Help - small size 12 and 12 stone?????

[jennyromans]

Hi everyone

I have been losing weight since Nov last year and have got down to a small size 12 but weigh 12 stone!! I have been exercising but even so how can I still weigh so much?? I was devastated.:cry:

 

[Lil Pet Dragon]

Hi hun,
Could you post what you're eating? Do you follow a calorie controlled diet? or do you follow one of the plans like slimming world? I have followed weight watchers so I can help you with that but now I do slimming world which I find a lot easier. Can I see your menu for yesterday perhaps?

 

[jennyromans]

Hi

Thanks for the reply. Yesterday wasn't a usual day - I count calories and follow my own diet which has worked well in the past. Yesterday I had the following:

Breakfast - wholemeal muffin and marmite
Lunch - 1/2 soda farl, light cheese triangle and salad
Dinner - 1/2 seafood platter as starter with hubby, then halibut, crushed potatoes and kale
pint of cider in the evening

I would normally have the same breakfast and lunch with fish, baked potato and veg in the evening and large slice of melon mid morning and in the evening

Yesterday I walked for @ hour and a half too along with being fairly active during the day anyway. I usually have an hour's walk each day at the weekend and at least 40 mins aerobics in the evening.

Hubby says that weight doesn't matter and I know it shouldn't but it does! I'm almost down to a size 10 which I want to be but weightwise it just doesn't add up.

Thanks

Jenny

 

[JezVonSavage]

I think there comes a point when it stops being about numbers. Are you happy being a size 12? if yes, what difference does it make what you weigh?

Personally, I think it is more important to have a healthy BMI than anything else.

 

[greedyguts1980]

You may be 12 stone but you have obviously lost inches!! When I was 11 stone I was a size 14. I'm 5 ft 6!! Believe it or not, at 14 stone 8.5lbs I'm a Hell of a lot more active than I was at 11 stone!!

Bodies work in mysterious ways xxx

 

[sparklesazzy]

You are not very far from the healthy BMI range, and as others have said it is more to do with how you feel about your body than how much you weigh. You could also be carrying your weight as muscle which could be why you are slimmer so that is not a bad thing!

What plan have you followed to lose the weight so far? your diet says your own, maybe you could try a class or plan to help you get to your personal goal if you have stalled? Good luck xxx

 

[Feelina]

Some people are a 12 stone size 10 while others are a 10 stone size 12, stop jumping on the scales and look at your clothes and what your actual body looks like, are you happy with it or are there areas you feel you would rather be smaller? Target them through exercise to reduce inches.

Mostly my dress size matches what I weigh, when I weighted 13.7 stone I could wear a Primark 12-14.

 

[sweet pink]

I think it gets to a point where the inches we lose are equally as important as the numbers on the scales. Especially as we get closer to target.

I can however sympatheise with how you are feeling as when I started out my target dress size was a 12 & my target weight was just inside the healthy BMI range. I figured when I got there I could reassess to see if I wanted to lose more or if I was happy where I was. At the moment I am a size 12, so target dress size is done but I still weigh 13st 1lb Like you I do a lot of exercise & am happy to have reached a 12 but I still cannot relax until the scales are at target too. I think the best thing is to just keep chipping away & the scales will get to where we want them to be too

 

[Rorah]

I think if you're happy with your measurements, that's the important thing! As others have said, the extra weight might be muscle, which is great because the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn on a day-to-day basis

The other thing is that I never trust the sizing in the normal night street shops as most of them add at least a couple of inches to their clothes to make their customers feel happier and more confident (and as a result, buy more clothes).

When I was still (just) squeezing into my M&S size 12 jeans and other size 12 clothes, I actually measured my waist and it came out at 34 inches, which meant that by all rights I was a size 18!!! I've never bought size 18 clothes in my life, and even then when I went out shopping the size 16s were too big, so something fishy is definitely going on...

 

[Maddysmum]

No one but you see's the scales - so surely its more important how your body looks & how your clothes fit.
Aim for the clothing size you want to be, rather than a number x

 

[slimmingmadhouse]

I've been finding it really frustrating as I follow the plan have included 5 lots of exercise a week and although my clothes are getting loser, the scales aren't moving. I'm trying to concentrate on the inches and not the weight, but I can understand how frustrating it is.

 

[beckyn22]

I think if you're happy with your measurements, that's the important thing! As others have said, the extra weight might be muscle, which is great because the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn on a day-to-day basis

The other thing is that I never trust the sizing in the normal night street shops as most of them add at least a couple of inches to their clothes to make their customers feel happier and more confident (and as a result, buy more clothes).

When I was still (just) squeezing into my M&S size 12 jeans and other size 12 clothes, I actually measured my waist and it came out at 34 inches, which meant that by all rights I was a size 18!!! I've never bought size 18 clothes in my life, and even then when I went out shopping the size 16s were too big, so something fishy is definitely going on...

