I thought shopping was supposed to get funner...?

I always thought of myself as a fat even when I had my weight under control and weighed what I wanted to. This Time I'm changing my outlook!!

Don't feel bad, my best friends and family always make fun of how baggy my clothes are. I recognize that I choose very loose styles and i have a feeling its all in my head too!

I guess I am not conditioned to wearing close fitting items and it feels so uncomfortable to me!

I feel that way sometimes depending on where I go. I have an addiction to American Eagle because their pants run big. Even tho I know I'm a good 16 I can fit into a 14 there because of how they are made and it makes me feel special cause they are smaller.

I just hit that size too. I'm at the top end of the sizes at regular stores and it feels good. I do know what you're talking about I still go straight for the big and tall section and my wife pushes me back to the regular sections.

still have a ways to go but these NSVs are nice

YEP. I am down to the tail end of my clothes left that fit (well pants mainly, shirts last long) and the smallest ones are very baggy....I KNOW I aboslutely need to get some pants to hold me over for a while, because not only do they look sloppy for work, it doesn't show off my hard work!

BUT I have this fear that if I go, I'm going not fit into the next size down... (regular sizes)...in fact, I can't even convince myself to go to a store to try them on yet. I still see myself as just as big, even though my smallest pair of pants I own (which was an old "skinny" pair btw) are hanging off of me now.

I should go, I know.....I just can't even imagine what it will be like to be able to buy pants from regular stores. (instead of ordering online b/c I needed the bigger sizes)

Funny how the brain and body are so often out of sync, isn't it? Good for your guy to guide you on into the store - do you know how rare that is!?

Yes, sometimes I still find my hands reaching for old sizes even though I know they would not fit in a million years now. It's an odd feeling picking the smaller sizes, it's an odd feeling when I try that size on and it fits, even more odd when I think it looks good. OK, not everything looks good, sometimes it just doesn't fit well or seem 'me'. But has shopping gotten better and less stressful, not to mention emotionally exhausting? YES, it's better in ways.

I remember when I was heavier, shopping for clothes only happened because I was out-growing clothes, it was not shopping for fun. I pretty much stopped attending events because I knew it meant I would have to buy clothes and of course that was just awful. I recall times bringing loads of clothes into the fitting rooms and nothing fit right, nothing looked right, sometimes I would cry and get really sad (or angry) and then just leave the store empty handed, berate myself the entire way home. I was a real joy to be around!

So I understand too. I agree, I definitely have a body perception issue going on. Some days I look at myself like "wow" and can see all the major progress I have made, and it's very odd sometimes to see a much smaller me. Other days I look at myself and say to myself "wow, you're a fat a--" or all the clothes I bought that I liked a day before when I put them on at home and think "hmmm, your a-- looks really fat in these jeans".

*sigh* It just seems never ending. It's one way or the other. Lots of confidence or lots of berating and self criticism. I hope I can find that happy medium one day.