In between sizes: Hobo vs. Sausage

redscylla

Excuse me while I rant about the horrors of being between your established sizes. I'm at 189 lbs. as of this morning. Woohoo! That's 21 pounds lost since January.

The problem is that I have a ton of clothes that will fit me once I'm back at about 180 lbs. I also have a small but respectable wardrobe of clothes that fit me when I weighed 210 lbs.

I have almost NOTHING in between. I'm dastardly poor, so I only shop at thrift stores, and I HATE the thought of spending money I don't really have to buy clothes for what I hope is going to be a very brief period of time. After all, if I keep at it, I should be back to 180 lbs. in something like 4 weeks.

In the meantime I only have two choices: wear my "fat" clothes, which now hang on me and make me look like a shambling homeless person. Or, equally attractive, squeeze into my "skinny" clothes and go around looking like a sausage for the next month!

*sigh* Anybody with me in this situation? I know what the solution is--stick to the diet and get back into those skinny clothes as quick as I can!!! I just hate this feeling right now. *grumble*

MaryRegs

I am in the same predicament. Started at a size 24 pants...am now between a 20 and 18 depending on the style. Have 18's waiting but am not quite there yet, and am still wearing the 20's which hang in the back (not good). I refuse to buy more 20's, so I guess that I will make do until I am a true 18. My tops are all big-almost to the point where they look stupid-but again, what is a gal to do? did this even help?

mrsgokev

Aww! Oh no!! I'm sorry you're in that predicament! Well, it's a good thing you're in that, actually because it means you've been working hard and seeing results. I, unfortunately, am not in that position as my fat clothes are still tight and I'm just starting over again. Any goodwill store nearby to spend $20 and get a few different pieces?

redscylla

I am in the same predicament. Started at a size 24 pants...am now between a 20 and 18 depending on the style. Have 18's waiting but am not quite there yet, and am still wearing the 20's which hang in the back (not good). I refuse to buy more 20's, so I guess that I will make do until I am a true 18. My tops are all big-almost to the point where they look stupid-but again, what is a gal to do? did this even help?

It helps to know I am not alone in my annoyance today. )

redscylla

Aww! Oh no!! I'm sorry you're in that predicament! Well, it's a good thing you're in that, actually because it means you've been working hard and seeing results. I, unfortunately, am not in that position as my fat clothes are still tight and I'm just starting over again. Any goodwill store nearby to spend $20 and get a few different pieces?

Sadly even $20 falls under the "money I shouldn't spend" heading. But I'm going to try to view this the way you present. I have lost 21 lbs. It is a good thing that my "fat" clothes don't fit anymore. I need to embrace it. If I can drop another 2 lbs. next week, maybe I'll run through my "skinny" clothes and see if there's anything that fits a little better.

NerdyTXChick

I'm completely in the same boat! I've been wearing my size 20 dockers to work that are baggy enough to fall off me! I've come up with a couple of cheap solutions though - belts. I picked up a cheap narrow belt at Walmart to hold my pants up, and although they are still kind of baggy in the butt, most of my shirts are long enough to cover that. As for the billowy shirts, I already had a wide stretchy belt in black that I can wear over my shirts at the waist and cinch it in. I liked the look so much I bought one in brown too. I've also been looking for one of those metal link/chain belts for the same purpose (I've found them in 3 different stores, but not my size), I've even been eyeing the long scarves I seem to see everywhere. I have no idea if these things are in style, but I've been going with it and nobody has pointed and laughed yet. ;-) You could also safety pin your pants as long as you wear a long shirt over them, or I read somewhere about sewing elastic into you pants. Anything to make these clothes last as long as possible!

NerdyTXChick

Here's an example of my black stretchy belt.

http://www.beltsnjewelry.com/images/fashion stretch 1 black a s.jpg

And here's an example of a chain belt I'm looking for.

http://blog.smashion.com/home/resource/NDworak/Belts03.jpg

And here's some good ideas.

http://blog.smashion.com/home/entry/wearing_belts_in_more_ways

jiggalude

I hear ya! I've been sticking to my "work out" pants...They are becoming more and more loose, but look decent for the most part. Why spend money on something you'll never use again in a month or two? I have a few favorites in my "normal" wardrobe and when I feel hobo-esque i just tell myself it's an achievement that they're big now and soon enough I'll be going shopping when I hit my goal weight. I also hit thrift shops for items that can be adjusted, too. Dresses with a belt or wrap dresses with a tie are great!

NerdyTXChick

Hey, here's my scarf idea!

http://www.amyschwabdesigns.com/scarf-belt-store.html

marsellient

You are not alone! Its not a bad problem to have, but a little frustrating to be between sizes. I like your description of the choice being hobo or sausage. I turned around at the door one day and changed when I truly thought I looked like a bag lady in the mirror at the door. I'm okay for bottoms (belts are very helpful), but it took me half an hour to find a top to wear to a function tonight. Some of the old sleeveless ones gape enough to see straight through at the arms and the newer ones feel tight. Of course, there aren't as many rolls to hide, so a few more pounds and they'll be more comfortable. Maybe your smaller ones really are okay, it's just that you feel uncomfortable?

triinityz

OMG this cracks me up!! I have the same issue, so I alternate at work, fat pants one day, skinny pants the next. Or I'll alternate my fat dress pants with skinny shirts. I notice I get more compliments when I wear the sausage clothes

roachhaley

I'm in the same position. Currently I have to belt my dresses to give me my waist back. When choosing between clothes, I go for whichever one is most comfortable, so that's what I would do in your position. Nothing worse than putting on something thats only a "little" tight in the morning, to only find that later in the afternoon you've bloated and cant breathe

megmay2591

If you can't spend the money on clothes you could always take in your own clothes. I'm sure you could find something on youtube showing how, if you don't know how to yet. Without a sewing machine may take longer, but maybe your mother, sister, or friend has a sewing machine you could use?

nettasaura

Me too! Me too! It sucks. I have one pair of pants I can wear out of the house.....2 pairs of leggings for working out in the house (but the waist bands keep sliding down while the rest stays put).....and about 2 shirts I can wear out of the house and 2 tanks for working out in. Everything else is either too small or too big.

