Lost 3 stone - still in size 20 clothes

[NotPerfectlyAdverage]

Posted about this before. I am now 12, 6 at 5 foot 4. Was a size 20 at 15, 7

I'm still wearing my size 20 skinny jeans. Ok they are not skinny fit now, more MC Hammer.

When will need smaller sizes? Do I need to loose another stone? This was my goal weight for me

You need smaller sizes now, if your size 20 "skinny" jeans are that baggy. But I think you don't seem to want to spend money on new clothes, is that right?

In terms of losing more weight, I would totally ignore clothes size as a measure of that. It's inconsistent and doesn't indicate anything about your health. At 12st 6lbs and 5ft 4in your BMI at the moment is 29.9, so you are only just out of the obese range. I would think it sensible to be aiming for a weight that's within the healthy range for your height, so somewhere under 10st 7lbs.

Clothes grow with us, elastic stretches far more than you think and when I was an 18 and hadn’t bought clothes for along time, when I went shopping I had to buy a 22 even though my size 18s still fitted.

have you actually tried on any clothes that are new recently?

Also you lose weight from all sorts of areas on your body like feet, organs, fingers, face etc which won’t show in clothing

Go try stuff on and see what fits.

I’ve gone from bmi 30 to 23 and I’m still wearing some of my original clothes, particularly trousers. I have recently got rid of a lot of stuff that was too big, but it took a 25kg loss for it to be unwearable! As per pp I have to shop in person now as I’ve got no idea what fits, I often take 3 sizes into the fitting room.
Do you take waist measurements? I found that my waist was getting smaller even when I wasn’t losing weight

I appear to have only lost 3" from my waist

I’ve lost 3 stone, from 13 stone to 10. Some clothes still fit, some I’m blind to the fact that whilst they “fit” they are hanging off me. Probs like your jeans.

My BMI is healthy

Go shopping. I guarantee you you're not a size 20.

I later realised I was in huge denial when I was at my heaviest, and frankly I had stretched all my size 22-24 clothes and was probably a size 26....so my size 22s "fitted" for a lot longer than they should have.

I'm now in an 18, on the cusp of a 16 and I am absolutely brutal about changing anything that is baggy, stretched or poorly fitting.

Get down the shops, even if you don't buy things, but go see for yourself.

It’s such a funny one and depends entirely on the clothes. I’ve gone from BMI 35 to BMI 26 and have some dresses I’ve worn all the way through. Also some bootcut flared jeans which are a 16 on the label, they used to be a bit too tight, they’re a bit loose now but still work. Now I seem to be a reliable 14 and often a 12, but as I said above some dresses that are labelled 18 still work as they are jersey shirt midi dresses that I cinch in at the waist with a belt (used to wear with no belt). Vinted is great for buying the same old favourites in a smaller size.

I've lost about 2 and a half stone so far, and I found going from size 18 to 16 took aaaaaages, and then from 16 to 14 took aaaaages. But 14 to 12 seems to have happened in a few weeks. It's the kitchen towel roll theory. If you're still losing at roughly the same rate, as you get smaller, the loss will become visible more quickly. Also I find it's more obvious in some parts of my body than others. For example I can see my collar bones more clearly now. My waist is still wobbly though!

I find that some of my bigger clothes still fit ok, but anything that is supposed to be slim fitting like skinny jeans just look baggy and wrinkly now. And a PP is right, my size 16 skinny jeans are stretched out of all proportion, they clearly grew with me as I gained weight.

I'm now somewhere between a 14 and a 12, depending on the type of clothing and the fit. Skinny jeans with stretch need to be a size 12. Fitted dresses without any give need to be a 14 around the bust. No idea about trousers yet, I really need to go try some on. I think it's so difficult though, different cuts, different fabrics, all fit differently, so I don't think the size numbers on clothes are always that helpful. I think finding clothes that fit you well and make you feel happy in your new shape is the main thing, and that takes a bit of trial and error really.

Congratulations on your weight loss, you should be very proud. 3 inches off your waist is excellent.

I'm wondering if my brain can't catch up with what I see in the mirror. On one hand they clearly aren't falling down. Yet they don't fit either.

