How much weight to drop clothing sizes?

mimimunchery
mimimunchery Posts: 69 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I’m 41, 5’8”, female, and currently 186/187 lbs. I’ve lost a little over 16 lbs from January and down a little over 13 lbs since March 7th (when I really consistently starting eating less/more healthily and strength training).

I was previously an XL at banana republic and a large (most of the time). at the GAP. Other places I’d generally grab XL, but sometimes it’s too big. I generallly have avoided numbered sizes for years.

I went to Banana republic a few days ago and Large was still too small. But XLs looked better. They hung more flatteringly. But I still haven’t dropped a size after 16 lbs down.

So just wondering when most people start seeing sizes drop?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    Depends on how much weight you have to lose. I lost 40 Lbs total. I didn't drop a pant size until 20 Lbs down, but I lost a shirt size before then. At my current weight I can drop a pant size in 5ish Lbs because I'm right in between a 32 and 34 waist...34 is slightly loose...32 is too tight.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    Depends on your height. 15lbs distributed over 5'8" is spread out thinner than 15lbs on a 5'0" person (like myself). I'd say 10-15lbs is a size for me.

    I lost 42lbs, I went from a 14 to a 2/4 in pants, that is like 5 sizes down or about every 8lbs. I went from an XL to a S in tops, that is down 3 sizes, so about every 13-15lbs.

    Weight loss is not linear, so it didn't just happen like that. I bought 12s at the beginning of last summer, 8s at the end, and 4s in the fall. Now the 4s are falling off and I'm shopping for 2s. I started buying medium shirts last summer, haven't really fit into small shirts until the past couple of months.
  • Makeyourdreamshappen
    Makeyourdreamshappen Posts: 48 Member
    edited April 2019
    It took me about 15 pounds to see a difference. I was a size large in shirts and then dropped to a medium in shirts. I'm a pear shape so my top is smaller than my bottom half. I'm pretty much still the same size in pants. The body chooses where it wants to lose the fat and apparently it loves to stay on my hips. I'll let you know when that changes haha I'm 5'2 and 134 pounds. So far I've lost 22 pounds.

    *Size 8 in pants. If they are non-stretchy then probably a 9. Stretchy pants are more comfortable lol
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    My experience is that it took more pounds to go down from XL to L than it took to go from L to M. This was true when clothing was sized in US 10,12, etc. But as everyone knows, there is little standardization in US sizes, and body shape can be more important than body weight. As an ex: I am currently wearing a pair of levis 505 with ease - they are recently made and stretchy and a size 6, and I have a pair of 505s size 10 that are probably 4 years old, but not so stretchy, that get a little baggy in the butt by the end of the day but are not really too big. So it goes.
  • purple4sure05
    purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
    I was 5'6 and 158 pounds wearing a size 8 pants. I'm now 130 pounds and wearing a VERY snug size 6.
  • mimimunchery
    mimimunchery Posts: 69 Member
    Thanks everyone! It doesn’t really matter to much to me anyways - I was excited to see clothes were starting to look a little better - even if they are the same size!
  • jan110144
    jan110144 Posts: 1,236 Member
    It also depends on where your body decides to lose the fat. I lost first in arms, back, thighs (which weren't that big to begin with). Lost in the midsection last. When i started losing in the middle, i zipped through sizes. Went from 14/16 US to a 4 (50+ pounds lost, 5'7")
  • Deanner03
    Deanner03 Posts: 371 Member
    I've found ZERO consistency to this answer. I'm 6' and started in a size 22. I've lost almost 40lbs, and now can fit into an 18, but some 16 shirts. Other things, it's a 20. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it.
  • mnbell2013
    mnbell2013 Posts: 45 Member
    edited April 2019
    My body was stubborn when I first started losing. 24 y/o female, 5'5", started at 228lbs. It took almost 20lbs lost before I noticed my clothes fitting differently. After that it happened much more quickly. It seemed like I went from wearing loose XL tee shirts (just normal cotton unisex/men's shirts, nothing fancy) to being able to comfortably wear mediums in a matter of weeks. I'm at 181lbs now and wear medium shirts and size 12/13 in most jeans. The first 20lbs were very frustrating and it was hard to be patient, but it will happen eventually!
  • Samantharavenclaw84
    Samantharavenclaw84 Posts: 161 Member
    I started at a size 20 pants, XL-2x shirts depending on brand and 250 pounds (5'2). I'm 221 now and moved down to size 18 jeans. Still wearing that wide range of shirts but I've noticed a lot of the 2x ones are looser, slipping from my shoulders. I have gone down at least a half size in shoes in about 2 months. One pair is actually a full size smaller and was very tight when I bought them 2 years ago. Slipped into them the other day with no issues. Guess I carried a lot of weight in my feet ;) .
  • kellycz
    kellycz Posts: 57 Member
    I’m 5’5” and it was a tight squeeze getting into my size 10 jeans at 146 lbs. I’m currently at 135 lbs., and a size 8 fits comfortably.
  • Allgaun
    Allgaun Posts: 221 Member
    Aside from the different body types and the areas where people lose first...lycra and spandex and elastic waistbands.

