Afraid to get rid of my "fat" clothes

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ccmccoy09
ccmccoy09 Posts: 284 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am a ritual purger; I clean out my drawers and closets 2 or 3 times a year and get rid of everything that doesn't fit, is worn out, that I don't wear any more, etc. My last purge was last spring. Ironically, I got rid of a ton of really nice clothes I've been hanging on to for years, because I thought I'd never be a size 6 again, and now my size 8 pants are getting loose.

Anyway...

I haven't purged in 6 months and it's time. I have a closet full of size 10, 12 and XL pants and dresses and it's time for them to go. But it makes up the bulk of the clothes I own and I'm really afraid to let them go. I'm so afraid of putting this weight back on, and while shopping for smaller clothes is SO FUN, shopping for bigger clothes is not.

Does anyone else feel this way? I still think the scale is wrong when I do my weekly weigh in (I was hovering around 158 for so long that it doesn't seem possible that I'm in the low 140s now), and I'm surprised when I catch my reflection and look thin. I still think of myself as a thick girl with big boobs. I still hide behind other people in pictures. What does it take to let go of our [INCORRECT] negative self-image, and see and accept what we actually look like now?

I would love the closet space, I just need to convince myself that I'll never fit in those clothes again.

Replies

  • perdie7
    perdie7 Posts: 278 Member
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    I am getting rid of my "fat" clothes as I go....It's to help me from fitting back into them. I really have no money to buy replacement, I shop at a thrift store, currently I have two pair of pants that fit, and they are getting too big. I defiantly can't afford to go back up, so if they are not there I will feel to guilty to buy new. That's the plan
  • antonio823
    antonio823 Posts: 298 Member
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    I am getting rid of my "fat" clothes as I go....It's to help me from fitting back into them. I really have no money to buy replacement, I shop at a thrift store, currently I have two pair of pants that fit, and they are getting too big. I defiantly can't afford to go back up, so if they are not there I will feel to guilty to buy new. That's the plan

    Exactly...I got rid of all of mine because I don't plan on fitting into ever again!
  • cgcotten
    cgcotten Posts: 51
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    If its too big I get rid of it. No turning back!!
  • jeepwidow01
    jeepwidow01 Posts: 173
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    The best advice I have is just pack them up and get rid of them. If you have them, it is easier to "just pull them out" IF your current clothes get snug. Don't keep them around as a back-up plan! You have so much to be proud of and look at what you have accomplished!
  • abbigail_r
    abbigail_r Posts: 283 Member
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    if you are not done losing weight shop at the thrift stores. for every item you buy get rid of an item. and then eventually youll be buying size 6 again and getting rid of 12s. just do 1 at a time and i think it wont be as scary!! and then everytime you feel the urge to eat crap food or too big a portion remind yourself that you dont want to buy new clothes or get rid of clothes anymore...good luck to you
  • Lindz2323
    Lindz2323 Posts: 261 Member
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    After I had lost at least half of what I want to lose I realized i'm not gonna ever let myself go back to that so I went thru and literally got rid of 3/4 of my closet. things i had held onto since I was 16 because I kept gaining-losing-gaining. Getting rid of that stuff gave me a whole new motivation, I felt soooo good knowing it was gone for good! =) I've lost more since and now some of the clothes I bought back in October or so are getting too big. yay! Keep working hard, you'll get to where you wanna be! <3
  • LFlo79
    LFlo79 Posts: 17 Member
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    Toss them! If you keep them, it's like subconsciously telling yourself it's okay to go back to those sizes. Knowing that you DON'T have those sizes will keep you motivated to stay at your current weight or lose weight.
  • oOoMicheleoOo
    oOoMicheleoOo Posts: 139 Member
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    I am putting my 'fat clothes' on ebay so that I can buy some new 'thin(ner) clothes' :o)
  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
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    I pretend that IF I did gain the weight back, all the styles would have changed by then, and none of that stuff would look good anyway. I say get rid of it. I have to use the same philosophy in the past when I hung onto clothes that were too small. Unless it has extreme sentimental value (maybe I wouldnt wear it ever again anyway) then I would keep a couple of items.

    I have done so well with MFP, that I really don't think I'm going back that other direction again.
  • shanolap
    shanolap Posts: 1,204 Member
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    You just described me! If the scale says I lost weight, I won't log it until I've maintained that weight for a week...or longer.