I refuse to buy any new clothes right now though....they will probably just be too big without having gotten hardly any use soon.

tammyopolin

I've been having the same problem. Everything's either too big or too small, and I'm too frugal to spend money on clothes I won't wear for very long. When I'm home, I just wear my yoga pants and tank tops.

austindog2

Baggy, belted dresses are in this season - maybe pick up a dress that fits you now that can be belted (for another, super cute look!) when you're in-between AND at your goal weight? Versatile, lasting, and a good summer staple!

knowwhentoshutup

That is the best explantation and title ever!

Also, I'm in the same boat, and almost the same weight. Here is what I do...

1. Wear dresses. They are more forgiving on size, in fact at 189, I have some that are 12's and some are 18's, but most fit in a flattering way. Obviously, not everyone has or wears dresses, but I find great deals on clearance (especially at Kohls and JCPenneys) but also at thrift stores.

2. Trade with others. My sisters and a few friends routinely share our hand-me-downs (or ups). This is fun, even when not in this strange weight holding pattern too!

3. Google and Youtube some sewing techniques. I've been known to even cheat with safety pins.

Good luck, and feel free to add me!

kmoore02

We are >>>>HERE<<<<<!!!! I had this conversation with one of my coworkers and they were telling me to buy new clothes. Although I have lost about 45lbs so far, I'm not ready to buy new clothes because my goal is another 70-75lbs! Right now I'm wrapping belts around my waist and tying them in knots just to hold my pants up! I'm still not tucking my shirt because I'm trying to hide the extra clothing. Now my shirts are starting to look like halter tops because they're starting droop off of me...forget it, I'm going shopping this weekend....ugh!

zaithyr

I have been in that situation lately! I either use a belt or an elastic hair tie and loop it through the button hole and over the button to give the waist more stretch on stuff that's just barely too tight (although I was finally able to take the hair tie off this last week of my favorite skirt! yay!!). Also, at maternity stores they have the tummy sleeve things that pregnant women (and women who just recently had a baby) wear over the tops of their jeans so they don't have to button them and you can't tell they're unbuttoned at all. Might seem kind of a weird idea but they are comfortable and it might be a good solution if you don't want to wear a belt lol

sun33082

Do you have a sewing machine? I've altered some of my clothing to help it fit better, including a bra that I bought recently that is already too big.

Mini rant: I hate when I buy bras that are the same size, same style, but 2 different colors and one fits great and the other is too big? WTF?!

LuckyAng

Hey, here's my scarf idea!

http://www.amyschwabdesigns.com/scarf-belt-store.html

You are so fun and cute with all your belt links

poodlepaws

Yep... been there; still there! I'm not quite "small" enough for my 14's to totally fall off and need duct taping, but my 12's are a still bit too tight for comfort.

I've had a few friends send me their clothes they no longer wore and that would fit me

I force myself to buy a new pair of jeans every 20 pounds as a reward for the weight loss

NerdyTXChick

Hey, here's my scarf idea!

http://www.amyschwabdesigns.com/scarf-belt-store.html

You are so fun and cute with all your belt links

LOL! Thanks! I wasn't sure if my descriptions were all that great, and I've been kind of excited at how well these ideas are working.

KourtneyP83

I'd say hobo out of comfort. I started at a 28 and I had clothes already 24-28...I wore my 24's until I was an 18 before I bought new clothes...they looked a hot mess and I felt a hot mess, but I couldn't afford it at the time either.

azwaa

Taking in clothes is super easy, esspecially stuff like t-shirts. You just create a new seam further into the shirt, no cutting needed. And you don't need to worry about ever needing those hobo clothes again because you are going to be beautiful and skinny for good.

kschr201

I do that too - I tend to belt things to bring the waist back

or tie the edges of shirts to make them a bit smaller

its like slightly fitted hobo...

michellelhartwig

Hobo.....at least that's where I am! I have saggy butt pants!

meshashesha2012

that's me.. i look like a ragamuffin 75% of the time. even now at the gym all of my exercise stuff is too big (ie imagine baggy spandex.. not sexy look right?). and i too am broke and don't to spend $$ on in between sizes. plus i'm not even half way to my goal yet. if i'm going to buy new stuff i'd leas want to wait until i'm a bit past the half mark.

when i go out places where i need to look presentable, i will wear one of my wrap dresses or shirt dresses. wrap dresses are great because you can adjust them so they work great for in between sizes. the a-line dresses forget about it.

the sewing idea is good, i've started taking my bras in myself since i've only really changed in the rib cage and not the cup.

what's also happening is that my shoes are getting bigger. i think i'm a good half size smaller than when i started. that's something i didnt expect to happen because it's not like i had fat feet

tugers2

i took in a couple pairs of jeans and i just wear my baggy *kitten* shirts lol

bellygoaway

I am down 34 since joining the site (54) over all. I am in the same boat. I have such a long way to go, I really don't want to drop any money on clothes now. So I have on oversized clothes that are looking bigger ever week.

amivox

Yep, been there. Thats why I also have a supply of pants with drawstrings.