Monday, May 21, 2012

Finding myself in a weird size problem with everything

I am nearing the finish line with my weight and will continue with my fitness, but my whole idea of "I'll wear a certain size" for a measure if I'm staying within  the weight range I want isn't going to work, I think.

What I'm finding is that at my size - whatever it is, I'm not a "size". I wear 8s in some things, 10s in others and 12s in others. Even in shoes. I could need anywhere from a 9 to a 10.5 depending on the style and designer.  

I could, if I wanted to, find some size 6s I could squeeze into. But does that mean I'm a size 6? I have a size 16 skirt from 1995 that fits. Does that mean I'm a 16?

I was just at TJMaxx to try on some shorts. I'm inbetween an 8 and 10 - totally depends on the cut and designer. I took back a couple size 10 swimsuits and they're both too big. Once they are wet, they'll hang too loose.  There is like no way to order from a store for myself now as I simple don't know what size I'll need! Even in tops - sometimes a medium, sometimes a large.  It all depends on the cut and style.

Maybe this is normal for people in regular size clothes, but when I was overweight, I wore a 20. A 20 and only a 20 or a 2X. It either was a flattering cut or not, but it was never a 22 or an 18. But now???

That red dress I wore the other day? That was a 12. The pants I have on right now are a 10 and they are falling off/sliding down despite the spandex in them. The size 8 shorts by the same designer are a bit snug. A size 8 skirt by a different designer fits perfect.

So, how can I say, "I won't use the scale?" With most of my 10s, I could gain 15 -20 pounds and still fit in them as I'm now a smaller 10 in most designers that fit my body type well.  If I say I won't go over a size 8, that means I can only wear a few designers now (Ralph Lauren and some Calvin Klein)  and they are snug. I'm only planning on losing 5-10 more pounds. Will more size 8s fit better by then? or will I be between sizes with everything?

So, that idea of picking a size and not buying a bigger size as that means I have gained weight isn't going to work. I will need to use the scale to keep track it seems. Plus, I don't trust that more vanity sizing won't happen! It's happened twice in the last 15 years. Who says it won't happen again?

Stats for 5/21/12:

Highest weight: 275  Now: 165.0

4 comments:

  1. I fit into all kinds of sizes, too... Sometimes an XS (only at Old Navy, haha!) and sometimes a Large... that is some serious discrepancy. When I order off the internet, I usually settle for a medium and hope for the best :D

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  2. I'm the same with sizes. It really depends on the brand and what exactly I'm buying (tops, shorts, dresses..etc).

    At this point I realize I need to try it on in the dressing room and make sure it fits properly. I used to be very focused on the number on the tag but nowadays I'm more aware of how it fits my body!

    Congrats on all your successes!

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  3. Me too! It gets worse the smaller I get, but the range of what I can wear, even when things appear to be the same size and cut, is getting vast. I have tight fourteens and loose twelves, and don't get me started on the bra size changes depending on the time of month! It gets more dramatic every pound I lose, it seems, and I'm not near the bottom yet. This is why I have to use weight ranges when I maintain - sizes are simply not accurate enough for me.

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  4. I wonder if it was always this way or not? I don't think it was... I remember as a teen wearing a 7 or a 9 or an 11, Not "sometimes a 7, sometimes a 9 and sometimes an 11." When I changed sizes back in the day, it was because I was growing or gaining weight or, in most cases, both. Did designers just start doing their own thing more recently? Or was I just clueless as to the variety back in the 80s? OK, you girls are too young to remember the 80s, but it makes me wonder!

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