I went to the store and tried on some pants. This thread got me started. I wear 14's now and I tried on 12's. THEY FIT. 16 lbs loss and 1 size down. Not shabby. I didn't buy them because I can't wear jeans to work. I didn't try on the stretchy kind either!!

I got hungry and had made the mistake of not eating before I went to the grocery store so I went to the McD's inside of it. I got a 10 nugget meal. I took 2 bites of the fries and decided I didn't want those that bad so I threw them all away! A terrible waste of food, but it saved me tons of calories. I only ate what I wanted and went on!

I actually love being able to shop at thrift and consignment stores (if you have a Junior League consignment or thrift store in your area check it out--it's where the rich donate their barely used clothing). When I was plus sized, there was never any clothing available in my size. I've found several pairs of jeans that fit better than any of the jeans I've purchased new.

We have a junior league thrift store near here. Maybe I'll go check it out tomorrow. My old 14s, 12s, 10s, and 6s don't fit. I wonder why I don't have any 8s or 16s?

If you're tight on cash, I suggest buying some cute, full skirts with elastic waist bands or draw strings. There are some adorable full skirts out there that will last you for quite some time. You could buy an extra large size and still be wearing it when you're a medium! If you don't like skirts, try a bargain store like Kohl's, TjMaxx, or the JCPenny clearance rack. Gordman's is a good one, too, but I'm not sure if that's a major chain or not. I've bought pairs of jeans at these stores for $10 or less before. No kidding. Then again, I am a teenager who doesn't mind wearing last week's styles and no-name brands!! Buy a couple pairs of cheap jeans and enjoy them ^_^

I so wish I could drop pants sizes like that. I swear I could lose another 10 lbs and I know my size would be the same. Sigh.

I think I saw a fashion bug around here. My dh lent me one of his old belts to try to hold my pants up until I can go shopping tomorrow.

I think you are right about doing what feels good and right.

The thing is, I only have jeans and shirts right now. I don't have any other clothes, except for a few really ugly items I won't wear.

I don't have a sense of style for being seriously overweight, because I have been in denial for four years.

I was in your situation before I had my first real weight loss. I wore nothing but baggy t-shirts and baggy jeans. When I lost 30 lbs and returned to the US, my mom and I went shopping often and I broadened my tastes in clothes. Instead of covering up my body, I wanted to show it off! When you've lost even more weight you might feel the same way. When I bought my first halter top I felt so scandalous and now I absolutely love them <3

I'm all about thrift stores. I buy my clothes there to begin with, 'cause I'm cheap like that. Most thrift stores have a certain tag color that is half off for one week. Not too long ago I got two great outfits for $6. The great thing is they were both the half-off color, and both the same price, so I essentially got two outfits for the price of one! Getting a deal is a real buzz for me. I just bought an ankle length linen dress that was originally from Old Navy for $8 the last time I went to Savers. No way I'd have been able to afford something like that new.

It's a lot easier for me to justify buying a new size of clothes when I'm spending $5 or $6 a piece instead of $20+.

I also am quite fond of clearance racks at the big stores. I've bought evening gowns from Sears a couple of times for about 25% of the original cost.

EBay is also worthwhile.

Personally I'm going to try to skip every other size. I started out as a 20 and wore those until I could fit into a 16. I'm going to try to wear those until I fit into a 12 but I'm not sure if smaller sizes will be more or less forgiving. I actually already have a couple pairs of size 12's because Old Navy was having a huge clearance and I got them (and most of my size 16's) for $6-$8!

Stacy, how are you managing to hold your pants up between sizes? Just belts?

I have been very naughty and have been buying WAY too many clothes in the past 6 months in particular as I have been getting more of a 'shape'. I think the thing for me is that I've never been a 'normal' sized adult, so I love wearing clothes that show off my progress. I was so amazed when I finally saw that I actually had a waist, that I kept wanting to buy items that showed it off. I have also been VERY lucky in that my dietician friend had a patient who has reached her target weight and she passed on a BIG box of clothes to me. It has been exciting going through the box every month or so to see what fits now. This lady has great taste, and I love these free clothes. When I do buy clothes, I try to get the best prices, as I know that I'll only be in them a little while. I then pass them on to my friend, who will give them to other patients and so on and so on. It is great to know that they are put to more use.

I am hoping to be at my target weight by winter, as I want to buy a whole new winter wardrobe (The hand me downs were mostly summer clothes) and I don't want to be fussing about prices. Mind you, I really don't like spending too much on clothes, so I'm still hoping to get some good deals.

Take care,

Zelma

Wow, Zelma, you lost ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE POUNDS! My gosh!

lulu, they were loose but it wasn't toooo bad. I just used a belt and washed often. You know how after you wear jeans they get baggy in the knees and butt? I didn't want them to just look like I hadn't washed them in a year! I'd also try to wear some smaller shirts so I wasn't baggy allover.