A while back I decided that by the time I go on my pre-op diet I want to get rid of/donate at least a good portion of my wardrobe. I have too many clothes as it is, some fit - some don't. I'm not planning to be rid of absolutely everything by any means... but mostly I want to keep things pretty basic. I figured I would keep a few good work outfits; a few of the items I like, but don't currently fit into; and some nice separates that are elastic enough to move down with me for at least a few sizes. Would this be a bad idea?

My sisters seem to love the idea... but they also like clothes shopping a lot more than I do.

One of my co-workers, however, thinks I'm nuts, and felt the need to remind me that I'm not going to come back from Mexico (where I'm having surgery) looking like a twig. I'm very aware of that fact. I know it takes time and effort to help the weight come off.

Anyhow, that being said, would I be rushing the fences to simplify my wardrobe in advance?

You know your lifestyle best.

I am not working so I have about three outfits I can wear in public (I have lost 200 pounds so far).

Depending on your starting size and the cut of your clothes you may be able to wear some things for a little while.

A lot of folks tend to shop at thrift stores while they are losing. Some of us who have a range of sizes in our closets can also make it a while without getting new clothes for a couple of sizes.

You don't have to decide today.

You might at least give away things you don't wear regularly.

You could pack away things you'd like to donate to get them out of the closet, but don't give them away until you see how quickly you drop clothing sizes after surgery. That would give you the benefit of putting the old clothes out of sight while keeping a safety net just in case you need to wear a few items a bit longer than expected.

Not a bad idea... I guess there's some part of me that worries that if I have my old clothes available, that I'll get too comfortable and not work as hard as I should. I know that seems silly. I'm bound and determined to not only go through with the surgery but to make it a successful journey. I'm slowly starting to incorporate changes that I'll need to have in place by the time I go for surgery, I gave up soda (40+ days and running), soon caffeine... etc. I guess the clothing seems like some sort of milestone. Where it falls whether its pre or post-op doesn't really matter I suppose.

I'm obsessing over the surgery a lot more than I like to admit, I guess :-/

Well you need something to wear while you're loosing.

Not a bad idea... I guess there's some part of me that worries that if I have my old clothes available, that I'll get too comfortable and not work as hard as I should. I know that seems silly. I'm bound and determined to not only go through with the surgery but to make it a successful journey. I'm slowly starting to incorporate changes that I'll need to have in place by the time I go for surgery, I gave up soda (40+ days and running), soon caffeine... etc. I guess the clothing seems like some sort of milestone. Where it falls whether its pre or post-op doesn't really matter I suppose.

I'm obsessing over the surgery a lot more than I like to admit, I guess :-/

I had a closet full of shirts and pants that did not fit going back 10 years; shortly after surgery my jeans were falling down and I found a smaller pair- and got rid of all my 'big' jeans. Ditto for shirts; I now have 20 shirts that fit me again but will get rid of as they become too big and other smaller ones begin to fit. Burn the bridges, but only after getting to the next size.

Edited March 26, 201610 yr by ironpoorer

I say hold on to them until they are too big. At this point I have basically given away 90 percent of my wardrobe to goodwill. I love putting the clothes on and seeing they are too big and then putting them in the bag. I go through the closet every few months and always find new things to give away. Helps me mentally to see the progress. Even though weight not changing as quickly still losing inches. Some of the clothes still work even though they are a little big. I kept one pair of jeans and one suit to remind me of where I started. I actually wish I had kept the pants and top I was wearing when I took some "before" pictures for myself. Would love to put them back on and compare!

Agree with other posters that you should not buy a ton of stuff while you are losing. I'm almost 2 years out and closet is only 1/4 full.

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A while back I decided that by the time I go on my pre-op diet I want to get rid of/donate at least a good portion of my wardrobe. I have too many clothes as it is, some fit - some don't. I'm not planning to be rid of absolutely everything by any means... but mostly I want to keep things pretty basic. I figured I would keep a few good work outfits; a few of the items I like, but don't currently fit into; and some nice separates that are elastic enough to move down with me for at least a few sizes. Would this be a bad idea?

My sisters seem to love the idea... but they also like clothes shopping a lot more than I do.

One of my co-workers, however, thinks I'm nuts, and felt the need to remind me that I'm not going to come back from Mexico (where I'm having surgery) looking like a twig. I'm very aware of that fact. I know it takes time and effort to help the weight come off.

Anyhow, that being said, would I be rushing the fences to simplify my wardrobe in advance?

It's your clothes, your weight, your life...do as you please. And i would tell the co worker you accept all dept store gift cards... your not picky...

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Thank you guys for the wonderful responses. I can definitely see how keeping the clothes until I really do outgrow (outshrink?) them could give me a mental boost too... I probably will get rid of a few things in advance, but I won't go too crazy. I also don't plan on spending a ton of money on clothes, but anything I do get is now being picked with an eye to see if it will be able to move with me for a while.

I'm just so ready to get rid of all these clothes and get new, smaller ones.

Last year I thought I'd be having WLS in November and got rid of most of my summer clothes but I'm not having until May 10th so that was a big oopsie lol.

Oh boy, that must be fun! However, there won't be any rescheduling the surgery for me, or I'm going to be in a mess financially. I had to take out a loan (not huge, but enough) to pay for the surgery/trip to Mexico, and a fair chunk of the trip is non-refundable.

But I completely understand the desire to be rid of the old clothes. I've been making changes and gradually losing a bit here and there... but I would love to see an outward change, whether it's in me, my clothing or my environment, just as a confirmation that this time things are different.

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! I have no doubt that you will be able to say goodbye to your wardbrobe in short order!

I had other health problems that prevented me from getting it in November.

I figured I'd be ok with some t shirts and 2 pairs of jeans for the summer. I'm going to pack up my winter sweaters and fleece pajamas and then I get surgery give them away.