I went into two stores looking for pants yesterday both stores have plus size clothing. I was too big for everything in the store except for shirts. The clothes went all the way up to 28W. I guess on the bright side, at least it was a wake up call.
How tall are you? It's so strange...I easily have 20 or so pounds on you and 28s are almost too big for me. But I'm not small enough to fit into a 26. Body sizes and weight are the weirdest things. But don't give up. Just keep losing weight and the smaller sizes will follow!
Can I just say - that sucks! I always think the first part of the journey is the hardest. You are surrounded by reminders of why you're doing this, but it feels so far away. I have never jumped on the lifeboat, but it seems like a great place to be. A way to shield yourself from debilitating discouragement until you start building ever more successes. Six pounds is a great start. With patience and persistence, the successes will start mounting. And soon, we'll be reading your NSV about how the 28s are falling off of you. Good luck.
I am so sorry you had such a negative experience. I do think that the sizes vary by stores, though. I definitely fit into 28 W pants at retailers targeted at plus-size ladies when I was 320 lbs or so, and am now in 26 W sizes at those stores. I think retailers who are primarily targeted at smaller customers have smaller sizes.
But as LaurieDawn mentioned, you've already made a great start. Just imagine how great it will feel when you fit into those clothes, and when they start falling off you.
Also, if you still need pants, I find that Catherine's has a great selection of sizes and - more importantly - shapes in plus-size pants. For example, I absolutely need petites in plus-size pants. I can hem pants at the floor, but often the 'average' lengths are also too long in the stomach to thigh ratio by at least an inch for me.
They usually have petite, average, and tall, and have at least two, perhaps three designs to accommodate different hips to waist ratios. I know that it is tough for my normal sized friends to find petites in normal stores, so that wide-ranging selection is really nice for me. And better than catalogs because sizes are SO variable and I can try things on in the store.
Do you have bigger hips, or a disproportionately large belly? I have both, and at my current weight it is extremely rare for me to find pants that fit. I should be wearing a size 30, but they are *impossible* to find! And even if I could find size 30 jeans, the designers seem to think that having huge hips automatically means that you have ridiculously huge legs. Like, fully twice the size of my legs. I gave up on jeans. I now wear black professional-type slacks all the time because they're the only things that fit in a 28.
It sucks. I totally feel your pain. But keep up your good work, you'll soon be able to find clothes that fit again!
I can definitely relate to this feeling, except, I have been avoiding shopping for years. I HATED buying new clothes. I decided that my life transition is not only possible, but that its something that i am going to make happen everyday. The first step, is learning to love ourselves
I think it's GREAT that you see this as a wake-up call. I wish I'd paid attention when I first was unable to fit into 28 pants at Lane Bryant. That might have saved me years of being at a size 32 and only being able to buy pants at Catherine's. I remember how incredibly excited I was about 2 months after I started losing weight in 2008 when I was able to fit into my old size 28 jeans. I felt so empowered being able to go into LB and buy clothes again, after spending several years not being able to.
What else you have to look forward to is - going into LB and not being able to buy anything because it's ALL TOO BIG. That day is coming! Embrace it! It's so much fun!!!!
For the first time since I was a freshman in college, a few days ago, I bought a pair of size 12 jeans, took them home, tried them on, and I was able to zip them and sit down and still be able to breathe. Seriously, I haven't been a 12 since college and even then I was only a 12 for about 6 months before I started gaining again. These 12s aren't pretty and I can't leave the house in them yet, but I will be able to pretty soon I think. When I was a 32 I dreamed of one day being a 16 again but I never even dreamed I could ever fit into a 12 (or smaller). My 16s are really loose, 14s are a bit tight but some are OK...and now 12s. It's surreal! And really fun! And worth all the hard work.
DC -- I just wanted to say you are another huge inspiration to me. Coming from the weight that I was and seeing others like you get down to sizes I've never even been in gives me hope that some day I will, too.
It's worth it. Giving up food I thought I couldn't live without, like honeybuns and Mountain Dew? Compared to size 14? Totally worth it. Giving up beer? Worth it. Now - giving up bacon and red meat and Popeye's and other things that got me through my first two years of low carbing, because it's not working for me anymore? Worth it.
The #1 thing that made this work for me was BELIEF. True belief that I could do it. Belief that I was worth it. Belief that I deserved it. Did I feel all that at first? No way. I was pretending. Fake it til you make it. Believe, commit, and if you fall off, forgive yourself, because you love yourself and honor yourself and believe in yourself and know that you deserve it and can do it, then get back on.
You deserve this. You do. Believe, commit, if you screw up forgive yourself and get back on, and keep on keepin' on. That's my advice. Because you are worth it and THIS is worth it.
I don't know what area you are from, but Avenue has clothes up to size 32W as well. I gain, I lose, and I'm not happy about it, but I'm still trying and have never given up, even when the scale doesn't move and the pants I have get tight, loose, tight and then loose again. I have gotten back up where I don't want to be, but am awake to the fact that I can't stop trying!!!
How tall are you? It's so strange...I easily have 20 or so pounds on you and 28s are almost too big for me. But I'm not small enough to fit into a 26. Body sizes and weight are the weirdest things. But don't give up. Just keep losing weight and the smaller sizes will follow!
