Does shopping make you feel down

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fitnessqueen91
fitnessqueen91 Posts: 166 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know that dress size isn't everything, but it always makes me feel low when I go into a shop and can't fit into the desired size. I've been working out a lot and not binging. I feel great and slimmer even if my weight hasn't changed much. I feel my legs and belly are thinner. However I wen shopping today and size 12 was too tight! I know some shops have small sizes and even the shop assistant said that people complain about small sizes but it still makes me feel crap. I don't feel like a size 14. It just makes me think if a 12 is too tight, how small would I have to be too fit into an 8 or 10. My mum thinks that if I loose more than a stone that I'll be too skinny.
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Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Keep your chin up, it will come.
  • White_hibiscus
    White_hibiscus Posts: 1,594 Member
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    Me! Because nothing looks good. I hate the fitting room
  • ohmyllama
    ohmyllama Posts: 161 Member
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    A bit. The size itself doesn't bother me. I mean, nobody knows what size you wear unless you tell them.

    It is, however, frustrating. I can admit that. Finding pants/shorts was really difficult. Also frustrating that I get stuck in my shirts because my arms are so large. I've decided I won't go shopping for clothing until I lose all my weight, then I can go in feeling confident and have many more options. I hate shopping right now because I get stuck in shirts in the try on room, but I have to laugh about that sometimes!

    Please don't beat yourself up over your size! As long as you're actively working at it, you should feel confident because you're taking action to transform your body. :)
  • cdudley628
    cdudley628 Posts: 547 Member
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    I have definitely gotten stuck in a few things! I try not to get down about not fitting into certain sizes, though. I used to have a really hard time, but then I took a break from shopping. During that break I took some time to work on my self confidence and now I enjoy shopping, even if it can be a little frustrating sometimes!
  • entwife
    entwife Posts: 134 Member
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    You are right, every shop DOES have different sizes. There is no such thing as "a size 12" or "a size 14", its not a fixed measurement like 1.5 metres or 10 stone weight. Each company develops clothing sizes according to their own measurements and their target market, so if you go into a shop for older women you should easily fit into a size 8 or 10 (not that you would probably want to wear their stuff, I see you are 23). At least that is how it works here.

    Please don't let this get you down, what they sell really has nothing to do with how much you weigh. Maybe avoid that shop until the binge eating is well in the past, if it is going to make you feel bad. You want to do things that make you feel stronger and better.
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
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    I have found that more people than you think have this problem. I was having a conversation with a friend of mine yesterday, who is the skinniest thing ever at about 5'6. She confessed that she even dislikes clothes shopping because nothing fits correctly.

    I have issues finding pants because I have an extreme hour glass figure, so wide hips, but chicken legs (even starting to get thigh gap unintentionally). So most jeans sag in the butt because I have to buy larger sizes to avoid muffin top. This also is the same for shirts. I have a 36D chest, so shirts are tight on top but way too loose around the waist.

    Point being, do not be discouraged shopping. I look at it this way, when I find the perfect pair of pants, it's like winning the lottery, and I get incredibly excited. The perfect fits become the ultimate boost, and are worth the waiting and searching for.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    innerfatty91 wrote: »
    I know that dress size isn't everything, but it always makes me feel low when I go into a shop and can't fit into the desired size. I've been working out a lot and not binging. I feel great and slimmer even if my weight hasn't changed much. I feel my legs and belly are thinner. However I wen shopping today and size 12 was too tight! I know some shops have small sizes and even the shop assistant said that people complain about small sizes but it still makes me feel crap. I don't feel like a size 14. It just makes me think if a 12 is too tight, how small would I have to be too fit into an 8 or 10. My mum thinks that if I loose more than a stone that I'll be too skinny.

    It is the shop

    There's no consistency in fashion

    I'm a UK size 8 to 12 and still have 14s that fit

    Go to white stuff or gap if you want an ego boost based on size


  • nyponbell
    nyponbell Posts: 379 Member
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    I don't go shopping. The last thing I bought, aside from a few work out tops (and a training bra) were two sweatshirts I had to buy because it was cold and I was working abroad and hadn't brought any (this summer). Before that I bought some leggings-type black trousers that I didn't even try on (I knew they would fit). I'm going to wear them until they break so completely I can't repair them again (already started repairing; they were cheap and the fabric is not exactly thick) and then I'm going to get similar ones (but not from Primark as I don't live in the UK) that will last me a bit longer.

    So I tend to just not shop most of the time. I do have some "weak moments" when I'm out with a friend and we go in shops and I see something I like, but I try to just stay away from it all together. I'm planning a larger shopping spree once I've lost "enough" weight to warrant new clothes, and I already have a lot of stuff I never really wear anyway that I need to get through.

    The only thing I will replace are the basics; underwear, socks, trousers when there's a need for it, bras (when I can no longer wear the ones I have and a sports bra just won't cut it). But aside from the eventual bra I will need to actually test out (and that's going to be so much fun, said no one ever) I'm just going to grab it and go. I tend to buy the same type of trousers, so I will know if I need to go down a size or not, and how it will fit me.

