The day is finally here! Whoop whoop! Where are my sleeve sisters (or brothers) !!!!!

I have to be at admitting tomorrow morning at 7:30. Surgery is scheduled for 9:30! Beyond excited at this point. Not an ounce of doubt or fear. Bring it on!

So I'm struggling to find stuff that fits me because a few years back I decided that anything that I had gotten too big for and I had not worn in a couple of years that I needed to get rid of. Almost like I gave up. Well, we are going back to Six Flags tomorrow so I was trying to find a pair of shorts to wear. I found a pair of 16's that I haven't been able to wear in probably 10 years. Well, they fit and were baggy!!! They are short compared to what I've hidden under for all these years so I felt weird with so much leg showing. My 13 year old daughter was begging me to wear them and she is brutally honest, so it made me feel great! Still no where near where I want to be, but heck, it's only the beginning! Oh and I cried last weekend at Six Flags. It was the first time that I can remember that I didn't try to hide from a camera. I was taking pictures with my kids and it just hit me that I was initiating the pics! This was huge for me as I've felt so guilty because I have no pictures of me when I was a kid with my mom because she hid because of her weight. Sooooo, sorry for the book, but it's amazing how many things we do psychologically, due to our weight and I'm so happy to overcome them one by one! Have a great weekend!!! Thanks for listening!

Hi everyone! I haven't been on in awhile. I've been a bit discouraged but this weekend changed for me! I went shopping finally because my clothes were getting so big and I bought a size 14!!!!!!!! I was wearing a 20 jeans before! So excited!! I did this before and after pic! This first one was taken 2 weeks before my surgery and the other one was taken today! I can finally see a difference!! Just needed to share because I know this crew would understand how I'm feeling!

Hi everyone! I haven't been on in awhile. I've been a bit discouraged but this weekend changed for me! I went shopping finally because my clothes were getting so big and I bought a size 14!!!!!!!! I was wearing a 20 jeans before! So excited!! I did this before and after pic! This first one was taken 2 weeks before my surgery and the other one was taken today! I can finally see a difference!! Just needed to share because I know this crew would understand how I'm feeling!

yay you girly!!! Love those NSVs. Keep them coming!!

You look great! From a 20 to a 14 is a huge difference. Don't get discouraged. ....sounds like you are doing awesome!

Just lost 8 lbs since My last post June 6.

SW 204

CW 171

You look fabulous!

Looking great, Mschwartz! I love seeing pics like this. It's a big motivator.

I tried on some size 24 jeans on the other day that haven't fit me for a year or more and they fit! They were a bit snug in the waist, but a little loose in the booty (which was surprising) and legs. So I've gone from a size 30 down to a 24. Now just ten more to go down to my goal of size 14!

Looking great, Mschwartz! I love seeing pics like this. It's a big motivator.

I tried on some size 24 jeans on the other day that haven't fit me for a year or more and they fit! They were a bit snug in the waist, but a little loose in the booty (which was surprising) and legs. So I've gone from a size 30 down to a 24. Now just ten more to go down to my goal of size 14!

Well technically you are only 5 sizes away since sizing is only in even numbers! 22, 20, 18, 16, 14. You will get there!

Since the topic of clothing sizes has come up, have you guys noticed how much clothing sizes have changed in the last few decades? I remember reading a thread on BP months ago which had an article attached about how clothing manufacturers have added 0 and 00 to their size and adjusted the other sizes to make them larger. I have a pair of Calvin Klien Jeans from 1995 I have kept as my inspiration jeans to get back into. They are a size 12 and I wore them when I was 155- 160 pounds. I just looked up the current Calvin Klien sizing chart and the waist on my old jeans is equivalent to a modern day 8! Why do they do this?!? Is this to make us feel better about ourselves? One confused shopper just got more confused! Anyone else have an old article of clothing they can compare?

Looking great, Mschwartz! I love seeing pics like this. It's a big motivator.

I tried on some size 24 jeans on the other day that haven't fit me for a year or more and they fit! They were a bit snug in the waist, but a little loose in the booty (which was surprising) and legs. So I've gone from a size 30 down to a 24. Now just ten more to go down to my goal of size 14!

