hey guys

Its been almost 5 weeks post op and im down 38 lbs . The problem im facing is when to buy new clothes?? Im down 2 belt notches and some of my clothes are already baggy!! Now i dont want to be buying clothes every month or 2 so what are your thoughts?

Would two inexpensive outfits hurt your budget? I think there's something about dressing to fit as your lose. Personally I don't like looking sloppy in big stuff. That was fat me.

I don't think you have to buy a whole new wardrobe but I think having a couple of outfits that show off your slimmer self is a boost.

I'm 6 weeks post-op and lost 26 lbs. My clothes are baggier, but when I went to TJ Maxx today and tried on smaller clothes they didn't quite fit. Disappointed The day will come...

I read on this forum that the smaller you get, the faster the clothes sizes change as you lose weight.

I bought underwear that fit as soon as I shrunk out of the previous size - I hate the feel of loose underwear. I also invested in belts (something I had avoided) to keep my pants up. I realized I needed a belt when I was wearing a lose pair of jeans, reached up into the cabinet to get a glass from the second shelf, and my jeans fell down around my ankles. Thankfully, I wasn't entertaining guests. I wanted to look OK at work, so I wouldn't let what I was wearing be too loose and baggy. I shrunk back into clothes I had kept and bought some. I looked at thrift stores and resale shops, and also shopped outlet sales. I've also swapped some clothes with my sisters. I had a few garments tailored, to have them last a longer in how they fit. When I bought garments, I bought things with an eye to how they would look on me as I continued to shrink.

Good luck - this is the fun part!

yeah, I have lost a total of 52 lbs including pre op weight loss. Before the weight loss my jeans were SO tight, I refused to go up another size!LOL! but, not they are so loose on me everywhere, except my waist! Its looser, just not loose enough and I too, dont want to buy new clothes yet, cuz, I dont want to spend the money on clothes just yet cause I am only 5 weeks out. Maybe I will give myself a goal when to buy 1 pair of new jeans. Maybe every 20 lb. milestone I will buy another pair of jeans that fit good from walmart! Until I get where I want to be and buy more expensive clothes when my weight loss slows down and I am at goal!

I was wondering this same thing. I am guessing clearance racks will be my even newer best friend soon!

I bought a few pair of used jeans from Ebay. I also bought some staples from Target. All summer I would sun dresses. You can pick up those long cotton skirts. They work well too. I went hog wild when I was 3 pounds from goal and bought $1200 worth of clothes. I had NONE, not one long sleeve shirt or any coat.

Personally, I loathe spending money on clothes I know I'm going to shrink out of them in about a month.

I've only bought one pair of jeans and one pair of yoga pants at a time and a top or 2. I've also bought the 3-packs of sports bras & underwear at Walmart. I work from home so I don't have to worry so much about clothes but I hate looking sloppy and worrying about my pants falling down around my ankles when I go into town. A friend of mine donated some jeans not long ago and those are all too big too but they were handy when I could fit in them. I'm a shopper. I LOVE to shop and I'm constantly looking at Old Navy & all these other places drooling over clothes I can wear now. I wouldn't spend much money on clothes right now. Try to hit super sales at like Old Navy, hit ebay, etc. I bought a pair of yoga style sweat pants at Old Navy for $8!

I can now fit in an XL (down 118 lbs and finally in onderland!) top and I'm about 4.5-5 inches from my goal size. I think I'm at the point where I can finally buy some sweaters & cardigans & stuff along those lines that I'll be able to keep for when I hit goal. I'm not planning on buying any bottoms except for my required 1 pair of jeans & 1 pair of yoga pants as needed until I hit goal.

Don't spend the money if you don't have to. Save as much $ as you can and get only what you need to survive. You'll find when you're dropping sizes quickly that it's going to be a giant irritation that you JUST bought such&such item of clothing only to have them fitting you like a hefty bag in a month.

I had to buy new clothes, but I'm being budget wise. I got jeans at a thrift store. It's not a true thrift as they don't take anything, just name brands in excellent condition. The jeans look new and cost me about $10/pair. Every time I go down a size, I get a few pair of jeans. This store also has a bargain basement where they sell bags of clothes for $10. I have gotten some bags in various sizes, so as I shrink, I usually have something in my closet I can wear. I try to buy things that will still work as they get baggy (aside from jeans) and I wear sweat pants and yoga pants (at home) because they can be worn for a few sizes.

I agree that you have to buy yourself some new things every so often if you can afford it. It helps keep me motivated and feeling good.

I wait until my clothes are uncomfortably big before I replace them. I have learned my lesson. Before I would buy clothes when they started to be a little too big and then the replacement items would be only good for two weeks before THEY needed replacing. However, some items such as undergarments have more priority then others!!!!

