I always think my plan is working well UNTIL I take my measurements...
So far, according to my measurements, I've lost two inches from my bust, three inches from my waist, and NONE from my hips....
I'm not particularly hippy- the fat is all in the lower belly.
So, what confuses me is this:
Forty pounds ago, I wore a size 24 and now I'm fitting into 22s and the occasional 20. I tried on some plus size clothes recently and there were even a couple of 1Xs that were too big...
But when I look at size charts, I'm still above the measurements for size 3x.
The people who make up sizes should be institutionalized.
I recently bought a pair of PJ's that were on sale (16 bucks!) that were absolutely gorgeous.
They were a 1X. I have never worn a 1X, ever, my largest has been 16 bottoms. Who cares though. Bought em anyway.
Don't let some arbitrary industry (that makes us all crazy) dictate how you feel about your progress.
As long as you see an overall downward trend in your weight and measurements, and an upward trend in your energy and quality of life, its all good.
ps-the hips can be stubborn rascals, for me, they will be the absolute last place to say farewell to the fat.
Go by fit, not by the measurements. I have a 34 inch waist. I KNOW I do. I can SEE it! I take a size 30/31 jeans and sometimes they are loose...which makes NO sense whatsoever.
It depends what chart/what manufacturer's sizing you are using -- I fit an XXL according to Mountain Equipment Coop, a size 8 at Talbots, an XL at Reitmans, a size 10 Gap jeans, a L at Lululemon, a M at Stefi Lara, I DON"T FIT A THING (too big for their largest size!) at Maax...who knows? As long as the clothes fit properly and I am smaller than before, not a whole lot else matters, IMHO...
Kira
i know it is so confusing. i think that it depends on who makes the clothes. but i bought two pairs of shorts from torrid that were torrid brand one in a 24 and one in a 22 and they both fit the same way. i don't know what it is, but its frustrating!
There is no consistent sizing at any size! My waist is now a 25 and I wear 2's and 4's and the occasional 6. It makes no sense. You have lost 40 lbs!!! That is wonderful and reason enough to be happy without all the sizing nonsense we have to put up with
I don't go by measurements. According to my measurements I've lost 1/2" in my waist and nothing anywhere else! I can tell by my clothes that is very not true. I've probably lost about 4" in my waist, at least 2" per thigh (I stopped rubbing holes through my jeans about 20 pounds ago), and at least 3" in my hips. I can't really tell a difference in my arms, but I'm sure there is one. So I decided I suck at measuring, and I'll just enjoy my clothes getting too big.
About the measurements... do you do them yourself or have someone else do them for you? When I was smaller (before the kids made me heavy again.. lol) I worked at Curves and later at LA Weight Loss and I measured people all the time. If you aren't EXTREMELY consistent in where you do your measurements, they could be way off. The waist is the easiest to measure because we know its the smallest part of our torso. The rest can get tricky. With that fact alone, I would say just watch how big your clothes are getting and dont bother with the measurements. If you join a gym or something they would be able to track the measurements really well for you. I never even measured myself unless it was my waist just because of how easially inconsistant the results could be and would equal to being very frustrated. I hope I helped!
I don't do measurements.. I really don't want to know what that number is!
I can relate though. It took me 20 pounds to be able to go down a size in jeans. My 26s were litterally falling off, but I couldn't get into a 24 no matter what. I am attributing it to having a horrible apron from all my babies/c-sections. I keep hoping that it doesn't take me another 20 pounds to be able to go down another size, but if so I guess I will suck it up and deal with it. It's not my pants size I'm worried about, it's my health.
I don't do measurements.. I really don't want to know what that number is!
I can relate though. It took me 20 pounds to be able to go down a size in jeans. My 26s were litterally falling off, but I couldn't get into a 24 no matter what. I am attributing it to having a horrible apron from all my babies/c-sections. I keep hoping that it doesn't take me another 20 pounds to be able to go down another size, but if so I guess I will suck it up and deal with it. It's not my pants size I'm worried about, it's my health.
I can so relate with the apron/c-section thing! The only place my 26s are tight right now is just below my waist. I am wondering if they will have to be falling off too before I can go for a 24. I think when I hit 40 lbs gone I might be able to do a 24. It's a bit frustrating, but I know I am headed in the right direction!
The other irritating thing about clothing sizes, is that the 24 jeans I have are from 10 years ago. I am wondering how the sizes have changed. I think my 13s from when I was in high school (OMG that is 30 years ago) are probably 10s in this day and age.
Sizes have changed--but only in the lower price categories. The expensive, really expensive stuff hasn't. Tim Gunn explains the whole thing in his book about style.
As well, there isn't any "standard" across the industry anymore, as KiraMira so eloquently illustrated!
Thirdly, different "styles" of clothing have different "ease" requirements. A top with a raglan sleeve, for example, will always fit more loosely than a shirt with a set-in sleeve (to take a really obvious example) so you may be able to get a "smaller" size of the dolman shirt than the set-in sleeved one. That may have been what was going on with the shorts, though I doubt it.
Probably someone in China sewed in the wrong tag, or sewed it funny, or something!
I can't wait to do "down" a size though. Hasn't happened yet, as far as I know. (But then I haven't tried on any other clothes than the ones I wear everyday!)
Last edited by Alana in Canada; 09-15-2009 at 12:52 PM.
Reason: punctuation
confused about measurements vs clothing fit
I am wondering if they will have to be falling off too before I can go for a 24. I think when I hit 40 lbs gone I might be able to do a 24. It's a bit frustrating, but I know I am headed in the right direction!
