I'm having a hard time getting rid of my semi-big clothes. I have surpassed the smallest clothes in my closet by a couple of sizes, at least, but it feels scary to get rid of them. From my years of yo-yo dieting, I have always had a cushion to lean on with the different sizes. I don't plan on ever going back there, but it feels too new to trust myself yet. Any advice? What do I keep? Was a 24 and now a 14.

Haven't even started a pile yet......

I'm only two months post- op and down two sizes but I LOVe puirging the clothes that are now too big. I've put two pair of pants and a favorite sweater into the corner of the closet and everything else is GOING, GOING, GONE into two big trash bags...One with crappy stuff that can't be resold that goes into the collection box on the highway and the other to the resale shop for cancer patients downtown. Sure, it feels kind of weird tucking away some once-favorite (and expensive) items but it feels even better getting into clothes I haven't been able to wear for years. As I write this I'm wearing a skirt that I know will be making its last appearance! It's an elastic waist Sarah Arizona beauty that I bought six years ago at Nordstrom but the waistband is way too stretched out.

I mentioned to my doctor's assistant that it's a shame there's no room at the clinic for a bariatric "closet" where patients can donate and borrow special occassion outfits. I have a wedding coming up and don't want to shell out the $ for a dress I know I'll only be able to wear once.

I took my own advice this afternoon and took a boatload out of my closet! New Beginnings, here they come. (local woman's shelter).

Feels good.

Haven't even started a pile yet......

Girl, you better get started on Saturday then!

Because this weekend is the first annual VST clean out you closet day!

When the 20s got baggy, I went to my closet where I had multiple wardrobes in different sizes. When the 18s got too big, I started on the 16s. At that point I started cleaning out and bagging up.

Then I was in 14s, then 12s, which were the smallest size I had. I kept a few tops that were passable, and two skirts that I could pin at the waist. The rest was taken to Goodwill or consignment.

At Goodwill I found several pair of higher end name brand capris and pants in size 10. I've been this size for 2 months now (7 months since surgery). I have 2 pr of 8s that are still too tight.

I have yet to go clothes shopping. I don't know if this is the size I will be or if I will drop another size. I am afraid to start culling through the looser size 10s. Until you are in the actual predicament, it is impossible to know how that feels, though encouragement is well intentioned and mostly appreciated.

So many of us have wired ourselves to negative internal dialogue and the anticipation of failure.

This sounds completely nuts, but I feel that I have had some success, but failed to even reach my revised goal. Hoarding or holding on to clothes is both crutch and security.

Now my size 10s are feeling like failure. It isn't the specific number printed on the tag. It's that I have been able to cleanse my closet and psyche with each size change. Now that it isn't changing, it feels very different.

I gave mine away. I used to take them to my face-to-face support group meetings and let people take them from the back of my car. Also gave some to local charities.

I kept one pair of my largest pants. I can fit into one leg of those. Expect pics next week in honor of my two year surgiversary.

Lynda

Yes it sounds weird but your working on the new you and one of the best things you can do right now is out with the old clothes and in with the new. I have made plenty of excuses of why I couldn't commit to change but hanging onto the past I have always found takes my focus away from the future. Just think about how much closet space you will have for the new clothes.

My surgeons office has a clothes closet where you can donate the stuff that no longer fits and take some smaller size items. I think it's awesome to have that option

I teach middle school and have given my clothes to the family resource center. I have one student that has worn something of mine at least 3-4 days a week since winter- the student did not have one pair of pants to fit her and is so proud of her "new to her" clothes. So when you are cleaning stuff out, remember the local schools

I work in an office. I kept wearing my clothes until people starting commenting on how schleppy I looked. I guess I was still seeing the "big" me in my head, and couldn't see how crappy I really was looking in the fat, comfy clothes.

I bought a full lentgh mirror. I packed up the really big stuff, then bought one or two replacement items at a time. I've kept doing this, and little by little I am mostly in a transition wardrobe. I started at 3x and 24s and am now in L and 14s. The items I have purged, I have donated to my church- clothes, coats, shoes. Now for the summer, I have a few pieces that I can keep using while I head to my target weight.

Little by little I am purging, but it is important to just let go of the fat clothes. The purging helped me to shed the image of the "big" me to what I actualy am.