I was getting my DH's car fixed yesterday and had to be at the mall for 3 hours while I waited. The mall is NOT my favorite place!

I haven't been to try on clothes for awhile but went yesterday because I have a Lane Bryant coupon AND they are giving double "Real Women Dollars" for purchases.

I have a scholarship banquet coming up in May and wanted to see what nice dresses they had. It's also getting warmer and I love wearing dresses, I feel so free and feminine in a comfortable cotton or linen dress.

The last time I bought clothes, I bought a 26. Some 26/28 even.

I impulsively picked up a size 20, knowing I have lost over 30 pounds and that I have been fitting into some of my 22/24 size clothes, with room to spare.

The size 20 dress fit and my waist looked really small with the belt! I'm not happy with my hip and belly area, nor my upper arms, but I didn't let my thoughts linger there, I just looked at the overall picture, my trim waist, my slightly-pearish hourglass and the MUCH smaller size.

That felt really good.

I am so happy that I am getting smaller and not bigger! Buying the 26/28 was a wake up call, just like seeing a weight above 300 had been. It was horrifying. Seeing that I AM succeeding and that my body IS changing in positive ways feels so much better than being out of control.

Maybe I'll buy the size 18, since the 20 fits perfectly now and the banquet is 6 weeks away...What do y'all think?

Here's the dress. I wish they had other colors in the store besides white and black because I'd buy another (I don't wear white), I mean they are buy one get one 1/2 off and I look and feel GREAT in it!

First off WTG girl...you've been working so hard, so this has to feel great I've said it before and I'll say it again you inspire me so much!!! I would say if the 20 is fitting you nicely and you still have 6 weeks left to buy the 18...did you try the 18 on to see how it fit? At the rate your loosing weight though I really don't see a problem for you buying a size smaller. I'm so proud of you and I'm really proud of you for not letting those negative thoughts linger. It's so hard to focus on the positive, and I think it's great that you can Keep it up girl~

I'm going to have to disagree - buy the 20. There is no way to predict what parts of your body will lose weight first, and remember, in Women's sizes, the difference between sizes is much greater than in smaller sizes. The difference in waist between a 10 and an 8 is an inch...the difference in waist between an 18 and a 20 may be up to 2.5 inches, depending on the brand. If you could put it on and it was a little snugger/clingier than you'd like, I'd say to go for it, but I wouldn't buy something you couldn't wear now (even if the look wasn't as smooth as you wanted), just because you never know what is going to happen.

Luckily, the adorable dress you chose has one big ally for you...a belt! You'll be able to adjust that dress to fit your waist, even if that waist is a bit smaller in 6 weeks...belts give a LOT of leeway in cinching things in. So even if you do lose that 2.5 inches off your waist, you can cinch the dress in and show off your figure even in a dress 1 size too big.

I would buy the 18, but that is the kind of motivation that works for me.

In fact I have a blouse hanging on my closet door that is just a *hair* too small .. and I look at it every day to remind myself to stick with it. (That I've been travelling and not doing so well is another story!)

But seriously - for me, knowing that there was a pretty dress or a blouse that made me look hot ... that helped me when I felt like slipping back into old habits.

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If you want to buy something right now for the banquet, I'd say stick with the 20. Only because there's no way to tell where on your body that weight will be coming off of in six weeks.

If you don't mind waiting to buy until a week or two before the banquet then you can see how things fit at that point.

That is a dangerous game to play, and one that could leave you feeling like a failure even if you are a winner!

I have played the game and lost, even though I did really well staying on plan.

There is no way to know how your body is going to shift or look between now and then. It can take a large amount of weight lost to go down a size.

I bought a pair of pants in November that I thought for sure I would fit into with 5-10 lbs. lost. 20 lbs later they still don't fit.

Why not be sure you are going to like the way you look at your upcoming event?

Buy both the 18 and the 20... Keep the receipt. You will lose more weight in the next 6 weeks. That way regardless of what happens you are going to look and feel great in your dress.

I would say either buy both but don't buy the 18 for the thing in 6 weeks. You could buy it but as Amanda said, you can't predict where you'll lose.

Thanks for the wise words and encouragement, Ladies! I don't want to feel like a failure since I am a winner in losing and so I don't want to do anything that could make me feel bad about my body (like not fitting in or looking good in a dress for a special occasion).

I haven't worn anything with a belt in ages!!! It sits at just the perfect place, the smallest part of my waist and I LOVE it!!! The way the dress is made, it still will look good when its a little too big.

I think I will be really indulgent and buy the 20 to enjoy now and also a smaller one, keeping the receipt and see what happens. I like the dress enough to feel good in it today, and with the coupon and reward dollars to spend in the future, it's a really good deal. Maybe I'll even try the white one on to see what that feels like.

either buy both, buy the 20 or wait till right before the banquet... to get the size that fits.

For me personally I would not buy either right now. Unless you will wear the 20 enough between now and then to justify buying it. When it gets closer to the date...say 2 weeks away. Then I would go dress shopping and buy something that fits at that moment. As others have said don't set yourself up to feel like you have not accomplished a goal. Good Luck!!!

Hey Soul, congratulations on losing 30 lbs so far! Such a big accomplishment. You are doing great. I remember before my recent fall from grace, I was in Lane Bryant and I tried on my regular size and found it too big, and it felt so good to go down 2 sizes! What a feeling that is. I hope to feel it again soon.

For me, if I bought something too small even though my weightloss was going great, it would be a lot of pressure on me...too much pressure...it might make me sabotage myself. But that is just me, I don't know what I would do if I were you. I like the idea of buying both sizes and taking one back. That solves the problem!

Congratulations on your scholarship!!!

I'd buy the 20. You say you're already happy with how it looks, and if you lose more in 6 weeks, it will look even better.

And, in 6 weeks if it just hangs on you, you can always buy another dress and give this one to Goodwill.

But, if you buy the smaller size, and your loss stalls or slows, you'll be stuck with something you probably can't wear.

Jay

Hey, congrats on your progress!

Personally, I would buy neither size. You said you would have preferred other colour than black (although I am sure the store could easily find out if the dress comes in a different colour and where it is available). I would wait another 4 weeks and then I would start looking for a dress for the event.

I don't know what is the difference between the sizes in plus clothes - mandalinn has a point - it could be more than an inch.
I am sure you will be able to find a dress that you will like as much as you like this one, that would be a perfect fit a month from now.
That's just JMHO because personally, I don't have a good experience with buying smaller clothes - I want to see how an item fits me (at the present) before I buy it.

Well, I would be afraid if I did't buy it now, it would be gone by the time of the banquet and I would really have "nothing to wear". I would buy the 20 now, and if it seems that you will be wanting a smaller size nearer the time, shop again!!!! I nearly always regret buying anything too small. Something always happens and I don't get to wear it.