My lowest adult weight was ~85 lbs, freshman year of college (anorexia). Highest was ~145 at age 28 (pregnancy). Oddly enough, my "stable" weight is smack dab in the middle at 115 lbs. I go about 5 lbs in either direction pretty regularly and it doesn't have much effect on what clothing size I take. I am chronically between sizes it seems; always a crapshoot as to whether I need an XS or S, a 0 or a 2. I buy tops to fit my shoulders rather than my bust so my upper size is pretty stable. Pants I have to size to my thighs and calves and those fluctuate a bit more; a real pain when skinnies and cigarette legs are trending. If I'm anything like the other women in my family, my legs will keep getting thicker as I get older, making it harder and harder to find pants that fit!

I'm 5' 1" (used to be 5' 1.75") so a difference of three pounds means an item is too loose or too snug, and five pounds means a difference in size. Weight goes to my tummy more than my waist, having shifted from my seat. My weight has been up two or three pounds for the past two weeks, so that has made my bras uncomfortable. But mostly my weight has been 118 - 120 for nearly all of my adult life, from 20s to mid-60s. I've tended to buy more when it's been 115/116, so now I have some pencil skirts that don't fit. Otherwise, my size hasn't changed all that much other than a thicker waist -- which is still in line with the way clothing is cut.

Pre-menopause, I would have PMS and want to gorge on chocolate and the like. I would get a bit bloated as well. So being on a more even keel post-menopause was a benefit.

I have two sets of clothing based on where I am in my cycle!

In the past, all the weight gain and bloat went to my waist and face. I was horrified when I saw myself naked in a full length mirror and saw little bands of fat all over my thighs.

I have avoided this post because I hate to admit that I have put on 5 pounds or two kilos over the last 18 months. It is enough to bother me and make me feel less fab in some clothing but not enough to lose it. Probably time to stop making excuses... I have clothing that covers me for this weight fluctuation so it is not of too much concern.

I’m 5’5” and I’ve been at 118-122 lbs most of my adult life.
I’m now at 125-130 lbs and have gone up 1 size in pants and 1 size in tops.

The weight has gone to my butt, thighs, upper back, shoulders and a bit to my midsection.

I intend to stay at this higher weight as my mood has improved a lot.

At age 62 I am around 5'7 " (no shrinkage luckily), and weigh around 140 - 145 lbs (I don't normally weigh myself unless I am in a doctor's office) . This is the heaviest I have ever been. Up to age 50 I was around 130 lbs. In fact, most of my life it was tough to put on weight.

My weight has not really fluctuated since I started working out faithfully for the past 2 + years, but my body has changed. My upper arms are bigger thanks to building some muscle. My belly is flatter (not completely there yet) , my butt and thighs are not flabby anymore Thighs seem to be a bit bigger (more muscle definition).

All in all I am happier in the way I look nowadays than a few years ago.

About the only thing that has changed since working out is my pants size - I have gone down 1 to 2 sizes. Top size is still the same - 36DDD - wish I could lose some of that!

My weight fluctuates between 116 and 119 lately. I am barely 5 ft 6 and 44. I replaced most of my wardrobe when I was down to 109 over 3 years ago, so now wishing I had a few more elastic waists in the mix. I slowly gained this weight back over the last 2 years and hoping to drop a few pounds. It goes to my stomach, upper body arms and face first.

So in one week depending on where my weight is I can find my pants either snug or much too tight. It doesn't seem to be coming off as easily this time around. I don't want to give in and buy bigger sizes.

At 109 I was 20lbs lighter than I was when I married at age 30. I tried on a dress from that time period and it didn't fit around my ribs, even with that weight loss! So maybe some things just change anyway, regardless of the number on the scale.

