Weight Loss

Two years ago before I put on the weight that I had been working off, I wore 34 B or 34 C depending on the brand and type.  When I put on the weight, only the 34 C continued to fit, mainly because the bras were old and the elastic was wore out.   Yeah, I know that it was bad for me, but I was a bit embarrassed to look for the next size up because I knew it was due to my weight gain.

Well, I reached my goal so I decided to go and buy some new bras as that my back was starting to bother me.  Well, it was clear that 34 B and 34 C were not the right sizes after trying a few.  So I went and asked for a fitting.  Apparently, now I am 32DD.   I was very puzzled, but the ones the woman gave me fit well and I don't remember wearing bras that felt that nice in a couple of years. Now, my back feel great again.

Anyway, I wanted to know if anyone else went up in cup size after weight loss because I have really only heard about people going down in bra size, both for back and cup size.

The way bras are sized means that you might not have changed at all.

32DD = 34CC=36BB=38AA (so to speak).

Too many bras now put all the support into the ribcage band--it is hard to find a good bra with wider shoulder straps, for example. There was actually a LONG article about this a couple of years ago, maybe in the NY Times? Anyway, I'm 5'8 and 206 and I was measured by a "professional" and she wanted ME to wear a 32D; no way in hell!

So you may not have changed size in the bust at all, but as the band gets smaller, so do the cup sizes. You just did not lose any fat in your breasts, that's all.

 

That is interesting!  Both my cup and back sizes went down.

On Oprah, they had a bra fitting expert on there and she said that people tend to wear too big around bras with smaller cups.  But that they should wear smaller around with bigger cups.  I have no idea how this translates out but I tried it and it does work!  In my mind, it shoudn't work but it does.

I have the strangest thing.  As I gain lose weight my breast size does go up and down.  But my distance around my rib cage doesn't.  And I must have a huge rib cage because I always need a 36 or 40 around even when I am thin.

i am glad to see this seems to vary from girl to girl :)

i was a 40D at my largest, and a 34C at my smallest (now) and the girls are kinda floatin in the C cup so i think i may try a B.

no way am i sad if it goes up and down, i am getting healthy so who cares!

i was measured at la senza not too long ago and the girl stated i was a 36D! har har har. she made a face when i tried one on and everything was just floatin around! so poo poo to professional measuring (unless you are getting orthotics)

remember, sizing is your number of inches around, then the a=1 b=2 c=3 d=4 inches outwards for the cup. put a ruler with the numbers facing up under your breast (the smaller of the two) and look straight down as best you can. this will tell you a cup size (or range of cup sizes) i see 2 3/4 inches when i look down.

you have to do this with a bra on, btw~ if you are floating in your bra or spilling out, perhaps it is time to get a new one!

Original Post by spookychick:

i am glad to see this seems to vary from girl to girl :)

i was a 40D at my largest, and a 34C at my smallest (now) and the girls are kinda floatin in the C cup so i think i may try a B.

no way am i sad if it goes up and down, i am getting healthy so who cares!

i was measured at la senza not too long ago and the girl stated i was a 36D! har har har. she made a face when i tried one on and everything was just floatin around! so poo poo to professional measuring (unless you are getting orthotics)

remember, sizing is your number of inches around, then the a=1 b=2 c=3 d=4 inches outwards for the cup. put a ruler with the numbers facing up under your breast (the smaller of the two) and look straight down as best you can. this will tell you a cup size (or range of cup sizes) i see 2 3/4 inches when i look down.

you have to do this with a bra on, btw~ if you are floating in your bra or spilling out, perhaps it is time to get a new one!

Yeah, when I had it done a couple of years ago, the first place I went to the woman didn't seem to know what she was doing and she still couldn't get it right after 3 tries, twice as you said flotting around, the other one was way too small, and I couldn't even hook it.  I pretended that I got a text after the 3rd one and had to leave.  The other place measured and on the first time they fit.  I went back there again this time, they measured me twice because they had someone training and they asked if I minded if the trainee tried too, which I didn't because I figured that was more likely to have the right size by doing it twice.  You can have professional ones that crappy usually it is a big hint that is the case if they are way off in the first one.  My main complaint now is I can't seem to find a good strapless bra because 32DD is weird size, and I need one for my cousin's wedding.  One of my friends told me about a place that specialises on D and higher cups so I will try there, but I am not too hopeful as that I have tried 5 stores now.   So if anyone in the UK has any suggestions of where to find bigger cups sized bras I would be grateful.  I thought of waiting to go the US to look because it would be cheaper, but I don't know I will have time before I go to try on the dress to go from shop to shop bra shopping.

do you girls who've had reductions mind if i ask either of you some questions? i'm highly considering having one.

Here's a thought... and I have no basis to know whether it's true or not.  Just as overall clothing sizes have changed to the new 'vanity' sizes, perhaps bra sizes have changed, too!  But inversely.  Lots and lots of women are getting breast implants to make their breasts larger, so maybe the bra manufacturers are capitalizing on this by changing their sizes to flatter women.

Just as an example on the clothing, five or six years ago, I was pretty lean and wore a size eight, but the pants I still have from that time don't fit AT ALL (too small), however, I'm currently wearing a size six and I'm 15 lbs heavier than I was back then!

I had a reduction about six years ago.  You are more than welcome to ask me questions.

I also had a reduction.  It was two years ago. 36C down from a 36E.  Up for questions.

I'm only 5 weeks out from my reduction.  I am up to answering questions.  I went from a 42G (probably the wrong size) to a 40C.  At least that is the size I bought the other day.  But I hear they could still change.  I am very happy I did it, but it does hurt, and it is REAL surgery.  It takes time to recover.  When I am driving if I hit a bump, they still hurt and that is after 5 weeks. It is hard to sleep on my side still and when I wake up in the morning, they hurt.  My new bra is very uncomfortable because the band sits right on the scars, I feel better wearing cotton Fruit of the Loom sport bras.  But the good news is, it gets a little better every day.  Eventually I won't remember what I went through.  I will just be very happy I did it! 

 

Mine get smaller when I lose weight (which is the primary reason I want to lose another few pounds...so I can get them down another cup size!).  At 5'4" and 150, I was a 34DDD.  Now that I'm down to 130, I'm a 34D+ (not quite a DD, but too much for a D - hence the few more lbs...I'd love to be a D!).

For those of you looking for some comfortable, quality bras, go to a higher end store like Dillards or Nordstroms.  They have trained fitters there who will measure you and can hand you a bra that fits.  I've done that consistently for several years and that has SIGNIFICANTLY helped the shoulder and back pain.  (That and I'm not always tugging at my bras and straps!)  If you get a bra that fits correctly, you'll hardly know it is there!

Oh, and I've quit shopping at Victoria's Secret...the prices are WAY too high for the crap quality they sell.  I can get a better fitting bra from Dillards from anywhere between $20 and $50!  (and the hooks or straps don't rip off within the first 3 weeks of ownership!)  Not only that, but the fitters aren't trained as well, usually (at least at the ones I've been in).