[free1]

Many of you know that I'm scared of the scale. However, it's official. I am now in a 16W. In April I was beginning to fit some 24s. I tried on a 16W last week at Dress Barn but didn't want to update my status because I thought it was just a single brand.

Today, I went garage sailing and bought a 1x (16-18) sweatsuit and it fit great. I also bought a pair of Liz Clairborne dress pants size 16W and they fit GREAT. I also bought another pair of 16W dress pants for later in the winter- and they fit PERFECTLY. DH actually said that I may not be able to wear them longer because I already have a little room in them.

I have a long way until my goal. However, I have to say something that I hardly ever say to myself...I am proud of me!!!

[linJber]

And I am proud of you, too! This is a BIG victory. I have a hard time staying off the scale. I admire anyone who is trying to lose weight who can go without weighing. One of the girls at my gym never weighs and she is dropping pounds like crazy. I WANT to know. Isn't it funny.

It's so great that you fit into a smaller size. It might be time to start looking at misses rather than women's sizes, too. My experience has been that 18W is bigger than 18 in misses sizes by about a size. I'll bet that 16W is close to 18 in misses. I find it's easier to shop if I stay in the misses rather than the plus sizes. I love Dress Barn - now I have to start looking on the opposite side of the store! The closest one to me is about 70 miles away in an outlet mall. I always find nice things there.

You've done a fantastic job coming down from a 24W to 16W. I'm not even going to guess at your weight, but I wore 22W at 252 and size 16 misses at about 180. I am always amazed by the difference in how things fit because now at 162 I wear size 10 or 12 pants, but there are people who post that they are in smaller sizes than that at higher weight and shorter height than I am. I'll never figure it out.

We need to find the store that sells the size 8 jeans that fit people who are 5'-5" tall and 175 pounds, because that's where I want to buy my next jeans! I know that fewer pounds make a difference at lower weight. It took 15 to 20 pounds to lose a size when I was 250. Now about 8 pounds makes a difference of a size. You're going to be in your goal pant size in no time. Keep up the great work.

Lin

[oneLess]

That is excellent!! did you weigh at the beginning at all? When do you plan on stepping back onto the scale. Curiosity is getting to me!

[goal4agirl]

Awesome! Actually...you may be smaller than a 16- Garage sale clothes have been previously washed and dried alot and that may have shrunk them down some ~ just saying

[free1]

Thanks everyone. This is really a big deal to me. I don't remember being in a 16 since possibly 9th grade (notice I said possibly).

For those who asked about the scale....I have a very bad life habit and that is too avoid anything unpleasant. Even at my highest, I almost never weighed. I started my weight loss journey in April (buying some 24s). I weighed for the first time in late June- after I lost some weight and the scale said 284. I went into major depression and thought I just can't survive on this journey if I watch the numbers.

So, I put the scale in the closet and it hasn't been out since. I have NO idea how much weight I've lost. I'd gamble and say, however, that I weighed probably more than 295 when I started my journey. (Again, I weighed in at 284 after losing weight).

I just can't handle it. So, I made a vow to not weigh myself. My plan is to weigh again at the end of the year. But, I really don't want to. I'm so scared that the seeing the number will set me back. I'm one of those people who can weigh a lot but I look smaller. Even now, people swear that I'm a 14W or less but I'm not. I hide a LOT very well.

Although I don't weigh, I wouldn't recommend it to others. The down side is that you never have anything to keep you motivated. I never know if I have a good week or bad week. And I really struggle to make myself believe that this is working.

I happen to work next door to a Dress Barn, Old Navy and TJ Maxx. I go in about once every 10 days and try on the next smaller size just to see if it's gotten any looser. Most of the time, my motivation comes from watching the fit get better. This really works with Dress Barn since they have the same pair of black career pants that have been in stock for the last 12 months. I get to test my "try-on" on the same pair of pants.

[envelope]

free1 - congrats on going down in clothing sizes. I have a friend who started losing weight the same time I did. She NEVER weighed herself. She went down from a tight 18 to an 8 though!

[Madame Souza]

Wow, Free1! I couldn't go without weighing myself. I like how you try on the same pants every 10 days. what a great way to watch your progress. A size 24 to a size 16 is a huge deal!!!!!! Congrats and good work. You earned it.

[dini22]

I can totally relate about the scale avoidance thing. I was at my heaviest about 9 years ago. I had no idea what I weighed. I went on Atkins with a vengeance, and went from a 24w to a 16w. I probably wore a 26 or 28, actually, but I'd buy the stretchiest 24s I could find and make them work. I even refused to be weighed at the doctor's office.

Now I have to force myself to stay off the scale. I have to constantly remind myself that the scale is just one source of information out of many.

Congrats on your tremendous progress thus far!