I am 5'4.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaurieDawn
Can I just say - that sucks! I always think the first part of the journey is the hardest. You are surrounded by reminders of why you're doing this, but it feels so far away. I have never jumped on the lifeboat, but it seems like a great place to be. A way to shield yourself from debilitating discouragement until you start building ever more successes. Six pounds is a great start. With patience and persistence, the successes will start mounting. And soon, we'll be reading your NSV about how the 28s are falling off of you. Good luck.
It does suck. I cannot wait to post a NSV that I'm shopping in regular size stores.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mnemosyne
I am so sorry you had such a negative experience. I do think that the sizes vary by stores, though. I definitely fit into 28 W pants at retailers targeted at plus-size ladies when I was 320 lbs or so, and am now in 26 W sizes at those stores. I think retailers who are primarily targeted at smaller customers have smaller sizes.
But as LaurieDawn mentioned, you've already made a great start. Just imagine how great it will feel when you fit into those clothes, and when they start falling off you.
Also, if you still need pants, I find that Catherine's has a great selection of sizes and - more importantly - shapes in plus-size pants. For example, I absolutely need petites in plus-size pants. I can hem pants at the floor, but often the 'average' lengths are also too long in the stomach to thigh ratio by at least an inch for me.
They usually have petite, average, and tall, and have at least two, perhaps three designs to accommodate different hips to waist ratios. I know that it is tough for my normal sized friends to find petites in normal stores, so that wide-ranging selection is really nice for me. And better than catalogs because sizes are SO variable and I can try things on in the store.
Thanks..I should have went to Catherine's (it's right beside of the store we went to) that day but I was so embarrassed to go in there. It would of been better than finally admitting to my Mom that I didn't try on any pants, not because I didn't like them but because even the biggest was too small for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by devnet
Do you have bigger hips, or a disproportionately large belly? I have both, and at my current weight it is extremely rare for me to find pants that fit. I should be wearing a size 30, but they are *impossible* to find! And even if I could find size 30 jeans, the designers seem to think that having huge hips automatically means that you have ridiculously huge legs. Like, fully twice the size of my legs. I gave up on jeans. I now wear black professional-type slacks all the time because they're the only things that fit in a 28.
It sucks. I totally feel your pain. But keep up your good work, you'll soon be able to find clothes that fit again!
I do have huge hips. Huge. I have big legs too. When I find a pair that fits, they are usually baggy on the stomach area and look even funnier.
Thanks, I cannot wait to find clothes that fit!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonah
I can definitely relate to this feeling, except, I have been avoiding shopping for years. I HATED buying new clothes. I decided that my life transition is not only possible, but that its something that i am going to make happen everyday. The first step, is learning to love ourselves
I like your attitude, it is so important to love ourselves and I never have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KW9
It definitely changes by store and sometimes even by material. I try to read reviews and order most clothes online.
Old Navy goes up to 30 on a lot of pants. I have a few different pairs and find the reviews are usually accurate.
Don't let it keep you down, you are headed to smaller sizes real soon anyway!
I will try out Old Navy, I always thought that they carried smaller sizes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DCHound
I think it's GREAT that you see this as a wake-up call. I wish I'd paid attention when I first was unable to fit into 28 pants at Lane Bryant. That might have saved me years of being at a size 32 and only being able to buy pants at Catherine's. I remember how incredibly excited I was about 2 months after I started losing weight in 2008 when I was able to fit into my old size 28 jeans. I felt so empowered being able to go into LB and buy clothes again, after spending several years not being able to.
What else you have to look forward to is - going into LB and not being able to buy anything because it's ALL TOO BIG. That day is coming! Embrace it! It's so much fun!!!!
For the first time since I was a freshman in college, a few days ago, I bought a pair of size 12 jeans, took them home, tried them on, and I was able to zip them and sit down and still be able to breathe. Seriously, I haven't been a 12 since college and even then I was only a 12 for about 6 months before I started gaining again. These 12s aren't pretty and I can't leave the house in them yet, but I will be able to pretty soon I think. When I was a 32 I dreamed of one day being a 16 again but I never even dreamed I could ever fit into a 12 (or smaller). My 16s are really loose, 14s are a bit tight but some are OK...and now 12s. It's surreal! And really fun! And worth all the hard work.
Hugs! You can totally do this!!!!
I think a size 12 is a perfect and beautiful size. That most feels so amazing! Congratulations to you.
Hugs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KerriLeah
I don't know what area you are from, but Avenue has clothes up to size 32W as well. I gain, I lose, and I'm not happy about it, but I'm still trying and have never given up, even when the scale doesn't move and the pants I have get tight, loose, tight and then loose again. I have gotten back up where I don't want to be, but am awake to the fact that I can't stop trying!!!
Hang in there It's always discouraging for me to have a slap-in-the-face moment like that when I've been working so hard. I feel like once we make the commitment to lose weight, it should activate some magic and we should just be thin! Sadly the universe doesn't share my reasoning
At a new low
The clothes went all the way up to 28W. I guess on the bright side, at least it was a wake up call.
It's always discouraging for me to have a slap-in-the-face moment like that when I've been working so hard. I feel like once we make the commitment to lose weight, it should activate some magic and we should just be thin! Sadly the universe doesn't share my reasoning 
