I am 6weeks post op and things are beginning to be too big (yay). My question is, did you all hang on to your old clothes when this happened, "just in case" or did you get rid of them IMMEDIATELY. I am leery because I have gained and lost SO many times and each time I got rid of my bigger clothes because "I would never need them again." While I am certain that is the case now it still makes me nervous

I only saved my two biggest stretched out capris that I was living in daily and two tops to try on and see how far I have come.

Everything else went bye bye!! I have been selling my clothes on a couple facebook group pages and using that money to buy new clothes, I love it. It is fun and fairly easy. Stuff that doesn't sell I have donating. I average between $5-$15 per item depending on what it is after shipping. I have also purchased a few things off the sites too. When I went thru my closet there were so many items that still had tags on them it was crazy. Some things I shrunk down into others I lost to fast and couldn't wear.

But make sure you keep an outfit from where you started and I always tell people take monthly photos and measurements too. The scale shouldn't be your only measure of your success!!

Do you have swaps on facebook? They are awesome! I had one lady just drop me off about 30 items of clothing she was going to donate. I've made decent money on my old stuff and stuff that the weather (Winter) didn't allow me to wear now they're too big. We have some great consignment shops but you can make wayyy more $ on swaps. You can get nice clothes cheap as well. Hell we even have a Victorias Secret Swap!

My favorite new hobby is to shop at the second hand stores. i only held onto two shirts from my highest weight. I trade with friends, donate back. Getting to the point that I am smaller than my friends so thinking about selling on email or looking for web site to trade.

I've been in the basement all week going through old clothes to see what will fit and what won't. Then if the clothes that are too big are cotton, and I LOVE them, I try to shrink them to fit! I figure "what do I have to lose?" So I throw them in the washer on hot water, then dry them on high heat. You may want to periodically check to see that they don't shrink TOO much! This has worked for several t-shirts and sweaters. Pants, not so much. But hey! I am saving money AND am able to still enjoy some favorite things!!!

I am facing this dilemma now. Some things I have to sell/giveaway simply because they are HUGE on me. I am also getting ready for some minor home renovations and took this as an opportunity to purge. I've got 4 piles; Goodwill, friends in my congregation, trash and sell. The more I go through things, the more challenging it is for me. I think I actually will not have to buy anything other than workout wear for at least the 1 year. I literally have clothes from a size 34 to 16! I am cringing at the amount of clothes that I have that still have the tags on them and have never been worn and the amount of designer clothing I have. I have everything from suits for work, fancy dress items and causal wear to club wear from my partying days. Part of me wants to sell them just to recoop some money and part of me just wants everything gone.

Honestly this has been the most overwhelming part of my weight loss journey.

I've given 9 bags to Goodwill so far. I saved the dress in my before picture. I'll take another picture in it when I hit 100lbs down.

I am facing this dilemma now. Some things I have to sell/giveaway simply because they are HUGE on me. I am also getting ready for some minor home renovations and took this as an opportunity to purge. I've got 4 piles; Goodwill, friends in my congregation, trash and sell. The more I go through things, the more challenging it is for me. I think I actually will not have to buy anything other than workout wear for at least the 1 year. I literally have clothes from a size 34 to 16! I am cringing at the amount of clothes that I have that still have the tags on them and have never been worn and the amount of designer clothing I have. I have everything from suits for work, fancy dress items and causal wear to club wear from my partying days. Part of me wants to sell them just to recoop some money and part of me just wants everything gone.

Honestly this has been the most overwhelming part of my weight loss journey.

@@BLERDgirl

Maybe you can do both by selling at a consignment shop? I have a lot of emotional ties with some of my old clothing...holding a loved one while they pass on, a major life-event.....it CAN be terribly overwhelming......

I honestly just like some of my clothes and buying new things is not a necessity for quite some time. I do thing I may go more the consignment route. I just shipped 2 bathing suits and the shipping was $8. That hardly makes it worth selling online.I'm going to check a few consignment shops in the are and see what prices and fees are.

@@BLERDgirl

I don't know if this will be of help to you, but today I have done TONS of laundry in the attempt to shrink down favorite tops. If they were of synthetic material, it is a no-go. But cotton and wool are another story! I have had lots of luck on t-shirts and sweaters, shrinking them down by at least a size or two.

I rinse them in hot Water, then stick them in the dryer on medium to hot heat, depending on how much I need to shrink them. Most of the cotton or wool items shrunk successfully enough for me to still use them. The wool, however, is tricky, and can be shrunk too much. Be careful with that. Sometimes just washing those items and then let them dry naturally is the way to go. And you may have to "block" the wool items, to stop them from shrinking too much.

Now some of my favorite items will be back on the "shopping" shelf in my basement, waiting for winter to come again, when I can use them!

I wasn't a T shirt and slacks kind of gal. The dress stuff is silk or fancy beaded stuff. The jeans have never been worn. Then I have 3 or 4 suits that machine washing would ruin. So far the consignment shops around here all want high end designer stuff. There's one shop a bit further out that might take some things but they are very particular. They won't accept things in trash bags, everything must be pressed and on hangers/garment bags.

I guess I just found my Achilles heel. *sigh* I'll be fine, but this is almost physically painful. I never imagined clothing and not food would be the thing that tripped me up.

I'm also surprised that even consignment and thrift shops make plus sizes sell/buy online.

@@BLERDgirl

There is one more possibility...alterations. Really good seamstresses can do wonders, but can be pricey. Sometimes the alteration can cost more than a new garment in a different size. But if there is a piece of clothing you'd rather not live without, alterations might be just the ticket!

No it would cost too much. I've checked. I just need to let go

This is a hard topic for me. I have given away the "huge" clothing ( except one giant stretchy pair of 22 pants that reminds me of whence I came). Now the one size up from where I am? Most of the 14's are gone... The 12's are few ... And I had 5 pair of 10's altered... Like new clothes.... and only $10 each to fit again....still too many clothes in my closet ... Sigh...I guess all in all it's a small problem to have????

@@Julie norton

It IS a good "problem" to have! I, too, have so many clothes, with 20+ years of accumulation. That's why my basement has become the new "store"! I put the seasonal stuff I am not using presently down there in tote boxes (clear), so I can see at a glance what is located where. And I have packed those totes seasonally (fall sweaters, holiday clothing, summer tees...), and in order. Then when the seasons change, I change out my dresser, and haul the out-of-season stuff down, and switch out the clothing. The mall is sure gonna miss me! Ok. Maybe not! There's ALWAYS a reason to go to the mall, RIGHT?!