When do I get to buy new clothes?

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  • janicebinva
    janicebinva Posts: 99 Member
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    In my experience, it takes the longest to drop that first size. All the pants I had been wearing were old and stretched out - I started at size 16 and refused to be a size 18, so I didn't buy new pants for a long time. Something new in the same size was tight before I started. And I am pear-shaped, so it takes a lot of weight loss to notice changes in pant size. At 230 I was a very tight 16. At 190, I was a loose size 14.

    Wow. I'm 5'6", 155 pounds, and I'm a 14. At close to 170, I was a 16. Where are you buying your clothes?? It just goes to show you, it's not the absolute size number or weight on the scale that matters, but the relative sizes and relative changes in weight.


    I am somewhere between 5'7 and 5'8, so I am a little taller. And I have always seemed a bit dense compared to others. I probably tend to buy brands that run large, since size 14 - 16 is the cut-off for plus size for many brands and I always have refused to buy plus-sized clothes - partly due to the stigma of it and partly because they don't seem to fit me correctly (like I should have a smaller frame and higher body fat %).

    I hear you loud and clear on the cutoff for plus size clothes. I've been a 14-16 for a while. At a 16, I had to go into the plus sized section, and their smallest clothes seemed much larger than I was. There's a gap in there, and clothes stores are losing a lot of money because of it. I always hate trying to find clothes at a 14, because there might be one or two pairs of pants, but one is black and one is brown. When I was a 10, which I'm planning to be again, shopping was great because I could find most items in multiple colors.

    When I get too thin for my 14s, I'll go to a thrift store and buy a few 12s to tide me over. But that won't be for another couple of months.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    Like others have posted, it really varies.

    At my heaviest I wore a 22. I may have owned like ONE pair of 24's, ever...I was 307 lb.

    I managed to get down to 262 before joining MFP in March, and I was still wearing size 22 jeans and pants. I had a couple size 20 pants but they were stretchy and still snug. That's a pretty huge difference (45 lb) in my opinion, to still be wearing the same size.

    Over the past 9 months I've lost a bit over 55 lb and right now I'm in between 16-18 (at 206 lb). I pretty much skipped size 20 altogether and went from 22 down to 18.

    Most of my size 18 pants & jeans are beginning to feel loose but they were still perfect if not snug when I was around 218 lb.

    I have some size 14 dress pants but again they have a bit of stretch in them. 14 jeans I've tried thus far do not even come all the way up my thighs/hips even though SOME of my 16s are loose. However I can already wear size 14 dresses most of the time.

    I have no idea where I'll end up. I don't know my "ultimate goal weight" but I'm thinking somewhere in between 165-180 (I am 5'8", 37 yrs old and haven't been anywhere near 180 lb since age 14). NO CLUE what size I will be then. 12? 14? I guess I will find out when I get there.
  • Susie0307
    Susie0307 Posts: 31 Member
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    it seems to me I change sizes every 10-15 pounds. I disagree about buy clothes while dropping. Maybe don't buy a whole wardrobe but a couple of piece help you to see a difference. That in turn encourages me to keep going. If money is tight, try second hand shops.

    This is what I did. About every 10 lbs, I needed new work slacks. I'd wear them til they were baggy - but it felt GREAT to buy a size smaller, in maybe 2 basic colors. It would give me motivation to see I could fit into a smaller size. I'd need new jeans along the way too. I was truly shocked the day I fit into a size 10. Once I met my goal weight, I splurged on a bigger wardrobe (dresses!! a pencil skirt!! -- things I haven't worn in years!). Good luck!
  • sriley7682
    sriley7682 Posts: 48 Member
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    I just bought new pants (my tops mostly all still fit me) after losing 70 pounds. I'm probably weird and not the norm... it seems like others are saying they bought new after 30-40 pounds. I'm also 5'9" so that probably makes a difference if you are shorter. But it took that long for things to really just not fit right and my pants were coming up to under my bra. Haha. So I bought a few staple things and I'm waiting to see if I will reach my goal before buying too much.
  • meganjcallaghan
    meganjcallaghan Posts: 949 Member
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    It totally depends on the person and where they carry the weight. If you're losing primarily around the middle because that's where you carried most of it you'll see your pant size going down fairly significantly every 15 - 20 pounds i'd estimate. stick with thrift shops for now though, unless you're made of money. I think over the last year the only new thing I bought until a month or two ago was a new jacket, sweater and pjs in august (since at that point mine could all fit 2 of me inside). My nana just gave me christmas money for new clothes and I've spent some of it on new wardrobe stuff, but even now I know that at 183 I have to be mindful of the fact that there's a minimum of another 30 coming off so I'm buying things in a wearable, but slightly too snug size so that hopefully i'll still be able to use it at that point.
  • meganjcallaghan
    meganjcallaghan Posts: 949 Member
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    I have no idea where I'll end up. I don't know my "ultimate goal weight" but I'm thinking somewhere in between 165-180 (I am 5'8", 37 yrs old and haven't been anywhere near 180 lb since age 14). NO CLUE what size I will be then. 12? 14? I guess I will find out when I get there.

    The sizes you've worn for every weight match mine pretty closely and I'm in a snug 12 at 183 pounds. So you'll probably be around a 12 at that point also. weeee!!!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    This is in reference to a ton of different posts in this thread...but I just do not get it. HOW could you wear the same jeans after losing 60-80 lb? Makes no sense to me at all. If I put on my old size 22 jeans they would fall down. If I wore a belt I'd still look so weird that my family and friends would stage an intervention with me. In fact, my husband and mom both seriously begged me to get rid of some "cute" 2X and 3X tops several months ago, because they looked absurd. I don't get it....why wouldn't you drop $50 on a mini wardrobe at Goodwill?
  • Arydria
    Arydria Posts: 179 Member
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    Like others have posted, it really varies.

