new clothes?

Buy new clothes. Put your bigger ones in a plastic storage bin from Walmart and put them under your bed. Keep doing what your doing, and you a throw the big clothes out next year and fill the plastic bin with the clothes you are buying now. And buy once again more smaller new clothes!

I like Bassgirl's idea!

Most towns have either thrift shops (Goodwill, Salvation Army) or consignment shops that can help with the costs of clothes shopping. You can get really decent 2nd hand stuff for very little money and in some cases, the tags are still on so they're like new! Just check them over carefully for stains or small holes before you buy. You don't need a whole new wardrobe either, just get a few key pieces for when you need to look your best.

I agree with the others. I've hidden my older clothes and just bought used jeans (name brand even!) from 2nd hand stores. My shirts still fit ok so I'll wait for a few more sizes before I get rid of those too.

Keep one pair as a reminder of where you where and how great you feel now!

I'm a broke medical student and this summer I had no shorts that fit me. I went to a second hand store (Plato's Closet) and got all kinds of stuff for so cheap! I got J. Crew khaki shorts for $8, for example. Shop around thrift stores for your clothes during your weight loss process. Then you can sell your old clothes to make some extra cash. Once you get to your goal, you may invest some extra money in a few key well-fitting pieces.

Find an excellent tailor to take in your pants at the waist (or you can sew them yourself). I generally get an extra two months out of pants that way.

I'd like advice from you all. I've never before lost weight, and now that I've been on this site for several months, have managed to lose some. Now some of my jeans and slacks don't fit so great. I'm excited (cautiously) to be healthier, but not sure how to know if the weight will stay off. How do I know when to go out and buy some new clothes? I'm a grad student on a tight budget, and I don't want to buy needlessly, or buy then not have them fit if I put weight back on during the maintenance phase. Advice?

you decide if you get bigger or not....... so work toward NOT getting bigger.....

I am trying not to buy new clothes until I absolutely have to. I am down almost 40 lbs, but I can still wear a lot of my clothes because I always wore them kind of snug. Most of my pants are baggy and slip down in the butt, and I look like MC Hammer, but I'm wearing them until they fall off me!! Lol Losing weight can get expensive when you're constantly buying new clothes, but if your clothes still fit..wear them. I bought a couple pairs of pants a size smaller, but that was it. I will replace stuff here and there as I go and as necessary, but I plan on treating myself to new stuff when I hit goal weight!! Not for a while though! lol

Buy new clothes. it's a big part of keep up the healthy mentality, and it will make you feel better about your body! Getting rid of some of my too big clothes was a great experience, because it made me say "I am never going back there again."

These days, I do most of my clothes shopping at Good Will. If you know what you're doing you can get some really nice clothes there for dirt cheap. I've picked up stuff from The Gap, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, The Loft, and Charlotte Rousse, to name a few, not to mention both of my Fossil purses came from Good Will. Find one in a nice, higher class area and go frequently and just DIG. Make sure to try things on and inspect the clothes thoroughly for rips or stains before purchasing, and wash them before wearing one you get home.

Other than that, just keep your eyes pealed for sales and take advantage of them. But if you think you'll be losing more weight, thrift store shopping is the way to go. That way you're not spending a lot of money on clothes that you'll just grow out of in a few months.

First of all, love this thread! Love clothes shopping I can't answer for you, I can only share what I do. I'm on a budget too. Personally I am trying not to buy new clothes right now, because since I haven't reached my goal yet, I do not plan to stay at this current weight long at all. I'm losing about a pound a week, so the clothes would only last me a week or two! Not worth it. If I do desperately need something, I like the used clothing store idea, or also try stores like Ross and TJ Maxx that get overstock and previous season (and even designer) clothes from brand name stores. I can't wait for my big shopping trip when I reach my goal! I hope this helps.

I'm a big fan of getting rid of clothes that are too big entirely. If you have them there as a crutch (even hidden), it's easier to get back into them again because the option is there. You're mindset has to be "I am not ever going back to that." When you invest in new clothes and notice them getting tight, you will do something about it, ykwim?

^^ This all the way! I "dieted" before and kept my old clothes - certain times I'd feel bloated or whatever and would go back to those clothes for "a day" or so - then before I knew I was back in them full time. Now I take great pleasure in donating them as soon as they are too big. NEVER going back, and I am making sure if I do it is going to cost me in so many ways! No more diets just staying in my calories and making choices as good as I can. Only going down!