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.
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.
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 -
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.
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
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
Last edited by Cokia; 05-02-2007 at 06:10 PM.
Reason: edited to add some stuff I forgot.
how many pounds to lose a dress size
