I have a tendency to overthink everything, but how do people go about buying clothes during the post-op weight loss phase? I'd imagine you don't stay one size very long, but that might not apply to everyone? How do you go about planning what to wear and how often to replace your clothes? Hope this isn't a dumb question!

I found I have a knack for reconstructing clothes. I take my brother's old jeans or things I find at thrift shops and make skirts and purses out of them. Tshirt surgery is also a blast and it's a good way to make stuff fit properly.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Luckily, I have a closet full of jeans ranging from 10s to 20s. After years of denial about gaining even more weight, I'd just hang onto the jeans I have. I would keep them to try to entice myself to lose weight or I'd by a pair of jeans a size smaller to try to work towards them, only to never be able to fit into them. I usually buy my jeans from American eagle, and their jeans haven't changed much over the years, only the stitching on the back pockets and labels. Other that that, they are still in style. I recently purchased two pairs of 20s, since my 16s were tight and I would not be able to survive the cold winter in thin palazzo pants. I didn't get 18s because they are so close in fit, that I was okay with a little extra room. I haven't had surgery yet, but afterwards, I will wait to skip to 16s. I won't buy a pair of 18s and I will work my way through what I have. When I get through those, I won't know what to do. Haha. I haven't been anything smaller than a 10 in 14 years. If I ever lost weight, 10s were as small as I could get to, because I have some junk in this trunk. Haha. I'll probably shop at Ross or TJ Maxx. They have great prices. I don't thrift shop, just because if I am donating stuff that is out of style, why would I shop the out of style clothes that other people donate.

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

@@LisaMergs advice has been true for me as well. I started in a snug 16/1x, skipped 14 entirely and am rapidly heading out of 12s, too.

I have to have some nice, properly fitting clothing and I'm not a dress wearer, so it's been essential for me to have 2-3 pairs of well-made, well fitting pants and maybe 6 tops. I went straight from a 1x top to mediums, so I purchased some sale and clearance items at Ann Taylor and banana Republic to get me through for a while. Luckily, I have a friend who will likely have a VSG in January and she's starting at about the same height/weight I did...she'll buy my lightly used items from me for maybe half of what I paid. That works for me! What she doesn't want I'll consign at a nice second-hand resale store to recoup some of my funds.