Science behind weight and clothing sizes

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ready4150970
ready4150970 Posts: 3 Member
edited October 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
So I am back on the train again after 2 yrs. I have set a first goal of losing 45 lbs which would put me at 240lbs. I'm 5'7

I decided to look at mybodygallery for motivation. And putting in my current goal weight and height gave me some women who are wearing the sizes I wear now. So I put in my height and my pants size and I only saw a few woman who looked pretty close to *how I see myself* and weighed what I weigh now. The rest were smaller in weight but still in a size 20 @ my height. I also put in the smallest weight I remember being (same height) and the clothing sizes were bigger

I am just looking to understand how there can be a crazy 45lb difference between 2 people of the same height and they wear the same size.

Is it bone density? Different store sizes? Someone is being untrue? It's interesting to me. If anyone knows the science behind it please share! A whole 45lbs!

Also maybe others can use it and share your results! Current and goal weight

Edit: Went back and somehow more results popped up that actually look pretty accurate! But there are some crazy differences
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Replies

  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
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    I think there are a lot of liars on that site. :)

    Sizes have also changed quite a bit. Bone structures are different, and height makes a huge difference. I'm 5'8, I'm currently fitting perfectly into size 10 skinny jeans, but I'm still obese. There are women I know who weigh 30 plus pounds less than me in the same size.
  • ready4150970
    ready4150970 Posts: 3 Member
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    MissusMoon wrote: »
    I think there are a lot of liars on that site. :)

    Sizes have also changed quite a bit. Bone structures are different, and height makes a huge difference. I'm 5'8, I'm currently fitting perfectly into size 10 skinny jeans, but I'm still obese. There are women I know who weigh 30 plus pounds less than me in the same size.

    Maybe so! But I went back and somehow got more results that seemed easier to believe..I know we're all shaped differently but that just blew my mind for a second
  • ready4150970
    ready4150970 Posts: 3 Member
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    HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »
    Some of it is related to body fat/lean ratios. The same volume of muscle weighs more than that volume of fat. Therefore a very muscular person appears smaller than a fluffy-fat person who weighs the same amount.

    US women's sizes are not standardized to any great extent. Different brands have different definitions. Often, especially in less expensive brands, size varies greatly from one garment to the next. Add to that the fact that each of us carries our excess weight differently. My sister and I used to joke that she was built like a Michelob bottle and I was built like a guardrail post. Over the years, I have morphed into an inflatable clown shape. A friend of mine referred to her own shape as a bale of hay with the end wires cut. Another friend was a beach ball on stilts. Yes, none of these is complementary in any way but they do suggest the problems we each have finding clothing that fits and flatters.

    HA! Yes might as well name your shape because the ones provided for us are a joke
  • akmomof7
    akmomof7 Posts: 162 Member
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    A lot has to do with where you carry your weight. I am 5'6" and 147. I wear size 12 jeans. I'm not even overweight anymore, but my pants size just doesn't want to budge.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    I'm 5'7.5" and a size 10/8. I can't get below a size 6 because I have wide hips. I have other friends who are the same exact height and can easily fit a size 4 when at a healthy weight.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I'm 5'8 160 and my Gap skinny jeans are a size 4, then again my Gap straight legged work trousers are a 6

    I own skirts from size 4 to size 8 and tops from size 4 to size 10 that all fit well..in letters I'm an S overall

    All sizes except Gap converted from UK sizes

    Clothes sizes lie

    I have yet to find a single body on that site with my dimensions that looks like me
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Bone structure (how wide set your shoulders and hips are) will have some play, for sure.

    That being said, I'm dead certain that people on that site lie on the regular.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    In addition to the above, many people get bigger but don't buy bigger clothes. Many fabrics stretch, over time and with wear. When you're in sizes that already allow 20-25 lbs between sizes (common in plus sized clothes) stretching can easily extend that to 30-35 lbs.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    There is no science or standard to clothing sizes. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out.
    1. Even in the same brand an item labeled one size can fit very differently than an item labeled another size.

    2. A person's body shape might determine that a bigger or smaller size fits them better than someone the same height and weight. I carry a lot of my fat in my belly and have thin legs and hips. Someone else my height and weight may have bigger hips and thighs or carry their weight more evenly dispersed. I wear a bigger size pants than many women my weight because of my waist. Get rid of the pesky waist measurement and I go down 6 pants sizes. So if I wear stretchy waist pants that fit my hips- which I do- then I would report a smaller pants size than a person who doesn't do that perhaps. Would a photo show this? Not sure.

    3. People might lie about their clothing size due to vanity. They might also be wearing clothes that are pretty tight where a different person wears them looser and both be convinced/deluded that it is a proper fit.

