Weight loss but no size change

[JimmyJabs]

I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this! I've lost 1st 10lb over the last 6 weeks, but I'm not feeling any different in my existing clothes and I'm not noticing them getting any looser. I know that most of the first 7lbs that people lose is water weight, but I would have expected some kind of fat loss when I'm nearly 2st down.

For reference, I'm 5'5" and I started at 15st and a size 16. I'm now 13st 4lb and still a size 16! I do know that dress sizes are essentially meaningless as a general measure of how much someone weighs, but as these are my existing clothes, I thought they would be a good benchmark when they started getting looser.

No idea OP but how disappointing. I’m similar weight, slightly taller and plan to start cutting down after this holiday.

Think of yourself as a toilet roll. When you first start using say 5 sheets a loo trip, it doesn't seem to get any smaller as 5 sheets is only 2% of the 240 sheets on there . It seems to not get smaller or only really gradually.

But then, as the end of the roll approaches, those 5 sheets are 20 or 25% of the total on the roll and you start really noticing it getting smaller.

Your weight loss is a lot but it's only made you a few mm smaller over your entire body. Keep going though and it will soon become a cm everywhere and that will be noticeable in your clothes. Take measurements of your waist, hips etc.

Have you taken your measurements? Sometimes it can take a while to really notice any difference for a number of reasons. Don’t lose the faith

The toilet roll example is brilliant - but very true.

But also - and this is my experience which is maybe not fair for everyone - is there a chance the clothes you were wearing were already stretchy / jersey / lycra and using "lots" of stretch to fit at a size 16, and now still fit you but probably "less" stretch being used. In which case, you probably don't see the difference.

Either way, the weight never comes off equally or where we want it to. I've lost 3 stone this year, and back in smaller clothes I had in my wardrobe .... but when I look at pictures of when I last wore them (at a similar weight) they fit differently. This time I have lost proportionately more from my shoulder / chest area than tummy - 5 years ago I'd have said I lost it more equally across whole body.

I’m just over 5’4” and at 12st 9 was wearing size 14 but with hindsight, I was deluded and really more a 16. Now I’m 11st 4 and still in the size 14 clothes but they look better because they hang better. At your weight, I would guess you’re more a size 18 and that’s why the 16s still fit (sorry, I know it sucks).

I’ve also lost from my calf area and face so that won’t change overall clothing size.

Haha are you me? I’m the same height and was pretty much the same weight, I’ve lost 2 stone and the majority of my size 16 clothes still fit. My jeans are looser on my legs so as another poster said that must be where I’m losing it from 🤷‍♀️

I was a size 20-22 or at least I thought I was, mening very very lose 20s may have squeezed on and was even tight in some 22 so really was a 22-24.
When I lost a stone I was a comfortable 22 / large 20 now 2 stone down I'm a comfortable 20 and can squeeze into a 18. I can now wear 18 leggings but not jeans or anything. I think it takes a while to see it.

Also make sure your exercising. The most noticeable change as been the second stone where it coincided with me increasing my exercise as well so more toned.

Im 5ft 6 and started at 14.8 stone. I was wearing a mixture of size 16/18 clothes. I’m now 11st 12 lbs wearing size16. My 18’s are too big. Tried on a pair of M and S jeans in a 14 and they were far too small. Disappointing. 😫😫

Was you really a size 16 as in a 16 in any shop or any style or a Primark:stretchy clothes size 16?

I have the opposite problem. Throwing clothes away as too big but it doesn't show on the scales - I have lost weight on the scales but it is VERY slow

I'm very similar - 5'7" and I was a 20 at 18.5 stone, size 18 at 17 stone and now I'm just a size 16 at 15 stone. From past experience, I'm a 14 at about 13 stone and size 12 at 11 stone. I've never been any slimmer than that so I can't say if the trend continues!

I find the first size is the most weight difference and then it’s about a stone a size when I get to 11 and a bit stone /size 14.

I've lost a similar amount of weight and I've realised I was at the top end of my size previously and in denial that really the size above would have been more comfortable.

I'm now very comfortably in the size I thought I was and the same clothes just look and fit better. I've lost three nearly four inches round my waist and three off my bust.

Thanks all! I don't intend to give up, but it is still a bit dispiriting. I suppose yes, @BusyPoster it could be that I was more like an 18 when I was 15st, and I was still able to get into my 16 clothes only because they'd sort of stretched with me. I've been this heavy before and I think I was probably a 16 then too, but I have also been around 9st 4lb in my younger days and I was an 8-10 then. However, I'm 45 now and doubtless my body shape has changed since then. I carry a lot of my spare weight on my hips and thighs, so it will take a lot more loss for those to get into size 10 jeans.

I am sure your clothes look nicer on you now and any week now they’ll suddenly all become too big for you.

Is it because you are losing the weight from different areas and not what you consider your ‘problem’ areas . I’ve lost 2 stone by low carbing and most of it has come off my bum and legs , which were ok anyway , whereas my steroid belly is holding firm 😄. I’m 5’8” started at just shy of 14 stone and have just got to 11stone 13 lbs .

I have lost 30lbs and only just gone down from 16 to 14 trousers. In reality, the 16s were stretchy jeans that I squeezed into.
Top half, the comedy chest is still a size 16, but I've lost lots of back fat so clothes look better.

The fact that your clothes still fit does not mean your size hasn’t changed . I’m sure your clothes now fit better than before.
For reference anyway, when I started on MJ, I was 13st 7lb and my height is 5ft4 and I was wearing a size 16 and they were getting very tight so it’s possible that your clothes have already stretched or they were already very tight for you at the beginning so they now fit better.

I already had a very small chest relative to my size even when at my heaviest, so I'm sure by the time I've finished my boobs will be non-existent. I don't especially mind that, although I wish they were a bit more in proportion with my bum and hips. If only you could choose where the weight comes off!

I've lost nearly 5 stone from 18.2 to 13 something at 5 foot 4 and only just this week I bought size 14 jeans and jammies. I was in a 16 all the way through those weights. Just ordered some 12 trousers and tops as I think size will change quickly now. My jeans and leggings were pretty stretchy and stretched out. WFH I have a lot of elastic and loose fitting things,

Great analogy.

I've lost 3 stone in 18 weeks and gone down two dresses sizes on top half and 3 on bottom half.. I'm selling and buying on vinted .
I usually have loads of summer clothes ( have a villa in The canaries).. so they are going cheap at the moment.
Even my feet have got thinner.
So had to buy new sandals ( clarks from Vinted).. it will happen.. my daughter has lost 4 stone and down 4 dress sizes.. it's like a stone per dress size
It will happen.
Good luck.

I think it’s more likely you weren’t a true 16 before.

the key question though is are you exercising and ensuring you eat enough protein so you are losing fat and not muscle. If you don’t do this and lose a lot of muscle with the fat, then . You will find you don’t shrink that much for some time, as it will take longer for enough fat to come off to make a visible difference.

I love this. I am a toilet roll.