You all rock. I hope to be where you are sometime this lifetime. It'll happen .

Just out of curiousity of what I should expect. If you are 5'9 and 155-160 lbs what size do you wear? I have been big(ger) pretty much my whole life and hit 160 for like 3 seconds between my kids but never properly dressed for it... then I became pregnant and wore nothing but too big dresses and maternity clothes for 9 months lol.

I want to go to the store and just hold stuff up to see where I can expect to be. It's motivating LOL

Thanks for the input!

I know everyone is different I just wanted to get a general range of sizes. I'm in a 14 now if that can help to gauge things.

Here is what I remember from my journey:

200 - very very tight size 18s
170 - 16 (first time I bought any new clothes)
150 - 14 (bought a new pair of jeans to go visit my mom)
140 - 10 (thought I was done - started maintaining, bought some clothes)
130 - 6 (what I wear now)

Hi Val, here is what I remember. I am 5'7 and started my weight loss journey at 234 lbs.

234 lbs - size 22
195 lbs - size 16
175 lbs - size 8
160 lbs - size 6
145 lbs - size 4

Of course it depends quite a lot on the body type. I have slender hips and legs and am bigger on top. I started in size 2X tops and now wear a medium or large on top.

I'm 5'8" and maintaining at about 155 and I wear mostly 8s with a few 6s.

5'7". Started at 244lbs and size 22/24. Now I am 179 lbs, and am in a usual size 14, but also fit size 12 and some generous size 10s. So I start with size 12 and work from there.
For the XL/L/M/S sizes, I generally start with L and move to the Ms often enough to give the Ms a usual shot in the change room.
SO MUCH depends on the manufacturer and the cut of the garment...and on your body shape and size. I am "blessed" with a bosom, so often I am size 14 on top, but 12 on bottom...
Kira

Hhmm, reading all these responses certainly makes me realize how different body shapes and possibly "tones" translate to sizes. I am 5'9", oh, wait, I guess I'm 5'8" tall now according to the person measuring me for the bone scan--anyway, at my lowest, 157.5, I was a comfortable size 10, longing to be an 8. Right now at 164.5 as of my last weigh-in, I'm a size 10 or 12 with pants and a medium shirt. So even when I was about the size of Midwife, I couldn't fit into a size 8 and definitely not a size 6. But I'm 56, and I think gravity plays a role. I've also noticed that since I've been neglecting weight lifting recently, things aren't fitting the way they used to fit.

Thank you for all the input! Very helpful. I can tell you one thing.. I'm no longer a size 20 LOL. I found the pair of jeans I'd been wearing all winter, put them on, they fell straight off! Guess they'll be going in the donation bin .

You know, at the start, I was losing weight really fast. And I kept a pair of size 18 pants as my pants that would start me off for the winter. Well, I tried them on when the time was right and they, too, fell RIGHT off. So I shrunk past a pair of goal pants! Isn't that the best feeling ever?!
Kira

Hi Val! I'm so jealous of you being 5' 9"! It would be so great not to have to hem all pants and sleeves. My experiences aren't going to be much help to you, but for what it's worth -- at a tad under 5'4" and around 140 pounds, I easily wear size 4 pants (some are too big) and usually a 4 jacket, but sometimes a 6. I agree with Sheila that weight lifting and muscle mass makes a huge difference in how clothes fit and the sizes we wear.

Well, try being 5'2"!! When I got down to my current size, I actually had a lot of difficulty finding small enough sizes that are also age-appropriate and not teenager styles! I had to find a whole new set of stores to shop in. (a frustration that I did NOT expect!!) I'm currently XS petite or 2-4 petite. It depends a lot on the manufacturer and the style, too.

My sizes are probably not as relevant, but from me and Meg you can get an idea of the difference weight training makes. I'm 5'4", and when I started at 185 I was wearing an extremely tight size 16 (I didn't want to admit that I should have been in plus sizes). When I got to goal at 130 I was wearing size 6. At the moment I'm 145 and wearing 8's.

The reason I point out Meg is because we're the same height, and she does a lot more lifting than me, and even though our weights are close she wears two sizes smaller than I do!

For me, 5'10 and 155 can be 8s or 6s depending on the brand -- at least on the bottom. I'm a bit busty so my tops are usually bigger. 5'10" and 145 is usually 6s that are nice and comfortable.

But unlike Meg, all my clothes tend to run too short in both the sleeves and the pants -- which really does stink!

I'm 5'9"...started at 220 and a size 18. I'm 140 now, and wear a 4 or 6, depending on the jeans...

Thanks for more input! It is very interesting, isn't it? I'd love to be a 6 or even an 8 as I can never remember being single digits in my whole life! I've got an hourglass figure and huge hips so we'll see if my hips will even allow for it. I hope so!

Being 5'9 isn't all it's cracked up to be! I can't find pants long enough and I can never find coats with long enough sleeves! I won't even start on being able to find shirts that are actually long enough to meet my pants LOL. Also, my weight may spread out more because it has more vertical room... but I feel HUGE, like King Kong! lol. I can't wear heels around my hubby because he's only 2 inches taller and only outweighs me by about 10 lbs now and I don't want it to look like he has some gigantic wife standing next to him lol. Rant over

LOL Val, when I was at my high weight one of the things that motivated me the most was the fear of weighing more than DH! He's about 6'1" and varies between 190 and 210, but is usually around 195-200. I was like, he's nine inches taller than me, but only five pounds heavier?? Something is wrong here and it's not him!

Random thought -- Express sells a lot of clothes designed for taller people. Their regular size is about 2" longer than standard, and their "tall" is 2" longer than that. (Of course the problem for me is that their "short" is the same as the standard short, which is just a tad TOO short!)