I'M NOT GOING BACK!

Hanfordrose

I just got 7 more pair of size 16 petite pants delivered to my home yesterday. I went to my closet and pulled out hangars, containing 9 pair of pants that were brand new and fit me perfectly in April but are now baggy and loose. As I took them off the hangars and folded them up, I thought about who would get them next.

A lady at church asked me, if I had any clothes that I might pass on to her daughter. Apparently, her daughter is a bit larger them me. I will give her one pair of pants for her daughter to try on. If they fit, she can have the rest. If not, I will sent these pants on to the Closet of Hope at my friend's church.

I know that many folks keep a closet full of various size clothes, wearing what fit them at the time and waiting to either grow down to or UP to that size in the future. I'm not going to keep my big size clothes...only one set of size 32 pants and a 4X blouse for comparison later.

I have already given away a HUGE amount of clothes from my past. This photo shows the day that PURGED my closet in late April to make room for new clothes that would fit my body. I had dropped so many sizes since Thanksgiving.



All of those beautiful clothes had served me for years, when I weighed 270 to 280+ pounds; but now, they were enormous. Besides all this oversized blouses, jackets, tank tops and nighties were dozens of pants that were now FALLING DOWN HUGE on me. All of those clothes were donated to Closet of Hope. They are giving someone else pleasure now.

I can look back now and see myself wearing those colorful blouses. I even had photos of me wearing some of those clothes. One of them showed up in a church website recently...to my horror. There I am sitting at a table in October 2012, just one day before my surgeon told me that I would have to lose 70 pounds to get my new knees. That's the photo on the left. The picture on the right shows a new version of me in April. Yes. It was time to give away the size 4X blouses in favor of my new size 20 body.



Do I feel the need to keep 'a safety net' of older, larger size clothes...for WHEN or IF I go back to larger size? NO WAY!!! :noway:

I don't want anything to tempt me back into my former weight. In fact, I look forward to the day, when I can no longer wear the new pants that just got hung in my closet yesterday. I will happily give away those brand new, size 16 pants and my size 20 and 22 blouses as quickly as possible on the day that I can wear those 14s...12s...10s or whatever size God blesses me with in the future.

I spent most of my life in a body that was far bigger than I am now. 270...280 was normal for me. Crippling pain and low esteem were just part of my life. My wheelchair became my life, as knees were destroyed and the long bone heads fractured under my weight.

Today, I am approaching a totally ABNORMAL weight for this 68 year old lady. I am only a couple of pounds away from ONEDERLAND, that wonderful weight that starts with the number ONE. So much of my life was lost, because I lived in the TWO HUNDREDS. I was crippled, because I did not do something sooner.

Well, it is not too late for me...OR FOR YOU. I am doing something right for me today, and so can you. I make a daily commitment to low calorie food plan. I engage in exercise as often as I can. For me, that swimming laps for an hour. Because I am willing to make that daily commitment and do that exercise, I have successfully lost almost 70 pounds since Thanksgiving. I will be getting new knees in the next few months. I will be out of my wheelchair and walking...even running, if I want...within the coming year.

I have NEW LIFE and a NEW BODY, and they both deserve NEW CLOTHES that FIT that body. I don't need to hoard my old, oversized clothes. I don't need a SAFETY NET in my closet.

I'M NOT GO BACK!!!

I'M GOING FORWARD! How about you?

Anita4life

This is a great motivational story, thank you for sharing it. I will be removing clothes that are too big for me from closet and also never going back. I am tired of living like this. I hope you make wonderland very soon! I see you are just a pound away from your new knees. Do you still need them?

qtgonewild

well done. you look awesome already. great job!

lessofme43

I have lost 20 lbs in the last few months, slowly exhausting my store of clothes I long ago outgrew, so now I have quite the pile of giveaways. I am hesitant to buy new clothing because in intend to lose some more and so I'm scanning the sale racks whenever I have a chance. But I will make a trip to my local thrift store to see if I can score for cheap there :-) i don't want to hang onto big sizes because it feels like I'm giving myself permission to go back to an unhealthy lifestyle.

1longroad

Awesome!! I have purged a lot, but still have stretchy clothing that while too large, still doesn't fall down. ;-)

I don't know what size I will end up, as I have a wide body and lot's of extra skin, but at least I will be healthier!!

Territravel

The answer is, "I'm moving forward, not backwards." I haven't kept a single thing from my closet that doesn't fit. Now I wish I had kept something to compare with, oh well! I have a couple of friends that love when I clean out my closet.

kdaughertyfp

I did the same thing over the weekend and created a pile of pants that I can no longer wear. I know I have a few tops that should be put in that same pile. Hopefully I will find someone who can use them if not the women’s shelter or Goodwill will be getting a donation.

I have some very comfy capris and t-shirts that I just love, good thing the capris have drawstrings because otherwise they would not stay up. I have one pair of capris that only has an elastic waste band that I wear as pjs, if I put my cell phone in the pocket they will not stay up. I just hate to give those up but the time is coming that I will have to.

I have so many tops in my closet that still have tags on them that when I bought them they didn’t fit, or fit right and I thought when I lose weight I will be able to wear them. I should probably take time and go through them so I can start wearing them before they are too big! There are probably some that I will have to add to the pile also.

It is such a great feeling to know I am getting rid of them because they are too big and not because I can’t fit into them.

Just trying to decide if I wait until the current size pants go into the pile, because it is getting close to the time to move on to the next size or just get rid of them now. I am not holding onto these clothes just in case, because I am not going there again!!

jema_b98

great job! I totally agree with you - get rid of the bigger size clothes and move on!

