from a 2xl (size 16 ish) all the way down to a size 6/8 sm/xs. and why not? i have a couple of peices i can still wear form each size with some creating accesorizing!
I have about 3 sizes now and it's from when I put back on half the weight I had lost before. I can't wait to fit into my 12s again, and I can't wait to toss out all of my 18s for good!
I have from the highest size 24 down to the smallest size 6. I'm keeping only one of my size 24 pants as a reminder of where I've come from so that I'll never go back. But as far as the rest of the sizes, as they become too big for me, I'll be donating them. I only want clothes in my closet that fit as well.....that way I make it a bit harder to give myself excuses. If it's getting too tight, I need to lose some weight...not just put on a bigger size that's conveniently hanging in my closet.
As I said in another post, I have 4 rubbermaid containers with outgrown clothes grouped by size. I have anywhere from sizes 10-22. I give things away as I get too small for them.
I have them because I always wanted them to motivate me to lose weight. Obviously, instead of dieting in the past and getting back into my old clothes, I just ate my way up to the next size. At size 24, I realized there was no where in my town to shop for the next size up, so I had to get my weight under control! There are very few things in some of those bins (they are as many as 20 years out of style in the smallest sizes and I have weeded them), but it is fun to discover new things I can wear, and remember places I was and things I did. Even though I will never wear lots of it when I get back to those sizes, I want to see them on me again!
Until July, i had anywhere from a size 4 to a size 22 because I was scared to get rid of them. Now I have size 4-12, but really only a couple of pieces in the size 10-12 region which I mistakenly kept during my giveaway. My new mantra is to get rid of old weight in every way and stop holding on to past baggage figuratively and literally.
I have xl-22/24 tops(only 1 22/24 because the 18/20 was kind of tight At the time and I loved the sweater I havent wore it yet and it stil has the tags on it) 18-20 bottoms and the 20s are getting way too big but the 18s are still a little tight. I recently found a few things that I missed when getting rid of other clothes that were too big but I have already pulled them out of my closet.
I don't have much in the line of clothes period. I'm not a clothes person. I have a smallish tote of things I wore before my last 3 kids were born. I had the first 2 of those 3 back to back (they are a year and a day apart) and never got back to them before my 3rd little one was born. I think if I looked I might have a few things from everywhere between 16 and 30 (ok the 30 is my biggest size, I swim in them now but can't get my stomach comfortably into a 28 yet, I can't stand tight clothes, I had 4 c-sections through 2 different incissions, the last one was 3 1/2 years ago now and my stomach is still kind of tender in a weird way. It's like numb and tingly and when things are tight on it it's enough to make me cry, not that it hurts it's just weird).
I have 12-14 in my closet of stuff I wear and 16-18 in the closet in the front room and who knows what all in the closet in the garage. I just gave away a ton of clothes. I am turning into one of those people with too many clothes. Its hard to pass up things on sale/clearance when I am just now starting to find stuff that will fit me on those racks.
Keep the stuff that's too small until it fits again and donate the stuff that's too big IMMEDIATELY.
I have several different sizes on the tags - but I only have clothes that fit now. Pants are 10s, tops are M or L - for the most part. If I were 30 years younger, I'd wear things tighter and my jeans would be 8s instead of 10s. I am keeping one pair of size 24 jeans, a 2x tee, and a 2x sweatshirt as a reminder. I have nothing in between those and what fits me now. I think we are mentally allowing ourselves to backslide if we keep our "fat" clothes - even if it's just one size bigger. There are many places that will take the clothing - churches, Salvation Army, Good Will - we all know where to take them. We just have to do it and take away the "permission" to get back into them.
I have had a hard time getting rid of three beautiful 16W dresses I bought last year - they need to get altered. I have a 55 gallon bag of old size 18/16's and XL sweaters and tops that are entirely too big on my frame.
For reference: I wear Medium tops and 8-10 in pants and skirts. It's hard parting with the bigger clothing, I'm afraid I'll regain. I'm only 9 months into "goal" weight territory.
I saved back one pair of 24W pants to remind myself of where I was at. Being able to stand both legs in one pant leg and have room makes me gasp. It's an eye-opener, for sure.
I'll say it again - GET RID OF THE BIG CLOTHES! Don't give yourself permission to re-gain. I really think the mental part of this is as important as the physical. If you keep the big stuff it's like saying it's OK to gain and get back in them. And it's mostly pants that will get us in trouble, I think. An oversized sweater is sort of cute. But oversized pants just beg you to grow back into them! LOL
I've been down this road a few times, so I was very reluctant to get rid of my too-big clothes at first. It's been a gradual process but I'm feeling more confident now so I've donated many, many bags to Goodwill. I've kept a couple of tubs of dresses that would be hard to replace but my plan is to donate them next spring (when they'll be in season). I think Lin is right that's it's psychologically important to get rid of the bigger clothes.