100 lb. Club - Sizes and pounds

Good morning all!

Just had a quick question. Just out of curiosity....how many pounds=1 size for you? Of course, of course...everyone is different.

I've lost about 11 pounds since starting 5 weeks ago, and my clothes are maaaaaaaaaaybe(?) fitting more loose, but I don't think I'm ready to go down a size.

So how many pounds did you lose before you went down a size?

Thanks! :hug:

The plus sizes tend to have about 20-30 pounds between sizes. Right around the 14/16 mark, sizes start to have more of a 10 pound difference between sizes. ;)

At first it was 30+. Now, closer to goal about 10 :).

I started at an 18...it took me about 30 pounds to go lower.

334 to 271, and I've gone from a 26 to 20/22 (dependent upon cut and if vanity sizing is involved) in pants. Shirts went from a 28 to a 24. I'm still wearing some 26/28 shirts, and I have a couple of 22s that work.

It took longer to go from a 26 to a 24 than it did from 24 to 22...and there are a lot of 20s that fit like my old 22s, but I wouldn't even attempt an 18.

Short answer--no clue because sizing varies so much!!!

I agree with the previous posters. Plus sizes are about 30 or more pounds, depending on your body shape. I'm down 60 pounds and about two sizes. Can't wait to be in regular sizes!

Oh, and I have to add:

The whole 14, 14W, 16, 16W, 18, 18W...it boggles the mind. There is NO making sense of it. Just get past it. ;)

Goodness, that's reason enough right there to NEVER go back!

These are my numbers
255 size 24
200 size 18
155 size 12

The plus sizes took more weightloss ( 25- 30lbs) to change a size than it is now. About 10lbs to a smaller size now.

These numbers are so helpful! I kept reading people who'd lost 10lbs and 2 dress sizes. I mean, yay for them, I'm not that mean! but it hasn't been like that for me.

215 and a UK26 in a buttoned shirt and UK20 in stretchy trousers at the end of May.
176 and a UK20 in a buttoned shirt (UK18 if I don't sit down) and UK16 in stretchy trousers, UK18 in a fitted waistband skirt.

In between, there wasn't, somehow, that much difference. The UK26 shirt began to flap like a sail a couple of weeks ago but when your waistbands are all hyper-stretched elastic, it's hard to tell when they get slightly less hyper.

The first 20 pounds let my tight clothes get comfortable. I needed new ones after 30 or 40 pounds. Since I let my clothes get very big before getting new one, I find it hard to judge exactly when I went down a size. With one buying spree, I went from wearing 22/24 to 18s.

Eliana originally posted The whole 14, 14W, 16, 16W, 18, 18W...it boggles the mind. There is NO making sense of it. Just get past it.

Exactly! That's where I am now. I went shopping this week for Fall/Winter clothes and needed something to wear to a wedding this weekend. It made no sense, I just had to try things on. I ended up with a wide range of sizes. I also crossed a wide range of departments. I started in the Plus sizes, most were too big, but bought one top. I got most of my pieces from the Misses department but got my first item from the "Petites" department. Yeah!

At my height, I think the petites is where I need to be. I think I will be content with my size when I can buy all my clothes in the petite department.

The plus sizes tend to have about 20-30 pounds between sizes. Right around the 14/16 mark, sizes start to have more of a 10 pound difference between sizes. ;)


ahhhh! No wonder I haven't gone down a size with my 15 lb. weight loss. :( And no one has noticed my 15 lbs weight loss either. Whereas, if I weighed 150 and lost 15 lbs I bet they would notice. I'll get there!

That's great Cheryl! I can't wait until I can wear an 18 again and start looking in the Misses dept.

ahhhh! No wonder I haven't gone down a size with my 15 lb. weight loss. :( And no one has noticed my 15 lbs weight loss either. Whereas, if I weighed 150 and lost 15 lbs I bet they would notice. I'll get there!

Definitely. ;) It will happen! A handful of people noticed mine at 35 pounds lost. Now I get comments with a 10 pound loss.

There can be so much space between plus sizes, it's a bit frustrating. I lost 50 pounds and went from fitting into 22W to being just a smidge too small for 20W, but not small enough to wear 18W instead. 50 pounds, and just one size lost!

One of the things I am looking forward to over the next 50 pounds is those sizes moving a little faster.

I personally have lost 54 lbs and haven't bought one new thing. Sure my 3xs have gone from being skin tight to a bit baggy, and a lot of the 4xs are just starting to be quite a bit too big on me. Some still fit. I know I will probably have to buy a few things in lower sizes as I go, but am I the only one who has absolutely zero interest in buying a new wardrobe 7 or 8 times on my way down? I get that it can be motivating to get to that next size down. But maybe since I've been so overweight for so long, I'm just used to wearing tents. I'm planning on going from a 3x to a 16 if at all possible, unless they literally start falling off of me. hahaha Yeah, I guess I'm not high fashion. :p Someday!

carter, you and I have similar heights and starting weights, and it was about the same for me - I was a 24/22 and it took about 40-50 lbs to get down to a 20. I'm now (at 190) wearing a 14/16 (depending on the cut/brand), so it's moving a lot faster now.

I lost 3 pants sizes with a 25# loss. I went from a size 20 at 240# to a size 14 at 215#. My measurements changed quite a bit (waist 46 to 36 and hips 52 to 44) so I think I acquired muscle during the loss which contributes to size changes.

I've lost 37lbs and haven't officially moved down yet because my 22s were so tight when I started. Thing are definitely fitting much better, and I can get into most 20s now (though they are tighter than I'm comfortable with). I do believe I would be down at least a shirt size, but in pants it's taking a while since I have a lot of abdominal fat, which is slower to go away.

