Yo-yo dieting leading to multiple wardrobes feels like hoarding

ticklepocket
ticklepocket Posts: 36 Member
edited December 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I am doing spring cleaning and I am getting really upset because of all the clothes I own that don't fit.

I have become somewhat of a yo-yo dieter. I am currently creeping back up so I have whole sets of clothes in 2 sizes that are too small for me and 1 size that is too big for me. This is in addition to the set of clothes that currently fit. And of course I have work and casual and winter and summer clothes in all these sizes.

This situation is really getting to me. I look at my closets and I feel like I am becoming a hoarder, like those super crazy people on TV, My closets are jammed and I have stuff in boxes and it looks terrible and makes my bedroom feel ugly.

This is making me super anxious but I can't figure out what to do about it. I genuinely believe that I will lose the weight and be able to fit into the smaller clothes. I also know that if I go through a bad patch I might gain weight and need the bigger clothes.

I cannot afford to throw away clothes that I might need in a few months. My work clothes are scrubs and my casual clothes are jeans, tshirts and classic styles so having the clothes go out of style is not an issue.

I can't be the only person with this problem!

I would really appreciate it if you could share your experiences and thoughts and tips with me. Thanks so much!

Replies

  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited May 2016
    You must buy a lot more clothes that I do.
  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    Pack up all the clothes that don't fit (Rubbermaid tubs) and store in your garage. Only keep accessible the clothes you can currently wear.

    When I lost 70 pounds 3 years ago I literally got rid of every clothing item I owned and had to slowly buy new. I went from a 14/16 in pants to a size 4 and XXL shirts to smalls and mediums. I could wear that size until last year when I gained some weight. I had to buy some size 8s and large tops, but now I fit back into by smallest clothes. I will keep the 8s and larges, but good riddance to the super big clothes.
  • mommazach
    mommazach Posts: 384 Member
    I purged my big clothes. I'm not going back to them. Ever. I have the next 2 sizes smaller in jeans and shorts. I'm top heavy and built like a linebacker so my tshirts don't ever change. But get rid of the crap you aren't wearing. You can donate them to others, and start working on building a functioning wardrobe for yourself.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    I try it on. If it doesn't fit, or if for some reason, I just don't like it anymore, (tastes change!) away it goes to the donation center. My clothes should make me happy, not miserable. I budget a few dollars every month for thrift store shopping, and my rule is to only buy what fits me Right Now, not what will fit in a few months. I've kept one pair of my size 16W jeans so that when I'm at my goal weight, I can put them on and see how silly they look.
  • melissa6771
    melissa6771 Posts: 894 Member
    I'm going to be completely honest with you, and it's embarrassing. I have clothes, full wardrobes, from size 8- 18w right now. Last year I went through everything, and it was depressing, I cried the whole time looking at all the clothes I had and loved that I could not wear.

    I bought 12 totes, and I arranged them all by size and season and packed them up. I only kept what fits now and one size down in the hopes that I would get my fat *kitten* back in shape, not knowing if I would ever get my mojo back. The last few times I lost major weight, I got rid of my "fat" clothes saying I was never going back, and I did.

    This time I am going to change out the bins and pack away the bigger clothes. Having them or not having them isn't going to motivate me to keep the weight off, that's all in my mind. They will be there if God forbid I need them, I'm sick of wasting money. And, if I don't need them for the next 10 years when I get through this, then fantastic, but it will always remind me where I've been. Maybe for some getting rid of the bigger ones keeps them from gaining, that doesn't work for me.

    In the end, no matter what, it's up to me to get to, be and stay at a weight where I'm happy.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I'd been hanging on to my fat clothes to get them altered but brought a pair to the tailor who told me that it wouldn't be cost effective for her to take in clothes that are two sizes too big for me now. So I am going to bring the work clothes to a consignment store and use a Schoola bag to Send in Your Unwanted Clothing to Support Girls' Education. I am keeping a pair of my fattest jeans.

    I just retrieved a suitcase full of skinny clothes that I haven't been able to wear in 10 years that have been stored in my mom's barn and am going to sort through them. (They are still too small - I have probably 20 pounds to go for them.) I'll have to look in mom's attic for clothes that might fit me at this interim size.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I haven't gotten rid of clothes yet but I don't have that much that I am not wearing currently.
    They say if you haven't worn something in a year you should get rid of it. Have you worn any of these things in a year?
    Maybe have one box of bigger clothes instead of a whole wardrobe of the bigger size. If stuff doesn't fit in the one box get rid of it. Now the smaller size stuff maybe just keep half.
    Watch your calorie intake. Your weight is within your control.
  • loopylou2014
    loopylou2014 Posts: 7 Member
    This is so me! I think as you get older those clothes mount up even more. I have clothes I wore in my 20's and even some from my teens which I 'still' think I may one day get back into (I'm 47). I have quite eccentric tastes in clothes so those I like are few and far between on the high street. I take very good care of my favorite clothes which doesn't help either :)

    I've found those large thick plastic bags which you can vacuum the air out of a god send, it minimizes the space they take up plus you can stick labels on the outside with sizes for easy access and safely put them away in the loft without fear of the damp or moths getting to them.

    I'm currently on a downward trend weight wise (with the help of MFP) so only the next size down is out ready for unpacking once I take the plunge and downsize. It also serves as motivation for me as I've placed my favs on top so I can see them daily. Every time I think I desperately need some new clothes I can look at the bag and know there's a whole bag of clothes I love just waiting for me if I stick to my plan :D
  • hiyomi
    hiyomi Posts: 906 Member
    dragon_girl26 wrote: »
    ticklepocket wrote: »
    I am doing spring cleaning and I am getting really upset because of all the clothes I own that don't fit.

