If you've lost weight, did you get rid of big clothes?

[expectantsteelerfan]

If you've lost enough weight to need to buy new clothes, did you get rid of all the clothes that were too big or hang on to them for a while?  And did you regret whatever you chose to do?

I hit my breaking point at the end of the summer when I realized I had been trying to loose weight by eating well and going to the gym regularly, but continuing to gain weight to the point where I was heavier than I had been with either of my pregnancies.  In Sept. I started doing a pretty drastic reduced calorie meal plan called Optavia, and at this point I've lost about 30 lbs.  I'd like to lose another 10, but I'm not totally confident that is going to happen.  Where I am now, I've had to replace all my jeans and most of my leggings, my bras and underwear, and my workout clothes, and I'm assuming I'll have to replace all my shorts for this summer.  My tops mostly still fit because I'd been buying them loose and flowy for years as my weight has gone up.  

What I can't decide is if I should get rid of all the stuff that no longer fits.  Right now I have it all stored in our guest room and I've been meaning to get rid of it, but I can't pull the trigger.  I got rid of a ton of stuff that was too small this summer in trying to accept myself as I was, and now I really regret that.  I can probably toss all the bras because I had been wearing them regularly for a few years, but I had just bought the underwear and most of the jeans in the past year.  My bff's advice was to for sure get rid of anything trendy because I might not even want it if it fits again, but all the workout clothes/sports bras/jeans are stuff that are just basic.  

I'm sure I'd get rid of everything eventually if I don't end up back at my starting weight, but how long should I wait to make that call?

[ssmjlm]

I haven't lost weight, but I do quite a bit of selling on Poshmark. Mostly just clothes I have not worn in the last year or only reached for once.

It is becoming more saturated, but if I can make a few dollars reselling, then it's worth the 5 minutes listing. I pretty much sell Loft and up brand wise. And I price Loft cheap because the one issue with Poshmark is shipping is separate, so I factor that into my price.

[icedcoffee]

I plan on getting rid of it. I'm currently in a "bigger" wardrobe that was purchased after my 1st son and it became clear the pounds weren't going to just melt away. I just had my second kid and I'm still in most of this wardrobe, but I'm definitely starting to finally fit into some smaller clothes. I plan on getting rid of it as it starts to look too big.

In the past, the best thing to keep me from gaining weight again is for my clothes to be too tight. If I keep the bigger wardrobe it's just too easy for me to pull out my bigger pants versus wearing the tighter ones as a reminder that I need to reign it in. I don't ever want to be the size I am now again so I'd prefer to get rid of it.

[Patsy Baloney]

From my highest to lowest weight, I'd lost 160lbs. This was over many years, but the biggest push was 2017-2018 when I lost 93lbs.

And then got pregnant, lol.

I had gotten rid of all but one of my biggest pairs of pants (to remind myself where I came from, because I have battled for my whole life and continue to battle obesity) and kept some of my in-between shirts/dresses, as well as t-shirts of all different sizes. I don't generally have a large wardrobe or space to keep a large wardrobe, so I sold/donated most of my bigger clothes and transitioned to my smaller size. Granted, I'm glad I kept some, just so I had things on hand after I had my last kiddo, but for me getting rid of the clothes was part of the weight loss process. If I kept them, I was surrendering to someday being that uncomfortable and unhappy again.

It does seem economical and environmentally conscious to keep the more timeless things, should you ever be that size again. If you have storage space for that, you may consider it. But if it's better for your mental health to get rid of them, I would do it.

[Susie]

Jan 15, 2020 12:42:08 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I plan on getting rid of it. I'm currently in a "bigger" wardrobe that was purchased after my 1st son and it became clear the pounds weren't going to just melt away. I just had my second kid and I'm still in most of this wardrobe, but I'm definitely starting to finally fit into some smaller clothes. I plan on getting rid of it as it starts to look too big.

In the past, the best thing to keep me from gaining weight again is for my clothes to be too tight. If I keep the bigger wardrobe it's just too easy for me to pull out my bigger pants versus wearing the tighter ones as a reminder that I need to reign it in. I don't ever want to be the size I am now again so I'd prefer to get rid of it.

Pretty much this.

I will get rid of my "postpartum/nursing normal" (+2 sizes from "normal") when I shrink out of it this time, because we're done having kids, and postpartum is the only times of my life I've been this size.  It's taking time though.

After this I'll move down to +1 size from normal.  I will probably keep those things even if they eventually become too big because that's within the realm of my more normal phases of life type ups and downs.  Hopefully I'll eventually get down to my "normal" pre-baby stuff.  This mostly relates to pants, since I can wear the same size shirts and dresses depending on cut as I move between pant sizes.

