So I just tried on my "dream pants" (a pair of pants I wore in high school), and they slide all the way up my legs, over my butt and landing on my hips -- but they don't close. Not even a little bit. I measured the distance between the jean 'corner openings' and it is 6 1/2 inches. I store all of my weight on my lower half - and it's literally standing between me and my cute little denim jeans.

I feel like I'm close enough to taste it but is that a reality? Is this good motivation to have? I need something not so scale based as I can get disheartened with constant fluctuation of numbers. Should I measure every month or bimonthly? I feel as though I'm on a great track to weight loss. I have a great eating regimen and walking is my exercise for now (I really can't do more just yet; it would be biting off more than I can chew). I just want to know if this kind of gap measuring is okay and if anyone else has a goal of "inches to close ideal pants".

Thanks guys!

Does getting the darn things over my hips/butt mean anything at all or is it relatively not really that significant?

I think it's significant I'm not close to my "dream pants" yet, but I have a few pairs of jeans I'd like to wear by Christmas, and when I started out, I couldn't get them past my hips. Now I can get them up, but they aren't close to buttoning, much like yours. It's significant if it's a good motivator for you, and for me it is. In another few weeks I'll try them again, and I've found even when the scale doesn't move, pants will show the shrinking and toning.

I think "goal pants" are a great idea. I wish I'd hung on to a couple of my old pairs of jeans to see if they would fit again.

One challenge with old pants though is that our bodies change over time. I can't remember how old you are, and I don't think you have kids, but I can say, at 38 and three kids I probably wouldn't fit into high school jeans even if I weighed 5 lbs less than I did then! Bummer, too, cause those pups would be back in style I think...

Funny story about goal pants I had a pair YEARS ago I use to keep tucked away in a closet and the day came when they would FIT. And I dug them out of the garage and pulled them on and yes they FIT YEAH sadly they were brown courderoy bell bottoms with HUGE bell legs and tottally out of style!!! This was back in the 90's.

I saved all of my jeans a year ago when I gained my weight.. I have yet to try them on to see if the would fit... but I am reluctant because it might be a huge let down for me.. I think if it motivates you then DO IT. You should do what DaughterofVenus does and try them on every couple of weeks this will show you progress and motivate you to keep going until the next time you try them on!

hahah its so funny that you have a pair of pants like that! My short goal jeans of 8 are at the same level! good luck!

I'm also 5'3, I imagine at 122 you are already pretty slender so I'm not sure about a whole six inches....I mean, it's doable, but I guess I just have this vision in my head of an already small frame losing another six inches around the midsection and it just seems pretty extreme. People carry weight differently though so I may be way off. Goal clothes are a great idea, I have my "skinny jeans" and I also kept a pair of size 14 jeans from when I was 199 lbs and I like to slip them on from time to time and stand in front of the mirror and feel good about far I've come and it's a reminder that I can keep going because I have already come such a long way.