This morning I realized that I had done something pre-surgery that was one of the major catalysts for making the right change in my life AND that it would give me a "jumpstart" on emptying my dress shop closet. Dress shop because it has sizes galore. The thing that I did that pushed me closer to the sleeve? Getting rid of all of my clothes that were too large. Since my dieting career started, I would get to a particular size, buy some nice clothes (yep, I'm pretty high maintenance) but not get rid of the ones I was "replacing". They just moved to the back of the closet (too lazy to clean it out). Then whenever I would start to gain (yep, every single time), I'd have those old reliable fatter clothes to move back into rotation.

But, about a year and 1/2 ago, my closet was really bulging at the seams and something had to go. I took all of my too large suits, dresses, skirts, tops and jackets to the cleaners and from there to the local women's shelter. They were, to put it mildly, ecstatic. It seems that they get LOTS of clothes in smaller sizes but not too many beginning with XL, 1X.... And since I work in an office, the clothes were quite suitable for appearing in court. I also brought in the matching shoes, belts, scarves because I was excited to help, and I needed the room.

I also told myself that I was going to wear the clothes I have and not shop for new ones until I could buy a smaller size. About 3 months before my surgery, I found that nothing fit me anymore -- they were too tight. I cried when the 18's that fell off me just a few months before now could barely contain my expanding assets. I also went to Lane Bryant and bought 3 pair of pants in a size 20. For me, that was the last straw. I started really looking at myself in the full length mirror both dressed and undressed, and absolutely loathed what I saw. I cringed and fretted so much each morning that I was ruining my day before I even got out of the house.

I knew the only way I'd be able to get off this roller coaster was to be sleeved. And, the journey was quite brief -- 7 weeks from informational seminar to surgery. And, now, I'm ecstatic that lasting success is right around the corner.

Because there's not a lot I can do yet, I took a "tour" of my closet and started looking at things that I'll be able to wear again, soon. I have some 14's just begging to be donned and I'm so excited that it's really going to happen. I hope that I don't slip past those sizes, because then I will have to start shopping again.

Think DHs don't listen ? Well, the ONE thing my DH remembered from the informational seminar was the word "Goodwill" -- 3 of the women who presented their success stories raved about Goodwill (and Plato's Closet) and how cheaply they are able to dress now. DH was thinking about my Talbots and Coldwater Creek habit and now just looks at me and smiles when he says "Goodwill, is gonna be SOOOOO good for you"! .

My takeaway from this little learning experience? If it don't fit, get rid of it -- and I'm looking around now to see what else isn't fitting with my new lifestyle......

Great story!!! I've recently done the same thing... to the point where I had about 15 nice shirts for work in my closet.. to me that was just shocking...since I'm a clothes horse like you.... I called my best friend and told her, and she told me to come over and get all of the smaller size clothes I had lent her about 3 years ago... i did, and some of them fit!! The rest are freshly washed and waiting on a new clothing rack for me to shrink out of the larger shirts I had kept... Since there is no Goodwill here and no hope for finding things bigger than a size 10 in the shops... and pants...forget about it..at 5'8" I'm much taller than women here and my arms are longer... So I decided to order new t-shirts and knit shirts from the US and to take all of my huge clothes and cut them down and make them into smaller shirts and lots and LOTS of skirts... so when I get to a 14 that is where my pant supply ends, from then on, I will be wearing skirts, and lots of them!!! Thank goodness for the online creative geniuses who post videos of things they've sewn from larger clothes!!!

Great story!!! I've recently done the same thing... to the point where I had about 15 nice shirts for work in my closet.. to me that was just shocking...since I'm a clothes horse like you.... I called my best friend and told her, and she told me to come over and get all of the smaller size clothes I had lent her about 3 years ago... i did, and some of them fit!! The rest are freshly washed and waiting on a new clothing rack for me to shrink out of the larger shirts I had kept... Since there is no Goodwill here and no hope for finding things bigger than a size 10 in the shops... and pants...forget about it..at 5'8" I'm much taller than women here and my arms are longer... So I decided to order new t-shirts and knit shirts from the US and to take all of my huge clothes and cut them down and make them into smaller shirts and lots and LOTS of skirts... so when I get to a 14 that is where my pant supply ends, from then on, I will be wearing skirts, and lots of them!!! Thank goodness for the online creative geniuses who post videos of things they've sewn from larger clothes!!!

SG:

Since I know how to sew and have a fabulous machine (high maintenance thing again) I have contemplated reworking some of my more expensive/favored items. Can you post the link so I can check out the videos you mentioned? I could really use some creative energy right now....

E

I like the term, "clothes horse". For the exact same reasons, I have sizes of clothes from 6/8 up through 22. In fact, I have so many clothes that I had to make make shift closets in the basement. I have two strings of clothes, one which is probably 8 ft long and the other is 5 ft long. Not all are necessarily office wear, but I'm kind of cheap too. I just like to consider myself thrifty in that I hate having to re-buy things over and over. I'm getting better at getting rid of stuff, but have held off on the clothes thing until after I have my surgery- which I hope to be in 3 weeks (pending results of a pre-op procedure this Wed).

Great story though!!

Hubby getting YOU to go to goodwill..... ROFLMAO

I like the term, "clothes horse". For the exact same reasons, I have sizes of clothes from 6/8 up through 22. In fact, I have so many clothes that I had to make make shift closets in the basement. I have two strings of clothes, one which is probably 8 ft long and the other is 5 ft long. Not all are necessarily office wear, but I'm kind of cheap too. I just like to consider myself thrifty in that I hate having to re-buy things over and over. I'm getting better at getting rid of stuff, but have held off on the clothes thing until after I have my surgery- which I hope to be in 3 weeks (pending results of a pre-op procedure this Wed).

Great story though!!

It'll be a great NSV for you when you get to the 6/8's again! Here's to never having to "rebuy" anything again (unless of course, we WANT to). When I find something I like that fits, I have tendency to go back and get mutliple colors -- I may need to work on that!!

Good luck on Wednesday.

Hubby getting YOU to go to goodwill..... ROFLMAO

Well, he THINKS he may get me to go there, but after 32 years with me, he should know better by now....

It'll be a great NSV for you when you get to the 6/8's again! Here's to never having to "rebuy" anything again (unless of course, we WANT to). When I find something I like that fits, I have tendency to go back and get mutliple colors -- I may need to work on that!!

Good luck on Wednesday.

Oh my yes, and thank you!

I don't aim to look like a stick, just healthy and not ashamed to wear shorts and cute clothes that might actually accentuate my body instead of trying to cover it up.

When transitioning to smaller clothes, keep today's size inflation in mind (vanity sizing). Yesterday's size 14 is a size 12 in the store today.

So don't get confused or discouraged, just enjoy wearing the smaller clothes no matter the size.