I had another experience today. I thought, surely after losing 50 pounds, I would be out of 18's forever. Tried on some 16's today and left in tears. It was ALL I could do to not walk out in tears. All the way home, Matt driving, I watched my arm on the windowsill of the car, all I could see was the fat thats still there. I was completely incapable of actually seeing what I have accomplished. I was so discouraged by the clothing, that I seriously contemplated throwing in the towel. In my mind, I had worked so hard, changed my unhealthy habits into mainly healthy habits, learned portions, spent so much time walking, working out etc, and here I am, still in 18's, still fat, still unable to buy cuter, smaller clothes. When we got home I went and truly looked at all my pictures of myself from the last year, there are some SERIOUS differences in sheer size, but the fact remains, even 50 pounds lighter, I still am very pear shaped with a large lower tummy. This will take the most time and I need to resign myself to that, and it's hard. It's really really hard, when I can fit both legs into a size 18 pant leg, but I can't button a size 16 over my belly. It hurts, and it's not fair, but the only person who can change it is me. So, I started looking for those NSV's. The newer, firmer muscle tone in my legs, arms, shoulders, chest etc. All of those things that show I AM losing weight and fat and that the rest will follow, eventually. We'll get there beautiful one, we will, it's just taking time and eventually, we'll be ok with that.
Most of my shirts are Mediums, so the only thing I can figure is a Women's medium must be bigger than a Juniors XL.
Oh that's a definate. I rarely shop in ladies/womens anymore. I have gravitated to juniors and misses. But I did notice that if I fit a 10 pants in ladies, it would be an 8 in misses and an 11/13 in juniors. Sometimes even that's no guarantee as each manufacturer sizes them differently.
For me, if it's larger than those 3, I don't buy it, regardless of how much I like it. It's my policy to never buy a size larger. I mean, if I do it once, I can excuse it again and again until I'm shopping in the 22/24s again. And that's just NOT gonna happen. I've tried on say both a 10 and a 12 in different styles before. Both will fit, but I like the size 12 style better. Yet that style is too tight in a 10. I generally end up walking out with neither.
I haven't bought new clothes for almost a year because I keep hoping that I will lose a lot of weight and fit into my size 6 clothes. Sound silly, right? It's just that I don't like myself in almost anything I tried on in the store. Anyway, I decided to do something and started my weight-loss plan 3 weeks ago. I lost about 5 pounds to date. I still have a long way to go, but it's a start.
It is my first post as I just came across this forum yesterday. I feel very comfortable here because you gals are all so kind and supportive.
Hi, I've never posted before but thought I might be of help here since I am an expert shopper
I, too, have lost 40#'s and it can be frustrating when clothes don't look the way I think they should. Here's the thing: You might just need to learn what looks good on you- what works with your body shape. Then when you shop take into the dressing room several items you KNOW will look good on you and also take a few that you HOPE will look good on you.
So just yesterday I went to Macys and ended up with a super cool outfit but it was one of two dozen things I took into the fitting room. I WANTED the BCBG tops to flatter me but they didn't- in fact they made me look fatter, showed every roll, etc. They did fit, but did not flatter. So I moved onto the other things I brought, some were OK, some better, but the outfit I bought was PERFECT for me. The proportions were right on, the pants even made my tummy look flat.
So if you know what works on you there is always something to buy- always! Even at my highest weight I could always find something that looked good (99% of the time from Lane Bryant) because I knew how to dress my body. My advice would be to watch "What Not to Wear" on TLC as a start- look for an episode where someone has your body type (doesn't have to be your size but your type) and pick up some books about dressing for your body.
Shopping should be fun! It makes me sad that my happy place (the mall) can make others so stressed!
It is my first post as I just came across this forum yesterday. I feel very comfortable here because you gals are all so kind and supportive.