I’m 173 cm, just over 5’8”. In high school and college, I was in the 140s, and always active. I continued to be active for years after that, and for most of my adult life, I was in the 130s, usually 132-135. After my babe was born, my shape changed a little, but not much. I continued working out for the next few years and had an active life as a single working mother. When he was 7, we landed in Tampa through circumstances that got darker and darker the more I understood them. I hated all the driving there. It made my body hurt, and i missed the walking and biking I usually used to get around. While we were there, i developed Hashimoto’s disease. Between the emotional & physical stress and disease, I packed on weight. I love water parks. We went a few times our first summers there, then not for a few years. When we went back, I was surprised to find it was hard to climb the stairs! It frightened my son to see me so out of shape. I checked and found my weight was approaching 200–25 pounds more than I’d been while pregnant! Worst of all, when I started working out again, it was so much harder than it had ever been. I had always lifted weights to failure, but now the weights I was lifting were so light, I couldn’t get to that kind of muscle break down & failure, so I walked and found a challenging yoga class. I lost 40 lbs and came down several clothing sizes. Moving back to Berlin, I expected my body to go right back to how it always was when I lived in Germany. But I was forgetting about winter! My waist ballooned out :/ Surprisingly, however, when I weighed myself, I found my weight has not gone up—I’m 73 kg, 160 pounds. That makes me glad, but I still want to get back in shape. My waist is still much bigger than I’d like it to be, but when I work out, I see results very quickly, so I “just” need to be consistent. I also have a strength goal for myself for October. To meet it, I’ll need to work very hard & very consistently!

About elastic waistbands—I always hated them, the way they didn’t stay put, couldn’t see why people didn’t just get clothes the right size. Now I get it. My waist is squishy. It can be tricky to measure it correctly, and the way it changes size so quickly, I don’t mind a bit of elastic at all.

I've gained and lost on a 40 pound cycle every 5-7 years since I hit college. Twice that was for babies, the rest a combination of major diets followed by a slow increase back. I'm currently on the way back down (again) but taking a different path this time and hoping it will stick.

My challenge the last 18 months is constant waistline changes. My waist measurement can vary by 2+ inches from day to day. This is new (hello perimenopause) and I'm having to rethink clothing options to accommodate it.

For me, every 5 pounds is a time to re-evaluate. It's a chance to relook at bra fit, or put a pair of jeans on the bench. If I'm going to put in the effort, I want to make sure my wardrobe is accentuating the positive and reinforcing my progress.

Hmmm tricky topic. Over the last year or so I know I have gained weight, although it’s anyone’s guess how much because I haven’t weighed myself.
All I know is my favorite 2 pairs of jeans are now too tight :(.
I have searched for a new pair in a size larger but no luck so far.
I haven’t changed my diet at all, but I am more sedentary than I used to be so I put it down to that.
I am working on reducing my dinner portion size and increasing my exercise a little.
I also try not to think about it too much, and focus on the positives in life. Lipstick helps

Evidence that body changes, especially post-menopause, are not just weight but distribution. I could have sworn my weight was up from a year ago, based on fit issues. I just got out of my annual checkup and my weight, while up from my ideal, is nearly exactly what it was last year at this time. Go figure.

Five pounds up and my pants will be too tight but still technically fit. My weight is up a bit after a couple recent vacations filled with yummy food and drinks. They were fairly active trips but not enough to compensate for all the food. Anyway, I'm not too stressed yet and I'm hoping now that I'm home and back to a regular workout schedule and a normal diet, my weight will drop a few pounds. I think I look fine but I really don't want to buy new clothes. I'm very happy with my current wardrobe.

I've been moaning on this subject for a few months, I'm sure you're all tired of it- sorry! After being the same size for about 5 or more years, I have gained 8 lbs on my 5'4" self, all in the hips, and gone up almost a size in skirts and pants. My closet has been - thanks to my 8 years on YLF - tailored and fitted and I'm very depressed every time I reach for something I used to be able to throw on and go, but that is just too tight now. So, with the last round of summer sales I ordered a bunch of items a size bigger and am struggling - STRUGGLING - with fit (EG - Medium petite dress- good for hips but too wide across waist and body. Size 6 pants - good for hips, big waist gap). Almost everything I decide to keep will need to be altered. I am going to have 2 pencil skirts, black and grey, and a few dresses and a few pants, and that will be it until we see where this is all going.
My weight has been as high as 160 when I was in my mid-twenties, and very miserable. I weighed around 135-140 through my child bearing years. I was a regular runner through all of those years. I lost weight when arthritis led me to hip and back surgery and I stopped exercising, which was about when menopause kicked in too. My lowest weight since age 13 has been 120. 125 is exactly where I feel the best.