That's an interesting point Rorah. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but when I was 18 in 1992, I lost 4 stones and was doing 3 hours of intensive exercise every day. My measurements were 36-24-36 which back then was a size 10-12. The slimmest I got down to was just over 11 stones and I'm 5' 8''. I think clothes sizes back then were still based on the 50s model - 36-26-36 being a size 12, 38-28-38 being a 14 and so on. Anyway - I would be EXTREMELY happy if I could officially fit into a size 12 today - still along way off. Agree with Jez - BMI probably the best indicator xxx

 

[Rorah]

Yes I agree, and clothes sizes still are officially based on the 1950s model, but it seems that 99% of highstreet shops like to label their clothes 2 or even 3 sizes smaller than what they actually are.

Which means that at a 34" waist I was indeed an 18, but oddly I've always been somewhere around 12-14 in the shops.

So in short, shop sizes are definitely not to be trusted/relied upon.

I personally don't think BMI is very reliable either as it does not account for muscle mass (it's essentially just a height:weight ratio).

The absolute best measurement for me is a tape measure. When I have a 26"-28" waist I know I'm there

 

[beckyn22]

Yes I agree, and clothes sizes still are officially based on the 1950s model, but it seems that 99% of highstreet shops like to label their clothes 2 or even 3 sizes smaller than what they actually are.

Which means that at a 34" waist I was indeed an 18, but oddly I've always been somewhere around 12-14 in the shops.

So in short, shop sizes are definitely not to be trusted/relied upon.

I personally don't think BMI is very reliable either as it does not account for muscle mass (it's essentially just a height:weight ratio).

The absolute best measurement for me is a tape measure. When I have a 26"-28" waist I know I'm there

Yep - think you've hit the nail on the head there Rorah - the tape measure never lies!! Also that explains the huge (and depressing) difference in shops and their clothes sizes - when you can be a size 12 say in one shop and a size 14 or 16 in others (usually cheaper??) shops xxx

 

[Rorah]

Horrible isn't it!

I buy most of my clothes from M&S just because their clothes are so easy to wear - generally flattering, comfy (read: stretchy) and suitable for work (God, how old and boring do I sound... I'm only 28, honest!!). I don't like to have to put too much thought into my clothes in the morning.

So how horrified was I when I realised that my size 12 wardrobe was actually a size 16-18 wardrobe?!!

 

[Mirrakel]

I guess it depends on whether you're more bothered by the numbers on the scale or your clothes size.
If I could fit into a size 12 I dont think I'd care what the numbers say!
As slimbysummer says, only you know what you weigh.

 

[lardylady]

When I was still (just) squeezing into my M&S size 12 jeans and other size 12 clothes, I actually measured my waist and it came out at 34 inches, which meant that by all rights I was a size 18!!! I've never bought size 18 clothes in my life, and even then when I went out shopping the size 16s were too big, so something fishy is definitely going on...

I agree about how confusing (and generous!) clothes sizes are now. About 20 years ago, I had a 26 inch waist and I was a size 12. Today, that measurement would see me fit into a size 10 easily. Clothes today are bigger than they've ever been, yet the elusive 'ideal size' seems to be getting smaller! Anything bigger than a 10 these days is considered outsize.

 

[beckyn22]

Horrible isn't it!

I buy most of my clothes from M&S just because their clothes are so easy to wear - generally flattering, comfy (read: stretchy) and suitable for work (God, how old and boring do I sound... I'm only 28, honest!!). I don't like to have to put too much thought into my clothes in the morning.

So how horrified was I when I realised that my size 12 wardrobe was actually a size 16-18 wardrobe?!!

You don't sound old and boring hon. You've got to be comfy for work, no matter what age you are and M&S have some gorgeous, stylish clothes - wish I could a) fit into them and b) afford them!! (soon, soon!). At your age, I always used to wear high heels for work but the heavier I've got the flatter my shoes have got. Am hoping sw and minimins will enable me to reach target and wear high heels again! xxx

 

[beckyn22]

I agree about how confusing (and generous!) clothes sizes are now. About 20 years ago, I had a 26 inch waist and I was a size 12. Today, that measurement would see me fit into a size 10 easily. Clothes today are bigger than they've ever been, yet the elusive 'ideal size' seems to be getting smaller! Anything bigger than a 10 these days is considered outsize.

Sounds about right to me LL. So size zero is actually about a size 6 and a 10 is really a 14! Sounds about right as I remember when a 14 was considered outsize! xxx

 

[Rorah]

It also doesn't help that most fabrics are now mixed with a large proportion of Lycra. I guess once upon a time the fabric didn't give or stretch at all, so a size 12 MEANT a size 12 and there was no getting away from the measurement of the cut.

But in our age of elastane I can shove on pretty much any old top, tunic or dress with any old pair of leggings, and as long as there's no belts etc. attached I can be sure the thing will probably stretch itself over my lumps and bumps without too much fuss (albeit probably not that flatteringly!!!)