Question:
How many sizes have I lost? When will I lose again?

Hi all! I'm truly not as stupid as the first question makes me sound LOL. Ok, here is the first question. <P> I'm 4 months post-op, down 81 pounds. I started out wearing 26/28's, 3 or 4X's, and some 30W. Now, I can comfortably wear size 22-24 in about everything, and can wear 18-20 stretchy pants. When people ask me how many sizes I've lost, I'm not sure what answer to give without getting into all the numbers of this size vs that size, etc. For example, Women's Plus sizes go like this -- 18-20, 22-24, 26-28, 30-32, etc. So for me to use THOSE numbers, and to have gone from 26-28 down to 22-24, I've only lost ONE size. But, if I take the difference, like say take the 28 minus 24, then I've gone down four. Does that make sense? In the extreme sense of this, I can say that since I've gone from a size 30 to some size 18's, then I've gone down 12 sizes LOL. Now I <B>know</B> that's totally inaccurate. So, how do YOU determine sizes lost? Next question... <P> It seems like it's taken forever just to get down into the 22-24's, but I've lost over 80 pounds! I want to lose another 80 pounds, but I also want to go down more than just one step in sizes for losing that much! I'm assuming that as I lose more, the sizes will change more quickly. Is this true? It's been a LOOOONG time since I wore anything that was smaller than an 18 and I really don't remember! What I'm asking is, since I started at 336 and size 28, am now 255 and size 24, what size can I look forward to being at 225? or 200? or 175? A good friend of mine is 5'8" (an inch shorter than me) and weighs 170 and is a size 8. It blows my mind to think of being THAT small! But I don't know if I can use her as a guide since she's never had a weight problem in her life.<P> Thanks for listening and answering! Good luck to everyone :). SuzAnne in Utah    — SuzAnne S. (posted on April 29, 2003)

April 28, 2003
Ummm good question! I understand what you mean b/c now I'm wearing a 9/10 (was anywhere from 20/24 depending on the material)and in the smaller sizes 16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9, ect. so count by 1 size I guess!?! WOW then I dropped 15 sizes lol(taking my largest to smallest) Someone will know. Good luck!
   — Sandy M.

April 28, 2003
Hey Suzanne! first of let me congratulaten you on your weight loss! your doing great! I think we have very similar stats.. I'm 5'9 starting weight was 345. Today(5mths post-op) I am 250lbs and comfortably wearing a size 18 from Old Navy. I have a large build/bone structure I don't know if that plays a part in what size we end up at when we reach goal... my goal is to get to 170lbs and hopefully a sz10, although I would be happy at 12 as well :) I say don't worry about it, your doing terrific, the way I say when people ask how many sizes I've lost I say 5 dress sizes 28 to an 18. sizes usually run on the even numbers so I don't count the odd numbers. good luck and keep me updated on your progress!
   — Ivonne C.

April 28, 2003
I found that I lost "sizes" slowly, probably because I was NOT a size 26 as I thought, but more like a 32 squeezing into strechy clothes. My first 80 pounds I was in a 24 and disappointed I was not in a size 18 by then! Turns out, you lose the weight, but the inches take a little longer to come off. I have not lost a pound in a month, but have lost 3 inches in my waist. So, you may slow down for a plateau in your weight loss soon, but will see that clothes are getting looser. The sizes go by 2s, so if I started at a 32, and now wear a 16, I have gone down 8 sizes.
   — Kristy J.

April 28, 2003
It took me forever to lose around my middle. It IS the last to go. I was wearing a size med. large shirt and 20/22 pants. Then suddenely I started losing....seemed like over night. I was working at a temp location while our building where I work was being remodeled and one Mon I went to work in a black pair of slacks and the next week when I went to put them on...They fell off me!!! NO JOKE. Hang in there it willl happen.
   — Oldsoul

April 29, 2003
I don't know how you count the sizes lost, but really any way you look at it; isn't it awesome!? For me, it seemed like forever before my sizes seemed to change. I think that I lost around 70 pounds before I bought my first round of clothing in a smaller size. But, since I started weight training the inches have really been melting off and I am continually dropping sizes even though my weight is dropping very slowly now. I am 5'9 and almost 10 months post op and currently weigh 179# and am wearing a size 10 or 12 depending on the brand and style. Your sizes will continue to drop and before you know it YOU will be wearing the size 8! Best wishes in your process.
   — Heather N.

April 29, 2003
I don't know how you count the sizes lost, but really any way you look at it; isn't it awesome!? For me, it seemed like forever before my sizes seemed to change. I think that I lost around 70 pounds before I bought my first round of clothing in a smaller size. But, since I started weight training the inches have really been melting off and I am continually dropping sizes even though my weight is dropping very slowly now. I am 5'9 and almost 10 months post op and currently weigh 179# and am wearing a size 10 or 12 depending on the brand and style. Your sizes will continue to drop and before you know it YOU will be wearing the size 8! Best wishes in your process.
   — Heather N.

April 29, 2003
Doesn't that first size to go down take foreeverrrr?? I lost over 60 pounds before going down ONE size.. Talk about frustrating. I have lost another 50 after that first 60 and in that 50 pounds I went down another 4 sizes! I think that at 308 pounds I was really squeezing myself into those 26/28's and that is why it took so long. I am now 198 and wearing a comfortable size 16/18 in pants and XL in shirts. For ME, I carry most of my excess weight around my middle section so all my clothes fit me THERE and are big everywhere else.. Sigh.. I sure hope it evens out eventually.. LOL Anyway.. now that you have gone down one size, you will start dropping them like crazy!! Best of luck!
   — Amy S.

April 29, 2003
Hi SuzAnne (from another SuzAnne!). Isn't it crazy how long it takes to go down a size or two in the beginning, even with massive losses -- and then later on, as you get into smaller sizes, five to eight pounds' of loss will bounce you down a size. It's weird. For what it's worth, I only count the "even" numbered sizes as a size, so in going from (mostly) size 26 to (mostly) 6 now, I've lost nine dress sizes, I guess. But even that is meaningless, since I have clothes in my closet now that fit, but that range from size 4 to size 12, depending on the manufacturer. And I'm 5'7 1/2", and weigh 142 (I didn't see a size 8 until I was under 150). It's fun to buy clothes with smaller sizes on them, but I can't take the size thing too seriously sitting here in a size 4 dress (what a *joke* THAT label is) under a size 12 blazer (which is *not* too big).
   — Suzy C.

April 29, 2003
Hi there! Before surgery I was 263 at 5'4 & I wore a size 24..and in some things could have wore a 26 BUT I never went there. Anyway, I am now down to 199 (4 months post-op) and I wear a size 18... and I have bought one dress that is a 16/18 & it fits great. I will soon be in a 16. I wish you all the luck & keep up your great weight loss!!!
   — Beth G.

June 27, 2003
I may be wrong but to my understanding clothes are made to fit 2 numbers at most ranges and 1 in the smallest range so the "tags sizes" are like: 0 then a 1 then a 2 then 3/4 ... 5/6 ... 7/8 ... 9/10 ... 11/12... 13/14....15/16...17/18....19/20....21/22....23/24...25/26...27/28....29/30....31/32....33/34 and so on but the second number is the actual Tag size so until you get down to a size 2 so just count each "tag size" GOOD LUCK!
   — prettygreen13

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