Lost 20 pounds but not a single size?
 

Its taken me about a year to lose 20 pounds. When I started at 165, I was a total couch potato. Then I did 5 weeks of Slim in 6 and went down to about 158. I got lazy and didn't exercise or watch what I was eating, but I went from 158 to around 153 doing nothing. I started eating better a couple months later and moved from 153 to 149. On January 1st I weighed 149, and have been exercising and eating better and am now down to 145.

However, I am still a size 13 pant and the same size shirt. I do have measurements and the only places I lost was about an .5 inch on my arms and a tiny bit off each thigh. Since restarting in January, I have been able to at least do up a size 11 pant. I notice that on this site, woman who weigh 150-160 are like a size 6-8. I know this is because of muscle, but its still depressing to know I am 145, and a size 13 with a ton of chub. 3 years ago I weighed 150 and was a size 9 to a size 11.

Do you think I should be focusing equally on strength and cardio, or focusing more on one and less on the other?. You think 20 pounds when starting at 165 would have made a huge difference.

Hmm. I don't know. I've lost 27lbs at 4'9" and it's only been about a 1.5 size difference.

just wait for it, you'll drop. it's also about muscle mass, i wear about a size 8- but i literally dropped from a 14, to an 8 in one shopping trip. how? no clue.

i do suggest more muscle toning if you are more worried about size then numbers.

unfortunately im the opposite, i want lower numbers on the scale, not smaller pant sizes =(

My favorite pair of jeans has just about had it so I'm going to have to buy buy another pair soon. I'm trying to hold out for warmer weather since I always wear two pairs of pants in the winter. I don't want to buy pants for spring/summer with another lay underneath because then they would just be too big. I was also hoping that would give me time to lose a few more pounds and be 2 sizes down.

I started out wearing tight 14's (I couldn't bring myself to buy a 16). Now, at about 30lbs lost, I'm able to wear some 10s, most 12s and get this STILL wearing my 14s. I don't know how old you are, but I'm finding that as I get older, the same body weight does not mean I can wear the same size as I did when I weighed the same 5-7 years ago.

We also have to consider our body shapes and composition when it comes to sizes.

To answer your question, cardio will drop lbs and strength training will build muscle. If you are at a weight right now that you are happy with, I would stick with strength training. Otherwise, I would stick with cardio (or even a little of both with the focus on cardio) until you hit your goal.

I am right there with you. I've lost 40 pounds and can still wear the same pants I wore 40 pounds ago. Granted, they're looser on me and look nicer, but it's still the same pants.

I get discouraged as well. I have five skirts that I wore right after my divorce in 2005 that I desperately want to wear for my upcoming trip to Mexico. They're my motivation skirts. My solace is that when I began, the largest skirt lacked about 8 inches even touching at the waistband. Last week, I could get it zipped. It's still not wearable, but I was thrilled.

We will get there. It's frustrating, but it helps me to know that others are dealing with this frustration as well.

I'll admit, I'm one of those wearing a small size and still in the 160's (mostly 6's but I fit into my first size 4 pant this week). I've been doing weight training for almost a year now (lifting HEAVY), I've been consistently doing cardio for over 1.5 years also. Add to that that I have a large frame and I carry weight in places that seem to help me go down a size (my butt vs. hips and my bust vs. waist) and I think that's probably why I'm in smaller sizes.

Have you seen this blog? The lady's weight stayed at 155lbs but the before and after pictures are quite dramatic! Go weight lifting! ;) I've had pretty much the same experience and have noticed some major changes between me prelifting and post lifting.

I lost nearly 50 pounds before I moved down a single size. I think that was in part because the clothes I was wearing at my highest weight were tight but I hadn't moved into the next higher size (and I think that's pretty typical that we hold off buying bigger clothes ).

I'm currently at 130 pounds and I wear a size 12 (although I can fit into some of my 10s). Makes me think I'm going to have to re-evaluate my goal weight once I get there.