I'm so confused by all the sizing in general, not to mention that half my wardrobe is in US sizes, the other half in German sizes and a few odd pieces here or there in UK or Italian :lol:.
I'm a 24/26 in US, a 48/50 in Germany and my nice Italian suit is a 29.
I started working out about 5-6 weeks ago and while I am nowhere near going down a shirt size, my pants are all starting to get loose :carrot:. In fact, my jeans are seriously baggy already, but I had bought them to be "comfy" to begin with. I'm going to buy a couple news one when I go to the US next week, so they should fit a while. Also, I have a couple Lane Bryant suit pants that have adjustable buttons in the back - I love those and I've already made them a bit tighter! If it gets really bad, I think I could probably get away with adding another button as long as they don't throw weird creases over the butt :lol:.

Point being, I think changing sizes is such an individual thing b/c people a) have different shapes and b) lose weight in different areas faster. I can definitely tell my butt and thighs are getting smaller, but my boobs and my "super sized" muffin top haven't shriveled up one bit :D.

I carry most of my weight in my belly, so even though I gained a LOT of weight I only went up one size. My legs and butt are generally smaller than most people that are similar weight/height so I guess that's why I fit into a 20?

The only sucky part about that for me is if I didn't see the sizes go up as I GAINED weight, I'm probably not going to see much of a difference going down either. We'll see.

I want a bigger toosh :(

I was in a very loose 20/tight 18 at 244. At about 200, I was in a snug 16. I'm now 168.75 and my 14s are too loose, 12s are wearable but snug. 13s are a little looser than a 12, but not much because they are Juniors sizing.

I lost a lot in my limbs and my core stayed thicker for a while, so my pants looked huge on me, but I couldn't go down a size because of my waist. Now my waist and the rest of my trunk are starting to go down.

I carry most of my weight in my belly, so even though I gained a LOT of weight I only went up one size. My legs and butt are generally smaller than most people that are similar weight/height so I guess that's why I fit into a 20?

The only sucky part about that for me is if I didn't see the sizes go up as I GAINED weight, I'm probably not going to see much of a difference going down either. We'll see.

I want a bigger toosh :(
That's a good point. I hadn't thought about how much room we are given to grow when we are obese. The old "pant-o-meter" doesn't work so well when you have 20-30 pounds leeway. No wonder it seemed so gradual.

I agree with the previous posters. Plus sizes are about 30 or more pounds, depending on your body shape. I'm down 60 pounds and about two sizes. Can't wait to be in regular sizes!

So true !!!

I have such a nice wardrobe for when I get down to a size 12 !
:carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot:

I know I will probably have to buy a few things in lower sizes as I go, but am I the only one who has absolutely zero interest in buying a new wardrobe 7 or 8 times on my way down?

You're definitely not the only one - but, different people have different needs and priorities when it comes to clothes. Lots of people aren't interested in shopping while they still have weight to lose. Others don't want to or simply can't make room in their budget for new clothes.

It happens that - for me - I feel much better about myself in well-fitting clothes, and since I can afford to get myself a few pieces, I do it.

When I was an attorney, which I was the last time I lost a major chunk of weight, I had to have nice-looking professional clothes that fit me. I wasn't going to stand up in a deposition, in front of a client, or in front of a judge with a rope-belt holding up my suit trousers. :D So I had to buy clothes on the way down.

This time around I am in a much more informal job - I wear jeans to work most days, with a pullover or button-down top. I still like my clothes to fit reasonably well, though. I don't have a huge wardrobe, just enough decently-fitting clothes to last a week or so, and I do laundry every weekend. And most of those are too big on me, now, because I haven't bought an entire new wardrobe - just replaced a few essentials that I didn't feel I could get away without replacing, or stuff that needed replacing anyhow just from being kind of worn out.

So that will be my plan until I get where I want to be - buy a few new pieces every season or so, and get rid of or pass on a few older things that really don't fit any more.

Even at this stage, I dunno. I'm a 12 now, at 171.5 lbs. I can wear Old Navy medium t-shirts...and they're baggy, yet I wear a 38C/36D bra.

I really wish sizes were standard...!

I'd say for me 10 lbs equals one size. But I've never been smaller than a 6 or bigger than a 12 (US sizing) so it's hard to say.

Thank you to everyone for all the replies! :hug:

I knew it varied a lot person to person, but was just looking for a general idea since it's been a while since I've done this.

Seems like the general opinion is that 20+ pounds in plus sizes and around 10 for smaller sizes. Or there abouts.

I've got some ways to go before I need new clothes :dizzy:

Seems like the general opinion is that 20+ pounds in plus sizes and around 10 for smaller sizes. Or there abouts.


I've got an hourglass shape with being slightly larger in my bottom than my top. At my highest weight, I was wearing 26/28 and now I'm wearing 12/14. When I buy tops now, they are size medium.

I had clothes in sizes 22-28 so I didn't need to buy much until I got down to about 18. Even then I only bought a couple things to get by. Luckily a friend of mine had lost weight and had a bunch of 16s that didn't fit anymore, so I got a whole new wardrobe when I got into that size. But now those are too big on me so I'm having to look at buying a few pieces in smaller sizes. I work in a public library so need to look professional, plus I just feel better in clothes that fit.

It's nice to know that now that I'm getting out of the plus sizes, the sizes will start going down with even less weight loss - although the flip side is that the weight loss takes a bit longer now that it did when I had more to lose.