at how many lbs lost did you go down a size?

kiela64 · July 2018

This is just out of pure curiosity.

I've lost about 25lbs, and I'm still the same clothing size (18 women's/XL tops), and I'd bet it would be another 10-20 before I could comfortably fit into my old size 16 clothes & L shirts. (I have a little hamper in my closet of them because I was determined to get back there - but that was in 2015 lol

) Everyone's body is different, but it definitely seems like a massively wide range for a single clothing size on one person!

I'd be interested to hear about what that was like for you, if you've dropped a size (or more).

I'm guessing it has to do with body shape and where you carry weight - I have wide hips and so even though my pants are looser on the waist and thighs, I've definitely not sized down out of them yet.

angelsja · July 2018

I was a loose size 16 in January lost 21lbs now in a loose 12 (tight 10 lol depending on the jeans)

dsboohead · July 2018

I am 5' 4" and a 16 fit way too well. I have lost about 25 and am a tight 12.

WholeFoods4Lyfe · July 2018

It's hard in the US because sizes aren't really standardized. I find discrepancies even in the same brand. For example, I have a pair of size 16 pants that are getting loose, and so I bought a pair of size 14 jeans from the same designer thinking they'd be good and I can't even pull them up over my hips. Plus, I also think that the bigger you are, the more you have to lose to go down a size. I'd say on average, for me right now, it's probably 15-20lbs per size. I know having lost weight before that once I got to a size 10 and under that it was more 10lbs per size. Keep in mind though, this is all completely arbitrary.

NHDaisy2 · July 2018

I'm guessing it has to do with body shape and where you carry weight - I have wide hips and so even though my pants are looser on the waist and thighs, I've definitely not sized down out of them yet.

My guess would be exactly this as I am finding the same thing for some of my clothing items. I also think that the cut of the clothing plays a role because a size L in one brand fits, another brand too small, another brand too large.

dsboohead · July 2018

Cheap Asian sized clothing is ridiculously small.
I go into better clothing manufacturers I can be a medium depending on cut.

YvetteK2015 · July 2018

At my heaviest, I was a size 18 and in XL tops. I have lost 50 lbs, and I am in L tops. That's the majority of tops that fit me. I probably have another 10 lbs to lose before I will fit into M tops. On the other hand, in losing those 50 lbs, I went from a size 18 in pants to a size 10.

BlessedMom70 · July 2018

I'm 5'6, 156 lbs and a size 10. I can get into an 8 when I am 145-148.

YvetteK2015 · July 2018

dsboohead wrote: »

Cheap Asian sized clothing is ridiculously small.
I go into better clothing manufacturers I can be a medium depending on cut.

I absolutely cannot wear Asian sized clothing. It's 2 or 3x smaller than regular sized clothing. Cute designs but I'm not even playing around with that sizing bs. Even when I was a size 0 or 2 I would have been a 6 in their sizes.

Crafty_camper123 · July 2018

I think it depends on what you're doing to lose the weight. I am 5'3 and have floated between 160 at my highest, and 130 at my lowest for well over 10 years. When I was at my highest of 160 I fit 8's well, and was jamming myself into 6's. When I would lose weight by simply dieting I could get to the lower to mid 140's and my 6's would simply fit better. This time around, I started at 155. All pants were a size 8. My 6's all blew out in the thighs so I have no clue if 6's would fit or not. This time, I am doing strength training AND cardio in addition to eating less. I dropped the same 15ish lbs. that I typically do during the summer. But this time I am down from size 8 to size 4. I'm 6 months in.

Crafty_camper123 · July 2018

Also, yes sizes from Asian clothing manufacturers seem to run small all the time. I got an XL dress around the new year thinking it would fit well, and it fit more like a Medium at the time I got it. Actually almost all the dresses I got from them were ill fitting all around. I can't even wear them now at a smaller size. I'm sure that has more to do with buying cheap clothes from a cheap online retailer though. Lesson learned there. I won't buy anything anymore I can't try on, or at least easily return.

dsboohead · July 2018

Asian sized clothing is soooooo bad for the ego!
Don't even bother getting clothes on line because of Asian manufacturers...unless you like throwing away $$$

jgnatca · July 2018

I found that the size shifts accelerate the closer I got to normal sizing.

Crafty_camper123 · July 2018

dsboohead wrote: »

Asian sized clothing is soooooo bad for the ego!
Don't even bother getting clothes on line because of Asian manufacturers...unless you like throwing away $$$

I stick to Amazon items with reviews from here on out, If I am an ordering online. I can see what people are complaining about, and sometimes people even post pics! I love seeing what they will look like on normal people and not the overly photoshopped stock pics. Then worst case scenario I can just return it to Amazon in the mail.

Ainadan · July 2018

It depends. I lost a pants size about every 10 lbs. I'm 5'8, 190 lbs, and size 8 now. I don't have big hips and only carry weight there when all other options are exhaused, haha. However, I still haven't lost a shirt size, so I think that is going to take a little longer.

WholeFoods4Lyfe · July 2018

Just for the record, Asian clothing sizes are much more accurate than US clothing sizes due to vanity sizing. If you've ever picked up a gorgeous Vintage size 10 dress, I can almost guarantee that that size 10 is going to be significantly smaller than any size 10 that you can find in stores right now.

When I was in High School I weighed 135lbs at 5'2" and was a size 8/10. About 8 years ago I actually got down to that goal weight and was a size 4.

