Just a question

 This might seem strange but I just wanted to ask did anyone else have a fear of getting rid of clothes that are too big.   My husband keeps asking when I'm going to go through clothes to see what I have that fits and what needs to be donated.   I keep telling him I will get to it but the truth is I'm afraid to get rid of the clothes and then I gain all the weight back and I don't have clothes to wear.   

I have been keeping one size bigger but the rest...  bye bye!!!!  

Girl, ditch those clothes! Be proud and celebrate by donating to someone who could use them, because the goal is to NEVER go back right? I know it can be a money issue, I have tons of clothes but I want to be thinner more than I want those big clothes! I say pass on your wealth to someone else....and congrats on your success!!!

 I can understand where you are comming form, I mean every time that we loose weight we just gain it back right? Well this time is different, we have an extra set of tools at our disposal and we can win this fight, we must.  I say keep one size that is loose and donate the rest, I would not want to see you regain just because you still have clothes that fit.  i would rather not gain because I could not afford clothes.

I'm with you sister. I feel the same. I haven't given the old stuff away yet I have an empty tub that I put them in.  When I'm ready I'll dontate them.

Um.. God yes! I was absolutely upset over several sizes and couldn't bear to get rid of them. The huge stuff - 20 and up is all gone. The 12-18's... can't say that - they are in bins in one of the guest rooms. I just can't seem to part with them. Don't know why exactly. I've kept the weight off and even if I go up a size or heck, two, I don't need the 18's anymore. I was afraid to let my clothes go but once I started I put the expensive stuff on Ebay and used the money to buy pieces I'd always wanted. I would find one piece that I really desired - the first one - a gorgeous Burberry trench that I've always wanted. I wait until enough of my clothes sell that I can buy the piece I have in mind and then I do it! It's so much easier to let things go knowing that I can have something I truly desire and have always wanted. Maybe that would work for you too....

I know exactly what you are feeling i went threw that emotional roller coaster !!! it took me a little time and the help of my support group to know that this is normal to feel this way .. It's crazy because you think wow its a physical game you are dealing with but in reality there is so much of a mental game as well and always a different one , it was hard for my family to understand why it was so hard for me to get rid of my clothes but its like its part of your identity part of you that you are used to and getting rid of it is like getting rid of a part of yourself when i talked to my support group they were really good at guiding me threw it and letting me know its ok

I felt the same way. You know what helped me? I had a friend come over as I tried on all my old stuff and she would just say, "Girl, that is way to big! That goes in the donating pile." As I got rid of stuff, I mourned it all. I always dressed really fly and nearly everything was from Torrid. I loved my clothes! But I love the way I look now even more! So the old clothes wasn't flattering anymore and I isn't like the way it looked, though I love the clothes.

Another thing that helped is that every time I got rid of clothes, I'd go buy something I liked. I have an ecothrift near my house, and I always find cute stuff. Also, New York and company has the 80% off section, so I'll buy stuff there too.

 i'm studying to get my masters in fashion theory and read an article last semester that many women have emotional attachment to clothing no matter what the reasoning. maybe it's because i've always loved fashion and always got rid of my clothes within a few months (explains why i'm broke!) i never grew too attached to things because i couldn't wait to make room for new stuff. the only pre-op stuff i've kept are my old pair of work pants (more as of a where i've been thing) and 2 juicy couture hoodies and a juicy t-shirt i spent too much money on to get rid of, i want to turn them into something (pillows maybe) but haven't gotten around to it. 

I'm so glad to see this post since I've been wondering about my own behavior. I cleaned out the closet (and enjoyed every second of it!) but I can't make myself actually get rid of the clothes. I now have four full garbage bags ready to donate but sitting in the back of my van for weeks. I guess it's just going to take some time to really get my head around these changes.

I had to buy new workout clothes now that my old ones won't stay up--pants around the ankles add quite a challenge on the treadmill :) -- and I found myself fighting to buy the old size. I had to really push to put back the 3X even after trying on the 2X and 1X. "I better just get the 3X, it will be more comfortable, I'll just outgrow the smaller sizes," etc.

To try to combat these issues, I force myself to really look at my body in the mirror, I chart my loss so I can see the change in a clear visual way, and I try on the smaller sizes even when I'm not planning to buy just to remind myself what size I really am now. Others have suggested taking pictures of yourself and really looking at those. I haven't done that yet, but I think I'll make that a project for this week.

I figure I'm just going to have to give myself time to adjust. Someone will benefit from those clothes whether it's today or 2 months down the road. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy wearing the few new pieces I have now and celebrating my new size while looking forward to smaller sizes yet to come!