    I have become somewhat of a yo-yo dieter. I am currently creeping back up so I have whole sets of clothes in 2 sizes that are too small for me and 1 size that is too big for me. This is in addition to the set of clothes that currently fit. And of course I have work and casual and winter and summer clothes in all these sizes.

    This situation is really getting to me. I look at my closets and I feel like I am becoming a hoarder, like those super crazy people on TV, My closets are jammed and I have stuff in boxes and it looks terrible and makes my bedroom feel ugly.

    This is making me super anxious but I can't figure out what to do about it. I genuinely believe that I will lose the weight and be able to fit into the smaller clothes. I also know that if I go through a bad patch I might gain weight and need the bigger clothes.

    I cannot afford to throw away clothes that I might need in a few months. My work clothes are scrubs and my casual clothes are jeans, tshirts and classic styles so having the clothes go out of style is not an issue.

    I can't be the only person with this problem!

    I would really appreciate it if you could share your experiences and thoughts and tips with me. Thanks so much!

    I think this is where you have to start. I'm currently going through my yearly spring cleaning of my closet, hauling out things that don't fit anymore because they're too big. It's my way of acknowledging that I'm done with that size, and I'm never gong back. If you keep those clothes around "just in case", it's like you're giving yourself permission to have that old size to fall back on. It's sort if like a crutch, you know?
    Out with the old! Those big clothes are taking up space, and that isn't who you want to be anymore. Maybe that will help you let go, end the cycle, and stop giving yourself pemission to regain.

    Next thing is the yo-yo dieting you mentioned. It might be a good time to look at what you're doing, and decide to make permanent lifestyle changes you can live with so the yo-yo doesn't happen anymore. Are you trying to take on too much at once (restrict too much, overexercise, etc?) Are you trying fad diets? What's causing the yo-yos?

    Plus, by getting rid of those clothes, it means you now have to go buy bigger clothes if you start regaining. It's expensive, as you said, plus who wants to do that, right? :) For me, if my current size starts getting too tight, that means it's time to re-evaluate my lifestyle. I'm also on a limited budget, and I refuse to go out and buy bigger clothes. It's cheaper and healthier to address my weight issue instead.

    I 100% agree with this post! Keeping your bigger clothes "in case you gain weight again" is already setting yourself up for failure if you think about it! Donate your clothes that are too big for you, and keep the clothes that are too small so you have motivation to keep losing weight!
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    DECIDE TO NEVER NEED THEM AGAIN!

    Lose it, read these forums, do it right and keep it off for good. Chose to never yo again.
  • xX_PhoenixRising_Xx
    xX_PhoenixRising_Xx Posts: 623 Member
    What others said. I've gone from an Australian size 26 down to an 8 - 10 (US 4 - 6). Apart from one pair of size 26 pants, the only clothes I have are the ones that fit me now and one or two pairs of pants that are a little tight but will fit soon. While I was losing most of my weight I only ever kept sizes that were smaller. I refuse to go back into larger clothes so why keep them? I donate everything that gets too big.

    I guess it's a question of attitude.
  • afatpersonwholikesfood
    afatpersonwholikesfood Posts: 577 Member
    I never got rid of clothes in the past. Or I rarely did. I went from 280 to 200 at one point and 387 to 275 at another point. I had many sizes packed away.

    On the plus side, as far as smaller clothes go, I now have a few items that are over a decade old but in great condition, and I had a few things here and there along the way that were thrilling to get back into. One sad thing is that a few years ago, on a day when I decided I needed to be realistic and accept that I would likely always be close to 400 pounds, I put on angry music and threw away a lot of the smaller stuff. I'm just glad I couldn't bring myself to get rid of my favorites.

    As far as bigger clothes go, I did something I never did before apart from the occasional spring cleaning - a few months back, I started getting rid of everything. I gave away what I could and threw away the rest. I felt good about it. I have a couple of tops that have recently become too big, and I've already decided to purge them from my wardrobe as well. Mentally, I think this may be a good thing.
  • lauraesh0384
    lauraesh0384 Posts: 463 Member
    85Cardinals wrote: »
    You must buy a lot more clothes that I do.

    Same here. I don't know if I should be embarrassed or proud, but if someone looked in my closet, they probably wouldn't guess I'm a 31 year old female lol. I have very simple needs and hate spending money on clothes.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    I'm moving out the too big clothes. I'm losing and will continue to do so.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    melissa6771 wrote: »
    I'm going to be completely honest with you, and it's embarrassing. I have clothes, full wardrobes, from size 8- 18w right now. Last year I went through everything, and it was depressing, I cried the whole time looking at all the clothes I had and loved that I could not wear.

    Me too. I lost a bunch of weight in the early '00s and saved many of my fat clothes (not all) and was somewhat grateful when I eventually regained, which is a mental block in being able to get rid of everything.

    On the other hand, I have thin clothes from the mid 90s I'm attached to because of the excitement of fitting into them again that I'd never wear anywhere because ugly and way out of style. I also have my first real interview suit from '93, my prom dress, and my dress I took my high school senior photo in, which are kind of insane keeps. I keep thinking I might have a vintage party and need a costume.

    So it could be worse!

    I have every size of jeans from 2 to 16. This was actually kind of helpful when I was losing, but I need to get rid of the larger clothes. I have size 10-12 pants I never wore and suit jackets in my office from 6-18. (Every once in a while I get annoyed and trash a larger jacket, so mostly it's 6-10 now.)
  • melissa6771
    melissa6771 Posts: 894 Member
    I meant to say I kept two sizes, the ones that fit me now and one size down, in my closet. I still have all my smaller clothes, that's what I packed in the bins. Looking forward to getting into them and only buying clothes if I want to and not because I need to. *Too late to edit that post.
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