I agree it's a mixture of things.

First of all, if your clothes were TIGHT and now, they are comfy or even loose, then you HAVE lost sizes. You were just squeezing yourself into sizes that didn't fit in the first place.

Typically a size (especially in the lower numbers) are one size for 10 lbs. If you start out a 'tight' 10 and lose 15 lbs, then you were actually probably a true 12 and the 10lbs plus 5, just puts you in a loose 10, not quite in the next size down yet.

So, I think you can confidently say you have dropped at least one size.

Same holds true for larger sizes being intended to be more 'universal'. I am not big and I wear a man's size 2x shirt to exercise in all the time. No, it's doesn't 'fit' but I do it, and am comfy in it. Larger clothes are more like that. Smaller sizes tend to be more form fitted and size specific.

Also, if you are muscular it makes a HUGE difference. Lifting does not make you lose weight but it sure as heck makes you look better in the weight you've lost and you do lose inches. You need to build muscle to drop inches and that will certainly put you in smaller sizes.

I 2nd the weight training comments! I haven't lost any weight since I started lifting but the composition of my body is totally different.

The lowest weight I ever was in my life was 122 and I wore a size 9. I see these people who are a 5-6 at 140 lbs but I think it really depends on your height and how you carry your weight. Right now I have lost around 30 lbs and are pretty much wearing the same clothes, they are just a lot looser. I still can't fasten the one size smaller pants since my weight is in my waist. Don't compare yourself to other people. Everyone is different. You have lost weight and the size difference will come in time.

I lost over 50 pounds before I could get into my old jeans that were a size smaller than what I had been wearing. I can still comfortably wear my larger jeans as well - they're a little loose in the waist but not so much that they look bad on me.

Like so many others have said - just depends on your body.

I didn't go down in size even after losing over 20 lbs but when I started weight training is when I started shrinking.

I did about 15 minutes of running for cardio to get my heart rate up and then would lift heavy. I suggest getting New Rules of Lifting for Women. There is a 6 week work out plan in the book and it gives meal ideas and a lot of good info.

I'm glad to read this and see that this happens to other people. It took forever before I started to feel a difference in my clothes. Now at 54 pounds lost everything is starting to look/feel way to big all of a sudden but I'm not sure what size I'll be when I finally go shopping for new clothes (hoping to make it to spring and start with new spring/summer clothes) but I'm afraid my pants may fall off first!

Everyone here has had some great points. I agree whol heartedly with what another poster said about clothes being tight before vs comfortable or loose now. Also, sometimes the weight comes off in some really odd places. Like your back. After 30 lbs lost for me, I've gone from wearing a 38 (sometimes 40) bra band to usually a 34 (sometimes a 32). My face has seen the biggest change and has slimmed down way more than the rest of my body. My abdomen or arms where I'd LIKE to be smaller? Little change. I agree that lifting can dramatically change the composition of your body.

Thanks everyone. I'll add more weight training in and just keep on crossing my fingers that eventually the weight will come off in the places that need it most!

I lost 35 pounds before I went down one size, from an 18 to a 16. Now I've lost 10 more pounds, and that's dropped me from a 16 to a 14. Women's clothing sizes are very weird, and our bodies lose weight from different places. Try not to get discouraged. If you keep at it, you'll get to where you want to be eventually.

I started at size 20w and by the time I had lost most of my weight I was down to a size 14. I bought several pairs of pants, thinking no way am I going to get lower than that. Now, my scale has not really gone down in the last couple of months but I am wearing a size 10 in misses now. I can wear my 12's but some of the dressier pants I wore this week were a size 12 and almost falling off. I have added in some additional strength training/toning exercises, maybe this is the reason even though I have not lost, my cloths sizes are smaller.

