how many pounds to lose a dress size

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  • hey ladies,

    i usually post in the 20-something but they are a lot smaller than i am. i was just wondering around how many pounds is it to go down a dress size?
  • I drop a size after about 15 pounds
  • Brat, I had to lose more than 30 lbs to go down a dress size. I can't remember exactly how much, but even after losing 50 lbs the clothes I had were a lot looser, but I could still wear them. As I've gotten smaller, I have to lose less weight to move down to a smaller size.
  • Im down 20 but still cant fit the next size down, although my now pants are quite lose. I guess it depends from person to person and how your body loses the weight...
  • You're right that it's different when we're bigger, in part because women's sizes may drop in 2 inch intervals, while misses often drop after only 1!!

    I think I had to lose 20-30 pounds at least to drop a dress size when I started. Now I weigh a lot less, and with weight training recently dropped a size without actually losing any weight! It's not just about weight, but body comp!
  • I think it also depends on the cut of the clothes. I have a stretchy 26 pair of jeans I've poured myself into today but the 26 non stretch doesn't even come close. I also have two pairs of workout pants in 26/28 that don't fit at all but several 28's that fit just fine.. So I know I'm hovering in that area (and so grateful I've moved out of the 30s) though and I've lost about 20 pounds.

    Wait, did any of that make any sense? ^_^
  • You got some great answers when you posted this in the 20-something section, but maybe you didn't read them all. I'll post mine again:

    The bigger you are and the more you weigh when you start, the more you will have to lose to go down a dress size. Sure, when you're only maybe 130 pounds, you can lose a dress size in less than 10 pounds. But starting at over 300 pounds, if I lost a dress size every 10 pounds, I would be in infant clothing by the time I reach my goal

    Last year, I lost about 45 pounds (from 310 down to about 265). I started in a slightly tight size 22 pants and ended in a comfortable size 22 pants. Yup, 45 pounds and no real change in clothing size.

    Think of a roll of paper towels where each paper towel represents 1 pound. Someone with maybe 30 pounds to lose has 30 paper towels on their roll, and then I have about 150 paper towels on my roll. Take 10 paper towels (pounds) away from each roll--obviously, taking 10 away from the roll that only had 30 is going to make a big difference, where as taking 10 from my roll of 150 will probably not even be noticable. Such is the way with pounds as well.
  • ya i got urs in the other one. just posted here to, to see the difference. thanks
  • its all about human torture - but im right now 237 = size 24/22 numbers i think i laughed at 20 years ago and now dare i say size 22 is perfect - it use to be lose.
    but on the way back down... i think when i weighed 185 i was about 16 or 18 depending on the clothes...
    when i weighed 140 to 145 i think i was about size 13 and cried in a dressing room - now i think i would have a parade if i was size 13 again...
    life has a way of balancing itself out though - its very frustrating not knowing what size to wear -but soon hopefully half a year i will not have those problems anymore -
  • Hear, hear! I have lost 20 pounds and my size 28's fit just perfect now. They were just a little tight.
  • man i've been wearing these jeans for 30 lbs now. haha.
    i started out in 26 and im a loose 18 now. i weigh 230 started at 310.
    so on average, about every 20 lbs or so i lost a size, but that first size did take closer to 35 lbs lost.
  • I've lost 50 pounds so far and I still havent lost a dress size. I think the more u weigh the longer it takes to drop a size.
  • well im down about 70 pounds .... bottoms have gone from a tight 24/26 to a range of sizes depending on what it is lol .. I even have an 18 ...but generally Im down to about a 22 comfortably. Tops on the other hand .. Im still a 24 .... or a 3-4XL ...it really does depend on the cut, style and material.

    I will say I was really disappointed when I went out hoping to buy myself some new clothes after such a loss and was still having to buy the same as always!! Recently I went shopping again tho and managed to get something a little smaller in the bottoms (an 18 and a 20 skirt) which fit nicely.... will see what Im like when I hit the 100 I think

    Great question
  • I'm still wearing things I wore 70 and 80 pounds ago. And many of them are relatively fitted. They fit more loosely for certain, and some are only fitting marginally. But still! I want littler clothes! Soon. Please?
  • I think it depends on where you hold your weight. My shoulders and waist have shrunk and my sizes are as follows: Starting shirt: 4x Current: 1-2x Jeans: 26 originally, now a 22. It took me at least 50 pounds to come down in pants, while in shirts I came down a size after about 20 pounds lost. My top is smaller than my bottom. hehe. In dresses I easily wear an 18-20.

    HTH