[lifetaketwo]

Jan 15, 2020 12:42:08 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I plan on getting rid of it. I'm currently in a "bigger" wardrobe that was purchased after my 1st son and it became clear the pounds weren't going to just melt away. I just had my second kid and I'm still in most of this wardrobe, but I'm definitely starting to finally fit into some smaller clothes. I plan on getting rid of it as it starts to look too big.

In the past, the best thing to keep me from gaining weight again is for my clothes to be too tight. If I keep the bigger wardrobe it's just too easy for me to pull out my bigger pants versus wearing the tighter ones as a reminder that I need to reign it in. I don't ever want to be the size I am now again so I'd prefer to get rid of it.

This exactly, except I will wait until we decide for sure on number 3. I put everything in tubs in the basement labeled maternity so that it wasn’t hanging around my closet.

[expectantsteelerfan]

Yeah we are WELL past the baby phase, so I have gotten rid of all maternity stuff years ago when dh got snipped.
Almost all the stuff is only 1 size bigger than what I am now. Some of the jeans are 2 sizes bigger, and some of the underwear is 2 sizes bigger, but everything else is only 1 size. So I feel like it's not out of the realm of possibility that I would not be able to maintain this weight and would go back up one size. I honestly think it would affect my anxiety and pack rat (hopefully not yet bordering on hoarding) tendencies to get rid of everything and then regret it. But I also don't want to set myself up for failure by keeping it. I feel like I'm at such a loss to decide because other than pregnancy, I have never lost a significant amount of weight before as my weight has seriously only gone up no matter what else I tried!

[lessel]

I lost a significant amount of weight several years ago and donated pretty much all of my clothes to a local domestic violence group. They were particularly excited about the suits and other business clothes I donated for their work helping women go on job interviews, etc. It was seriously several thousand dollars worth of clothing...bags and bags of clothing from size 24 to size 18.

Over the course of the past few years and pregnancies and kids I have gained that weight back but I still do not regret the decision to donate the clothes. It would have been kicking around my basement for years not getting used and if I dug back into that stack now I bet half of it would look dated. So I'm glad it got some use back then when I didn't need it.

That said, I currently have about 8 storage bins of clothes that are too small to fit me...so I haven't done the reverse and donated the smaller size wardrobe. Still holding out hope!

[itsme]

After maintaining the weight loss for awhile I donated all of my clothes that were too large. I was holding onto them but made the decision not to ever gain the weight back and that's when I let them go. I have gone up a size and then back down so keeping a size up of items you really like isn't such a bad idea. Once I start noticing that my regular size pants are getting too tight I reign myself back in.

[waverly]

I got rid of 2 sizes up but kept 1 size up. I pretty much go back and forth between those 2 sizes, so the only time I was 2 sizes up was pregnancy related. I feel like this is pretty individualized.

[lessel]

Jan 15, 2020 14:48:35 GMT -5 itsme said:

After maintaining the weight loss for awhile I donated all of my clothes that were too large. I was holding onto them but made the decision not to ever gain the weight back and that's when I let them go. I have gone up a size and then back down so keeping a size up of items you really like isn't such a bad idea. Once I start noticing that my regular size pants are getting too tight I reign myself back in.

This is probably way more of a reflection of where I am with myself than the actual content of your post, but this just rubbed me the wrong way. Especially right after my post where I said I lost a significant amount of weight and then gained it back. 

As if only I had made a decision not to do that, it wouldn't have happened.

[scm1011]

Congrats on the weight loss!

Do you have a plan to transition off the ultra low calorie diet? It doesn't seem sustainable long term. That would be my only hesitation.

[notsopicky]

My thoughts on keep v. purge:

Background on weight (for reference, I'm 5'10"): 2001: 141, size 6 pants. 2006: 155, size 8 pants. 2011, 259, the day I had my son, size 18 pants & XL+ maternity shirts. 2013: 170, size 10 pants. 2019: 230, size 16/18 pants. 2020: <190 (I weigh in on Friday for an exact #), size 8/10 jeans, size 10/12 pants. All the pants and jeans are the same 2 brands in those 19 years.

I kept all of my pants--big and small--for all these years (stupidly?), b/c finding pants is very hard for me (I need Talls). I recently pulled out every single pair I've ever owned last month (2 big rectangular bins full) and tried them on. I, for the first time in what seems like ever, got rid of the way too big and way too small (the 6s and the 14+). I kept all of the 8-10-12 pairs, b/c I think that's where I'll end up (my goal is 175). It felt liberating to donate them all.

All of this ^^ to say that unless there's a very good reason for keeping super-outliers (like a pair "to remember where you came from", or a beloved item that has good memories), get rid of clothes that don't fit. Although I am fortunate that I am able to get back into my pants from so long ago, I should have donated them to someone who could have used them for work, for interviews, for whatever, when I couldn't wear them. Many stylists say to dress for the body you have, not the body you want, and make sure you buy and wear things you love=-that you can actually wear b/c they fit--that make you feel pretty, or sexy, or beautiful, or whatever you want to feel at that moment. Life is too short to be waiting around for items to fit.

