I am obsessed with all things DIY.

I see it,

I love it,

I make it.




Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Nothing fits, what now?

The first recollection I have of acknowledging my weight loss was a normal day like any other.  I was getting dressed in the bathroom and put on my go to black capri pants.  I went to button them and I had room around the waist.  And not just one finger room, I mean like 2 inches of space!  I was frantic all of a sudden.  Oh shit, what if all my clothes are too big soon?  Where am I going to find something to fit me?  So once I slapped myself silly and remembered why I was losing weight, I sucked it up and safety pinned the waist.  I got to work and a coworker we'll call Flan said, "Damn those capris are too big on you!"  I went to the bathroom to check myself out in a full length mirror (none existed in my house @ the time) and the legs were baggy.  I said to myself, oh well time to retire these bad boys.

Over the course of the next 2 months the pile of clothing retirees started to grow.  First it was a small pile in my closet, then a bigger pile in bedroom, and then it was 2 garbage bags!  Most people would have donated them to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or the homeless box at the nearest grocery store.  I took the advice of my mentor, SBJ, and threw them away.  She said, "If you don't have clothes to grow back into you will keep the weight off."  The amount of clothing in the first fat clothing purge was probably around 2 garbage cans full.

Here's how I determined what stayed and what went:

1.  Jeans/Pants:  If they are skinny or stretchy then keep them.  You can wear them up to 2 sizes bigger than you will drop down to.  If they have an adjustable belt built in then they are a keeper.  I rocked a pair of grey/black striped pants for a good 3 months before they were too big because they had 3 belts built into the pant.   Toss them if they are being held up only by your hips and if you sneeze they fall down.  Seriously clothing that is too big makes you look big.  Always remember that.  Adjustable elastic waist anything other than leggings TOSS!!!!!

 2.  Leggings - This will be the best money you ever spent while you were a fat girl.  You must promise that you have to toss them when they start to get baggy in the knees.  Been there, done that, don't do it to yourself. 

3.  Tops - Ok, here's where I had issues.  I have tons of sweaters, button downs, dress shirts, tank tops, and my favorite Ed Hardy tee in a 3x.  If you invest in a few inexpensive belts you can keep most of your tops.  Sweaters can be belted with a skinny black patent belt or a corset belt if the sweater is a longer one.  If you belt it and there is bunching under the arms you can safety pin it, otherwise out it goes.  Can you put a smaller shirt over the bigger one and pull off the "Sheryl Layered Look" then go for it!  If you have too much visible fabric or you look like you are drowning in fabric, you know what to do.  Most of my tops made it through to month 7 of weight loss so it is doable.

4.  Shoes - There is a magic thing that happens when you lose weight.  Your feet shrink!  I was wearing an 11 and 10s are a little big on me depending on the shoe.  If its wide width forgetaboutit!  My ballet flats are the hardest thing to let go of.  I started wearing heels again since my back doesn't hurt from carrying around a 3rd grader of extra body weight.  Try on every pair of shoe you have with trouser socks and hose.  If they are flopping off you must under no circumstance keep them!  You will not wear them trust me!  Boots should fit better around your legs/ankles now.  You may find a pair you bought but never wore in your closet like I did!  They fit perfectly!

5.  Underwear/Bras - I don't want to go into this but it is a necessity that you get a bra that fits.  I lost 2 cup sizes and 3 inches around during this period.  My bras kept riding up and my boobs just were not happy campers.  I wore a 46D and now I'm in a 42B.  I'm happy with my little boobs and my new bra.  That was until Flan said, "Damn girl you ain't got no boobies!"  Thanks Flan!  Underwear, if you wore them while you were pregnant, fat, or unhappy in any single way, toss them.  This is your one splurge!! Throw out the granny panties please and invest in a good pair of draws.  Or 2 or 12 :)

6.  Coats - You and I both know you spent a fortune on your coats, why because fat people are punished when they have to buy coats.  My leather coats were hundreds of dollars and my wool coat from Spiegel cost some serious bucks so I know I know.  If you must have it for life, take it to a good tailor or dry cleaner for alteration.  Donate them to a coat drive otherwise.  Underprivileged ,cold fat girls need coats too.

7.  Hats, Scarves, and other assorted accessories - These will all become your best friends. You are looking sexy, feeling more confident, so show off what you have!  I'll show you how to use things you already have in your closet to accessorize your outfits.  Scarves double as belts, hats bring out your quirky side, and belts long forgotten in your closet can be worn, .  Keep them all!

I'll be posting some outfits I threw together using things already in my closet and show you how I put them together into a fashionable outfit you can strut your stuff in.

Peace and Love!

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