Since I started I have been donating all of my clothes as they get too big. However I am now a weight I haven't ever maintain in he past 13 years. Additionally, the clothes that I am shrinking out of now were mainly purchased in the past 6 months. I am feeling like I should start keeping them... but then I feel like keeping them would create a self-fulfillig prophecy of gaining back the weight. What do you do? What do you think?

I have gotten rid of everything as I've gone down to the next size. It's working very well for me, as I've gained 3 lbs. over the last 5 months. In the past that would have barely registered and I'd have just reached for something in my closet "a little more comfortable". Nothing to reach for so my "getting a bit too snug" clothes are not letting me forget for a minute that gaining any more is NOT an option.

Let them go but I would suggest since they are fairly new you should try to consign/sell them. This will get you some money for new things that fit that you can use right now.

If someone were quit smoking but kept around a pack of cigarettes just in case they needed them would be setting themselves up to fail right?

The clothes safety net is kinda the same thing. Thanks for reminding me it is time for me to clean out my closet again. I hope to get that accomplished this week.

I kept my more recent "fat clothes" for a year after I hit goal. On the first anniversary of reaching goal, I celebrated by giving them all away. I work best with a goal in front of me and once I had hit my goal weight, I substituted giving away the clothes.

I never understood the concept of the clothes being a safety net. Although buying larger and larger sizes on the way up was depressing and awful, I kept doing it over and over again. It wasn't enough of a wake-up call then and it didn't really seem like it was the kind of thing that would make a difference the second time around. I know whether my eating is under control and the ease of putting on a larger size pair of pants doesn't have any effect on that, at least for me.

The safety is just a monetary safety. What if I gain weight back again and then have to replace the clothes. BUT- Robin- I really like your idea of getting rid of them on the anniversary of 1 year being at my goal weight! That is a great idea...

anyone else? Does anyone keep them just in case?

I'm keeping my clothes but here's my reason: once I hit a healthy BMI we're going to try for #2 so then I have some built in maternity clothes already I can even make adjustments on them as need because I'm hoping never to have a wear them again after that.

Right now I'm 37lbs away from a healthy BMI so it's not too unrealistic that I could use these clothes during a future pregnancy. I have clothes from higher weights that I DID give away because even with a future pregnancy I hope to never get over 200lbs again in my life!!!!!!

i throw it alllll away with a mentality of "there IS no going back". If the clothes I fit into start getting tight, it is a reminder to buckle down because I *will never be* what I used to be.

Every damn time I kept the clothes that were too big... I ended up back in them and then some.

this time I am giving everything to charities. This TIME is MY TIME, never again.

WOW! I guess I shouldn't feel so insecure. With the determination you are all showing I should feel more confident in myself TOO! Thank you for inspiration!

I suggest keeping one outfit from when you were at your heaviest. This will help to remind you to never go back there again! But as you lose the weight definitely start giving your old clothes away. If you want to keep clothing cost down I suggest going to a consignment shop or thrift store. Once you hit your goal go out and buy a whole new wardrobe!!

runningfromfat - I'd give the clothes away. Maternity clothes aren't just bigger clothes (particularly the bottoms!), they are cut differently to accommodate and accent your belly. I tried wearing my old fat clothes with my first one and they wouldn't stay on or hang right at all. It was a disaster and I ended up buying maternity clothes anyhow. Just my $.02.

I have kept an outfit from my biggest weight, and I generally have a looser pair of my current size on hand. This isn't for regain purposes, funnily enough, but pregnancy. I am almost 20 pounds under my pre pregnancy weight, and yet my pants are still snug due to my hips spreading out again. For me, I want to get into 'normal' clothes and put of maternity as fast as possible after each baby (the elastic waists and spandex panels make it so easy to not care about what I am eating because everything always fits) so I know from experience I need a more generous cut, at least, in the few months following as everything shrinks back down to normal.

Actually, most of them are maternity clothes. I had a miscarriage (I was far enough along to need maternity clothes) about a month ago and even though they are too big for me now I figure I can bring them in if/when the time comes. It's a lot cheaper than buying pregnancy clothes here that can run 100-200 a piece.

Beyond that I have one pair of jeans that fit more or less right now and one pair of black pants. I have a lot of great "skinny" pre-pregnancy clothes (from my first pregnancy with DD) waiting for me that I hope to get into soon!

A few days ago I cleaned my closet of clothes that are too big for me and boy, was that cathartic! I packed them into plastic bins and plan keeping them for now, to see if relatives would like to look through them before I donate to charity. I do plan to keep one pair of pants and one favorite old shirt for one of those cliched "after" pics once I'm at goal. I can't wait to take a pic of both my legs fitting into one pants leg of my old 24-26W pants!