I'm doing better with the self-criticism this time around, though, and working hard at just being the healthiest I can be, and dressing the shape I have today in the most flattering way possible. Blowing a kiss, Angie and YLF, for that.

I am 5'8", so you would think I could gain 10 pounds and it would not matter too much, but it definitely does. I used to mostly gain in the hips/thighs, but now that I am 50 and approaching menopause, I seem to have developed a small pot belly as well. I find I can still lose weight, but more slowly than when I was younger. ROI for exercise and diet have slowed down for me as I've aged!

Yes, sizes have changed over the decades. My weight remained steady from college through my early 50s when it started creeping up after menopause. My all time most expensive dress was a designer sample I bought at NM for an important event. Size 8. I usually wore an 8-10 and occasionally even a 12 in skirts.

I still wear an 8-10, and although I don't weigh much more than I did, it isn't much, but my body has changed as I've grown older. Lost 2" in height so far, but waist and belly have expanded several inches. I could never fit in that NM size 8 dress now. (I kept it for decades and finally sent it to what I hope is a good home.)

Now I wear a 6 in NYDJ. I know the brand sizes are extreme, but I sometimes giggle when even a 6 is too big. I don't like elastic waists much except in yoga pants.

Yesterday DH sent me some photos from a trip we took 20 years ago, and I found some of my high school reunion that same year. I wish I'd appreciated what I had then a bit more. Always found fault with something in my body.

I've always been active and have gotten a lot of different kinds of exercise. I have long but small bones. I work on staying fit for health as well as looks. My FIL developed heart problems during my first year of marriage--he died at 55. My Mom was diagnosed with colon cancer that same year, but she made it to 92. At that time I read everything available on diet and exercise so I could stay healthy.

Thanks for this thread. I'll post some of those 20 years ago photos when I have a chance, and if I feel brave, put a current one up as well.

Please note - this is an old thread.

Oops, totally missed that. Sorry.

Fooled again!

I know this thread is old, but i think it is still relevant and I love the topic you brought up, Carla.

I am actually finding, as I age, that weight loss is harder, but changing the proportions of my body through weight lifting helps in managing figure and fit issues. I can't lose weight as easily (or as Shevia said - maybe I just don't care to?) But I have noticed through consistently working out over the pandemic that I can change the shape of my body through working out - reducing the belly, as well as rear and thighs, which gives me an hourglass shape and is much easier to dress for me. I started working out again for health and strength, but it is a nice side benefit to fit into clothes again and wear things I was shying away from - fitted/ribbed tops, crop tops etc.

Interesting thread to re-read. I was halfway through the second page before I saw "1 year ago" at the bottom of one of the responses I was reading!

That’s interesting Roxanna. I’m changing shape without changing weight
these days...

@FI - I'm with you! I wish I had a strong lifelong athletic practice to fall back on...but as I don't, I have to keep the workouts going if I want to maintain the body difference (as well as any strength gains!)

Roxanna, the good part is that if we keep the workouts going, even if we do occasionally have to be goaded into them by the beginnings of body composition change, we will eventually get back to that spot of a solid history of regular workouts. That's what I'm telling myself anyway, even though I did just a short "burner" today and am putting off the bigger workout I had planned until tomorrow.

I have opened a new thread for fitness, health, and wellbeing in Off Topic.

The body is mainly the food we consume. I wouldn't say that there is some magic diet that solves all the problems. A diet is needed to optimize your eating habits, so you need to eat healthy all the time, not just for the term of diet. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense. Personally, I picked for myself the keto diet, as it hasn't severe restrictions. It's the same healthy eating, but with low carbohydrates. If you wanna try it, firstly visit your doctor to know if you are allowed to. Then set your goals - you can use keto diet calculator, and slowly begin to change your eating.

I lost about 6o pounds in my early 40s and now stay within about 7 pounds of that weight (mid 50s now). Not thin, for sure at 150lbs, but I'm OK with it. I'm very strong and walk an average of 15000 steps per day.

However, because I'm only 5'3", that 7 pounds can mean a whole different size of pants, since it usually hits me in the belly. So I buy a size 8 & a size 10 for a few pants I really love.