Like many of you, I have a bunch of clothes that are too big. They're not way too big -- most are size 8 versus my current size 2/4 -- but they're big enough to look sloppy. I'm doing well enough financially to be able to replace them and, with the exception of big-ticket items like dress suits, already have.

My conundrum, though, is whether to store the 8s (we have the space) or donate them. Storing them gets them out of my closet, which is a good thing, but it feels like a bit of a cop-out. It's not like I'm planning to gain back some of the weight -- who does -- but that I'm not confident enough in my lifestyle change to be sure I won't.

OTOH, donating them is so ... final. I've regained weight before, and the statistics show that the odds are against 100% maintenance. I think I'd feel a lot worse about regaining, and about myself, if I had to go out and buy bigger clothes. Bad enough to walk up to the third floor and get them out of storage.

I'm the same way with DS's too-small clothes, incidentally. I've stored them all, partly because I have space and partly because there's a possibility, remote and not-in-the-current-plan though it may be, that I'll have another child. (All the more reason to hang on to the size 8s, I suppose.) Tossing seems so...final.

OK, so I have emotional issues with clothes.

So, what's your vote: toss (actually, donate) or store?

Kim

Consign.

Use the profit to buy clothes that fit you perfectly.

I'm not sure if you want to hear my advice because I'm somewhat of a pack rat, but if I had the space, I would store. I don't think storing the clothes will cause you to gain, but who knows, maybe there is some pyschology or karma there that you don't want to mess with. Sleep on it, and then go with your gut

If you really like them have them altered, otherwise donate them. Do not keep them, this means you may need them again, get them out of your house!

**** yeah, consign or tailor. DO NOT store them. Storing "fat clothes" (even if 8's aren't fat, but they are bigger than you want) sort of allows you to get bigger. Toss 'em!

Once I'm 100% done with my loss, I will toss all my fat clothes as well. I don't need any fat reminders, nor do I EVER want the leeway to get back there!

Send them to ME! (just kidding)

If there are items that you love and would still wear if they were in your 2/4 size, take them to a tailor and see what can be done. I might save, or tailor, the more expensive suits, and your favorites. Consign/donate/ebay the rest. Fashions change so quickly, that I would ask yourself if you will you really want to wear these clothes again if you have a need for a size 8 (preggo etc.) in a few years.

I have "saved" old clothes because I just couldn't bear to get rid of them. I just ended up donating them to goodwill later, and wished I had taken the time to do so in the first place.

Do you have friends who have or might soon have kids who would fit them? I know moms who have simply passed around clothes as needed, since kids grow so quickly. If they are expensive/designer children's clothes I'd consign them. Save your favorites for sentimental value.

Get rid of them. It's not good to keep fat clothes around. If you have things that are particularly nice and in good shape, sell 'em on ebay. You can make lots of money to buy new thin clothes that way. (I made more than $600 selling my fattest fat clothes on ebay. It was great!)

I make a couple of exceptions to this rule myself though: I will keep a couple of favorite items--the fat pants that were very slimming, for example, or a beautiful sweater. (I have, however, now parted with all my Xl, size 14 clothes, but I think I have some 8s and 10s around somewhere).

I also hoard bras! I have bras--regular and sport's--running from 34C to 38DD in a box in my basement. I should get rid of the bigger ones, but I'm going to hold onto the 36C and Ds. Even a 5-10lb gain will put me back into those. The sport's bras are especially worth holding onto, for me, because I've noticed that having to go out and buy a new, bigger sports bra is an excellent disincentive to getting back on the exercise wagon if I've fallen off (and if I've gained weight, I've stopped exercising).

But on the whole, get rid of all those clothes. You don't want to be that person again.

I got rid of all my clothes the second they got too big on me (except for my big pants in my avatar and matching humungous pink T shirt ). Right now, I have nothing to wear if I gain five pounds -- absolutely nothing. And it's very deliberate. For me, there's no going back. It's unthinkable and I will not allow it to happen.

My fear is that if I had a handy stock of larger clothes around, it would give me tacit permission to gain back some weight. Like the holidays would roll around and I'd let myself gain ten pounds because, heck, it's the holidays and "I'll get on track once it's the new year". And I'd still have clothes to wear, so no problemo! Except that I wouldn't lose the ten pounds -- I'd end up gaining and gaining.