    I got rid of all the 10's except for the designer jeans. I also kept the yoga pants, skirt and capri's that I lived in. Then as I lost more weight, I got rid of the 8's except for the tighter ones. I'm on the verge of getting rid of the 6's and want to stay between a 4 and a 6.

    Keep the clothes that reminded you most of being heavier. It's great to throw them on and revel in your weight loss when you are having an "I feel fat day".
  • Luc245
    Luc245 Posts: 73
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    Get rid of them, don't even think about going back up in weight because it's not going to happen. Not wanting to buy bigger clothes will be an additional motivator not to gain more weight! If you keep them around you will always have the idea in the back of your mind that you might need them again. :)
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
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    I purge as I go....donation pile or trash pile. I have no intentions of ever going back. Just cleaned everything out that was 2x to 4x. Shirts I'm wearing now are XL In the house I wear shorts all year round, they all have elastic so even though I couldnt wear them out I'm not ready to start buying new clothes. Smallest sizes I have are 18 for dressy clothes. So I'ml going to have to do something soon cause things are bagging low in the crotch and my butt. I'll buy just enough for transition time once I let all of the 18's go.
  • CrystalMarie253
    CrystalMarie253 Posts: 128
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    I did that same thing when I lost weight. I was 176 and went down to 150 and then finally decided to get rid of the "fat clothes." It was hard for me too. What I did was keep a few things that weren't really really too big in case I gained a few pounds back. Honestly for me throwing out the fat clothes was a way to promise myself I would never go back to being that size again. I am down to 125 now, and I again went through EVERYTHING in my closet and tossed the stuff that was too big and kept a few things that were just slightly too big. I am never going back to a size 12-14 ever again, not having those fat clothes around to "fall back on" just motivates me to keep the weight off. As far as getting rid of that negative image, all I can say there is it takes time. I had a negative image of myself too and it's hard to look at the scale and KNOW you've lost weight but still see the same old person in the mirror. I'm just now in the past few months starting to accept I'm skinny and I look great and it's ok for me to think that. And honestly keeping the weight off is way easier that losing it too so don't forget that :) Good luck!
  • obaker
    obaker Posts: 76 Member
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    What does it take to let go of our [INCORRECT] negative self-image, and see and accept what we actually look like now?

    I bought a pair of size 10 (aus) jeans last week. Looking at myself in the mirror in the store all I could see was the old size 14 me. Then I thought of all the people I know that are actually a size 10 and I realised, logically, that I must be just as small as them now!
    Yes, I still see the big me in the mirror, but everytime I look at the tag on those jeans I remind myself of all those other people and I feel better.

    Oh and because the jeans were on sale I went back and bought another pair. And threw out all my 14s :smile:
  • Bonita_Lynne_58
    Bonita_Lynne_58 Posts: 2,845 Member
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    I've "dieted" before and kept the fat clothes just in case...I needed them. No more! I went through my clothes and am giving over half of what I own. I will continue to get rid of the too big stuff. I have a ways to go and am buying bare essentials till I get there. If my clothes start to get a bit snug, I will know I have to take off a few pounds..for me keeping the "fat" clothes in case I needed them later was a self fulfilling prophecy.
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,936 Member
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    My husband said that I shouldn't get rid of my "fat" clothes:angry: -- believe me that suggestion is one of my strongest inpiriations to stay the course.:noway: To be fair, I had recently spent a lot on plus sizes, and he has seen me lose and gain it all back. But, when it was get rid of them or move, he agreed they should go. Now, I'm a little afraid to give away the size 16 & 14 clothes. Can I really keep this up?
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
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    Do it!

    Keep one set for a souvenir.
    :happy:
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
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    The minute I put something on that looks too big, it comes off and goes in the donation bag. As soon as the bag is full, it goes to the clothing bank. I have no desire to have a back-up plan so I can regain that weight and fit into those clothes again.

    I do wish I had kept one pair of my biggest pants so I could do one of those before and after shots wearing the size 22's when I'm an 8 or 6 or 4 or whatever I end up wearing at the end of this journey.
  • LFlo79
    LFlo79 Posts: 17 Member
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    awesome!
  • LFlo79
    LFlo79 Posts: 17 Member
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    I am putting my 'fat clothes' on ebay so that I can buy some new 'thin(ner) clothes' :o)


    awesome!

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