How much weight do I have to lose to get down to this size...?

PeppermintSowon
PeppermintSowon Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section, I'm new here...
I'm 5'5 and was put on a sleeping pill that made me gain a lot of weight. I'm off it now, but now I weigh about 260 lbs and I'm going to get a gym membership hopefully this week.
I'm a size 16-20 depending on the brand of clothing I wear. I'm moving to South Korea in a few years, and a US Size 8 is considered plus size in most Korean stores, which hardly ever carry sizes bigger than a 6...I've been told by my American friends who are currently living in Korea, that shopping for clothes is extremely hard, because even though they are small in size, the shopkeepers tend to tell them there's nothing that will fit them in their store, and shoo them out.
When I was a size 10-14, I looked like a size 6, and most people didn't believe me when I told them my real size (Some friends have even turned me around to check the tag on my jeans...)
While being healthy is my main priority, shopping at a size 20 is hard as it is, and I don't want to drop down to my old size 10-14, move to Korea, and have shopping being a hassle yet again.
What I want to know is how much a 5'5 woman would typically weigh at a size 6, and if that's an unhealthy goal for me, since I already looked small at a size 14? My best friend says it's not unhealthy, but my 2 other friends say it is....and since I was a teenager, I've had people telling me I'd look "Anorexic" if I went smaller than a size 10..
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Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    It depends a lot on your build and your muscle vs fat mass. However, I'd say that you likely would need to be in the 140s or below to be a size 6. I have a couple of size 6 pairs of jeans and am 147 w/26% bf but most of my clothes are 8/10 depending on brand.

    Honestly, people say a lot of stupid stuff. I wouldn't worry about looking "anorexic" at this point.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    At 120 - 130, I wear a size 4 or 6 also depending on brand. I'm 5'3"
  • 10ssmith
    10ssmith Posts: 33 Member
    I'm at 160 wearing a size 10.. and I'm 5'2
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    It's hard to say because everyone carries weight differently. When I started losing I was a size 22. Now I'm near the weight where I started, but I'm wearing 18s and 20s. At my lowest I was 185 pounds and a size 14/hitting large in tops.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited April 2016
    Hard to say.
    For me a size 6 was about I want to say 135-145 lbs.
    I'm 5'4.5", in the low 120's and wearing a 2 or 4 depending on the brand (most 4's I actually need a belt with).

    (My highest was 260 lbs. Profile pic is last week. I recommend weight lifting if you get a gym membership. It will help maintain your muscle mass while you lose fat which typically results in a leaner look/smaller clothes at higher weights. I didn't start lifting until last year and I really wish I had been able to start sooner.)
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    "I've had people telling me I'd look "Anorexic" if I went smaller than a size 10." Um, what??? Clearly, don't listen to these people.

    Losing weight to be a certain size is tricky because sizes aren't uniform and they are all different depending on the brand. Can you look online or ask your Korean friends what the measurements are for the Korean size 6 and size 8? It may be reasonable for you, but depending on how they size clothes it may not be. That's what I'd try anyway.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    Depends where you carry your weight, and what your body fat % is. Even when I was 135 at 5'4" I wasn't wearing a 6. I carry most of my weight in my torso, especially my stomach. Someone with a smaller waist might have a different experience. Also, I suspect my body fat was still kind of on the high end at the time even though I was a healthy weight.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    This isn't a super comprehensive list but it might be a start: http://www.korea4expats.com/article-womens-clothing-size-conversion-chart.html

    Converting sizes is a headache, especially when a small in one brand isn't always going to be a small in another brand.

    As for how much weight you would have to lose, it would depend on how you carry it and that has to do with genetics, I believe.
  • skbrodie
    skbrodie Posts: 81 Member
    At a size 6 I was probably around 145 lbs. I'm 5'6. I would say a person my height definitely does not look anorexic below a size 10. When I was a size 6 I still could have lost weight and been fine.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Im 5'6.5 and 168lbs and I can wear a 6 in some pants, but an 8 or 10 in most others depending on how they are made.when I was 140lbs I was a size 9 which was when I was a teen/young adult. Im actually smaller now for some reason. but then again sizes have changed over the years. I have a 28 inch waist,and 38 hips. so some things wont fit because of my big hips. its going to depend on a lot of factors. can you buy clothing before you go over there? I am sure there are american clothing stores over there right?
  • tiffkittyw
    tiffkittyw Posts: 366 Member
    Your build and amount of body fat will determine what size you can wear at what weight. I'm
    5'4" small build with much more fat than muscle and I wear a size 8 in jeans right now at 127 lbs. I have to be 120 lbs to wear a size 6.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited April 2016
    I'm 5'5" and I wear a size 6 at 135 pounds. I'm medium/large framed though and have a wide waist (and carry fat on my hips, plus a bunch of loose skin on the stomach after losing 80 pounds) so I don't think I could fit comfortably at a lower size unless it's Old Navy or something (or went much closer to the underweight BMI).
  • grubb1019
    grubb1019 Posts: 371 Member
    I'm 5'5", 207 right now and I wear a size 14-16. The smallest I have ever been was 128 and I wore an 8 then, but I didn't have much muscle and I did look sick.
  • PeppermintSowon
    PeppermintSowon Posts: 2 Member
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    Im 5'6.5 and 168lbs and I can wear a 6 in some pants, but an 8 or 10 in most others depending on how they are made.when I was 140lbs I was a size 9 which was when I was a teen/young adult. Im actually smaller now for some reason. but then again sizes have changed over the years. I have a 28 inch waist,and 38 hips. so some things wont fit because of my big hips. its going to depend on a lot of factors. can you buy clothing before you go over there? I am sure there are american clothing stores over there right?

