Lately, I've really been thinking about how much of a difference muscle makes in a person's shape.

The last time I weighed 130 pounds was when I was 18. At the time, my measurements were:
bust: 36
waist: 28
hips: 42
Over the years (6), I gained a significant amount of weight and after losing it again, my dimensions at 130 pounds are:
bust: 36 (one letter smaller)
waist: 29
hips: 36 - My hips disappeared! I used to think I had "child-bearing" hips, but it was all just fat.

Does anyone else have any shape/size comparisons at the same weight but with different amounts of muscle? I would love to hear about other experiences people have had. As someone who can get a little too focused on the numbers on the scale, I really have to make the effort to remember the other indicators of progress.

(BTW, I realize my ticker says 122; I'm fighting the "winter gain" and refuse to move my ticker in the gaining direction. The weight will come back off.)

YES Goodbye YES!! I had the same thought a couple of weeks ago, but just didn't post it bc I thought it was just one of my little thinking-too-much kind of crazy things I do.

But yes, as I'm going thru my closet now and wearing things that I haven't worn in a few years, I realize that I am wearing the same size now at 213-215 that I did back in 2003 when I was about 195-200!! Back then I was doing alot of cardio (my 30 min workouts plus walking hills with a group at lunch at least 3 days/wk) but my weight lifting was MACHINES instead of FREE WEIGHTS! And my eating was not as "englightened" as it is now.

This is where Mel should stand up and take a bow, but it really did make a difference to switch equipment and understand that a full body workout meant 2 exercises for each muscle group rather than a handful of exercises for my upper body and lower body. Oh, and that squats and plie squats do more for you than a cable pull machine EVER could!! lol

Absolutely YES there is a difference in body composition when you lift weights.... At 150, 10 years ago I fit into 14s I did not fit into the size 8 or 6 I do now (but I do think that the manufacturers have played with the sizing, but I just won't admit that to myself right now )

I am so bummed! I had a list of my measurements from 12 years ago when I weighed 128 and I can't find it anywhere. I also had the list of measurements from when I was 165 from 17 years ago, but that's irrelevant, now!!! But I would sure like to see what the differences are this time around (not that I'm lifting, though). But I do know that I am fitting into a smaller size!

I wish I would have a list of measurements, but I don't The only thing I know for sure is that I am wearing waaay smaller clothing sizes now at 201 then I was years ago at the same weight. I was thinking it must be all the exercise. Ilene's gone and burst my bubble though, I think she just may be on to something - the manufacturers must be messing around with the sizing.

Vanity sizing is completely out of control now ... I don't know how we're supposed to figure out what size we are any more.

I went to the gym this morning wearing two jackets because I was cold. The first layer was a zip up fleece jacket, size M. On top of the first jacket, I wore another jacket ------- size Petite XS. How is that??????

Working legs made my hips disappear too! I always thought I had good, sturdy peasant woman hips. But with squats and lunges I lost 22" off them and ended up being smaller on the bottom than the top with 35" hips.

Whew - well lucky for me, I'm basing it on the old clothes in my closet that I used to wear, so for me, it's very true, new clothing model sizes or not. My old clothes are definitely fitting at higher weights now than before.

What a great topic idea!

I wish I had my measurements but maybe it's better late than never! As I continue to up my workouts and watch the scale NOT move, maybe that's what I need is to see some change.

Are my clothes looser? Maybe, but I never trust myself to know for sure.

So here's some questions. What/where do you measure? Can you do this yourself?

And the most important thing I've read here today...your hips can get smaller working out your legs?? Really? That's so exciting - can you explain how that works? I ask because I really thought that the extra hips would never go away for me unless I lost another 10-15 lbs. and I just don't know if that's going to happen!

I started seriously lifting after I hit my first goal weight of 135. I was wearing size 8 jeans. Previously, I did high rep full body circuits and hamster cardio while I was losing. After my first 12 week BFL challenge (not strictly by the book), I had gained two pounds and lost 2 jeans sizes. I have to admit that I deliberately searched out brands in which I could wear size 4 because it felt so good...but this was only over a 12 week period with an actual gain on the scale.

I didn't take measurements, but I did have bodyfat measurements: over those 12 weeks I went from 27% to 20% bodyfat.

Mel

I was always told to measure the bust and hips at the widest part and to measure your waist at the point that's narrowest.

Starting out, I didn't really do lunges and I was too afraid to use the squat machine. However, after I lost about 20 pounds, the fat on my hips really started coming off. Right now, I'm doing a lot more lunging and squatting since, for the first time in my life, my thighs are wider than my hips! I've got that saddle-bag thing going on; it's not terrible, but really bugs me. It's fascinating (and sometimes frightening) to see where and when the weight comes off. For a while, it seemed like I could lose weight only in the bust and hips. I saw my hourglass morphing into a thick stick, but I stuck with it and I'm balancing back out again.

Mel, body fat percentage is a great way to keep track of progress. I wish I knew what mine was back when I was 18. And congrats on losing 22" from your hips! That's incredible!
Yeah, except for certain stores, I don't really look at sizes. I just do the good old "hold them up and see if they look like they might fit" strategy.

GC,

What a nice photo - you're very pretty! Congrats on all your hard work in changing your body composition. I've been working hard with free weights/ machines for a year and my body shape/ fat percentage has changed dramatically. I wore a suit that I last wore ten years ago at my graduation that was a squeeze to get on then and I weighed 20lbs less than I did before Christmas - so would agree that training really does change your body in ways that you can't measure on the scale. Doesn't it make you feel a whole lot better too?

EM