Well technically you are only 5 sizes away since sizing is only in even numbers! 22, 20, 18, 16, 14. You will get there!

Very true, Bluesea. Looks like I was handicapping myself there. Back when I was slim (in my late teens, early 20s) I wore a size 12-14 and was 155lbs. I'd love to be that small again, but I'll take 180 and a size 16-18.

I've also noticed the difference in sizes, too. As if the whole system wasn't confusing in the first place! I mean, wearing an 8-10 seems better than a 12-14, but it's an illusion.

Rocking a size 14 Old Navy jeans! First time in 10 years they aren't a "woman's" cut. Goodbye Lane Bryant. I won't miss your flowery flocks at all!

Add on: I just walked into the kitchen and my 15 year old daughter told me that my butt looked small. This is coming from a 126 pound skinny girl. I've never been told my butt looked small. Ever!

Edited June 16, 201412 yr by Bluesea71

Looking good! I love those jeans! Can't wait until I can buy some stuff from the more 'trendy' places.

You made me think of something though... why oh WHY is all 'plus' size clothing awful? It's all capped/too short sleeves, horizontal stripes and flowery, ugly patterns and colors. It's like they take everything that's going to make a fat person look fatter and put it into the clothing. I LOVE 3/4 length sleeves and vertical stripes, but it's so rare that I can find clothing in my size with those things.

That's awesome!! I did get size 14 jeans but Lane Bryant so still women's cut but hoping that was my last purchase there!! Anyone find a place to sell their clothes? I have some great lane Bryant clothing....thinking I could sell it and use that $ to buy more clothes!

Looking good! I love those jeans! Can't wait until I can buy some stuff from the more 'trendy' places.

You made me think of something though... why oh WHY is all 'plus' size clothing awful? It's all capped/too short sleeves, horizontal stripes and flowery, ugly patterns and colors. It's like they take everything that's going to make a fat person look fatter and put it into the clothing. I LOVE 3/4 length sleeves and vertical stripes, but it's so rare that I can find clothing in my size with those things.

Fat girl clothing is the worst. And on top of it all, suddenly it becomes okay to make things in the cheapest polyester fabric ever. I didn't buy much from Lane Bryant except bras, undies and tank tops. I pretty much gave up on any fashion as i got bigger. My kids teased me about my "mom outfit.". Typically a larger size of the Diva Old Navy jeans I'm wearing above and some variety Of black shirt. Old Navy actually has a plus size department but its only on-line. It's great because you can return things to their store you don't like. I think they go up to 4 or 5x. Plus size pants never fit me right as I'm more of an apple shape (carry my extra weight in the middle.). They tend to add more room in the butt and thigh area. The jeans I am wearing above are sold in the Old Navy store and are the dark wash diva boot cut jeans. I love them because the fabric is thin and kinda stretchy. They sit low on the hips. They go up to a size 20 regular sizes.

That's awesome!! I did get size 14 jeans but Lane Bryant so still women's cut but hoping that was my last purchase there!! Anyone find a place to sell their clothes? I have some great lane Bryant clothing....thinking I could sell it and use that $ to buy more clothes!

Don't be dissing your size 14's! That's a huge accomplishment!!!!!

As far as resale, there's always EBay if you want to invest the time. I have a few key pieces I may sell, but I don't have much as my fat girl clothes have been quite limited to 5 pairs of the same jeans and a few black shirts (see comment on "mommy outfit" above.).

My short-term strategy is to buy one pair of Diva jeans (only $29.99 at Old Navy) and wear them until they look too baggy and buy another pair in a size smaller. I also have some cropped yoga pants I wear. I'm lucky that I don't work much in the summer, so I don't need an expansive work wardrobe. It requires me to do laundry more often, but it's better than spending money on clothes I will wear for only a few weeks. Now that I have time, I need to crawl into the attic and retrieve all of the smaller size clothing I couldn't bear to depart with in 1999. This could be interesting (fashion wise!)