Memorial Day has come and gone - time for me to switch out the winter clothes for the summer ones.  Actually - there was not going to be any switching - purging is more like it. It was so strange to take things out and sort into the "give to my family" pile or "give to charity". NOTHING was going up into the attic to be stored until next fall. And when I cleared out the trunk in the attic of my summer clothes - I couldn't keep ANYTHING to wear this summer.

I should be thrilled - delighted - feeling free -

but

Can someone please explain to me why I found it so sad/upset?

I'm still trying to figure out why I feel this way - All those piles waiting to be bagged (I am not a big clothes horse - but I have a pretty robust assortment - work clothes - casual clothes - garden clothes - coats - jackets - work out... lol)

Anyone have any ideas? How did you feel?

I was beyond thrilled, I couldn't wait to get rid of my old big clothes and now that I am 7 years out I refuse to gain and buy bigger clothes, I either diet or I wear tight clothes and feel miserable.  It's personal though, how you feel is how you feel.

I had mixed emotions!    Super glad to get rid of the large sizes, but some of the items I REALLY liked and was so sorry they no longer fit.   
I have a few jackets I have hung on to that are too large, but they are not fitted pieces and I still slip them in sometimes.  
The plus side is you get all new clothes - the down side is you have to buy all new clothes.
Take the time to buy items that build a mixable wardrobe.   I so wish I had done that! 
My main objective it seemed was to buy clothes that fit at an affordable (sale) price.   I did get some great bargins, but after years of being too fat to care, I really don't know how to put stuff together.

Happy shopping!

I recently went through my closet and drawers for the second time. I am 9 months out of surgery and have lost 120 pounds so nearly everything went into the "give away" pile.  I have 5 large trash bags full of clothes , sizes 3X, 4X and 5X and none of them fit. I am beyond thrilled!  I can't afford a new wardrobe but I buy myself something from time to time and it is exhilarating!  I have had no qualms or sadness about getting rid of my "fat" clothes. 
I can only say that, perhaps, the great change from where you WERE to where you are now is such an emotional thing that it exhibits itself here.  You had to spend time and money acquiring all that clothing and now that it is being given away, it is strange.   Try and think of it this way... with every piece of your old clothing you get rid of, you are shedding that old life and opening the way for your new and wonderful life.  I keep butterflies around.. wind chimes, pictures, whatever..to remind myself that I am coming out of my cocoon and blossoming into my new life.  I do hope the very best for you as you proceed along that same path.  Keep your chin up!! 

 I know when I lost 70 pounds once before that I grieved over my lost clothes.  Clothes are an extension of your personality and have experienced a lot of life with you.  It's natural to feel a loss.  

Take the time to remember what some of the pieces mean to you.  Then pass them on to new "good homes" and make new memories in your new clothes.

 Beyond thrilled.... I STILL PURGE CLOTHES AND SHOES EACH AND EVERY DAY ... just got through packing a box with awesome dresses and gowns and lovely heels for an OH sista and sending it off... WOOT!!!!  Paying it forward in any way possible is awesome and liberating and feels soooooooooooooooooo good.... 

Even at maintenance weight ... I keep a few pieces for comparison and maintenance... I keep the ones that are sewed to my measurements and I pass on the other .... that way I can replenish ... I am loving it!

Instead of giving to "charity", why not arrainge a WLS clothing exchange in your area? They are always lots of fun. It's also a great opportunity to network with other WLS'ers. We have one in Atl. a couple of times a yr. We sometimes meet for lunch after the event. This way you might look forward to giving them away instead of being sad about it. :-)

 I was really sad when I got rid of all my clothes. I am a clothes person and had lots, it was almost like a friend! lol but I got past it and am happy now not to have to buy 22/24 anymore. I still have people as me what I did with all my clothes because I had lots and I still dressed nice all the time even though I was big.

I think seeing all those piles of "the old me" really brought home that "I am doing it - I took a huge step and it's actually working!"

How many times I've dieted and lost a little only to gain it all back in half the time. I think I was even a little afraid - "What if I gain it all back and need these things again???" like I've done before.

But I'm making all the right changes and leaving those unhealthy ways behind.

Thank you all for your kind replies - I found each response incredibly helpful -

 makes sense you would feel sad if you have happy memories of those clothes. give yourself time to get over it and buy new clothes - that's even better, frankly.

change can be very hard -  time is the answer.

I also felt very, very sad when I gave up my clothes. It took me by surprise. I was very puzzled by it.

After a few days of contemplation, I realized that those clothes were who I was for ten years! I worked during those years to continue to love myself, even though I was extremely obese.

I guess I was successful at loving myself because I knew that I was going to miss that chubby girl. I still liked her, even though I was unhealthy and wasn't accepted by some people.