I think you have to ask yourself if keeping the clothes would be an excuse for allowing yourself to regain weight, like it would be for me. As you said, you've regained in the past and I'm sure all of us have too. But weight regain is not something that will passively "happen" to you. You won't wake up one morning, suddenly 30 pounds heavier. No, you have to CHOSE to regain the weight -- you have to make the choices that will allow you to gain weight. What you weigh next year is totally within your power and control. No one can make you a size 8 again except you, and no one can keep you a size 2/4 except you. It's all up to you.

Donate them.

I kept a few suits and dress slacks for the first year and just a few weeks ago I decided to clean out the closet. I tried everything on and DH just looked at me with the bewildered expression and said, "why are you keeping those--they're way too big for you." So they're set aside for me to take to the donation center when I get the time.

I'm the only one in the group that's made the conscious decission to keep my favorite fat clothes - all the gowns and dresses that I bought for the 2 world cruises can always be altered - and keep my pants that range from size 6 to 14. Fortunetly, my sweaters, turtlenecks, and coats all still fit well enough.

The reason I'm keeping my fat clothes is different from everyone else. Meds made me fat in the first place (and I'm still kicking myself for finally giving away all my skinny clothes two summers ago before I had a switch to my current meds) and I might have to go on a different cocktail of meds in the future that may play havic with my weight.

All that said, if I didn't have that situation, I'd be giving my clothes to Goodwill because the store near me has been an extremely good source of clothes small enough to fit me. Just this week, I got more complements on skirts that I found there.

I got rid of my clothing immediately. Even the ones from 20 lbs ago. My enormous, 287 lbs clothing, I donated. The more recent stuff, I give away to friends. They are thrilled to have them. I felt a little awkward at first saying, well these are too big on me - here you take them, but a few friends have actually asked for them. I don't ever want to see them again. EVER.

I did save a couple of skirts and shirts from when I was 287 lbs. It's a great reminder to me of just how far I've come - and where I never want to go again.

I struggled with this issue and posted about what to do with old clothes a lot. Everyone said get rid of all the old fat clothes, not only to make room in my closet for new, slimmer clothes but to say goodbye to that stage of my life and make it impossible to ever go back again. I did donate nearly everything that was too big, except I did save my largest pair of jeans that were starting to get too small. These were the ones that really motivated me to change my life beause I did not want to go to a bigger size. I had such a problem getting rid of some of my nicer fat stuff, though, especially since I remembered just buying some of it. So what I did was limit myself to one box. I saved some of my nicer slacks, sweaters and jackets and put them in the box in my closet. I am now at a point where I am going to go through the box and take it all to a consignment shop. I took out the spring/summer stuff last spring and made a few dollars. Now I will do that with the fall stuff and all my clothes will all be gone, except for those big jeans, which i plan to keep forever. Like Meg, if I gain even a few pounds all of my clothes will be tight and I will have no choice but to get a handle on my eating. I love my new wardrobe and have spent a lot of money on clothes lately. I couldn't bear to buy anything in a bigger size, if for no other reason than I would feel terrible about spending the money!
Let us know what you decide to do.
Pam

I had these two business suits--very nice--size 18. Way too big. Those and all the rest of my good, larger sized clothing went out when I moved. I kept thinking of how happy someone would be to find them at Goodwill. Now I'm short on clothing--I only have a few things that fit me now. But, I also have lots of room in the closet to buy new clothing... clothing that fits!

Don't keep it! Even if you do regain, do you really want to have to pull out those old, big clothes and put them back on? That would be so totally depressing to me! At least if you have to buy new big clothes, it's an added incentive to keep the weight off.

Jay

You can also donate business attire to orgs like www.dressforsuccess.org They do good work.

Thanks, everyone, for all your responses. I decided to keep one set of the 8s as painting/gardening clothes. The maternity stuff goes to the third floor, just in case. A hand-quilted jacket my mom made will stay, too, even though it's way too big, as will a hand-knit sweater.

The rest -- even the business clothes, most of which are out of style by now anyway -- are going to Goodwill. (I don't have the patience for e-bay, and there isn't a consignment shop in my town.) Guess I'll have to go shopping to fill all that reclaimed closet space.

Kim