So I am currently 5-1/2 months post op and I am down 85 lbs. I am super excited about my weight loss, however, I am having a really hard time with dressing myself. Not really dressing myself, but realizing what I can wear now, I still look at cloths that don't show off what I have lost, I am still trying to dress like I used to dress? I started my journey off wearing a size 24 bottoms, and a 2 - 3XL tops and I am currently down to a size 14 bottoms and an XL top. I know my sizes but I am confused and I look at the sizes and I'm like no way that's not going to fit and I try it on, and it does and I am in shock, but I can remember when I was bigger looking at cloths that were way too small for me, and I would be like if I ever loose the weight this is how I am going to dress and now I am just scared to wear those cloths? I know I have accomplished so much, and I really hate spending a lot of money on cloths right now cause I know I am still loosing weight and I still have 65 lbs to get to my goal weight so I know I will go through more sizes, so why waste money on cloths that aren't going to fit in a few months? Does anyone else feel or felt this way while going through this transition? I have always been a baggy cloths person, and now with this new body I am finding I want to wear skinny jeans and stuff like that, but I also know I still have more to loose so I find myself asking myself if I really think I should be wearing certain things, and I hate looking like a slob when I dress, so I tend to be safe and just get t-shirts or polo shirts and just a standard jean? Something safe? I want to dress nice and don't find myself ever being able to? Any suggestions?

I've found that when I dress in stuff that fits me better, I feel better about how I look. You've worked hard to get to this point, wearing tasteful clothes that show off your weight loss is perfectly acceptable. My issue is that I hate to spend much money on clothes while I'm still losing. I've always been a bargain shopper, though, so I've just kicked it into high gear now.

Yeah its just hard to find tasteful nice cloths in a second hand store? I'm not good at bargain shopping at regular stores cause I am unfortunately very picky about the clothes I wear??? I hate wide leg jeans and I don't like my baby pouch that is still there its not as big but its still there??? Lol

I was having the same issues when I was "halfway there" like you! My teen daughter did a wake up call and told me I was choosing fat girl clothes in smaller sizes! She took me shopping and had me try on clothes I never would have dreamed of wearing. Totally loved about half of them! Now I make it a point to try on at least one "I never" item each time I shop. Just for grins. Been shopping at places like Ross and Marshall's and TJ Maxx to save on stuff I will shrink out of. Just starting to invest in a few more permanent pieces. Course I shrank out of what I thought would be permanent jeans! Dresses and shirts I keep wearing by using a dress clip in back!

I started out thinking exactly that same way. As I was dropping sizes like crazy (6 shirt sizes and 8 pant sizes) I tried to buy everything I could from either the thrift shops or wal-mart.

I then realized with the amount of money I'm saving on food now I could afford to buy a couple of somewhat nicer items in each size (usually 2 pairs of pants and 2 shirts). I then could do some mixing and matching with other not-so-nice items and it felt like my wardrobe was at least acceptable. Yes I ended up donating all of it, but it really helped my sense of self-perception throughout this transition and I'm very happy to have done it.

That is true about saving money on food. I guess maybe I will just have to try more on once in a while, and see what I find that I like? I just need to stop thinking how I used to dress and just try new things?

I got a new job and had to buy work clothes. When the it was time to start work, I literally had nothing in my closet that fit. Ziltch, Nada, Nothing. So off to the store I went. It took me several trips to figure it all out. Thankfully lots of stuff was on sale. I ended up buying dresses and skirts, all with elastic. I will probably lose another 20-30 pounds. Pants seemed like a waste of money since I knew I was going to drop more sizes. So those will come when it gets really cold out.

I went with size L dresses, because I figure even if I end up a medium, I can probably still wear them. I also bought a ton of half or 3/4 sweaters so I could add a punch of color and change the look of outfits. I got 3 dresses, and 3 skirts (plus 2 more hand me down dresses). Most of which have black in them or are black. Then I got tanks and t-shirts for cheap cheap cheap. I throw the sweater on top and I'm out the door.

The new job and the new clothes were all good timing. Nobody here knows I ever looked different. This is the size they think I am so there was no outside influence by peers and colleagues. I'm not necessarily always comfortable in smaller and more stylish clothes, but it's the "new normal" I'm trying to keep up.

@Amylif2 thanks for your story that's great about your job & the cloths ideas!!! I unfortunately need to wear jeans and pants as I work currently in construction so wearing dresses I couldn't do it!!! But talking about your size L dresses and skirts you could have them taylored and taken in to make them fit too so you won't have to give them away or throw them away!!! That's a good thing? I am still at least 50lbs away from my goal so I know that's still a few more sizes?

