(not me!) I had a big day today.

Today I was at Superstore just getting food, but looking at all the cute summer clothes in passing.

I'm not buying any clothes right now because I want to wait until just
before we go north to get things that fit right (a month); nothing I own fits very well (I tried on my wedding dress Wednesday - our 3rd anniversary - and it is way too big

Anyway, I wasn't really sure of my size (my husband said yesterday "you're smaller than you think you are"), so I grabbed a bunch of pants from different
manufacturers, all size 10 and they all fit, even the jeans I would have
sworn I couldn't have put on. They weren't even tight I don't even remember being a size 10, ever. Though I must have been in grade ten when I was on the swim team.

Funny how you don't really see yourself properly - even though all those clothes fit, in the back of my mind is a voice saying, "they must have been cut big" - rationally I know that four different companies didn't make really
big size 10 clothes just to mess with my head!!).

Anyway, it was a wonderful thing and I wanted to share it. ALL THIS EFFORT IS JUST SOOOO WORTH IT!!

cheerio, Sue

Your post was enough to draw me out of lurkeville! I know how inspring it can be to find out you've made it to the next size. I'm like you...whenever trying on a size smaller than I usually wear, I always doubt myself. This brand must run big! Obviously not the case with you....way to go!!

Congratulations Sue! That sounds like a wonderful experience I've gone through similar moments myself and it's a real ego boost!

Kudos on the progress and best wishes!

That's great! Way to go!

What's funny is that I'm kind of the opposite -- I love shopping and will shop constantly, so I was like "my size 14 pants are falling off, I bet I'm a size 10 now" and forced on the size 10 pants even though they were pretty tight! But then I figured having them be tight would just be an incentive to lose more weight.

Sue, the EXACT same thing happened to me. While on vacation with my DH I took the opportunity to go shopping for myself since the kids weren't with us. The smallest size I had in my closet was a 14 and the pants actually fell to my ankles if I didn't cinch them up with a belt. So, I figure a few new outfits are in order. In the first store, I try on a 12 and they were still too big. I go for the 10, which fits, but I'm thinking, "good marketing" since they know someone like me will be back if they can fit into a "smaller" size. But, what do you know, the next store and the next store and the next store - all size 10. Suffice it to say that I spent more than I had planned to!

Now, I know that sizes have gotten bigger in the last 10 or so years (at this weight in college I was wearing a TIGHT 14). Still, I hold up these clothes and they look so SMALL! I swear, every morning when I get dressed, I actually feel a little panic attack because I've gotten rid of all my bigger clothes and I'm afraid the stuff I bought just a few weeks ago won't fit. I guess my brain needs to catch up with my body because, actually, those size 10's are already getting a little loose. My mother passed down some size 8 stuff to me and, low and behold, I can get them on! They are still too tight to wear comfortable - but I CAN wear them.

I have to say that my little shopping spree was a huge inspiration. It was so awesome walking into a REGULAR store, buying REGULAR clothes, and actually looking nice in them. For a while there I couldn't see my progress and it was very discouraging. Well, no wonder, my "fat" clothes were hiding all of my hard work. Not to mention, that getting clothes that fit properly helped me to finally stop being such a slave to the scale. I was so hung up on the number it gave me because I couldn't see how far I had come. So, if the scale didn't budge I felt really anxious. Now, though, all I care about are those size 8 pants. Heck, I'm already looking ahead to size 6!

You guys! I had the exact same thing too!

I was shopping for a funeral outfit and everything I was trying on was too big and I needed US 10! I was even in EVANS (A UK plus size store) and EVERYTHING in there just about FELL off me! I was flabbergasted! I'm looking forward to fitting into size US 8 pants! That will be a happy day

Paperclippy, I also buy tiny things in smaller sizes that are just tight to slim into. Then I think, well it's just that one item it can't be all of them! Maybe someone should start some counselling where we go and say, hello, I've been dieting and I'm a size 6 but I think I'm a size 26! I'm taking one day at a time and have to keep looking at the label in my jeans to reasure me!

Wow! Congratulations! I'm looking forward to reaching that day! I haven't been a size 10 since, oh, when I joined the Navy at 19. LOL.... gee, that's like half my life ago!

but I do have a beautiful 3 pc (blazer, pants and skirt) fully lined grey pinstriped suit that is in a size 9 that is hanging in my closet as my "goal suit" just waiting for me

Thanks for the replies; Jawsmom, you're right on the money about everything! I'm not nearly as hung up on the scale now that I can put on clothes that show off my shape and that let me know when I walk past windows that the person in the window looks NORMAL. Wow. I still have 15-20 pounds of flab to go (and I do mean flab - my muscles are in such good shape that it's like cheese & whey - my fat has separated from my muscles!), but I'm happy NOW.
cheers,
Sue

Well, I'm nowhere near the size you ladies are, but I am down 3 sizes. Jawsmom, I know what you mean about the panic feeling of getting rid of the big clothes. My cousin, who's in maintenance now after losing over 70 lbs, asked me if I got rid of them and I couldn't do it all at once. It seems so hard to let go of them even though I can't even wear them.
So, I started by getting rid of one item at a time, every couple of days...I figure if I winnow them out slower, it will be easier for me to deal with!
I'm down 3 more lbs, for a total of 31 lbs now. I haven't been at this weight in over 10 years! Good nutrition and regular exercise really work!!!! :-)
Have a great day everyone.....

Congratulations, Maggie, on your success. 31 pounds and 3 sizes is AWESOME!

As for getting rid of my old clothes I can only say this. In the past, I've always kept them around. It was almost as if in the back of my mind I KNEW I would need them again. And, of course, I always did. This time though I don't have the same mentality and, just to be sure, I am not going to leave myself that safety net.

The funny thing is that I tried each and every piece on before I bagged them up. Keep in mind that my sizes ran from 14 on up to 18 - and a few that had the tags torn out because I didn't want to face the number on them. Even the big ones - I tried on thinking, "these look like they might fit."

I'm glad you have decided to let go of your "big girl" clothes too. I know it is hard. But, I promise, once they are all out of your closet you'll feel so liberated. And you know what? I used to DREAD getting dressed. But now I look forward to stepping inside my closet and knowing that I can choose anything from the rack and it will fit fine and look nice (well, after the initial panic attack I was telling you about. LOL!).

This stuff about the "fat clothes" is really interesting. My bf and I had a fight about my fat clothes actually! I said that if I keep them around, I will gain back what I lose. He says I shouldn't throw out things I might need someday, and it's true that I did need them again after the last time I lost weight. I think having them around makes it easier to regain because I don't have to go through buying higher-sized clothes, which is hard.

Eventually, after a really big fight (all of our fights are about stupid stuff, I guess that's a good sign!), I managed to convince him that it wouldn't be a waste if I donated the clothes to charity instead of throwing them in the trash. Of course, we still argue about what to do with stained clothes -- can't donate them because they're damaged, but he refuses to let me throw them away! I sneak them in the trash when he's not looking.

I definitely tried on my biggest clothes before donating them, and made a show of how I could tug the pants down past my hips without unzipping them!

One of the other sort of compromise things I do is to have a transition drawer -- I put clothes that are a little big in it, and if I haven't worn them a few months later I throw them out.