    But don't feel discouraged! Sizes are tricky, and the most important thing is how you feel and the fact that you can feel that there's been a change in your body!

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I love shopping because I love finding I can wear s smaller size than 1-2 months ago. You really hAve to pick your stores & brands & styles within a brand. There is no consistency. It's horrible regardless of weight or size. Because I'm in transition and go through sizes every few months, I do as much shopping as possible at goodwill. Because brands are all mixed together god one size, you quickly see what a wide discrepancy there is. I usually go through racks for 2-3 sizes to find what I need. It's actually more convenient the way they have things organized than going to the mall. I hate shopping in the mall or regular store because it's so frustrating.

    However, ladies, the problem is with the manufacturer NOT our bodies!
  • sunandmoons
    sunandmoons Posts: 415 Member
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    I love shopping for clothes.. 18 pounds until my goal.. Right now I will stick to handbags as I have plenty of clothes that fit from a size 6 in jrs. (a few years ago) to a size 11/12 and now a size 9/10
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    Before I lost weight, yes, I hated it. Nothing ever looked good and I could never get quite the right sizes.

    Now, I have zero problem. I love it.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    You want clothes that fit and look flattering on you. The size on a clothing item is supposed to help you find the item that fits but it often doesn't unless you stick to the same clothing brand and that brand is consistent. It does not mean you are better or prettier if your size number is 8 versus 14. The vast majority of people probably struggle to find the right size. No one is going to care what size you are wearing if it looks good on you.
    I had a hard time buying new clothes even though I had lost weight and needed a smaller size. I didn't feel like I could just walk into a store and pick up clothes and try them on until I found something that fit. I took a lot of body measurements. I looked at size charts for the different brands I was interested in. I shopped online and read lots of reviews on how things were fitting people. Everything I ended up ordering actually fit pretty well. The fit is the important thing- not what number was on the clothes.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    In the 1960s a size 12 was considered an average size. Today everyone thinks it's for fat people. The more expensive the cloting, the larger the smaller sizes are. It's a marketing tactic. A size 8 in Walmart is larger than a size 8 at Bloomingdales.

    Stop worriying about the number and look for stuff that flatters you and you feel great wearing.

    It took me about a year of bringing clothes into the dressing room that were too big, to start getting to know where my body boundries were.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I avoid shopping when possible. It is a time suck.

    Size variances irritate me too. At the moment I have jeans that fit in sizes 8 to 15. Lol
  • CatherineHillin
    CatherineHillin Posts: 66 Member
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    This makes me feel so bad as well...I know it's hard, but keep doing what you're doing :) women's sizes are ridiculous, every store has a different set, so try not to care too much okay?
  • HippySkoppy
    HippySkoppy Posts: 725 Member
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    47Jacqueline wrote: »
    In the 1960s a size 12 was considered an average size. Today everyone thinks it's for fat people. The more expensive the cloting, the larger the smaller sizes are. It's a marketing tactic. A size 8 in Walmart is larger than a size 8 at Bloomingdales.

    Stop worriying about the number and look for stuff that flatters you and you feel great wearing.

    It took me about a year of bringing clothes into the dressing room that were too big, to start getting to know where my body boundries were.

    So much this......I'm chiming in with my support here.

    I feel for you OP but do yourself a favour and ignore "that" number.....


    In a perfect world it would be so much better if women's sizes went on the same parameters as men's. You got a 27" waist well that your jean number right there (Yes I am aware some brands in America do run that way) I think it would eliminate a lot of the frustration and heartache that women go through when clothes shopping.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Ninkyou wrote: »
    Before I lost weight, yes, I hated it. Nothing ever looked good and I could never get quite the right sizes.

    Now, I have zero problem. I love it.

    Same here. Now that I'm wearing 14s (tight, as I gained weight through September), I shop almost anywhere except Lane Bryant and Torrid.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    Don't let it get to you *Hugs*!

    First of all, UK Sizes are ALL over the place. I can be a size 8 in one shop and try a size 10 in others and not be able to do the zip up. Forget the sizing at this point, carry on doing what you're doing and buy clothes for confidence, not for what the inner tag says! Okay, so you're buying a size 14 even though you 'ideally' wanted a 12? I bet you look damm good in those 14's regardless so own it.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    If the scale says you have not really lost much and you do not feel like you are close to a smaller size, why is this weird? It sounds like you have more weight to lose to reach your goal.
    The question is, is your goal realistic or are you just obsessed wiht an arbitrary size, which might not match at all your body, height, built etc?
  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
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    I find clothes shopping to be quite anxious as the first time I lost weight (25 pounds) I didn't drop down a size until than! And even though people could tell I had lost weight and so on it can be quite disheartening not seeing the results when trying to buy new clothes..

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