I too have been experiencing the same thing. After losing around 100lbs I have given all my larger clothes away to try to avoid getting back into that size. I too buy M/L tops and bottoms and size 12 pants and some 14 (but not many). I don't pay over $20 for any one item and shop at Ross, T J Maxx, Marshall's and Burlington plus a couple of small inexpensive stores in the area. My style of dress has really changed. Granted I've always been a nice dresser but with the limited selection of plus size clothing I had a different style. My daughter often helps me find clothes. I call her my personal stylist but it helps that we have similar taste she just puts a little younger spin on it.

With that being said, treat yourself to some cute clothes, get rid of the big ones because they will only make you look bigger. Embrace your new body! You've worked hard and accomplished a lot. Enjoy creating a new wardrobe!

@@kparadisek I have gotten rid of all my big cloths, I have some jeans that are size 14 that are baggier than I would like? I am not a baggy jeans girl anymore, I used to be, I hated anything that showed all the rolls and stuff I had, but now I like the skinny jeans. I hate bell bottoms, I am not big fan of anything that is real baggy though. I think that the stuff that I am having issues with is more the tops than the bottoms, I have always been more of a tom boy, and I always just like t-shirts and tank tops and stuff like that, but now I am finding that I want cute stuff, and stuff that looks a little more professional? I do still like my t-shirts and stuff like that, but not as much as I used to? I need to start shopping more for the tops than the bottoms? I don't know if I want my daughter to go shopping with me to help me pick out cloths as she is only 13 and she is VERY girly, and she and I don't have the same taste in cloths? Although my husband he is good too he loves picking me out cloths now? He is too funny.

You sound just like me. I'm struggling for real with finding clothes. It seems like I'm always between sizes. Right now I'm between a 12 and a 16 and tops are all over the place. I try to buy by what fits, not by size. But it's rough. Do you have a forever 21? I have to buy their plus size stuff still but it's been my go to for jeans, pants, and cardigans because it's cheap cheap. Like $10 for a pair of skinny jeans.

*sigh* I'm having the same problem with my closet, before the surgery I was comfortable in size 18 and fitted in size 16, as I've kept some clothes of size 14 so I was fine wearing repeatedly the clothes that fit better on me but then in these couple of weeks it seems like my size dropped quite quickly, some piece of clothes that I could wear last week started to hang off me this week and I still don't want to buy new clothes just yet!!!!! Last Saturday I went into H&M to try some cardigans, I tried on a size L (because I bought some simple casual T-Shirt for sport a couple of weeks ago and I fitted in L) to find out that size L is a bit too big for me now!! This made me discourage to buy new clothes right now, so I ended up didn't buy any.

Even the panties now they look like granny pants on me, I bought a cheap panties in size 10-12 and it fitted perfectly. I'm now trying to hold on as long as I can. I think I'll start to buy clothes when I can be comfortable in size 10. Now the shape of my body is not yet in place, still got quite big tummy. I don't want to feel bad if I try on smaller size clothes and can not fit my big belly in them.

@@FairySleeve it is hard with the shopping specially when your dropping so rapidly, Plus your still in the first 6 months of you surgery, and that is "Typically" when you loose the most weight, so my suggestions is when your in need of cloths, go to a second hand store for now just to have something here and there that will fit, cause you don't want to be buying expensive cloths that will fit for a month and then have to give them away? I haven't really spent any money on cloths that fit me at a normal store yet, I keep buying everything at a second hand store unless I find something on a clearance rack that is cheap, cause I don't want to spend a whole bunch of money on stuff that won't fit me in a few months I am now 6-1/2 months out and only have 33 lbs to go to get to my final goal, and I don't want to buy brand new cloths till then. I know about the panties problem, I have the same problem, and I have thrown away a lot of nice panties cause they were sagging off my rearend, so and buying those at a second hand store is just not an option so I would do the same thing as you have with that, but all your other cloths I would suggest just buying just what you need to get by and buying them cheap so you don't waste your money on them. Good luck

Thanks, I'll just hang in there lol Even shoes are getting loose! Uh!!

If you don't mind me asking did you exercise alot

Not sure if you asked me lol but I'll tell you just for sharing,

I go to the gym 5 days a week for L.I.A (Low Impact Aerobic dance) for 1 hours - once a week, Sh'bam 1 hour- twice a weeek, Zumba 1 hour-twice a week, Body Balance (Yoga & pilates) 1 hour -once a week and do some weight lifting as well. Dancing is the only way I can exercise and walking, since post-op I've been walking at liease 1hour and a half everyday. After 1 month that my surgeon cleared me for exercise I started the gym right away.