist on the same day. Go figure. Just proves you can't get hung up on the details (like the day to day numbers on the scale) and have to keep calm and keep plugging along.
  • QueenofScott
    QueenofScott Posts: 305 Member
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    It takes a lot more pounds to drop a size in the larger sizes than it does in smaller sizes. I think i lost aout 10 lbs, maybe a little less, between size 8 down to a 6. I think it was closer to 20 lbs to drop a size in the beginning of my weight loss. In other words, there is less difference in size between the smaller sizes than there is between the larger sizes.
  • sharonfoustmills
    sharonfoustmills Posts: 519 Member
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    It is not that simple. It depends on lots of things, your genetic body shape, the cut of the clothing, different designers use different sizes, fat content vs. muscle content..... and a gazillion other things.
  • pwnderosa
    pwnderosa Posts: 280 Member
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    I bought a dress 3 weeks ago in a size 12, then went back to the store this past weekend, bought another dress in the SAME store and SAME line....in a size 6. Both fit perfectly.

    Sizing is so ridiculously inconsistent any more I don't even know what to pick up when I head to the dressing room. So....to answer the OP's question...anywhere from 0-50 lbs should equal a dress size! :laugh:
  • VixenArgentum
    VixenArgentum Posts: 91 Member
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    I have a huge frame and it takes a long time for me to go through sizes. I can go 25-30 lbs between dress sizes, easy.
  • rainunrefined
    rainunrefined Posts: 850 Member
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    It's about 13lbs for me.
  • Ldbg289
    Ldbg289 Posts: 236 Member
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    I kinda don't remember how many. Probably 10 before my pants were loose enough I needed a belt, another 10 or so before I finally bought new smaller pants. So...about 20 pounds give or take.
  • shelbyj72
    shelbyj72 Posts: 184 Member
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    it is 15+ pounds
  • thinlizzy608
    thinlizzy608 Posts: 45
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    Very good question that i always wondered. everyone's posts are a great help :)
  • quicklabs
    quicklabs Posts: 254 Member
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    I've heard 20 pounds for over 150 lbs, then after 150, just 10 lbs.
  • jewel22887
    jewel22887 Posts: 72
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    As it's been stated there is no standardization in US women's sizes.

    If you are talking about needing to fit into a wedding dress, bridal consultants say in general 15-20 lbs a size.

    Where you carry your weight matters a lot though. In pants since I am no pear every 10 lbs or so I've gone down a size. With my shirts my chest has only gone down 1 size so I still wear the same shirts the belly is just much looser.
  • Kaytee86
    Kaytee86 Posts: 88 Member
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    Every store can be slightly different on their sizing as well as every person is different. There are three plus size stores that I shop at. For two of them I usually fit a 20 right now, but one of them (my fav lol) I am a size 18.

    But for a generic sense, it depends how many pounds it takes you to loose inches.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_standard_clothing_size

    According to Wikipedia, there is only about 1 inch difference between smaller sizes and 1.5 inches between plus sizes.
  • joanfudala
    joanfudala Posts: 41 Member
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    For me, only 1 pound! At 149, I had 29% body fat, 106 pounds lean weight, and I wore size 8. Now I weigh 148, have 20% body fat, and have 118 pounds lean weight. I attend a boot camp 5 days a week (sometimes 6). I also swim (vigorously) at least once a week.
  • BoxerLover96
    BoxerLover96 Posts: 82 Member
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    I'm 5'4" and I was wearing 13/15 pants at 156. I lost 10 pounds and now I can fit in a 10/11 comfortably.
  • chelsifina
    chelsifina Posts: 346 Member
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    I started at 162lbs on a 5'8" body and I was a size 12/14. I now weigh 149 (so 13 pounds) and am now an 8/6, and I'm closer to the 6 really. More significantly, I've dropped 4% body fat and am much more well muscled than I was when I started, and I think that is what made the most difference. I expect to get to a 4 before its all done, and though my goal is to drop 14 more pounds, I'm pretty sure that no more than 10 will do it with this BF%. Good luck to you on your journey and I hope you drop every dress you want to!

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