    At my heaviest I wore a 22. I may have owned like ONE pair of 24's, ever...I was 307 lb.

    I managed to get down to 262 before joining MFP in March, and I was still wearing size 22 jeans and pants. I had a couple size 20 pants but they were stretchy and still snug. That's a pretty huge difference (45 lb) in my opinion, to still be wearing the same size.

    Over the past 9 months I've lost a bit over 55 lb and right now I'm in between 16-18 (at 206 lb). I pretty much skipped size 20 altogether and went from 22 down to 18.

    Most of my size 18 pants & jeans are beginning to feel loose but they were still perfect if not snug when I was around 218 lb.

    I have some size 14 dress pants but again they have a bit of stretch in them. 14 jeans I've tried thus far do not even come all the way up my thighs/hips even though SOME of my 16s are loose. However I can already wear size 14 dresses most of the time.

    I have no idea where I'll end up. I don't know my "ultimate goal weight" but I'm thinking somewhere in between 165-180 (I am 5'8", 37 yrs old and haven't been anywhere near 180 lb since age 14). NO CLUE what size I will be then. 12? 14? I guess I will find out when I get there.

    Talk about disparities!! At 291 I was a tight 24 or 26W. At 40lbs down, someone asked if my jeans were so big because I had to wear a diaper. I went shopping the next day and wound up in a size 18. Now at 215, I'm wearing a 14 or 16. I'm hoping to get down to 170 ( at 5'9") and wear a 12 or maybe 10.

    That said, I refuse to buy many new clothes. I got a few multi sized pieces, and I got a pair of skinny jeans... I'll get my shopping spree at goal. It helps motivate me!!
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
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    You can buy new clothes whenever you d@mn well please.

    I lost like 3 pounds and went down a pant size. It varies from person to person.
  • Chimis_Siq
    Chimis_Siq Posts: 849 Member
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    Im down about 40 lbs and havent bought new size. My pants fit loose, but not loose enough that they are falling off. So I think everyones going to be different! :)
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I have no idea where I'll end up. I don't know my "ultimate goal weight" but I'm thinking somewhere in between 165-180 (I am 5'8", 37 yrs old and haven't been anywhere near 180 lb since age 14). NO CLUE what size I will be then. 12? 14? I guess I will find out when I get there.

    The sizes you've worn for every weight match mine pretty closely and I'm in a snug 12 at 183 pounds. So you'll probably be around a 12 at that point also. weeee!!!

    Very cool!!! :-)
  • xoeva
    xoeva Posts: 209 Member
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    After about a 15lbs loss I went down a size in pants and bra.... some shirts still fit but some I had give away because they just weren't working... I just recently bought 2 pairs of size 12 pants for work (and gave away all the 16s and most of the 14s). But couldn't part with my favourite pair of jeans which were so tight I couldn't button them in Aug and now are so loose they fall off..so I went to a tailor and for $15 she took them in and now they are way more comfortable. Also, I hate shopping so I'd rather all my clothes just get altered.
  • 10manda86
    10manda86 Posts: 229 Member
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    Hi, I too am excited to eventually be able to buy new clothes!! But until I stop changing size I am sticking with op shop clothes. You can really pick up some nice things for a bargain! Plus you help a charity at the same time! Double bonus.
    I buy underwear of course brand new, and updated my underwear wardrobe with a few cheapest. Didn't notice until I was washing them that I had bought a size smaller than I normally would. They fit perfect... gotta love NSV
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
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    It also can be in your head.

    I just bought a size down that I haven't been since I was a Sophmore in high school! -I'm 38 yrs old! I got so used to wearing a certain size and going up and then back down to that size. Finally This last year I kicked it into high gear and lost the last 10 lbs. That 10 lbs took me down another size.

    Keep at it, you'll get there.
  • Binkie1955
    Binkie1955 Posts: 329 Member
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    buy clothes now and celebrate success. the trick is giving away the fat clothes often and never turning back.
    you might wait until a few after Christmas sales but don't wear a fat suit for the holidays or new years.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
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    I went from a size 14/16 to 2/4 and I still haven't bought a new wardrobe. What I did was wore the 14s and 16s until they looked ridiculous even with a belt, which was around size 10. Then I got a few size 10s from the thrift shop and wore those until they looked ridiculous with a belt. Then I went to the thrift shop and bought some 6s and wore those until I felt ready to get some 2/4s. As I still want to work on my figure, I refuse to spend a lot on clothes. Once I reach my final goal, I will indulge in a shopping spree. I have, however, started replacing tops as I'm a size small and don't see myself getting to an XS. Oh, I lost a total of almost 60 lbs over the last 11 months, so I would say I needed a new size every 10 lbs or so. Your results may be different.
  • ladyredeemed4
    ladyredeemed4 Posts: 72 Member
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    How tall are you? I am 5'9, weight 195 and wear size 14.
  • JustMeee333
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    I didn't buy any new clothes until I'd lost near enough 100lb. Now I've slowed down dropping dress sizes so quickly, and have bought a few items in the sales, and a couple of things in the next size down (they fit, but they're too tight for my liking), to keep me going for a little while.
  • NorCal311
    NorCal311 Posts: 44 Member
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    I ask that question a lot. I keep putting it off. Now I have a goal of 26 more LBS then I will be getting clothes. That will be 6 pant sizes.
  • NorCal311
    NorCal311 Posts: 44 Member
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    buy clothes now and celebrate success. the trick is giving away the fat clothes often and never turning back.
    you might wait until a few after Christmas sales but don't wear a fat suit for the holidays or new years.

    I like it..... This is what I should do!!!