So I have a couple questions involving inches....

My mom has always told me 15 pounds equals a pants size. I did just go from a size 16 to a 14 after losing almost 15 pounds, but I know that pounds don't always mean too much if you are not exercising to get tone.
So I was wondering, how many inches lost around the hips and waist generaly equal a pant size?

Now that the vanity question is out of the way...

Is there a way to tell by inches if you are healthy? I know that woman should be I *think* 35 inches or less in the waist to avoid heart health issues and other problems. But do the hips, thighs, arms, etc also have a similiar suggestion for the health numbers?


Something else I was curious about, trying to understand my body:
In 2007 I weighed 202 pounds.
My chest was 38.5 inches. When I took my measurements earlier in July I weighed 179 pounds...and my chest was 39.25
How and why would that be, at 20 pounds lighter then my previous weight?
My hips at 202 and at 179 are only different by .25 of an inch.
My other measurements make more sense to me, a lower inch size then when I was at 202. What does this indicate? Is it normal?

To be honest I think everyone's bodies are different.. But I am too curious about this.

I don't know the answers to the first couple of questions you asked, but I'll take shot at the last one: You're probably too young for this to have happened, but I do know that oftentimes aging = different body shape even at the same weight. I've always been an apple shape, with a somewhat flat butt, thin arms, big boobs, small hips, and good legs (my one consistently good asset). In the last, say, five years or so, though, when I gain weight, in addition to going to my usual stomach area (! ), I've also gained weight in my arms. Now, I have fat, flabby arms, something I NEVER had my entire life. Also, my hips seem wider, and my butt isn't as flat (the only good thing to come out of this change!).

I remember this woman I used to work with who was in her late 40's / early 50's telling us that she had not gained one pound but that she couldn't wear some of her pants; they were tighter on her. Her body shape had changed.

Like I said, you're still young, so maybe that's not the reason, but it's the first thing that came to my mind when I read your post. Another possible reason is that maybe you measured incorrectly all those years ago??

I think it is 88 cm or less around the waist, with a high hip to waist ratio (pear or hourglass shape), as to have a lower chance of diabetes and heart disease.

Why don't you go to Channel4.com/bodies ? there are some amazing tests there.

As for the cosmetic part, it highly depends how heavy you are.
If you are say 300 pounds you might lose faster but take longer (15-18) to change pants, while someone at 150 pounds only needs to lose about 10.
This is just what I heard. I am not sure.
I lost 18 pounds so far and dropped 2 pant sizes, but I also excersize a LOT and got toned. I actually lost about 22 pounds of fat, and gained muscle.

I don't know anything about most of your questions, but I can tell you my experience with measuring.

It's hard. Those 3/4 of an inch increase could just be a random variation due to measuring inaccuracies. It's hard to get the tape level, hold it in exactly the same spot, etc. The bra you're wearing can make a difference too. As for your hips losing slowly, I'm finding the same thing, despite the fact that my clothes are getting looser. I think for me, my hips are at their widest for a while. The range where I'm that wide is narrowing, but the widest point hasn't dropped substantially.

Pant sizes: That's going to depend on the brand. Normally it's about 1-2 inches in sizes so, for instance, the levi's website lists a 1 inch difference in the seat between sizes. In plus sizes, though, it's normally more like a 2 inch difference because they have to account for a wider range of body types. Now, in terms of pounds that's going to range like crazy because some times bodies lose weight and inches at the same time, sometimes weight hold still and inches come off and sometimes your body chooses to lose weight in certain areas and not others.

Health: I think the most general rule of thumb is under 35 inches but that's completely absent from a relationship to height so I have to admit I'm pretty suspicious of that (a 35 inch waist is going to be very different on someone who is 5'0" and someone who is 6'0"). I've also heard half of your height (so at 5'7" that would mean 33.5"). That seems to make more sense to me at least as a cutoff between obese/overweight (and it actually corresponds well to my waist and weight too whereas I was under 35" for awhile now...). I've also heard that ideally women would be under 30 or 32 inches (I've seen both) so maybe 35" is more the difference between obese/overweight and 30/32 is the entry way into healthy. I'm just speculating here so I'm not 100% sure... Also, the hip-to-waist ratio should be under 0.8 and some even say 0.7...

Variance in inches: Honestly, this could be a million things...
-when did you measure at both weights? where they at the same time per day? where you on your period? had you just eaten?
Just like when you weigh, your measurements change during the day and you get larger during your period so you have to be consistent about them.
-it could be an error in the measuring, maybe, maybe not
-are you using the same measuring tape?
-different bras=different measurements. I have some bras that put my bust size at 40" and others at 41"
-do you have kids? have you every nursed? my daughter has been weaned for over half a year but I still fill a fullness at times at night
-eat anything weird lately? or are you ovulating?
I've been bloated for about 3 weeks now and am about 1 inch bigger everywhere than normal but have actually lost weight. I'm in the process of having a doctor run some tests but she said this is normal and probably related to digestional issues.

@lin43: My body shape has always been hourglass (I think). Big bust, wide hips, slightly smaller in between...lol. I could have measured wrong.

@Chubbykins: I need to tone more! Been dieting, but not exercising as much as I should be at all.

@zoodoo613: I am going to measure again in around the 12th, decided to do it once a month. So I'll know more then if my recent weight loss has made an impact.

@runningfromfat: I'll research how to find my hip-to-waist ratio. And I knew I have to weigh at the same time each day, had no idea I need to measure the same...oops. And the ovulating thing bothers me, since starting my diet again I have not had a period. I am inconsistant, but normally have it at the beginning of the month...and I didn't have one last month and haven't this month. And I am not sexually active. 0_o