    When you shop for clothes take your measurements and check size charts, look at reviews for the clothing item to see what people think of the fit or try the item on in the store in a few sizes. Do not get attached to the size number. You aren't ever a size 20. Sometimes a size 20 fits you best.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10458787/womens-clothing-size-tool-multiple-stores-us-uk
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Adding to what Lounmoun said, not only do people lie about clothes size due to vanity and wear clothing tighter or looser, some shop for size/fit. I think some women especially like to think of themselves as a certain size. Some people only look for looser styles so they can say they wear that size and won't go over it.

    I know I played that game when I was stretching out of my 18's and should have been going into 20's.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
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    I bought two size 14 dresses today that fit well to slightly loose. I am 5'10" and 284 pounds. I am clearly NOT a size 14. I wear a size 18 pants in most brands.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    alyssa0061 wrote: »
    I bought two size 14 dresses today that fit well to slightly loose. I am 5'10" and 284 pounds. I am clearly NOT a size 14. I wear a size 18 pants in most brands.

    And 270 & 5'9" I wore a size 20 pant in most brands, as well as according to the ASTM! I had to get down to 200 or so to fit into size 14s!

    I'm always careful to reference my "size" in these threads by ASTM. While it changes every decade or so, at least it's a universal standard, unlike our store experiences.
  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
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    I'm as small as a 00 some places and as big as a 2 others so I think brand based vanity sizing plays a role here.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    edited October 2016
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    JessicaMcB wrote: »
    I'm as small as a 00 some places and as big as a 2 others so I think brand based vanity sizing plays a role here.

    Perhaps, somewhat, but the size differences are very tiny for the ASTM so even a small change in cut would give you variance.

    There's only a 1" difference between an ASTM size 00 and ASTM size 2. Between an ASTM 10 and 12 (1 size) there's a 1.75" difference, and between ASTM 20 and ASTM 22 there's a 2" difference.

    Obviously small variations in cut/styling make a much bigger impact at the bottom end of the scale where the sizes are more compressed.
  • SouthernPeach1
    SouthernPeach1 Posts: 21 Member
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    I don't know if this applies, but here goes. 20 years ago I lost 95 pounds. When I started, I weighed 250 pounds and wore a size 24. Those 92 pounds came back and brought friends, and so I'm working on losing again. This time I started at 313 pounds. When I had lost 63 pounds and was 250 pounds, I was wearing size 20s (and a few 18s). The difference for me has been weight training. I have much more muscle this time around, which takes up less space for the same amount of weight.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Yeah, they lie on that site. Just saw a lady who said she weighs 136 pounds and wears a size 6, and her belly was hanging over.

    It's best not to compare ourselves with other people.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    Out of curiosity I had to check out the site. In my height/weight I saw only 3 women out of 12 pages that were built similar to myself. Of those 3 two of them were 5lb heavier and wore one size larger and the other was the same weight and size. I'm probably going to obsess now for a few days exploring the site lol
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Also worth noting that someone who has lost weight (especially a lot of weight) might look different from someone who's been at a certain weight for a while or someone who's gained weight. I can't find anyone on that website that looks like me at my current weight. I have lost a lot with quite a bit left to lose, so my fat deposits are shaped differently causing discrepancies in both shape and size. I look simultaneously smaller and bigger than what I'm "supposed" to look like at this weight.
  • DietVanillaCoke
    DietVanillaCoke Posts: 259 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I find that ALOT of people on those sites lie. Especially when it comes to shape most put down "Hourglass" because society has taught them it's what people desire which is total BS, but yeah, you also can't guess body shape based on a mirror but most people try to, you really need to take measurements. So many straight, apples and pears on those sites are ALWAYS in the hourglass section it drives me bonkers. The other thing is that a lot of those photos are taken when they're going out and they might have not even known their weight and some of them are wearing types of clothing where you honestly couldn't tell much. I also doubt they measure themselves in every pic right before and then looked up their actual clothing size too =/.

    If I go to another store or wear a different brand I can actually wear size 22, 20s,18s and 16sUK. So people might be basing it on what their clothing tag says rather than measurements.

    There are even pics where they're posing in a way which is to make them look nicer, I.E Leaning over to make the chest larger or taking the pic on an angle to look thinner. I think a lot of those people don't really understand the main purpose of posting to those sites, so they really are unreliable.

    When you lose weight you won't look a planned out way. I was a pear shape when I was younger but i was only 13, as I got older and gained weight and muscle, I became an hourglass from about age 16-19 and then I gained a good 80lbs yet remained hourglass. I lost some of that weight age 22-23 and was a little top heavy and considered a triangle shape... then I gained it all back again plus more and now I'm an hourglass again, despite being obese o.o

    I'm a size 22UK (shirt) in most stores and maybe a size 22 in pants but most people would think I was only a 16UK as my waist is a lot smaller. It's just how my body holds the fat and muscle atm and it always changes. I also do a lot of lifting, have no idea if that's why.

    But yeah, those sites are never honest or accurate.

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