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