Hanfordrose

I see you are just a pound away from your new knees. Do you still need them?

My surgeon approved me to be on the preop list about one month ago, even though I still short of the 70 pounds. Both of us knew that I will be well beyond the 70 pound lost mark, when I get my surgery. He knows that I have set my goal to reach a weight closer to 145 pounds. Right now, he is using my before and after photo the encourage some of his other, OLDER patients who need to lose weight.

He actually has copies of photos like this to share with others, and he is telling them about MyFitnessPal and about his 68 year old patient who is in a wheelchair all day, except when she is swimming laps for an hour each morning. He wanted his other patients to see what commitment to a low calorie food plan and some exercise can do. Yep, these pictures are of me.









This last photo shows me at my top weight and me now.

emjaycazz

I love all of your updates, Sue! I am imagining the joy on your face as you pack up all of the now-too-big pants and other clothes for donation. Is the surgeon who's talking about MFP to other patients the handsome one? Give him a big hug from us!

bookworm_847

Good for you! I'm so happy you're having such amazing success and look forward to reading about more successes in the future.


I love your posts!

:flowerforyou:

Elliehmltn

Your incredible progress is SO exciting! And your positive attitude is contagious!

bestjuneever

I can't wait to bring out all my old jeans to wear again and give away my big clothes! What a great inspiration.

TinaBaily

I'm not going back, either! The ONLY thing I have hung onto, and will keep forever as a reminder of how far I've come, is THE largest pair of pants that I once could barely squeeze myself into. They are a size 20 or 22, I believe, and I was a muffin top while at my heaviest, wearing them. That was post-pregnancy with my last 2 kids, weighing in at a whopping (for my not quite 5' 4" frame) 235lbs. I want to take a photo of them on me, holding out all the excess, just like in those diet photos, showing how big I was and soon won't be.

This week is showing some big changes in my abdomen in a good way and it's very encouraging! I developed a "fat apron", or pannus, (panniculum?), while pregnant with my last 2 babies, and it just hung there, gravity doing its thing, for years. (my baby is 15.5 years old, so I have no excuse) This morning, a part of that apron was no longer hanging, but just sticking out a little instead! Oh My Gosh!!! I could have done a little dance!!!! I never want a "tummy tuck", and have been hoping and praying that diet, exercise and patience will get rid of most, if not all, of that wretched thing. This losing weight business gets exciting sometimes!

Hanfordrose

I love all of your updates, Sue! I am imagining the joy on your face as you pack up all of the now-too-big pants and other clothes for donation. Is the surgeon who's talking about MFP to other patients the handsome one? Give him a big hug from us!

Yes, Sis. I call my surgeon 'Dr. Handsome Jack'. He is a cutie and so proud of my progress. Here is the day that he gave me the thumbs up for my surgeries.



I am still waiting for a surgery date; but I am not worried, because I know that it is coming...soon. I just have to keep myself on track and ready for that day.

sbrownallison

I have immensely enjoyed the ritual of going through the back of the closet to find the clothes in sizes that I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO. When I started my latest weight-loss adventure (I've been on many, many of them since childhood), I was wearing women's size 20 jeans. I now wear a size six or eight pants. My tops were a 1X or 2X and now I wear mediums or even small tops. I've had several waves of closet-cleaning over the last year and a half. I have learned to shop in thrift stores because I would buy new clothes and have to get rid of them several months later! At least thrift clothes don't cost so much.

Sue, your story is inspiring to all of us who pal around with you on MFP! We are all so delighted with your success and progress.

Back to clothes: I find that I no longer know what style clothing to wear or what suits me. You'll undoubtedly have the same problem and will have to revamp or discover your "look". Something else to look forward to, right?

vikidenn

Congratulations on a job well-done already. Just keep doing what you've been doing, and you'll keep getting what you've been getting. You are on a winning streak!

judilockwood

Incredibly motivating story, so pleased for you.WELL DONE!!! I'm about at goal of a much shorter journey and have clothes that are 2 sizes too baggy- was thinking of keeping them 'in case' but will now get rid cos I'm NEVER going back x

mamadukes23

All I can say is congratulations and THANK YOU!! Your story is truly inspiring!

citygirl4ever

Sue, you look amazing. You are an inspiration to us all.

bellesouth18

You've made an unbelievable transformation. You look gorgeous! :glasses: :smokin: You're ready for Hollywood cause you're smoking hot now!

candidcamster

Sweet! AWESOME post, and congratulations on your weight loss, I can't wait to be in Onederland myself, I have 107 lbs. to get there, but I hope to see you there in about a year or so. :drinker:

Hanfordrose

Sweet! AWESOME post, and congratulations on your weight loss, I can't wait to be in Onederland myself, I have 107 lbs. to get there, but I hope to see you there in about a year or so. :drinker:

If this old lady can do it, so can you, Sis.

Godispromising

You are so amazing & beautiful & such an inspiration! Thank you for all your posts. I love reading them!

cupcakes_and_cardio

awesome job, OP. You look great, wonderful success!

BIRD0

Wow, you look great! Congatulations! You are glowing! Keep up the good work!

myhoneyrose

Earlier this month I did the same thing. I made donations of my old clothes to two of our local charities. I hope someone gets good use out of them and then realizes that they can be in a smaller size too. I also kept one old pair of pants and shirt for comparison. I don't EVER want to go back! I reached ONEDERLAND last week! I have 65 pound to be down to my goal weight. I am a girl on a mission and I intend to be a very big success story!!! I love your posts. You are always uplifting! Keep up the great work...

alondrahayes

Thank you for sharing your story! You are an inspiration!!!