Your brain does take ages to catch up, it’s defo a thing! I’m a reliable 14 in jeans now (occasionally a 12) but my mum’s size 20 trousers don’t fall off me even though they are obviously too big.
Find a trusted friend, make a day of it and try everything on

Have you tried smaller clothes,

3 inches from your waist is really unusual, are you sure you’re measuring in the same way and have you been eating your protein and working out? The only time I see this is when people don’t work out and just kinda hope their tummies shrink, when actually you need to focus on toning up as you go.

I am same height as you and starting weight was 12stone. I was wearing size 12 jeans mostly at that weight but they were extremely tight and probably were stretched. After 2st 8 lbs loss I am down to 10/12, so not a huge difference size wise but the small jeans fit nicely with no digging in. I was likely to be close to 14/6 really.

Healthy weight for 5ft 4 is around 10st7. My goal is 9st which would make my BMI around 22.

I have four kids so my stomach muscles are shot unfortunately. But still you think my bum might have shrunk too. I'm having protein powder supplements. I'm a carb person. I'd rather eat cereal but trying to make lunch as close to 100% protein. I have lost muscle for sure, it's near impossible not to when you have so much to loose. Lots of the weight was inflammation to start with plus I'm loosing very slowly

I have read your post before and don’t understand why you are not just getting new clothes. You have lost some weight and your clothes are too big. You can buy new clothes now.

But you have shrunk, your clothes are too big, why are you not trying on and buying some new clothes?

It can be difficult to get trousers that fit if your waist hasn’t shrunk as much as your hips/legs have. But if your trousers are that baggy on the legs then you might have to find trousers with a part stretch or adjustable waist as an interim step.

I don't need new clothes yet. Yes it's baggy but nothing is falling down. If I'm still holding up size 20 jeans then I'm still a size 20?

I guess it's worry that isn't real or it's going back on next month? Maybe a trip to Next and M&S is needed to try things on then. I'm definitely not getting rid of all my clothes and buying everything smaller. Not yet anyway!

My son is deputy head boy and doing a speech for his last day. I'm hoping I will be in a size 16 dress I bought 11 years ago. Fingers crossed the next 6lbs might be more noticeable in my clothes

“Not falling down” isn’t a measure of whether the clothes actually fit you. I can wear a t shirt that’s a size 24 and I’m now a size 12 to 14, but it doesn’t fit me. I have size 16 leggings that don’t fall down, but they are too baggy to wear out in public!

The weight isn’t going back on in a month, it’s not a hallucination that you’ve lost the weight. Definitely go to the shops and try some things on! If you don’t want to buy anything new you don’t have to, but maybe you’ll find something that you like.

You were advised in your last thread to go try on some clothes, I can’t understand the reluctance. Are you always so hesitant to do things?

I’m also a little confused op, did you not go to next as you said and get new clothes?

one of the joys of this journey is the reduction in dress sizes, wearing new clothes, our improving appearance, I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone simply live in their old clothes which have become outsized and, well, just complain.

This. I have lost 6 stone and started out in size 22 clothes. It took ages to drop down a size. I wear mostly size 18 tops and 16 trousers and recently have been griping about these clothes still fitting. But this week I went shopping and I tried on clothes, and I'm comfortably fitting in to a size 14. Just try things on.

1 went from size 22 to size 16 because I was convinced my clothes were staying up so must be the right size still. When I actually went into a shop I picked up a pair of size 20 trousers with an actual waistband not elasticated, they did up easy and I could pull the waist band out quite a bit, so I switched for a pair of size 18, same again, so I tried on some 16s and they did up nicely, felt comfortable and looked very clearly better than the size 22s.

Im now a size 10/12, and I pick clothes up in the shop and hesitate thinking there’s no chance I’ll even be able to get 1 leg in something so small. We are not good judges of our size after years of being overweight, our perception is off.

Go into Next, pick up a range of sizes in the same style of trousers and tops. Something without stretch and with proper waistbands, it doesn’t have to be something you particularly like, just something structured. Then try them on until you have a good feeling for what size is the best fit on you.

i was similar to you size wise/weight wise, took 3.5 stones off until it was noticeable

go to the shops and see what fits. You don’t have to buy anything!

then get your more shapely arse onto Vinted or similar and have fun buying clothes for a few quid, experiment with styles and of course… you sell the clothes on there again when they’re too baggy.

I’ve gone down all the sizes now to size 10, I’ve bought and worn then listed and sold. Don’t make money on things, but it’s like renting clothes 😊

this is the start of you enjoying shopping and looking for clothes 🤩