Why am I always size 16 no matter what I weigh?

[Cookie77777]

I've been a size 16 my entire adult life despite varying weight. It's so perplexing! Can anyone shed any light on this? It's like my shell is rigid and my insides are hollow or something!!

-I'm 5'9 tall, broad shouldered and build
-I've never weighed myself religiously, but know my weight has varied by plus/minus three stone over the years
-My ideal weight range is 150-170 lbs
-A few years ago I got in the 170s and still had to wear a 16. Friends refused to believe it until I showed them how things were fitting
-I've been up to 200 and the same
-I've just lost a stone and a half after significant effort, no change in clothes fitting
-I don't exercise much so it's not a 'muscle thing'
-I don't mean just elastic-y clothes, but also structured ones
-I shop at generally the same places so it's not a brand differential either

It's sooooo frustrating. I want a non-scale victory. Help me x

Some of it is definitely bone structure

DP has broad shoulders so stays the same top size regardless of how much weight she loses, and a stubbing to shift bum. She's gained a significant amount of weight but only ever gone up a bottom size because she'd have to gain a fair amount for her to need bigger clothing for her belly then she does her shoulders.

My top size is stubbing because of my chest, I've changed 4 bottom sizes and only just moved down a top size

The best advice I can give you OP, is to try not to focus on he numbers, but I know it's easier said than done.

I'm the same, it's your frame - I've got broad shoulders and boobs and I'll never get my top half into a 10, even though my waist is now the size 8 measurement in most shops - bottom half is fine, top half will never be below a 12. I've just accepted it - totally understand how the experience when you were younger has made you self concious

I think the younger and self conscious thing is particularly saddening. You can be a size 14 and genuinely slim. I would be skeletal at size 12.

I found that I was in a bit of denial when I was bigger and I thought I was a 16 but actually was more like an 18-20 and was squeezing myself into a 16.

Only after losing two stone did I really comfortably start fitting into 16-14.