The Clothing Transition
 

I'm a bad girl and weighed myself this morning even though my official weigh-in is supposed to be on Sunday night - I was doing the pant pull-up thing all day. I only did this because my work pants are starting to get a little baggy. I had bought a couple of pairs of work out pants last weekend in an 18/20 which I was very excited about considering a month ago I was barely able to squeeze into my size 24 jeans. I hadn't really thought about this when I started...but what am I going to do about clothes?

I feel so much better about everything except for the clothing situation. I'm a clothes horse...I admit it. I probably have enough clothes to go at least month straight without wearing the same thing twice, and regardless of my size I've always been complimented in how I dress. How do you handle dropping sizes without buying an entire wardrobe after every twenty pounds lost? Some of my clothes will be functional for awhile - I can belt or have my mother-in-law take some things in...but I don't want to look like a frumpy mess either - it kind of defeats the purpose of wanting to look and feel better.

I wish there was some kind of bartering program when I could trade clothes with others who were losing weight. I've never wanted to buy elastic anything...and fortunately I've never had to, but I'm thinking that might be my only option as I lose this weight. I don't know why this is bothering me so much - I always went out and bought clothes as I gained weight without much issue.

Get yourself to the Goodwill store!! It's so hit or miss but when it's good, it's so good.

I got a shirt, 2 tanktops, a pair of shorts and a pair of workout capris yesterday all for $12.50 (they were on sale for $2.50 each). Other days I go there and there's nothing.

I shop the sales at Kohl's (you get 15-20% off everything with coupons via email if you sign up for notifications, even clearance) and Macy's too will email you coupons. I got shirts at Macy's the other day for $6 and change. Tags were anywhere from $40-$60 (I don't think anyone ever pays those prices, if they do then they are insane). I buy clothes a size or 2 smaller too when I get them that cheap as I don't want to pass them up.

Congrats on your weightloss so far and your big baggy pants victory!

The clothing thing IS frustrating! My last time down, I made the mistake of buying nice things on the way down and I ended up buying things that I only wore once or twice before they were too big again. I know a lot of people go the thrift store route, and that might be something to look at. Otherwise, I have found that stretchy clothes hold me through lots of different sizes (up and down) I went from a 26/28 to a 14 and there were a few things that weirdly enough I was able to wear all the way down.

And sometimes, you just have to keep wearing the big stuff until it's unwearable.

I got all my clothes at Goodwill, Salvation Army and consignment shops and saved a lot of money and got some very attractive clothes. When I out grew them I donated them back and went back for smaller sizes.

luckily for me... i have a friend who i am losing weight with and she is bigger than me so as i start going down ill get all my clothes that are too big for me and give them to her and she is able to fit them. the rest i take for donations :)

Goodwill all the way!!!

Buy one or two key pieces at the size you need, do not buy an entire new wardrobe!

I started at a 22 or 2X and now wear a 14 or a large. For the past year, I've really only owned a few things that ever fit at a time:

2 pairs of jeans
1 pair of black pants
5 sweaters/work shirts
2-3 casual t shirts
2 pairs shorts (in summer)

I mostly shop at Kohls, Target, Old Navy, and Macys. I always bring coupons with me.

I have accepted many hand-me-downs from friends and co-workers who have sized out of clothes. I've gotten some stuff at thrift stores and I've bought clothes on sale. I refuse to spend a ton of money on clothes until I'm at goal and know that my clothes will last longer but it really hasn't been that difficult...or expensive.

I buy staple items. Black pants that I can wear over and over. I also had a lot of clothes from when I was on the way up. Luckily for me, my style hasn't evolved and I still like the look of most of the stuff I've got so...

I'm "lucky" in that I seem to need to lose a lot of weight (like 50 lbs) before clothes get so big that they aren't wearable anymore. That's how it played out the last time, anyway, and it seems to be similar again this time. Once I hit about 25 lbs, I could start wearing some of my next sized down stuff but the other stuff is still not too big to reasonably wear.

My goal is to get to the point where I am too small to wear EVERYTHING I currently own, and get to build a new but much, much smaller wardrobe, and I never end up with the ridiculous amount of clothing I own at the moment (some of it's years and years old - I'm going to start purging this weekend, just on the basis of whether I even want to wear it again, regardless of whether it does or doesn't fit!)

re:
 

I usually have 2 pairs of jeans for each current size. I save the size up for wearing around the house. Same way for shirts. I buy everything clearance or on sale if I can right now, as I (hopefully) won't be wearing it long. Luckily we're casual at work so I don't have to worry about that.

I donate everything else. I probably have only 20 items of clothing right now in my closet total.

I'm the sucker that buys an entire wardrobe every twenty pounds lost. $$$ but well worth the rush!

But I have also started to buy just a little too tight so that I can ungrow into things.

Oh...I think I would like shopping with you! :D

Oh, yes you would!

Thanks for the advice...our Goodwill and Salvation Army aren't exactly friendly to the larger gal...I think only the skinny girls in my town donate clothes. I know there are a couple of consignment shops around here that I'll have to check out. I love shopping sales...that's how I ended up with an entire room full of clothes! Unfortunately I've always lived by the rule if I haven't worn it in a year it goes to Goodwill...so I don't really have any "skinny" clothes on hand. And I am not desperate enough to raid my mom's old "fat" clothes as I find her love of colorful capri pants and billowy shirts a little disconcerning. I suppose losers can't be choosers when it comes to transition clothes. I'm a little sad at the thought of wearing black elastic stretchy pants to work...but I will deal. I'm officially showing my self-absorbed vain side now. ;)

That sucks about the local goodwill, I always SAY I'm going to go there and Usually just end up not, you can try Ross, they usually have good deals. other then that I usually hit target and walmart and only have 2 pairs of jeans and a pair of black slacks that fit at any given time. now that I'm only in school and not working I dont think I even have the slacks.

Belts help alot when pant becomes too baggy in the waist but are still fitting ok elsewhere, a longer top covers the fact the pants are belted on lol.

I also recommend buying tight so you can wear it longer.