    I'm not sure about American stores, I'll ask my friends. But I know that places like J.C. Penney's and things like that they probably won't have. I could buy clothes before I go there, but I'm absolutely in love with Asian fashion, which is why it's such a big deal to me to be able to fit their clothes lol If Asian fashion was seen by me as just clothes, I wouldn't care about getting down to a size 6 nearly as much haha
  • sparklyglitterbomb
    sparklyglitterbomb Posts: 458 Member
    edited April 2016
    Not sure about South Korea prices, but when I was in Thailand, I had a few things made for me. The cost wasn't bad at all and it was exactly what I wanted. Between our body shape, height, and broad shoulders finding anything that fit was nearly impossible.
  • megzchica23
    megzchica23 Posts: 419 Member
    It is hard to say since everyone is different. When I weigh around 130lbs I still wear a size 8 and I am 5"7' But all my weight is in the lower half of my body. So it would take a lot for me to fit in a 6. I'm 177lbs right now and wear a size 16.
  • chimaerandi
    chimaerandi Posts: 153 Member
    "size 6" is such a fluid concept anyway, but I have ordered clothes from Japan and China, which I assume have similar stuff as Korea, and I'm pretty consistently a large at 5'3'' 130 pounds.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    edited April 2016
    I'm 5'4" and I would not be a US size 6 unless I dropped below 120 lbs. I don't look as good toward the lower end of the healthy bmi. I look my best/healthiest around 125 and would wear a US size 8/10 then.
    You are going to have to judge as you go how thin is still healthy looking for you.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    I am not trying to be mean but how does a sleeping pill make you gain weight if you are sleeping?
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
    edited April 2016
    Completely depends on your build. I'm 160lb right now, wearing size 6 Levis jeans that are a bit baggy, but the size 4's don't fit. They go on, zip, and button, but I would never wear them out in public, as I look like a busted tin of biscuits.

    ETA I'm 5'4.5", large build, pear shape, 21 years old.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    5ft, 6in and pear shaped here-my maintenance range is the 120s and I wear a size small top, size 4 jeans.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    chimaerandi wrote: »
    "size 6" is such a fluid concept anyway, but I have ordered clothes from Japan and China, which I assume have similar stuff as Korea, and I'm pretty consistently a large at 5'3'' 130 pounds.

    I'm a small here and I'm quite sure that even in Europe I'd be at least a medium. But last I was there, they didn't have XSmall like we do here either.
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    This is driving home how totally arbitrary sizes are. At my height/weight we have ladies wearing 10s to 4s!

    I'm 5'4" and wear a 4 or 6 in jeans/slacks at 141 lbs. small in tops, 4 dresses. At my usual 135-137, it's a solid 4 with an occasional 2. Small/xs tops, 2/4 dresses.
  • koslowkj
    koslowkj Posts: 188 Member
    Obviously like people have said it depends on your shape and what you're wearing (pants vs dresses, brand, etc.) Personally I'm 5'5", 165-170ish, and about a 12.
  • chimaerandi
    chimaerandi Posts: 153 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    chimaerandi wrote: »
    "size 6" is such a fluid concept anyway, but I have ordered clothes from Japan and China, which I assume have similar stuff as Korea, and I'm pretty consistently a large at 5'3'' 130 pounds.

    I'm a small here and I'm quite sure that even in Europe I'd be at least a medium. But last I was there, they didn't have XSmall like we do here either.

    Yeah, here I'm always a small, but when I order from Japan and China, it's p much always a large, sometimes XL
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    It really depends on your build. I'm 125lbs and wear size 6-8. You can't do anything against wide shoulders and hip bones.
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    dbanks80 wrote: »
    I am not trying to be mean but how does a sleeping pill make you gain weight if you are sleeping?

    THIS

    Eating more calories than your body burns will result in gaining weight. Nothing else has that effect.
  • MultipleHigh5s
    MultipleHigh5s Posts: 49 Member
    I would say if you are particularly pear shaped maybe 120, if you are tummy and boob heavy you could weigh more and be a size 8. But it will depend on you muscle fat ratio too, so you won't know till you get there. Why not just get someone to actually make your clothes ? Some sort of seamstress or tailor?
  • smiles4jo
    smiles4jo Posts: 202 Member
    PeppermintSowon wrote: »
    Hi! I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section, I'm new here...
    I've had people telling me I'd look "Anorexic" if I went smaller than a size 10..

    People used to tell me the same thing. Then I got to 145 lbs on my 5'6" frame. My skirts were a size 5 and some of my shirts were an XS. Not a single person told me I looked anorexic! In fact, all those people who told me that I'd look since at 140 lbs told me I looked fantastic. People just aren't used to seeing you that small, so they can't figure it out in their minds. Once you get there and they see it, it's all good ;)
  • smiles4jo
    smiles4jo Posts: 202 Member
    skbrodie wrote: »
    At a size 6 I was probably around 145 lbs. I'm 5'6. I would say a person my height definitely does not look anorexic below a size 10. When I was a size 6 I still could have lost weight and been fine.


    Same here...I had planned on still losing another 10 lbs and would have still liked fine at 135 lbs.

    Then life happened and I regained all the weight, plus another 30 lbs. I'm almost back down to my original starting weight though and aiming for 140 lbs as a goal weight.

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