I hate wearing my clothes too big now. But, I want to use my money to buy cuter, better quality clothes when I am at goal.

Everybody thinks it's sooooo cool that I have to get all new clothes, but let me tell you, it has been one of the worst things about losing 150 pounds. NOTHING you own now will fit. The concept of getting an entirely new wardrobe, from underwear, bras, and up is mind boggling. Not to mention you have to do summer wear vs. winter wear. It's a LOT.

I bought a few things on my way down, because you just don't have a choice. I pulled a pair of pants on one morning and the minute I let go they fell right back down around my ankles. Seriously.

My advice is to spend as little as you can while still looking decent. It's nice to wear things that fit because they show you're losing weight. But save the big guns for when you're closer to goal.

On the upside? I LOVE shopping now. And after hating it for the past 20 years (I'm sure you've been there... crying in the dressing room) it feels damn good to try on normal clothes and feel HOT in them!

I've been waiting until my pants are just about falling off of me before buying new jeans. I've went from a 46 waist to a 36 so far and I try to keep about 4 pairs of jeans at each weight, 2 for work and 2 for going out. I do have to wash a lot more often than I would if I had a lot of clothes at each weight but it keeps me from having to spend so much. I'm still on the same belt I had at my heaviest, the difference in that I've had to poke new holes in it and cutting the end off ever since I started losing. I'll need a new one soon.

I have a shopping problem so I LOVE buying new clothes, particularly as I go from size to size. Also I like to buy a size smaller so that when I fit in them, I know I shrunk for sure Right now I am an 8, trying my best to get to a solid 6. Wish me luck! Oh and I second hitting up all of the clearance racks at Target and Old Navy and Marshalls and Ross. I have a very nice wardrobe (get complimnted quite a bit) and I pay like $5-10 for each article... sometimes less! The jeans I am wearin right now were $1.49 less 30% at Old Navy!!!!

When my clothes get pretty baggy, I replace them. I don't wait till my pants fall down on their own. When I replace them, I buy new ones that are quite snug. I'm buying just a little at a time. I try to keep two pairs of jeans, two pair of workout pants, 5-6 tops and a couple of sweaters. I had some smaller clothes I had outgrown that I was able to add back in, but those are all gone now.

I buy at Walmart and Target. I also got a new coat at costco. Just $35, but I needed something. My old coats were swimming on me.

Lynda

I am two months out now and have gone from 50 waist pants to loose 42's! I am retired, so I don't have to worry about clothes for work. I just broke down and got new underwear after taking a lot of grief from the wife. My 2X shirts were all donated last week and I am now wearing T-shirts from a box that I should have thrown out 10 years ago, but are a pleasant surprise that I can wear now. I have one pair of khaki's that I wear to church on Sunday that I just keep tightening the belt on and a few pairs of shorts that my bargain hunting wife found on clearance. I think that I am going to ask Santa for clothes for Christmas since I think by then I should be close to where I will wind up.

Bad news. You will be buying "new" clothes often. Can't expect to 50-100 lbs and not need new pants, right? But having to buy new clothes is the good news too since it reminds us of our constant changing body after VSG surgery. YEAH. Laughing at your underwear story. I had an experience like that wearing a dress and my panties slipping down. That FORCED me to go out and spend a few bucks a WalMart for ugly but fitting underwear.

So - bargin hunt, if you can just barely fit into the smaller size - buy it. If it is a steal bargin, buy it in a smaller size. I blew right through one size in one week, hence I recommend keeping reciepts for things that are returnable. Clearance shop, talk to others at your surgical group to see if they have a clothing swap, search consignment stores and take in your barley used clothes, seek out decent thrift shops. Buy the basics only. One pair black dress pants, one work skirt, one pair of jeans. My staples until I hit goal. Tops were gathered in with a belt when too big. Belts are not longer our enemy. Oh - I tried the alteration route for an important expensive clothing piece and by the time alterations were completed, I had lost more weight so I ended up tugging up the dress (strapless) all evening long. I did not wear the dress, the dress wore me sadly.

Oh and once you hit goal don't repeat my mistake. I hit my personal goal - celebrated by buying several hundred dollars of clothes for my new desperatly needed wardrobe. Bad idea. I lost one or two more sizes (depending upon maker) in the following four months with only losing an additional 5 lbs. Body readjusts and weight distributes. When I complained at one of my surgeons support group sessions - the Dr recommended not spluring until a year after goal. Money is tight, be frugal but don't walk around looking sloppy. This journey is mental as much as physical.