clothes, weight loss and self image...

[Sonya73]

Hi,

I am having wardrobe issues... I've lost three and a bit stone, and have gone down from a size 22/24 top, and 18 jeans, to size 18 top, 14 jeans.

In about october, I found that all of my clothes were getting too big. I decided that I needed to feel good about myself whilst losing weight, and that clothes that made me look like a deflated baloon werent helping.

I also thought that having lots of 'big' clothes that I could easily revert to if I put on a little weight (or a lot!) was probably not helpful to my mindset.

So, I sent everything that was to big to the charity shop, and bought some new bits and bobs... just supermarket jeans, tops and a new jacket... however, I'm now finding those clothes are getting too big too.

I've treat myself to a couple of new size 14 cheapo pairs of jeans, and I feel like if my jeans are close fitting, even a little tight, it helps me psychologically to be in the right mindset to lose weight. If my jeans feel loose round the waist, I almost feel like I can eat a little extra because it won't really matter...

Has anyone else found this?

I'm wondering if I should stave of more new clothes shopping till I've lost more weight, but I really do feel that having well fitting clothes is an important part of the process for me...

Have I just found an excuse for shopping, or is it an important part of making this jouney?

 

[Aline]

I think everyone at any weight deserve to feel good and pretty on their clothes
I think buying some clothes during the journey is important. I'm not talking a about many items (that would be a waste because you only use the clothes during a few weeks or months) but you deserve some basics.

If you feel that helps your weight loss journey you should invest on that too

x

 

[slendablenda]

I think it's important to feel good about yourself when you are losing sizes like that. I discovered charity shop clothes while I was losing about a stone a month for a year.
I got rid of all my large clothes except for one pair of trousers.
I fear I've swapped one addiction for another, but hey ho - it is healthier, even for my bank balance!

 

[PurpleSky]

I think its incredibly important for you to get cloths as you decrease in size. For the start of my journey i bought a new coat also bright purple so no hiding heheheh. I needed a new coat but this felt like a start and i have gone done form a size 22/24 to a 18/20 and have gotten rid of the cloths which are too big as i have no intention of ever needing them again. I have a lot ofclths form my smaller days (as i coudnt get rid of them) but i know i;'m going to be fitting back into them in the next 6 months but as soon as they get to big they are gone .

Check out the charity shops they are great and often you can get good quality clothing at cheep priaces without buying form say primark and the quality being shoddy

 

[Sonya73]

thanks - yes, I agree, it seems to me to feel important, not ust in looking ok, but in embracing the changes I am making, and acknowledging my new slimmer self!

I'm already a charity shop shopper - got a pair of size 14 combats, which look brand new for £2 last week... apaprt from that, I have bought a few nice tops from a local factory shop along the way (two for £9) - keeping the costs down means I don't feel too bad about passing them back to the charity shop when they become too big - and hopefully they will benefit the charity as well as some other lady who is looking for nice stuff to wear in bigger sizes!

Another lb or two, and I will only be overweight, no longer obese... can't wait!

I have put weight on gradually over the course of a decade or longer, and I now fit comfortably back into the suit jacket I wore for graduation in 1998... I'm feeling quite pleased with myself, just need to keep the motivation up for the last three stone still to go!

Thanks for your comments, it's really good to have some feedback.

 

[joyfulspirit]

i'm very close to my first size change - my jeans are all loose and sagging, and some things which i now realise (embarassingly) were always too tight are fitting me well, some tops are even loose fitting!
i hope to be in my local charity shops too, and i will donate my old stuff. psychologically i've heard it can be helpful to keep one large piece, usually trousers, as a reminder of how far you've come.

personally i'm looking forward to wearing dresses and showing off my legs again (which family always used to say were lovely when i was 14-18yrs, before it all went on with my babies!)

 

[Legomom]

I lost a lot of weight last yr and skipped a bunch of sizes lol I was squeezing into a 20 and realising I was virtually a 22 made me start dieting. I was just belting my jeans tighter for ages before trying on a16 which I was amazed fit me. Then was even more amazed when my freind gently pointed out they were still too big! I went a little barmy and left the shop with 4 bulging bags of clothes and promptly gave away everything that was too big for me!!