    I find my clothes still fit after a 25 lbs loss, simply by not stretching out so much. Just this past week I was wearing my black jeans and there was a gap in the waist. Not sure if I'm ready to shop for new ones but it took a pretty large loss to get to loose
  • texasredreb
    texasredreb Posts: 541 Member
    I'm 5'6" and started at 225lbs. I'm now 208lbs and haven't dropped a size. Started in size 16 jean and am still wearing size 16 jean. I don't wear leggings or anything with an elastic waistband. My jeans are looser for sure, but the size 14 I have from before still doesn't fit. I also have three pairs of size 16 pants that have never fit and I still can't get them up over my hips. I guess they are NOT vanity sized. I think I'll be a 12 in most other brands before I can get those on and zipped. In tops I wear a large or an extra large in most brands. I'm noticing that larges are fitting better now than before I started losing. YMMV
  • smcwllms
    smcwllms Posts: 27 Member
    As fat loss cannot be targeted by specific body location, it is therefore impossible to correlate with any accuracy a range of weight loss to a clothing size reduction. Just keep working on it, and it will come.
  • skullsandskeletons
    skullsandskeletons Posts: 675 Member
    I'm the same height as you and it takes about 25 pounds for one lower size in clothes.
  • dhiammarath
    dhiammarath Posts: 834 Member
    edited April 2019
    I'm 5'5", and I tend to change sizes every 10lbs or so. It took more in the beginning, but once I got into non-plus sizes, it was roughly on average about every 10lbs, the next size "would fit". Snug, yes, but I could get them as my "next-in-line" garments. Bottoms, at least. Tops were tricky. It took a lot longer to go from consistently a L to a M, and it's only been recently (since crossing the healthy BMI threshold) that I've started losing in my bust (thank the light!). Which means I'm more like a S to XS, depending on cut. (Ladies cut shirts seem to be murderbots of self-confidence, because depending on how "fitted" [ie, snug] they are, I wear anywhere from XL to S).

    Now, my weight is carried all over -- and when I say all over, I really mean it: ankles, knees, etc. The first to go was my stomach, but the backfat clings forever giving me my forever inner rubber duckie floatie that likes to squeeze out over my pants no matter if they're falling to the ground. So fat distribution definitely makes a difference, because I noticed a much slower transition in tops (I am not super comfortable wearing tight shirts with a big bosom), but now it's speeding up as I lose from my top half where my pants are slowing down.

    I think I'm getting close to the end of the road for sizes, though. Bones and all that. XD
  • TanyaHooton
    TanyaHooton Posts: 249 Member
    I'm 5'6" and weigh 136 or so. I've lost a little over 20 pounds. I've dropped from a 10 to roughly a 6 in Banana Republic pants, and a 2-4 in White House Black Market pants. But with shirts, I've only gone from a Large to a Medium in WHBM - and no change at Banana Republic. This is because my top half is bigger than my lower half and BR shirts are designed for women with small-moderate upper halves. (Don't even get me started on Ann Taylor clothes measurements.)

    Also, I've found a lot of inconsistency in Banana Republic clothes. I took five pairs of pants into the fitting room - three 6's and two 8's. One 6 was too big, one was too small, and one was cut wrong for my shape. The 8's were all too large. So, when I say that I'm a 6 in BR, I mean that...I don't fit an 8, nor do I fit a 4, but I'll be damned if the 6's on the rack were meant for me.
  • ladybug4233
    ladybug4233 Posts: 217 Member
    edited April 2019
    Then there are also inches to consider. I am only 2 pounds smaller than last summer but I had to buy new shorts and some of my jeans are too loose because I have lost inches due to strength training. Last year when I lost 30 pounds I went from a size 12 to a size 6 and now 4/6. My tops went from medium/ large to small/ medium. Also my bra size went from 34dd to 32dd.
  • kathy9083
    kathy9083 Posts: 27 Member
    I think it probably varies from person to person because we all have different body types. I am 5'5 and started at 227 and now I am now 178. At my heaviest, I was a size 18 and now I can fit into a size 16. I carry most of my weight in my waist and thighs so that is probably why I only went down 1 pants size.

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