to think that losing 21lbs should be enough to drop a dress size

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sob

New work trousers - a size smaller than previous which are hanging off me a bit now - same style - I can do them up easily but they look and feel a bit tight

how much does one need to lose to go down a dress size do you think?

21lb - well done! With me I lose weight all over, except my giant chicken leg thighs, so I still take a bigger size in trousers. Remember they are new trousers too, so may well stretch a bit in the wash.

Well done on losing 21 pounds!

I reckon around 14 - 21 pounds for me anyway. However I never seem to lose it all over...part of me will get smaller and another part not budge.

I will never be less than a size 12 - 14 on my hips but losing nearly a stone recently has meant that my waist and legs are smaller but I am still in the same size jeans...they just fit better

Ive lost a stone and one pair of my size 16's are hanging off me yet another pair is still snug- weird!!

21lbs certainly enough for at least one dress size IMO - good on you!

I find with clothes though it really depends where you buy them. The same size can fit totally differently from different shops. Jeans are the worst culprit - I think in my entire life I have probably only managed to buy 2 or 3 pairs that actually fit properly and feel comfortable!

Have you tried laying the trousers on top of each other to see what difference there is in size?

I brought 2 pairs of same range, same size jeans from a shop. The only difference was 1 pair black and 1 pair blue. I couldn't get the black pair up.

Laying one over the other there was about 2 inches difference around them in size!

this always seems to happen with black jeans. Is very annoying. Someoen told me before that it's something to do with the dyeing (sp?) process.

Could be a slightly different cut or fabric, maybe? 21 pounds is still a great loss!

To answer your question though, it's possible to lose that much weight without going down a full size if the start weight is high and if you've been squeezing into a size

Have you been exercising a lot, or just restricted calories?

If you've just eaten less your body might have burnt more muscle off than fat, so you won't change shape as much if you'd exercised a lot.

Shop sizes are all inconsistent and arbitrary, have you taken actual measurements?

Apparently this also depends on what size you are to start off with. The difference in inches between a 10 and a 12 is a lot less than that between a 20 and 22 IYSWIM.

I have also lost 21lb and have not gone down a size although I am noticing some clothes are looser but as I am huuuge to start with I am not too worried.

Well done on your weight loss.

Could also depend on where you bought them.

I remember buying cheap jeans years ago and needing to take 3 different pairs, all the same size and colour, into the changing room until I found a pair that fit!

1.5st should be enough to drop a dress size really.

Daft question - you're not just a bit bloated at the minute, are you?

A WeightWatchers leader I knew said 10lbs was a dress size.

I found that a stone was a size for me, someone taller would need to lose more, someone shorter less. Physics innit, mass/volume etc.

Definitely could be the individual trousers. Have dropped a dress size myself recently (on about the same loss) - but have also noticed that two size 14s in the same style, same shop can vary considerably. If you think about it, it only takes a mm or two on all the seams to make a noticeable differnce to the size.

For me it is over 2 stone = a dress size. A bit depressing.

I agree with the PP who said it depends on your height but it also depends on your build too I reckon.

I suppose it also depends where you were within the size iyswim. If you were wearing a very tight 14 say and wanted to get to a comfortable 12 it would be more than if you were a comfortable 14 getting to a comfortable 12. It could make 5 or 6lbs difference I should imagine.

I lost a total of 3 and a half stones.I was 18/ 20 top and 18 bottom now I am 16 top and 16[occasionally 14] bottom.It is so disheartening.

I have lost 2 and a half stone and have gone from an 18 to a 12. Most of my weight has gone from my hips, waist and thighs. Havent lost so much as an inch off my boobs :(

I have dropped from 12/14 ish to a comfy size 10 but have put on weight now I have started exercising. Good news is that it has firmed up my squidgy arse, flappy upper arms and my tummy is losing the baby fat ( my dd is 9 - so that has taken no time at all then)

I empathise with you activate but sort of in reverse! I started running 5 or 6 years ago, long distance, several times a week. I'm not going to lie and say I completely changed my diet too, I didnt but anyway even with all that exercise I have gained 1.5 stone and have never been heavier......however, i am pretty much wearing the same size clothes! Very strange, I do feel nice and toned though so I am guessing that amongst all the jammy dodgers I have gained some muscle too!

Thank you Xales - I did what you said and put them over each other and there is a waist / hip difference of around 1.5 to 2 inches. So probably a bit more than I thought I am happy to lose about 2 inches over 21lbs (I'm tall)

they do up fine on waist it's just a little tight across hips

thank you all for congrats too - I do have the same again to lose unfortunately