So I'm just wondering, during that first year when your weight loss is the most rapid, are you all buying clothes in each size you hit?? Or did you find that certain items didn't look crazy once they were too big? I was thinking maybe dresses (particularly wrap style) or something like that would probably be a good way to coast through a few sizes. I just know I won't have $$$ to buy clothes for every size hit, so I'm trying to think ahead.

What did you all do? If I could wear yoga pants to work everyday, this wouldn't be an issue. LOL

Well, because of how much you can weigh with each size in plus sizes, you will probably be in your pre-op clothes for the first 50 lbs post-op, at least. After that you really won't go down in sizes rapidly even as you lose crazy weight, again because of how much each pluz size lets you weigh. However, every body is different and the best way to deal with this and not spend a fortune is thrift stores. It has become a fun pasttime for me to hit Goodwill and others and hunt for clothes, now that I am in a 12, the most common size in the US, there is SO much to choose from and once you have bought a luxury clothing item that costs $100 new for only $5, you will be hooked! =P

I agree that I didn't go down a size until I lost about fifty pounds. And I didn't really swing through sizes all that quickly on the way down, either. I'd say I got a good solid three to four months in most sizes before I went down again. Stretchy things and things you can adjust with ties or wraps are a good choice. Also, hitting thrift stores or craigslist or your buddies that are losing weight for clothes can help take some of the burden off of the new wardrobes.

The only time I was really frustrated about buying new clothes (and shelling out more money) was when I all of a sudden dropped from an eight to a six. Sounds silly but I had only lost about five pounds but I went down a whole size and had to replace my entire wardrobe. Not just clothes but undergarments, bras, shapewear and even SHOES. I lost a shoe size, too!

But in the end, it's worth it. Only buy things as you need them and don't assume you'll hit every size on the way down: I coasted through the 12s in a minute and barely wore the things I bought myself in that size.

Best of luck. In the meantime stick to those things that you can shrink down or let be a little loose without looking too sloppy. Dresses are a great way to do this.

~Cheri

This is a great post for me as well. I don;t have the money to go on shopping sprees and I was wondering what to do about clothes. Thanks ladies :-)

What kind of clothes get you through? Baggy ones:)

I started at size 20. I bought a few capris at size 16. Then a couple of skirts and shirts at 14. Then I spent about $100 at size 10 because I thought I would be there for a while but I was blessed with shorts and shirts at size 8 and 6 from a friend. Then settled at size 4 and have bought only what I can find on sale and still wear 6's that were given to me. I tried on clothes constantly but just didnt buy. I am a stay at home mom bu t I do have to be dressed up for church every Tuesday and Sunday. I just didnt sweat how I looked knowing that it was only temporary and then when I hit goal I would get to buy nice clothes a lot cheaper!

I tried shopping at good will and thrift stores but I dont live in a big city so the selection wasnt there. I definatly recommend this if you live in a city.

Oh, thanks for that insight! My excitement and wishful thinking have me thinking I'll be zooming through sizes quickly. So you're saying I won't be a size 10 in a few months?!?! LOL

You're totally right about the plus sizes having more leeway, so I should be good. I have my current size and things two sizes down right now because of my "normal" 30-50 pound fluctuations so I guess should be ok for a while then.

I just hope to not do the huge shopping spree until I'm close to goal...but I know that's not entirely reasonable. Maybe I can get Stacey and Clinton from What Not To Wear to start that collection. LOL (See...there's that wishful thinking/dreaming again) :-)

I also tapped into some smaller clothes I had saved "hoping I would wear again!" I had a few things up a size and down a size ... from all the ups and downs in weight! So if you have a store of those, don't forget to go through them as you lose weight! It saved me for several months! AND, like twoboysandagirl said above, get used to baggy for a while! :-) or at least, ill-fitting. I just keep telling my self it's temporary! :-)

Hit Ross, TJ MAX, H & M, Target, Walmart and consignment shops for those in between stages before you start buying nicer stuff. I had tops lasted for a long long time, it was the pants that kept getting too big; so I opted for just a few basic pairs of pants, then started wearing skirts with leggings. The interesting thing is that I buy so much less now that I am a size 10-12, than I did when I was larger. I think the reason is that my clothes look so much better on me that I'm not searching constantly for something else.....this is the fun part of the weight loss......getting dressed each day and feeling like, hey, I look OK! So have fun with it and buy the discount stuff for a while, but keep it basic. And when you grow out of it, pass it on to someone else who can use it; no more keeping multiple sizes in your closet any more!

