male lost 21lbd still in same clothing size

chubbyballs1701
chubbyballs1701 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok daft question does anyone have a break point that they drop a waste size

I've lost 21 lbd my 38 waist trousers have gone from very tight to go baggy can take them on and off without undoing them

Yet I can't do up 36" ones without feeling I'm being cut in half it's like I need a 37

tbh it's strangely getting me down

Replies

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,252 Member
    There ARE differences between brands and a STRETCHY or RELAXED FIT 38 may be closer to a non-stretch 40 than anything else.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,259 Member
    Not just between brands. Sometimes between individual items of clothing. I have two pair of Carhartt pants that are essentially the exact same except color and one is a size smaller in the waist.

    Funny thing; the ones that have a smaller waist size are way too big on me, and the pair with the larger waist size fit much better. Apparently when I buy Carhartt pants, I have to try each one on to make sure they fit. This is even from clothing made in USA, so go figure.

    I often wear Levi's shrink-to-fit jeans. I dropped a size or two when I lost weight. I think I could drop another size next time I buy some, but I'm too scared they'll be too small, and there's no way to know without buying them and washing them until they shrink.

    I bought some shorts at a second-hand shop that I should by no means possibly fit into based on the size on the tag. But they fit just fine. Vanity sizing, or just a screw-up in the factory? I have no idea.

    I ordered some shorts online on clearance. They were the exact size that my measuring tape said would fit. They won't stay up without some kind of belt, and even then they look like a tent. I contacted the seller; they didn't have a smaller size, so they gave me back my purchase price and just suggested I donate them.

    Don't believe the tag.
  • Carriehelene
    Carriehelene Posts: 178 Member
    Good answers above. I’ll just add that until I hit around 25 lb loss, I can’t drop a size, despite my original pants being baggy. Annoying, but true lol
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Yes, I have two pairs of capris pants from the same brand bought the same year that while labeled the same size are actually two different sizes.

    I thought this was worse with women's clothing, but the OP and the first two responders are men.

    My boyfriend does not have to try on clothes from LL Bean. I do.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,630 Member
    When I first started losing weight, my waist size dropped pretty quickly at the start as I dropped 15 pounds. Then it went into static mode, and refused to change size despite losing an additional 15 pounds. Only when I began the third set of fifteen have I again seen my waist decreasing.
  • hoodlisa1979
    hoodlisa1979 Posts: 38 Member
    Aye I'm the same, it all sags but waist size remains stubborn, I've lost it off my bum, legs and arms 🙄 midriff remains static, although I did measure and actually put a whole 5 inch on my waist when I ate pasta, I've avoided it since, it will come off eventually just annoying
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,225 Member
    Use a tape and measure at the navel that is the only way to know what your waist measurement is doing. Clothes vary so they aren't a good gauge. Anecdotally, I wear 32 and 34 and both fit about the same with some pants
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,222 Member
    hoodlisa1979 wrote: »
    Aye I'm the same, it all sags but waist size remains stubborn, I've lost it off my bum, legs and arms 🙄 midriff remains static, although I did measure and actually put a whole 5 inch on my waist when I ate pasta, I've avoided it since, it will come off eventually just annoying

    I don't know whether this applies for you or the OP, but one of the issues with waist measurement can be that as fat mass depletes, there can be a bit of sag from above that settles into that area temporarily before more fat depletes. Sounds like that may be what you're experiencing?

    The pasta thing is probably more a water retention effect, not fat. That can be from normal water retention related to carbohydrate metabolism, or some kind of food sensitivity. Pasta calories don't add fat differently than other calories.
  • Sinisterbarbie1
    Sinisterbarbie1 Posts: 711 Member
    Fun clothing things I’ve been told by designers … when cloth is cut for patterns it is cut in stacks, the garments at the bottom of the stack are a bit bigger than the ones at the top, hence variation even in the same brand/size w/o mislabeling. On the other hand, if you ever buy clothes that are samples they are often mislabeled as to sizes used for off the rack clothes.
  • xrj22
    xrj22 Posts: 217 Member
    Those 38's that you have had a while may be a bit stretched out already. (especially since you notices that they were tight at one point.) So, there may be a BIG difference between them and a 36. If the ones you have a baggy, you might try on a new pair of 38's. Although it won't be as satisfying as going down a size, it may be the best way to get new-looking clothes that fit.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,455 Member
    edited February 2023
    My clothing size didn’t really change til about thirty or so pounds lost

    Then it plummeted every month.

    I’d strongly advise, if you’re really in this for the long haul, only buy the bare minimum of clothes. I went hog wild the first time, thinking I’d never get smaller than that. I ultimately went through four or five sets of clothes- within a few months.

    OTOH, My husband (also been on MFP about a year or so now) , after seeing my donation pile grow and grow during that period, refuses to buy new clothes and often resorts to chip-clips to hold his Tai chi pants up, and I often see him punching new holes in his belt. I’ve told him over and over he’s heading for an embarrassing accident, but he says he’s content to wait til he “gets there”, although he doesn’t really have a plan for where “there” is.

    I just cross my arms and hold my tongue.

    Some guy lost his pants in the gym last week. I wanted to yell “GOOD JOB!!!!” but I figured he’d had enough embarrassment for one day.

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