Hey Y'all. Happy New Year!! I had a very interesting experience over the weekend that is actually an NSV but I am surpprised about my feelings. Let me start with a little history. I have worn as large as a size 30/32 clothing but for the past several years, I had stabilized (for lack of a better word) @ 26/28. On surgery day (1/19/07) I was wearing 24 & 26's. Currently I am size 18 bottoms (with some slack now) and 18/20 and 1X (some 16) tops. I had noticed lately that the 1X tops are fitting a little slack so I decided to venture in to the land of the Misses Dept. I have NEVER been able to do this as i have been fat ALL my life even as a teenager. It felt so strange being there. I have never had a reason to even visit or walk through that part of the store; always been Woman's World for me. I went to return some 1X sweaters and tried on some XL and L sweaters in Misses Dept. I spent some extra time looking at myself in the dressing room mirror. I had on a sweat suit set because I had just left Curves and it was so baggy and I had no butt at all. Further, I could not believe it was me in that size L (even if it was a sweater) and even in a "strange" dressing room because I have Woman's World down pat as far as where things are located. It was a whole new world. It was so strange, yet exciting AND most surprisingly sad. I felt like on the one hand, I belonged or could actually see myself belonging in the land of the Misses. No one stared at me in disbelief or gave me the look like I was definitely in the wrong area. But then part of me felt like a traitor. Like I was leaving Woman's World (WW) and all my WW friends &b family behind. It's all I've ever known. I know I am still basically in (WW) but I can now tell the tides are shifting and I can see it as a possibility of being there permanently. Am I crazy for feeling this way??

I don't think you're crazy at all!! It's the familiarity, the comfortableness of where we've been so long! Our minds aren't ready for our bodies to be thin - it takes so much longer for it to catch up with how we really look.

I know that I am greatful that I do not need to go into "big" stores again. It is so purely exciting to go into a regular store, get a regular size and it FITS!!

I totally understand!! You and I have a lot in common. I remember wearing size 18 in eighth grade. I am also making the transition into misses clothing. A friend gave me a load of sweaters and even the Larges fit!!! I was so excited I told my husband that I fit in a large. He gave me a smile but didn't seem to realize waht an event this was-so I said a real large-not a fat large!!!!! It is nice to know there are others that understand how monumentous (SP?) this moment was!!! Happy New year and here's to size medium!!!!!!

that is awesome crishell I am waiting for that day I will be sooner in the pants then the tops I am top heavy I have worn a 2x for years but have yoyoed from 18-24 bottoms. But I am proud of you and keep up the good work girl.

Funny, but the Misses Dept holds no appeal for me... Maybe cause I shop at Casual Male... Just being funny...enjoy your new self...you deserve it.

You are not crazy at all. I feel the same way about Lane Bryant. I am personally scared to shop now outside of LB. I don't even know where to start once I get into the Woman's section!

I can now fit in some clothes at Aeropostale and American Eagle. I feel awkward going in there, though. I still feel fat, and I feel like people are thinking I am too fat to fit in their clothes. I feel embarrassed. I can only fit into the sweat pants they have (now a large instead of xl), but I couldn't fit in them before. I plan on wearing cute sweat pants whenever I can so they will fit me for awhile. I will buy a couple pair of jeans when others don't fit me anymore.

I can't wait to buy a pair of jeans from GAP... It's been several years since I was able to do so, and I can hardly wait!! And, I hope to move out of C. J. Banks into Christopher and Banks! WOOHOO!! We'll see how my head gets around this when I get closer.

Congrats for making it into the 'regular' misses sizes!!! What a great accomplishment!

Congrats!! I have been feeling the same way. I only lost 20.5 pounds so far, but suddenly my jeans are falling off of my body. Before, I was sqeezing into a size 24 jean (and sometimes 26). Now they are falling off my body. My tops seem loose too. I was a 1x before. So I went to target while i was shopping for curtains and tried on some jeans. They were tight but I got into size 20 jeans! I was like omigod, I went from a size 24 to a size 20~! No wonder my jeans were falling down. I didn't buy them because I want to see if I can get to a size 18 or 16 before I buy new clothes. Then I went to Marshals and tried on a size 14 jacket just to see if regular sizes fit my top. The sleeves fit perfectly and the body was tight. Just the fact that I could put something on from the "regular" sizes was an accomplishment. I think I will hold out till I am size 16 to buy new clothes. Its just such a nice feeling for my clothes to be falling off my body. I am so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:whoo:

Hey Y'all. Happy New Year!! I had a very interesting experience over the weekend that is actually an NSV but I am surpprised about my feelings. Let me start with a little history. I have worn as large as a size 30/32 clothing but for the past several years, I had stabilized (for lack of a better word) @ 26/28. On surgery day (1/19/07) I was wearing 24 & 26's. Currently I am size 18 bottoms (with some slack now) and 18/20 and 1X (some 16) tops. I had noticed lately that the 1X tops are fitting a little slack so I decided to venture in to the land of the Misses Dept. I have NEVER been able to do this as i have been fat ALL my life even as a teenager. It felt so strange being there. I have never had a reason to even visit or walk through that part of the store; always been Woman's World for me. I went to return some 1X sweaters and tried on some XL and L sweaters in Misses Dept. I spent some extra time looking at myself in the dressing room mirror. I had on a sweat suit set because I had just left Curves and it was so baggy and I had no butt at all. Further, I could not believe it was me in that size L (even if it was a sweater) and even in a "strange" dressing room because I have Woman's World down pat as far as where things are located. It was a whole new world. It was so strange, yet exciting AND most surprisingly sad. I felt like on the one hand, I belonged or could actually see myself belonging in the land of the Misses. No one stared at me in disbelief or gave me the look like I was definitely in the wrong area. But then part of me felt like a traitor. Like I was leaving Woman's World (WW) and all my WW friends &b family behind. It's all I've ever known. I know I am still basically in (WW) but I can now tell the tides are shifting and I can see it as a possibility of being there permanently. Am I crazy for feeling this way??

Congrats!

I'm glad I shop at Ross. They have plus sizes and misses sizes. Nobody looks at what section you are in and nobody knows what you are taking to the dressing rooms. So, if they have those stores where you live, you should try it out.