To want to fit into smaller sized jeans

[W989]

Since May, I decided to clean up my diet and start walking most places to stay active. Through intermittent fasting 16:8 most days, or 15:9 when I'm busier. I've gone from fitting into 32 waist jeans to 28. Which I am very happy with. I'm enjoying wearing clothes again. I love that I don't have to lie down or breathe in to get my jeans done up. DH was impressed and shocked when I managed to button up an old pair of Levi's 501 and some 7 for all mankind skinny jeans I last wore at least 2 years ago!!

I'm 5'8 and DH thinks I'm getting too thin now. I haven't weighed myself, I've only gone by clothes sizes as I find that weighing regular doesn't really help me. I have some smaller jeans in a 26 that I've kept from 3 years ago when I was at my lightest. DH said to stop at a 28 and just maintain. If they get tight then watch what I'm eating.

Is it worth trying to get to a 26?

@EveryDaysASchoolDayEh I did have around 20 pairs or so. All in different sizes from a 26 right through to a 32. I've sold or charity shopped what I couldnt sell. So now I'm down to 6 pairs in a 28 and 2 in a 26. I mainly have Levi's and 7 for all mankind. I find them comfy and seem to last longer than high street ones. I also have other clothes in my wardrobe too.

@Angelina82 thanks

It depends on your build. I’m a smidge under 5’8. I don’t go in much at the waist, and although my natural waist measurement is 26.5, I wear a size 28. My hips are narrow and my legs very thin. If I lost more weight, I’d be extremely gaunt.

First off - congrats on losing the weight OP! I'm 5'7 and usually a size 8 (currently 33 weeks pregnant). I was always around 9 stone and I didn't look gaunt or too thin by a long shot. I agree with PPs that have said that a lot of people in the UK think a healthy weight looks 'too thin' because we have a problem with obesity. Obviously it does depend on your build as well though.

In terms of your DP, he sounds insecure. Maybe he's worried that you're going to end up looking a bit too good. Is he the jealous type or on the larger side?

There's nothing wrong with being a healthy weight but still wanting to get fitter and look more trim.

@BobCat2020 thanks. It wasn't easy but i'm glad ive lost the excess.

He is around 5'10 and a 34/36 waist. He was a 32 last year so probably is a bit jealous that I've succeeded.

@stopgap thats the thing. Everybody's body shape is different. We could all be 5'8 and a size 10 but some may weigh more/less and look gaunt/healthy.

I remember one of my friends saying "face or figure!"

I'm 5"7 and a 28 jeans and overall a size 8-10, and on the lower end of BMI, and can pretty much eat what I want so long as I do plenty of walking. A 26 worked for me in my early 20s but would be very hard to maintain in my late 30s without constant and probably unhealthy attention to calories.

Have you tried going off your diet now and just eaten to hunger for a while? It can give you a sense of where your body's natural point is. If it's tiny then that's fine. If it's not then you don't really want to have to be on a permanent restriction.

I felt a bit frumpy at 28" waist at the beginning of lockdown, so I lost some weight, I feel loads better now with 26", but it is annoying having to buy new clothes!!

If you feel good, no need to chase a jean size?

I think you have to do what feels best for you as it's your body. Strangers on the internet can't really advise you on what size to be.

If you're unhappy with the 28 and want to be smaller then keep going. Just be careful to stay healthy and not restrict yourself too much.
Otherwise you'll get to the 26 and find it impossible to maintain.

@YellowNotRed how tall are you? Also well done on dropping a size!

OP, I did just this a few months ago. Got down to 28 so pushed a bit further to get to a 26 waist. Managed it... but then the second I stopped calorie restricting (but still eating healthily) my waist went up to 27 inches so those 26in jeans are too tight again. I don’t want to calorie restrict indefinitely so I’m happy with 28in again now- I guess that’s where I should be.

You should be really proud of how well you’ve done, and I totally get why you want to push that bit more, but don’t be too disappointed if you find it unsustainable long term.

@OverTheRubicon I have been doing fasting 16:8 so my body has got used to doing that. Maybe I should try and eat Breakfast and add some snacks. See what happens

@ElBurro how long did it take you? Were they special jeans that you wanted to fit back into or new ones you bought as an incentive/motivation? Are you same height?

Well done on achieving the 26, but it sounds like it might be difficult to maintain

[quote W989]@YellowNotRed how tall are you? Also well done on dropping a size![/quote]
I'm 5'2, so a lot shorter than you, 28" for me was really frumpy. I'd like to lose a bit more from my tummy but it never goes from where you want it to...

And thank you! Turns out I just had to ditch the gin and it fell off

@YellowNotRed well done you. Its amazing how ditching a "habit" leads to results!!

I’m one short post, you have mentioned what your DH says/thinks about your weight three times.

How do you feel about your weight?

@Redlocks28 I feel happy with the results. I am a lot fitter, sleep better etc. I feel happy with the weight I am. I don't get tired as much.

Surely it's ridiculous to try and make yourself fit a pair of jeans?

Is it healthy to be any slimmer? Would you be OK with dh doing that to his body?

Ugh this is depressing.

Jeans aren't really made for normal people. Be healthy and happy then buy clothes that work for your body. Remember you also want to feel good out of them!

@W989 I’m 5’3 so much shorter than you. This was a pair of jeans I had from a couple of years ago. It took 3 weeks of calorie restriction to 1200 a day (using MFP to track) and exercise 5x a week. I still do the exercise and am not overeating, and to be honest, some mornings my waist will still be 26 inches. But some mornings it is 28. I think it depends on a few things, certainly time of the month seems to affect me. So I think that’s another thing to bear in mind

@ElBurro Well done anyway. That takes some determination to do it. I bet it was a great feeling when you achieved the goal? Yes time of the month is another thing to consider.

I'm slim anyway, but got down to a 26 inch waist (measuring tape), size 6 jeans and 50kg in weight.

My periods stopped and I was always cold.

I took up powerlifting and slapped weight/muscle on until 65kg, then cut to 60kg, and am just as slim. Still in the size 8 jeans, 27 waist, but solid and strong.

There's better ways to get the body you want, just takes a bit of effort. Don't go off jean size, go off look and feel.

@TempestHayes sounds amazing. Well done on the power lifting.

It's tricky. I'm an inch shorter than you and thanks to a low-carb diet have gone from a size 14 to a size 8. The urge to keep going and get thinner is hard to ignore - even though family have raised concerns that I'm getting a bit "obsessive", and I've seen photos of myself and thought "oh, actually, I look a bit...frail."

So congrats on the weight loss, but we probably both need to be aware not to let it go too far.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal well done you too. It is a slippery slope. How long did it take you to achieve a 8?