How do you do cope with it?

I don't really know how to answer this question. I mean, I get what you're saying. But as long as you are generally happy and enjoying yourself, it's not the worst thing you'll have to deal with. Weight loss was emotional for me too.

Aww wow that's fab how well your doing please share your amazing tips with us fab idea to donate your bigger clothing well done you

DearestWinter wrote: »

I've had this happen! I would definitely focus on wearing clothes that fit your current size, even if this means you're constantly moving things out of your closet. You'll feel more at home with your new size if the clothes you wear aren't reminding you of your old size.

Yep. The other day I looked at myself and was like...whoa. I need to get some clothes that fit and pull myself together haha. I felt so much better afterward.

It takes quite a while for your mind to catch up to the changes with your body. I'm 100lb down from my highest weight, 218lb now but still feel mentally and emotionally as if I'm more like 250lb.

Other people talk about this all the time too. They'll go shopping and pick up two sizes too big clothes out of pure habit. Or they'll have to squeeze between a tight space (like the back of someone's chair that's close to a wall) and think there's no way they'll make it, yet they make it just fine.

Just give yourself time and be happy that you're getting results, congrats on your loss! I'm at that point as well where I need to replace all my sleep clothes, they nearly fall off me.

It took me about 6 months to adjust to my new size. I shopped at Ross, TJ Maxx, etc for cheap stuff until I was fairly certain I had arrived at my permanent new size. It's a good thing too because I dropped 2 sizes after I hit my goal weight. Be patient with yourself-- it's normal for it to take some time.

The feelings you describe are common among the post Bariatric community . I blogged about it recently.

http://jgnatbuzz.blogspot.ca/2015/02/evolving-self.html?m=1

I am happy to report that I am integrating to a new self. And yes, I've had to change over my wardrobe a couple times already.

I know how you feel. You're not alone. I've lost 163 lbs so far and still have 76 lbs to go, but it wasn't until I joined MFP last fall that the weight started coming off unbelievably fast compared to the snail pace of before MFP. It's been coming off so fast my mind can't keep up with the changes. Most of the time I still don't see the changes. Sometimes I do, but my mind won't or can't accept that I'm still not weighing in at 400 lbs. The only thing that reassures me I have lost weight -unconditionally- are my new clothes. The tag no longer says 42W/6X. Now it says 20W or 22W depending on the cut.

It wasn't until I started donating my larger clothes and buying new smaller ones that it started to click that YES I was losing a lot of weight and all the clothes I had were waaay to big. I do still wear a couple of my 1-2 size larger favorite tops/sweaters for winter to help save money for a new wardrobe when I hit goal, but new pants are a necessity every size down for me. (An annoying one at that.)

There's no time table that says your mind will accept these changes within a certain time frame. Some of us take to the changes immediately. For others it takes a heck of a lot longer to accept it. In my case I think it's because I've been severely obese for years. Your mind will catch up when it's ready to and probably not a minute earlier.

Your mind will come around and catch up to your body. But give it time. It's an adjustment.

I had a weird thing where I couldn't bring myself to buy new, smaller pants...and I still don't know why. I just...couldn't see myself smaller? Maybe? As I said, I'm not sure, but I do know it was a mental block. I just couldn't reconcile it.

First my pants were a little loose. Then they were baggy. It got to the point where two of my pairs were literally sliding down my hips and to my ankles when I stood up, and still I wouldn't buy myself new pants. I just couldn't believe it, literally. I started wearing a belt to keep my pants on my body and carried on.

Then one day I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrors at my sons' karate class. My pants were literally swishing, flapping at the knees. Like clown pants. I told myself I wasn't actually a size smaller yet, I had just stretched my pants out from being so overweight.

What finally got me to admit that I really, truly was smaller and that it wasn't my imagination was that I posted a pic of myself in a Halloween shirt on Facebook. I typed "Happy St. Patrick's Day!" under the pic. The joke was because all my friends know I'm a Halloween fanatic. I got a pile of response posts underneath saying I had obviously lost weight and I was gob-smacked. My body itself was definitely not the point of the pic, it was just a joke that I could turn any holiday into Halloween. Then my aunt gently posted that if I got some nicely-fitting clothes then I could enjoy my weight loss journey more. That's when I believed that I actually was smaller.

My new pants are TWO sizes smaller, and not tight.

The mind can be a very, very weird thing.

I'm having a hard time with my larger clothing. I feel like I should keep it. My underwear though is tripping me up. Do I just...throw it away? Dust rags? Right now I have a big 'ol drawer of denial.

Also, I haven't purchased anything smaller. I know I'm smaller but I'm afraid I'll go into the clothing store only to find I'm still my old size. It's such a weird feeling. I'm actually quite afraid.

Thanks @LAWoman72! It's nice to know I'm not alone.

I'll start with bras and undies then move along from there.