I just thought I would let everyone know that I actually did lose a size! You were all right about the 13s being too tight for me to really be a 13. I went out jean shopping today for the first time in a couple months and as I was shopping I remembered the feeling of trying on 10 different pairs of 13's, and only have one of them fit me and all the others being to tight. I was in denial about what size I really was. However, I decided to try on a bunch of 11's... AND EVERY SINGLE PAIR FIT!!!!! Even though some of my 13's at home fit still, all of the 11's I tried on fit perfectly No jumping to get into them. I actually had a choice about which ones I wanted to buy. I almost cried in that change room (tears of joy!). Woot!

Womens clothing sizes are all over the place. It's seriously weird.

Some jeans have spandex, some don't. Sizes vary from brand to brand and store to store.

Right now, I'm anywhere from an 8 to 12 in womens, and 9 to 13 in juniors.

It varies so much, brand, womens, jrs., 100% cotton, part cotton, part spandex, who knows. I've found mens jeans run much more true to size, and they don't come with all the hoopla of womens jeans. And they are cheaper, and usually wear like iron. I have 3 pairs of plain Jane, Wal mart mens faded glory jeans, fit great, look great, tough as heck and have big pockets! $10 a pair!

Then with womens lets throw in the cut, high rise, mid rise, low rise. In low rise, which I won't wear, I outgrew that in the 70's, I'd need a 15/16 jr. Bffllt.

The whole womens clothing size thing is a crap shoot. I just try it on, if it fits, great, if it doesn't, try another size, if it still looks like crap, try another style or brand.

What I really wish for is stability and consistency in bra sizing.

I think the difference sometimes is in your weight composition. my friend and I lost about the same weight (40+ pounds) but I went from a size 10/12 to a size 4 comfortably (size in tops as I am pear shaped) while my friend is a 6/8. she carries more of her weight (apple shaped) around the mid section so we surmise that makes the difference as many clothing sizes take into account the waist measurement.

The good thing is that you have LOST weight! Whoo hoo..the rest will follow. It did take about 18lbs before I saw the first real difference in clothing size so i am sure if you continue you will see more of a difference soon.

Thank you for this post! I know it's several years old, but I just googled "losing weight but not pants size" and of course this forum popped up, lol.

On Weight Watchers, I've now lost 21 pounds and have not seen one bit of difference in my stomach size. My measurements have dropped in all other areas.. hips and boobs the most (damn, the ones I wanted to keep haha) but my stomach is exactly the same! My pants are definitely much looser overall, but not in the area of the button... where it matters. Ugh.

I'm glad to know this isn't some strange thing happening only to me, but it's unfortunate to know how common it is.. especially with how hard we're all working.

In the years since this post was made, has anyone had any improvements?

I was in the same sizes for a long time when they were plus. As someone said before, that could have been bc there was more spandex or whatever in them. I don't know, or just bc plus sizes allow more room?

Now that I'm in normal sizes, it does seem like every 10 pounds or so is a size. But this varies by brand of course. I can try on an 8, a 10, and a 12 in different brands and they'll all either fit perfectly or not at all. No consistency.

same for me!! I looked and felt thinner but everything fit, everything.

I think it's because I'm short I need to lose more to actually see it and actually buy a smaller size.

I didn't read everyone's replies so I apologize if I'm repeating what was already said.

But if you are just losing weight with dieting, you may not see the kind of results you would if you were exercising. I've seen many pics on other forums and pages of women that have a before and after and they are the same weight in each pic or even 5 - 10 pounds heavier in the after pic but noticeably smaller. Sometimes they will post their change in pants sizes too, and many go down 1 to 2 sizes...all due to weight training. In other words the woman stayed 135lbs but went down in clothing size. Because she is losing fat and gaining muscle. I'm sure you can google before and afters to see what I mean.

You need to make exercise an everyday thing, and that means cardio but also weight training if your main focus is smaller clothes. Especially at your weight. When someone is very big the weight loss will mean smaller clothing, but I noticed when I was close to goal that it was intense exercise and toning that really made me shrink in clothing size.