I don't know where else to ask this?

First off I'm a man. There are these belts that I but can only be found online so there is not trying it on first. I'm a bit confused as to sizing. I wear size 33 pants and they are loose where they sit. If I run a tape around the exact area the pants sit I get a 38 inch measurement LOL. I'm just not sure what to go by here when ordering the belt. They suggest I go two sizes higher than my pant size but

that would leave me 3 inches short of what my hips swell to when they see a tape measure coming.