What is the likelihood I will shrink back into a Medium?
(I tried posting this in /r/fitness but had this removed)
I recently bulked up and went from a Medium to a Medium/Large (depending on brand, chest size 40 -> 42). I've weighed this much before but have never fit into a Large before (I assume it's the chest/shoulders). I plan on cutting towards the end of the year but I'm curious if anyone has experience with the likelihood I'd shrink back into a Medium and has any advice. I don't want to buy too many clothes but I'm currently not that comfortable in my existing wardrobe. Thanks in advance! Sorry if this doesn't quite fit in here, not sure where to go after being punted from /r/fitness.
7 Replies
That probably really depends on whether the gain in your chest/shoulders is muscle or fat
The advice I always hear is "dress for the body you've got, not the one you want," which obviously tends to get used on people, uh, significantly less disciplined in their workout goals than it sounds like you are, but it still makes sense to me.
But the way I see it, if you just pick up 1-3 things a month, either your cut shrinks you back down, in which case, yay! You have your old wardrobe back, and you didn't spend that much in the meantime. Or it doesn't (or, a year from now, you're looking to bulk again or something and are suddenly wondering if you'll go back to being a large), in which case, you've already started the process of establishing the new one. Either way, investing seems to make sense longterm. I'm not saying go out and overhaul your entire wardrobe. Just a few pieces as you go, y'know?
yeah, re: bulking again, it's very likely that if you do, having some pieces that fit next time 'round will be helpful
tbh I keep thinking I'm going to shrink back to a regular medium after I cut, but it never happens. My weight and size end up bigger than it was when I was last lean every time, which is really the goal anyway
so I think going for the larges and tailoring for the major pieces is probably your best bet
did you (OP) just recently start lifting? if so it's probably pretty unlikely that your cut will bring you back down
honestly looser fit clothes look better on people who are built anyway, so for off-the-rack stuff it's definitely a better idea to size up rather than down if you're between
like i was 160lb in college and usually wore mediums in everything, a few years into lifting and im 195lb and wear XLs.
Thanks, I appreciate all the advice/personal experience! I'll try out Cinnamon's advice and probably end up sticking around to ask for other recommendations since I haven't really bought much since the pandemic š
I had the opposite thing where I was 6ā2 245lb 5 years ago wearing xl and now Iām 190 and right on the line between medium and large depending on length.