[amandakisser]

Jan 15, 2020 15:23:08 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Congrats on the weight loss!

Do you have a plan to transition off the ultra low calorie diet? It doesn't seem sustainable long term. That would be my only hesitation.

This, especially since Optavia is NOT a program monitored by a health care professional. I'd make sure you have a transition plan in place and feel confident that whatever you end up doing is sustainable for the long-term (meaning, you will probably gain SOME weight back but it's easy to maintain) before making a decision to toss or keep.

Otherwise, I'd think about what is better for your mindset: getting rid of all of the old clothes, as a way to say you're never going to wear them again, OR keeping them as a reminder of where you were? When I lost weight, I held onto my clothes for a couple years and I actually just got rid of them this week. It felt good to purge so much, and it's better for my mental health to just get rid of it all. 

[expectantsteelerfan]

Jan 15, 2020 17:08:36 GMT -5 amandakisser said:

Jan 15, 2020 15:23:08 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Congrats on the weight loss!

Do you have a plan to transition off the ultra low calorie diet? It doesn't seem sustainable long term. That would be my only hesitation.

This, especially since Optavia is NOT a program monitored by a health care professional. I'd make sure you have a transition plan in place and feel confident that whatever you end up doing is sustainable for the long-term (meaning, you will probably gain SOME weight back but it's easy to maintain) before making a decision to toss or keep.

Otherwise, I'd think about what is better for your mindset: getting rid of all of the old clothes, as a way to say you're never going to wear them again, OR keeping them as a reminder of where you were? When I lost weight, I held onto my clothes for a couple years and I actually just got rid of them this week. It felt good to purge so much, and it's better for my mental health to just get rid of it all. 

Yeah, the plan includes directions for a transition period of slowly adding back in food and increasing calories, but one of my coaches at the gym is also a nutritionist and I'm working with her for a more detailed and slow 'reverse dieting plan' starting next month.  She is very big on macros and not starving yourself to be at a healthy weight.  She has lost over 100 lbs and kept it off for years and is an amazing inspiration, especially since even now she isn't a twig like some of the other coaches.  

[krystee]

I got rid of mine. I know science and my own past tells me I will regain, but I felt like having the old clothes still around made me feel like I was just waiting for the inevitable, and it was disheartening.

[megster20185]

I lost 25 pounds from September 2014- June 2015. I kept my bigger stuff for a while then in 2016 my bigger clothes went into my yard sale pile. Some of it has sold and some I still have.

[MDmomof2]

I lost 30 pounds about 2 years ago and have maintained a 25 pound weight loss, which represented about 2 sizes for me. For about 6 months I kept larger items in bins as I was buying smaller clothing. I did a hard purge of things I'd never really liked and sorted what was left into donate and consignment store bins. About 6 months after that, when I still didn't need the larger items, I either donated or took them to the consignment store. It represented YEARS of buying clothes and I was left with little to wear but it really helped to turn over my wardrobe. Now that I'm two years in I still don't have quite the clothing collection! So, I recommend holding on to stuff you really like and would re-wear for 6 months to a year, then done!

[mrssandro]

I have been sending bags to thread up over the course of this year. Because at least it was easy and I could make a couple of dollars so I could buy some more used clothes. It's not for everyone since you won't make much but I like the simplicity of doing that. This weekend one of the things on my check list is dropping a bunch of stuff at the local donation center.

I have lost -66 pounds over the last year. So from a 18 to 10 and I am headed towards a 8. I still hold on to a few things I know are way to big for me. More like as memory pieces to help me remember where I was and how far I have come. I have a few pants that I know are little too big on me now that I can't let go of. I only technically have two pairs of jeans that fit me. I am on a big budget crunch/spending freeze so I can't afford to buy more. I think my final size will be a 8 but I am letting my body decide. I feel like with my current health journey that this time it will be sustainable. I don't need clothes I can't wear taking up room in my closet so getting rid of them have been a priority for me.

[aprilsails]

I’m happiest at a size 10 but hold on to classic work pants in sizes 8-12 since I often fluctuate seasonally. Depending on the cut and stretch content I may wear 8s in the summer and then the size 12 jeans in the winter (because it’s cold and Christmas cookies). Most of my tops work no matter what since they are usually stretch knits or larger cut and drapey. I stopped buying tailored dress shirts since I had to purchase new to track my weight.

I have been larger and smaller than these sizes at times but I got rid of most of the clothes. If I get out of my happy range I mostly wear dresses and skirts (more forgiving each way) and then will buy a couple of pairs of right sized jeans to fill the gaps.

[twilightmv]

I’ve gotten rid of most of it, yes. Depending on the condition I’ve given them to people, thrown them out, or donated. I have a handful of things that look good baggy that I’ve kept, but the rest is gone.