I also tapped into some smaller clothes I had saved "hoping I would wear again!" I had a few things up a size and down a size ... from all the ups and downs in weight! So if you have a store of those, don't forget to go through them as you lose weight! It saved me for several months! AND, like twoboysandagirl said above, get used to baggy for a while! :-) or at least, ill-fitting. I just keep telling my self it's temporary! :-)

I have gone up and down through the years so much, the garage is full of boxes of clothes, labeled with the weight the clothes fit. Right before my surgery, I was in my highest sizes, even wearing my plus sized maternity wear! I just finished nursing school....once I am employed I am thinking I can just buy scrubs with drawstrings and hopefully they will last a long time.

I would agree with getting a few staples (nice black pants if you have an office job or whatever) from better stores and just trying to make it through with casual clothes from the cheaper stores.

You can put up a post here on the clothing exchange and ask for what sizes you need.

People will send you their clothes if you pay th postage. It works out well.

I bought clothes at Thrift stores and garage sales, and also got some good deals at clearance sales. JC Penney's has great clearance sales.

I must confess I am a "clothes-a-holic". I had two very full closets when I started this journey. My main closet had clothes that fit me or almost fit me and my second closet was my "wishing" closet. It was clothes that I had bought over the years on sale - always on sale - and that I "wished" would fit me someday. I have had to buy very few clothes because like some of the others said I am satisfied with fewer clothes that fit me nicely. It is amazing what a difference 150 lbs can make. Another reason is that I am retired now and don't need to dress up to work every day so that has saved me a lot of money. But I really shop the sales to find clothes at a good price. I have been real fortunate to find some very nice things at Kohl's and with all the coupons and discounts they have I have saved a lot of money. Good Luck on your journey and have fun shopping the bargins.

Walmart and Target. I bought just a couple of pairs of pants in each size. Inexpensive tanks or tees with a few sweaters.

Lynda

Look on free cycle.org and see if they have a forum in your area..I see ads on their all the time for clothing and that's when're I plan to give my clothing away when I need different sizes,free cycle helped me clean up my storage buildings and I didn't have to spend gas taking anything off....

Garage sales... we have so many of them this summer that's how i plan to stock my clothes.. i'm gonna go hit up alot of them this summer that is the cheapest way to get newer clothes most times barley worn ones.. and thrift shops too... Good luck on your journey

I just went through my closet last night. I have *piles* of clothes in every size from 12-20 - all of which I cannot get into (YET!). I have been carrying them around for years through every move because I just couldnt let them go. Sick, I know. Now, I am kinda glad I didnt! I get sleeved in July and hopefully after every size is too big, I can give them away to someone else who needs them on their journey! Can't wait! :0) Other than that, I LOVE garage sales, thrift stores, and have found some on Craigslist from another girl who had lost a lot of weight. You will get through it!

I just went through my closet last night. I have *piles* of clothes in every size from 12-20 - all of which I cannot get into (YET!). I have been carrying them around for years through every move because I just couldnt let them go. Sick, I know. Now, I am kinda glad I didnt! I get sleeved in July and hopefully after every size is too big, I can give them away to someone else who needs them on their journey! Can't wait! :0) Other than that, I LOVE garage sales, thrift stores, and have found some on Craigslist from another girl who had lost a lot of weight. You will get through it!

Oh my gosh! We must be twins! I also have piles of clothes albeit with a slightly larger range of sizes (around 12-24, but only very few 12s). I'm already down to 20, and starting to move towards an 18. Almost as much fun as rediscovering old favorites is emptying out my closet of the clothes that are too big for me so I can GIVE THEM AWAY - not stuff them in storage for when I regain the weight. No matter how well my diet's gone in the past, I've always kept some bigger clothes somewhere on the side, because I somehow knew that the weight would eventually come back. At the same time, I was optimistic enough to save all those smaller size clothes. Now I'm really happy I did that!