As I unloaded the clothes from the car, I felt like I was saying goodbye to a significant part of myself. I had a huge lump in my throat. I felt sad for that girl and how she had felt for so long.

I knew it was time to move on to the new and exciting things ahead, but I needed to pause and for a moment, appreciate that girl and give her credit for how hard she tried to continue with the day in and day out activities of life while struggling with the effects of obesity, a very sad and difficult disease that we all know so well.

I am so, so very thankful that we have this opportunity to correct this disease. God bless the surgeons who have studied and worked so hard to come up with these procedures. Our lives would be so different without their dedication to cure obesity.

I was thrilled to get rid of all the clothes that were now too bid instead of getting rid of clothes because they are too small.

I did feel guilty though when I took 4 bags of clothes to my sister because she now knows I am smaller than her. When we were growing up she was supper skinny and I was chubby. After having 2 kids she developed a thyroid problem & has gained a ton of weight. For a while she was on meds & lost a lot of weight but her doctor decided she didn't have a thyroid problem & took her off her meds. She has since regained all the weight she lost.

i also cried when i packed away all of my old clothes, i gave them all away and to people who approached me! i was happy they wanted them but for some reason i felt very sad, i felt like i was mourning. my sister just laughed and called me a crybaby and just be happy you can just go and buy more smaller sizes. i have since replaced all of them but its just not the same, i also dont shop as much as i did when i was heavier, it feels so good to just grab something without trying it on to see if it still fits, i even pack smaller suit cases, i can fit a lot of stuff in a overnight bag!

I am on my third round of purge the closet and I am not quite 7 months out. I am a clothes horse plus I had saved everything  from when I lost weight previously and then regained it so I had clothes ranging from 14 misses/large to 26/28 women's/3X. I am down to 1X and 18/20 and 18W pants but I just bought some 16s and 14/16s at Lane Bryant this weekend (and they fit!!!). Somehow along the way I skipped some sizes and/or only wore a size for one season so I didn't have any summer clothes when I hit my current size. I am only buying a few pieces just to get though to the next size/season.
I find it thrilling to give away my too big clothes and shop in my closet for smaller sizes instead of having to store or give away clothes because they are too small.
I also like being able to help someone who is in need of nice clothes. Every time I take my clothes to donate, I hear how nice they are. I have a professional job so I have to dress in nice slacks and blouses.
Some of my clothes I have held onto and worn until I simply can't get by wearing them anymore because they are huge because I like the items so much and then I reluctantly give them away. Somethings I have no problems parting with though. I think it depends on whether you liked your clothes or simply had to have something that fit. I would say I really liked about 20% of my outfits and that rest I bought simply because I had to have something to wear.
This whole journey is a personal experience so everyone will have different feelings along the way and react differently to the changes that come with losing weight and transforming our bodies.

I had mixed feelings: some things I really liked  (e.g. soft v-neck sweater in both true red and purple I got from Fatsionista Exchange), and I'm hanging on to those for when I want non-confining clothes. But when I was trying to buy clothes at thrift stores in my size when I weighed 315 lbs., it depressed me how few nice things there were in my size. Now I smile to think of a woman that size (or a man with gender issues) having nice things for not much money. FLYlady calls it "blessing the world."

I'm paying $$ to have a size 22 red satin Calvin Klein dress taken in because it's the first piece of clothing I bought after surgery and although, in theory, it must exist in my present size, I can't seem to find it. But I love that it's the size I wore when I was a newly wed/young mother, and now it swims on me. (Also another Fatsionista Exchange buy.)

Usually for fat women finding a delightful piece of clothing is the end result with hunting and several bouts of being disappointed. Sometimes a piece of clothing is a victory. Giving it away is like giving away a trophy.

One hint: I organize my clothes in the closet by color (too many times I've work a suit with navy pants and a black jacket). I took note of the biggest chunks of color and used them to guide my shopping. My "colors" are red (pink, magenta), blue (teal, turquoise, navy, aqua, royal blue), purples, and black plus a few multi-colored prints, white pants, white tank top, etc. Plus denim. Not many women get a change to create a style from scratch, so I try to focus on that to balance saying good-bye to the old stuff. Also, Google has an application where you can find images of details you liked in your clothing and find new stuff that incorporate that detail. You wouldn't believe how many empire-waisted dresses with a sweetheart neckline I've looked at trying to find my dress!

I did this yesterday.  If nothing else, I was so glad to get my closet organized.  Generally, I was thrilled.  There were a few things I was sad I wouldn't get to wear again. 

Did you ever have to do this with kids' clothes?  If you were sad getting rid of baby clothes, then maybe going through the same process with your own stuff triggered those same emotions b/c you associate the process with your kids growing up and being more independent. 

I'm finished be an armchair psychoanalyst.  For now... :)