Thanks for all your replies.. very interesting!! I'm picking up on one important point, correct me if I'm wrong.. I think the people that take a lot of weight to move down a size are the ones that have a 'problem area' as opposed to a more proportionate shape.
Unfortunately for me, I'm in that category.. I'm the really hippy but small waist and upper body type. Wonderful.. guess I shouldn't be shopping for some size 18's any time soon...
I'm 5' 2" and wearing 16 - 18s right now. It usually takes me about 10 lbs to move from one size pants to the next. (That's going from one even number to the next in Misses sizes.)
This is a hard issue - I was a size 24 (I think??) at my highest weight. I've lost almost 80 pounds and I'm between a 16 and 18 right now (depending on brand). So that's about 15 lbs per size? for those that say 3-5 lbs per size down, I can't see that being possible. (no offense).
I was a 14 at 174. It took 14 pounds to make it down to a 12, and then it was about 8 more down to size 10, and with only 5 more I'm straddling the line between 8 and 10. Last time I checked, my hips were still at 40.5", though. :P
I am currently at size 20, with 202 lbs. It is becoming "lose" around everywhere and I need a belt to wear it. The next size down,an 18, is waiting already.
I usually buy pants with a high part of elastan fibre to avoid any uncomfy sqeezy feeling. In my case it takes me about 10 lbs to drop a size, but it'll be probably more to lose once I reach 14 or 12.... waaaahhhh, I think, I have not written something like this for a long time!
I think it really depends on how you gain/lose/carry your weight. For me, I gain weight from the inside out, meaning my tummy/hips/thighs are the first thing to show it and my face/arms/calves/etc are the last.
I lose weight in the reverse order - extremities first, then the core last. Sooooo, for me, I wore an 18/18W at 202 and didn't drop to a 16 until I lost 30 lbs.
Now, however, since I'm at a healthy weight, if I do lose a few pounds, it comes off the middle where all of my fat still enjoys making its home. So 5-10 pounds means 1 pant size depending on the cut/style.
For what it is worth, I wear a size 10 pants 90% of the time. There is such a huge variation depending on your body type. My friend weighs 50 lbs more than me and is 2-3 inches shorter...and she wears mostly 12/14s. My point is, don't beat yourself up over the pants. They will get smaller...I promise. Try taking measurements. That was always inspiring to me. Even if the pants still fit, I loved watching those inches decrease!!
The closer you get to ideal weight the fewer pounds you will need to take off to lose a size. At the higher weights (as when I began) it took me about 30 pounds to lose just one size.
agree
Quote:
Originally Posted by StuffedBunny
I'm not a 40-something but this topic irritates me so I had to pop in! Even when I weighed 130 I wore a size 11 pants! For me to be a size 7 or something I'd have to be a toddler I guess.
sorry, the 'toddler' thing got me
I am a 'heavy' 150 (meaning I am forever threatening to go over 150, not under) and I have so many diff jeans sizes in my bureau, that all fit. A 12, an 11, a 10, and an 8.
Now I am in a size 18 jeans. But...there are some size 18's that are tight and some that are hanging on me?? I guess different makers are different. I always have to lose at least 10 Lbs. to go down a size and be comfortable.
sorry, the 'toddler' thing got me 
