About 5 years ago, I found the ultimate diet and some very interesting things about clothes, sizes, and what about them matters.

I got really sick about 4.5 years ago.  I lost about 7 pounds a week for about 3 months before it was brought under control, another post. 

It was a pancreatic wasting disease and it was really bad.  I couldn't eat starch, fat, or protein without severe pain, as my pancreas was digesting itself because it would spray the enzymes that digest those foods into itself rather than tranferrring them to my stomach, which doesn't dissolve like regular flesh (made of fats, starches and protein !).  That isn't the complete explanation, but it will do and prevent anyone from "trying this at home".  I could only drink liquid nutrition in very small quantities because solid food set it off. My doctor called it a home gastric by-pass.  He's a laugh riot.

But that isn't the fun part.

I was the same size from the time I was 18 until this happened at 36 years old, give or take 1 size.  I went from a size XX or 20 up top and about a 16 pants to a Medium up top and a size 8 below.  From a 46 DD to a 38 DDD.  (no, the breasts did not go, first or any other time)  In 3 months. 

I had to replace my wardrobe 5 times over by shopping at goodwills and such because it happened that fast, I was swimming in my cothes, and clothes are expensive.  I looked like Barbie when it was finally over.

 I found out some very interesting things about sizes and clothes. 

Really rich people give their clothes to goodwill every season because they will shop for more.  So the clothes at these stores are very high dollar clothes once you get into the smaller sizes.  The big stuff is cheap and worn out, because larger clothes are harder to find and they don't get tossed as often.  I didn't give mine up until I was down into single digit sizes.  I was told I would never be big again, bad news to me, having been big for my entire adult life and having grown to enjoy being "me".

I was told that I would never be able to eat much of anything anymore and so I tossed all my really big clothes, anything over a 10, because I had hit hip and collar bone by the time I was a twelve.  I am 5'8".  Yeah, I looked like a fashion model by the time it ended.  Thin and kinda gaunt in the face.  I looked like I was dying to me.

But about the clothes.

As the cost of the clothes increased, the smaller the size, the larger the clothes.  So a Liz Claiborne pair of slacks in a size 6 fit me, but an off the rack Sears house brand did not.  Think about that.  Hilfiger jeans in a size 6 fit, but Wrangler size 8 did not.

That means that the clothes consumed by wealthy people are larger than clothes bought in cheaper stores.  So people who pay high dollar for clothes are also paying to have their tag size seem smaller.  I wondered if this could be true. 

So I tested it.  I went to very expensive stores and tried on expensive brands and some couture:  size 6-8.

Walmart, Sears, Belk:  size 8-12.

On the same day with the same body and the same undergarments.  I wasn't having periods anymore, so no bloat factor, either.

Sometimes you get things you don't even know you are paying for!

Oh, and the reason I finally gained weight, see "The Deal".  I was certain that something was really wrong because I had gained 5 pounds.

After I delivered the baby, 75 pounds later, we discovered that swimming in his growth hormone for 8 months healed my pancreas.   Or a miracle occurred and I was meant to live, however you want to look at it.

And now I have worn the same size for another 3 years straight.  I am a natural size 16-18, barring wasting disease and pregnancy. 

So don't worry about what size the industries say you need to be.  Just keep track of the size you feel like you ought to be and stay there.