Basically, vanity sizing has ruined us all LOL

etherealanwar · July 2018

I am down 30 lbs so far and have yet to go down a pant size (FYI I am 5'4") but I have gone down from a size Large in tops to a medium so I have that going for me. Pant size still a 12 but I'm thinking in another 10 lbs i'll be a size 10.

snemberton · July 2018

I'm 14lbs down and my pants are a tiny bit more loose, but most of my weight loss has been upper body area so far. Size 16 pants are loose, but 14 is a little snug still. If my next 14lbs comes off my hips and thighs more, I might be able to drop a size in pants.

Nativestar56 · July 2018

I found that the size shifts accelerate the closer I got to normal sizing.

I read a good analogy once, can't remember where. Think of it like a roll of kitchen paper and each sheet is a lb. With a full kitchen roll the first sheet might go a third around the tube, so you'd need several sheets to take off a layer. But by the time you get to the last sheet, it's probably going around the tube one and half times so it takes a lot less to remove a layer of paper.

AnnPT77 · July 2018

Nativestar56 wrote: »

I found that the size shifts accelerate the closer I got to normal sizing.

I read a good analogy once, can't remember where. Think of it like a roll of kitchen paper and each sheet is a lb. With a full kitchen roll the first sheet might go a third around the tube, so you'd need several sheets to take off a layer. But by the time you get to the last sheet, it's probably going around the tube one and half times so it takes a lot less to remove a layer of paper.

Good analogy. I, too, found that sizes were more pounds apart when I was larger, and progressively fewer pounds apart as I got smaller, in general. With weight loss, I went from around 16-18 women's to 4-6 around misses (US sizes).

Before that, I'd gone from maybe 20W (possibly more) to the 16-18W without losing any significant weight at all, just becoming more athletic . . . took like 10 years, though.

(No, not just vanity sizing: I saw reductions in inches, and in the fit of older clothes.)

Running_and_Coffee · July 2018

The difference between a size 6 & a 4 (US) is less than 10 lbs for me. The idea of wearing a 2 right now is laughable, so I am guessing it would be another 10 if I wanted to be that small.

ladybug4233 · July 2018

I was a 12 and lost about 30 pounds and I am now a 6. So I lost about 10 pounds per size.

nooshi713 · July 2018

10 lbs is about one size for me. I am 5 feet tall

swimmchick87 · July 2018

I agree with the pp who said there's a larger difference between larger sizes. For me, the difference between a size 14 and a size 12 was about 25 pounds (to be fair, the 14's were getting quite snug when I started). The difference between a size 10 and a size 8 was only about 10-12 pounds.

I also agree that different stores vary pretty widely based on sizes. I sometimes buy cheap jeans from Target. One time, I tried on a pair of skinny jeans in size 8 that fit perfectly. I decided to grab a black pair as well- same exact brand, same store, same style and everything- just a different color. When I got home, I couldn't get the black pair to zip they were so tight!

workinonit1956 · July 2018

At 173 I wore a slightly tight size 12 jeans. At 140 currently, an 8 in the same brand. Tops went from M-L to small. Several pair of shoes are too loose.

peggym4640 · July 2018

Usually 10 - 13 pounds is a new size for me.

kiela64 · July 2018

Interesting! Thanks everyone for sharing your experience! I didn’t know, although it makes a lot of sense, that the larger sizes would be so far apart. 👍

lorrpb · July 2018

I think in general it was 10-15 lbs per size for me if following numbered sizes. If following letter sizes it was prob a bit more because most letter sizes include two number sizes. But really sizing is crazy. I currently wear S, M, and L depending on the item, brand, and model.

Size changes also depend on how tight/loose you like your cut. Tight styles change more obviously than looser ones.

I went through MANY Goodwill wardrobes while losing 150 lbs. Thank goodness I wear forgiving casual, loose styles and I have some great GW stores nearby with clothes in good condition. If I had to dress in smartly tailored suits every day it would have gotten frustrating pretty quickly.

tlblood · July 2018

When I was a size 18, it took about 25 lbs before I could fit into a 16. Another time, I kept my loose clothes so long that I completely skipped 16...wore my 18s until they were falling off, and when I went to get new pants, I was able to fit into a 14.

I feel you on how clothes fit everyone differently. I carry my weight in my belly, so my pants get really baggie in the butt and legs and my husband complains that my clothes are too big, but I can't yet zip the next smaller size.

summpear · July 2018

I'm 5'5 and have lost 25lbs (179-154). I went from a 10-12ish depending on cut (face it - sweats and leggings) to now a 6-8 depending.

I've got 10ish still to lose and I'm curious if I venture into 4s. I've never been there before so it's a little (lot) intimidating.

ssurvivor · July 2018

Like you said, everyone is different. But then there are other factors like the quality of those lbs (i.e, muscle v. fat or losing short term v. long term weight).

For example, in college, I gained 15 lbs but dropped a dress size. Basically, I gained ~20 lbs of muscle but lost ~5 lbs of fat. And since muscle is denser than fat... Also, when I gained weight most recently, I gained long term weight (long term weight is when your fat cells multiply). So, even though I lost all of it, I only dropped one of the three dress sizes I initially gained.

And like others have mentioned, vanity sizing has made this even more complicated. I could buy the same size of the same dress at a department store and directly from the designer and be able to fit the dept store version but not the designer version.

at how many lbs lost did you go down a size?

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