When to purge older larger size clothes??

dhoffinator

I have drawers full of clothing for 3 sizes up and am afraid to let them go! Started weight loss journey 13 months ago and in maintenance since April. I don't need the space back but wonder if keeping the clothes is like admitting I will be back there in larger sizes some day! When is it time to let go?

corinasue1143

My size 20s are gone. I'm wearing 18. I'm wondering whether to get rid of 18 summer pants, cause I plan to be a 16 by summer.

apullum

Personally, I'd get rid of all but one or two items so that you can look at them when you need to see your progress. I kept one pair of my old pants and gave everything else away.

vnb_208

I kept a few items to wear for progress photos.. most of it was donated . Sz:24 to Sz:14

kristen8000

I'd say now is a great time to let go of them. Keep 1 or 2 of the things you really love in 1 size up, and let the rest go.

SolotoCEO

Get rid of them now! I get rid of mine (trash or donate) as soon as they are too big. It really helps me know I'll never be that size again.

vingogly

I've done it twice (donated to Good Will), and made a hard and fast rule for myself: if I feel my clothes getting tight again, I need to reduce my calorie input and exercise, and will never buy Fat Clothes again.

Lizakabibbis

I'm currently a size 8/10 - I still have ALL my clothes. Why? Fear I think. I know I should get rid of them but I just haven't yet....BTW they are all 18/20.

cwolfman13

I donated mine pretty much right away. My clothes are one of the ways I've kept myself on the maintenance track the last 5 years. I usually put on a little weight in the winter just to the point that my pants are just a bit tight...that's when I know I need to reign it in...when I'm at weight, they're a little lose, but not quite enough to go down to the next size.

cmriverside

My place is so tiny I didn't have room to keep two sizes so I got rid of them as I out-shrunk them.

20 to 10.

rheddmobile

What I realized about this was that I don't want to wear outdated old clothes anyway, so letting them go was easier. I hope never to wear that size again, but if I do, I want new clothes.

OHFlamingo

I'm putting some clothing aside that is too big now, and will be taking them to Goodwill. I will be keeping things like sweatshirts, and my favorite nightshirt for a while, because they are so comfy and warm, and they don't really require a perfect fit. I haven't really lost enough weight yet to make a huge difference in fit. SW 221 CW 185

rainbow198

As I went down in sizes I stored the large clothes in containers in my basement. I have plenty of space so they were out of sight out of mind.

6 months into maintenance I went through them all and couldn't believe how clothes that were once tight on me were so big! Eventually I ended up donating/giving away most items and throwing away or selling other things.

I kept a pair shorts that I can now slip into one leg with ease however. They were getting tight when I first started. It reminds me how far I have come.

Once I hit maintenance I relieved and thought I was done, but I ended up slowly dropping another size (but not weight) within the first year.

lorrpb

I agree give them away when they no longer fit. Keep one or two outfits for comparison. I found that sometimes I was reluctant to let go of something I really liked, even though it no longer fit. So I would comb through Goodwill (my weight loss friend) til I found something similar, then it was easier to let go. I went through several Goodwill wardrobes as I lost 150 lbs, size 3x to small/medium. I also made a rule that for every item I bought, i would get rid of something I no longer needed. All of it was donated back to Goodwill. I do feel that keeping them means you are admitting you will need them again. This is not an option for me.

zharptichka

I get rid of them the second they're too big or if I have a smaller size of the same item that fits. So for example I get rid of the 14 jeans as soon as the 12s fit. I find this helps keep me on track as I can't afford to rebuy clothes if I get bigger. Fortunately I don't need to wear anything in particular right now so I can live in yoga pants which are about the only pants I can afford lol. I'm saving money for the new wardrobe I'll need when I get to my goal.

maybe1pe

I have been getting rid of all but 1 or 2 items that are too large.

The things I keep tend to be items of sentimental value or just because they are comfy lay around the house items. For example I kept a sweatshirt from one of my old hockey teams. It's comfortable and reminds me of good memories while playing on that team. I also kept a pair of sweatpants from college for the same reason.

Other than that, once it's too large I donate it. That way if I ever start creeping up in weight I don't have too big items to put on that make it seem like everything is fine, when in reality it isn't. I don't ever want my weight to be where it was and this way I would have to purposefully go out and buy bigger clothing if that were to happen which would definitely make me stop and think about my life choices.

sgt1372

I don't throw or give any clothes away unless they're torn or thread bare and otherwise unrepairable or worthless. The only clothes that don't fit me anymore are pants, mainly khakis and blue jeans.

They're not suitable for donation and would make great pants to repaint the house in. Just wear them over the pants that do fit. No worries about getting them dirty. Just toss 'em out when I'm done. So, I'm keeping them.

guacamole17

I tend to pile up the clothes that become "comically big" (which is my very low bar for how long I'll wear clothes). Once I get a box full, I ship them off to my sister and wife who fortunately for them wear the same size - approximately where I started. I just lost one of my favorite dresses and a nice pencil skirt to the box after just shipping them a giant bag full of business and other clothes.

I supplement with JC Penneys, Walmart, Target, and Thredup until I eventually stabilize. I tend to rotate quite a bit, replacing a piece at a time, especially skirts and pants.

apullum

guacamole17 wrote: »

I tend to pile up the clothes that become "comically big" (which is my very low bar for how long I'll wear clothes). Once I get a box full, I ship them off to my sister and wife who fortunately for them wear the same size - approximately where I started. I just lost one of my favorite dresses and a nice pencil skirt to the box after just shipping them a giant bag full of business and other clothes.

I supplement with JC Penneys, Walmart, Target, and Thredup until I eventually stabilize. I tend to rotate quite a bit, replacing a piece at a time, especially skirts and pants.

Yeah, I wore some comically big stuff for a while. I hate clothes shopping, but I went from a size 16/XL to 0/XS, and it was pretty common for me to wear things that were a couple sizes too big. I just I finally got rid of all my bigger clothes when we moved cross-country. Nothing forces you to get rid of old things like moving does.

Iwantahealthierme30

Size 16 to a 0? @apullum, what are your stats?

AMC110

I'm learning to sew so I can resize some of my old clothes and the rest I will probably donate.