When is it time to buy new clothes?

Have you ever heard of the “in-between” wardrobe stage, when you’re finally losing weight but nothing in your closet fits you? You’re happy the pounds are finally being shed, but you’re not sure when exactly to buy new clothes a few sizes smaller. This week I will share my experience with clothes shopping during weight loss. When is it a good idea to go shopping, and should you buy smaller clothes to accommodate more weight loss? How much should you buy? Will buying smaller clothes encourage you to lose more weight?

This week I will share my experience with clothes shopping during weight loss. When is it a good idea to go shopping, and should you buy smaller clothes to accommodate more weight loss? How much should you buy? Will buying smaller clothes encourage you to lose more weight?

In my book, Keeping Daisies, I dedicate two chapters to describing my struggle with weight. The first of these chapters is called “Llbs,” where I’m trying to buy new pants and am shocked to see my size is larger than I ever thought. This shock is, of course, mirrored by the number I see on the scale when I finally decide to weigh myself. In the chapter that follows, “Not a ’12,'” I am back at shopping in the middle of losing weight and am practically living in sweatshirts, T-shirts and jogging pants. Anything that is stretchy will do in this in-between stage. In this story, I am told to try on a size 12 (half my size in the previous story). I keep telling my mom and the sales lady that there’s no way I’m a size 12, but to my surprise, the item actually fits me perfectly.

State of shock

Haven’t we all been in this state of shock while shopping at some point? Either because our size is excruciatingly larger than we first thought or happily smaller than we imagined? While you’re losing weight and your body is getting used to your new, healthier lifestyle and exercise regime, you find yourself with nothing to wear. The clothes you have are too loose to complement your body and you’re afraid to buy smaller sizes in case you lose more weight, or you’re a pessimist and think you might gain the weight back. So when is it time to go shopping?

When to shop

In my experience, the perfect time to go shopping for a new wardrobe is when you’re close to reaching your ultimate weight loss goal. If you’re around 10–15 pounds away, go for it. On the other hand, don’t buy an entire wardrobe at your first 10-pound loss. You should buy a few new items that fit you better and will get you by as you continue your journey to a leaner and stronger self. Remember, you still deserve to dress and feel fantastic, so buying a few items that help you feel that way will encourage you to stay with the healthy lifestyle you’ve adopted. Seeing the sizes decrease as you browse for clothes and try on new, exciting outfits will help you say no to cake and yes to exercise. Trust me.

Make a donation

If you’re very close to your goal and have bought a new wardrobe, what do you do with the old one? This was one of my dilemmas when I dropped most of my weight. I wanted to keep the clothes just in case I gained the weight back. My mom wanted me to give them away to encourage me to not gain the weight back. In the end we compromised. I kept a few items and donated the majority. Later I realized the reason I kept the items I did wasn’t in case I gained the weight back, because I know and trust myself that I will never be that size again. Rather, the items I kept were a reminder of the weight loss I accomplished, a great pick-me-up to keep me on track and living this healthy lifestyle happily.Of course, these items are stored away behind the smaller-size, flattering wardrobe I got.

Whatever you decide to do or how many new items you decide to buy, you’ll be happy to be buying new, smaller clothes. Congratulations! You’ve earned it!

More on weight loss

Why is there no easy weight loss fix?
Do food journals work?
Being fit vs. being obsessed