NWGal! Isn't it just great how supportive and kind people are! I mean, really.. someone else described it as their lifeline - I definitely feel the same
My advice would be to watch "What Not to Wear" on TLC as a start- look for an episode where someone has your body type (doesn't have to be your size but your type) and pick up some books about dressing for your body.
Shopping should be fun! It makes me sad that my happy place (the mall) can make others so stressed!
You know, these are GREAT suggestions, thank you!! The thing is that I have a limited budget and the two stores around me that carry plus size clothing are expensive for me! So I try to find clothes in other stores, but there is such a limited selection that I start to feel desperate and that is just not good, you know. I can't wait until shopping is easier and exciting! Hopefully those days are not too far from today.
That last line, by the way, sounded like it could have come straight from the Shopaholic series (have you read them?) , which made me laugh
Do you find yourself "size obsessed" instead of whether or not it looks good? I've been a size 10 to a size 20 and know that I care more about the label inside sometimes than how it looks. I recently bought a pair of pants to go out for New Years -- kept trying to squeeze into the 18's because "that's my size" until I realized the 20's made me look much better and who is going to see the tag --
On that note, I have a sister who as a teenager would take the tags out of our "skinny" sisters pants and sew them into her own, in case someone in gym class saw the label!!!
On that note, I have a sister who as a teenager would take the tags out of our "skinny" sisters pants and sew them into her own, in case someone in gym class saw the label!!!
Wow!!!
Shelby, I definitely like to see myself wearing smaller and smaller sizes.. but I'm much more concerned with the way clothes look than which size they are. When I went shopping I realized just how much sizes vary by manufacturers! Makes it tricky when we are losing weight! I mean, here I was - one store, I bought size 16 pants - almost fit into them! Other stores, the size 16s did not go over well nor did the 18s. Another store I tried on several different pairs of pants in size 18, one was too big and the other too small. So I grabbed a size 16 and a size 20!! Then the shirts - there are tons of stores where the XLs will be much too small. This one store, the XLs varied - some were just right, some were too large. A few MMs fit me (me, a medium at this weight! yeah right!). Some L's were just fine, some too small.
You'll find its the cut of the clothes that matter. A trouser cut with a full leg I can wear a size or even two smaller than a trouser cut in a flare or straight style because I have a smaller waist and larger hips/legs.
Also "shrunken" is a trend right now so an XL in a shrunken top will not fit me when a L normally will. The whole shrunk thing works on tiny girls and on us plus sizers looks like we've outgrown our clothes.
As far as budget- what an icky word- but we all have one to stick to. You could try online but even then the qaulity clothes are spendy. I would use your limited funds to buy really nice basics- the best you can afford- becuase you'll feel better, look better and they can be altered down a size or two as you lose. Then shop the cheap shops for trendy accessories (so instead of the zebra print dress get a zebra print scarf and earrings for the same look).
Have your tried Walmart (ugh- I know) they have some decent basic tops and jackets in their George line and trendier cheap stuff in the Metro7 line.
Happy shopping! Looks like at an 18 or so you are very close to getting into the main size stores I am SO thrilled to be able to shop at most of the stores now (at least for tops). For great pants try Ann Taylor online- they go up to an 18 and have a few different fits for different body types.
I've tried on say both a 10 and a 12 in different styles before. Both will fit, but I like the size 12 style better. Yet that style is too tight in a 10. I generally end up walking out with neither.
Hi, everyone
NWGal! Isn't it just great how supportive and kind people are! I mean, really.. someone else described it as their lifeline - I definitely feel the same 
, which made me laugh 
I mean, here I was - one store, I bought size 16 pants - almost fit into them! Other stores, the size 16s did not go over well nor did the 18s. Another store I tried on several different pairs of pants in size 18, one was too big and the other too small. So I grabbed a size 16 and a size 20!! Then the shirts - there are tons of stores where the XLs will be much too small. This one store, the XLs varied - some were just right, some were too large. A few MMs fit me (me, a medium at this weight! 
yeah right!). Some L's were just fine, some too small. 