I felt really good and it spurred me on even harder. Sadly I lost someone close just before Xmas and haven't really been dieting again till now BUT it was the fact my clothes were all getting too tight again that got me back on board this time! I'm never ever ever buying a bigger size again. So its diet or go naked as I'm trapped in my leggings till my skinny jeans do up again!! So my advice is to throw out Your bigger clothes as you go and buy a few mix an match items while your still slimming down. you've worked hard and you deserve nice clothes!!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[SilverSlimmer]

When I was losing 4 stone I discovered charity shops were a great way to get clothes that fitted without wasting a lot of money. However I still kept my large sizes and that was a big mistake. When I got down to the size I was happy with I also made the mistake of not buying a lot of lovely clothes so I had a real incentIve to maintain my weight.

This time around I am making my own clothes so that I get a really good fit and the large clothes are off to the charity shop. I think you feel so much better and look slimmer when you wear well fitting clothes.

SilverS

 

[Sonya73]

So my advice is to throw out Your bigger clothes as you go and buy a few mix an match items while your still slimming down. you've worked hard and you deserve nice clothes!!

I agree, this is my theory too - I went through my wardrobe again the other day and tried things on, and got rid of everything that is now too big.. whichj means I'm now down to 2 pairs of skinny jeans and a handful of tops!

I went to matalan yesterday, to look for some new tops, and ended up coming out with a 50's style dress... not very practical, but it's a lovely cherry print and a size 16 fitted me, which is amazing, because it's fitted at the top, which means I normally end up having to buy a bigger size to accomodate my boobs! I cant remember the last time I could get a size 16 top to fit!

My problem now is how to wear it!?!

I've been living in jeans and tops for so long that I feel a bit like a bloke in drag in a frock, and I feel self conscious...

It's a little on the short side too, and although my legs aren't too bad, they aren't great either... what can I wear on my legs? tights? how about this leggings and dress thing people seem to be doing nowadays?

This is the dress, any advice? Bear in mind that this is prob a size 8, and mine's a 16, so looks wider and more filled out, especially with me in it!!

 

[L.M.O.]

I've been holding back on buying summer clothes to see if I could shift a few pounds first. I'm down six pounds and decided to hit the shops. Big mistake. Everything I tried on just looked terrible. On the plus size this time it was more because I'm short and not because I'm large. I'm going out with a friend on Thursday and I wanted to find something that would make me feel good and go from work to evening. Completely struck out. Will have to see if I can face trying again. On the plus side I did get some fab new shoes in the sale for £6.

 

[Sonya73]

it's difficult LMO, I think we find things that work for us at one sise, but when our size changes, so does our shape, so we need to re-assess what we wear and find a new style... this has happened to me several times over the last ten months... I wore tunic/drapey tops for a long time to hide my belly, but now they don't do much for me, but hang off my bust and make me look bigger, so now I find I need things that are more tailored to look half decent!

Shopping can be hard work though, I love clothes, but not the process of finding them, trying on etc... it's demoralising when you can't find anything that looks nice, I know! Keep on, I'm sure you will find something!

 

[L.M.O.]

Thanks Sonya. The problem with being short is the bit in the dress that goes in for the waist sit on my hips - which go out. Oh well. I think I might have to try something more tailored in debenhams. I will also have to remember that I went into high street shops and tried clothes on - and I could get into a size 16 easily. At least I was turning clothes down because they looked terrible not because I couldn't get into them. That's progress.
Will have to think about what my new slim style might be...

 

[SilverSlimmer]

Sonya, well done on the dress, it is so pretty! And a size 16! I'm getting there but not yet, lol! I would go for tights rather than leggings especially in the summer. I have lived in trousers for so long my husband gets quite ecstatic when he can see 'legs'! I am just starting to wear skirts and dresses again. I think it takes a while to get used to having legs on show again. I am sure yours are fine. Forget about them and enjoy the dress and the slimmer you.

SilverS

 

[Sonya73]

Thanks SilverSlimmer... now I've tried it on again, it's not so much the legs I am worried about as the fact that I bent over in front of the mirror and could see my bottom - the world just isnt ready for that!!!

I'm wondering if it was a bit of a mistake - the top fits brilliantly, I struggle to get anything that comes in enough under my boobs and this does, but I think it's too short for me!

ho hum... we will see!

 

[TRISTAR]

I've recently bought a few (inexpensive) smaller clothes. As I don't measure myself, it's a great thing for me to keep trying things on to check my progress.