For me ..... NEVER!
I've lost over 60 lbs since 2005. The fear of re-gaining never leaves me. My way of controlling that fear is to not give in to it. Live for today and the moment you are in - leave the past behind and plan for tomorrow, but don't worry about it.
I have no "fat clothes" in my closet at all. Every time my clothes got too big, I pitched them immediately and went to the mall and shopped the clearance racks for a couple of self-congratulations outfits. That's the bonus to needing clothes NOW - you get this season for the cheap, so you don't feel bad pitching them next month. For the price of a take out pizza delivered, you really can find a couple of cute items to get you through the next 10-15 lb loss.
I refused to buy clothes that "should fit me next month". That's just asking for disappointment. Putting on or owning tight clothes did nothing more than make me "feel fat" all over again. Wearing what "fits today" was the most positive thing I did for myself.
Keeping fat clothes means you don't believe in yourself (at least it does to me). Having them as a "safety net" is just the same as not even trying to begin with. I can't even do one of those pictures that screams "look at me in my old jeans!" - they are long gone.
I've found maitenance harder than weight loss. Increasing my calories was a big mental challenge for me. I broke through it and have taught myself to balance out calories for the week, not just the day. So if I splurge on a dinner out and order dessert, I simply find extra ways to sneak in extra exercise and lower my intake during the rest of the week.
I have made friends with my scale and a measuring tape. Once a week, I weigh myself. Once a month I take my measurements and record them in a journal. The journal has proven to me that I can and will keep the weight off. I record my feelings and thoughts, as well as goals that have nothing to do with my weight to keep me feeling motivated and strong.
Although many friends, and even strangers comment on my "thinness", I really don't "feel thin". As anyone else, I can find extra rolls of fat, complain my muscles are not up to par, and there is always another woman smaller than me in the fitting rooms.
I focus on how far I've come, how great I feel and how much more I can do now than even 3 years ago. It's not about being or feeling fat, it's about how much healthier I've become.
Oh, and now that I'm maintaining - I do spend more money on clothes. I've been rebuilding my wardrobe - shoes included! If my new Guess jeans were too tight tomorrow, I promise they will fit great in two weeks - I will simply lose those couple of stubborn pounds - much easier than having to lose an entire 60 ever again!
Good luck to you and Congratulations on how far you've already come!
I agree with tsh. Although I'm only about halfway there (about 45 lbs down and 45 to go), I have bought some clothes in a smaller size as soon as the smaller size began to fit (occasionally I buy something snug and don't wear it until it fits better).
In fact, I have a slowly shrinking size range for which I keep buying smaller sizes and giving away larger sizes:
- I buy clothes that fit me now (sometimes a little on the snug side since I seem to spend most of my time between sizes) and mostly wear the ones that fit.
- As larger-sized clothes get looser (but still serviceable), I put them to one side and use them for days I'm out of clean clothes or doing something messy.
- When something is clearly too big, I put it in the box to be donated to charity (and take the box in when it gets full).
- Then I feel free to shop for some smaller clothes....
I'm trying not to buy a lot of clothes or very expensive ones, so that I can afford to keep doing this until I reach my goal, at which point I may celebrate by buying one or two really nice pieces.
Don't forget to get underwear that fits, too!
For me personally, I think a little part of me will always be "the fat girl," because that's what I was for all of my life (literally, ever since I was a child, I have been fat.) It gets easier, as time passes, to see "the new you." For the longest time, it would take me forever to shop for clothes because I would continually take things that were too big to the dressing rooms to try on. I'd swear that clothing that was really the correct size looked too small...until I tried it on. But now I'm getting better at picking the correct size, and getting used to this new person I see in the mirror.
For a long time, I held onto the stuff that had gotten too big, for fear I would need it again. But then one day, as I stood there and looked at my overcrowded closet, I realized that those "fat clothes" were not the kind of motivation I wanted. They only reminded me of my past, of what I *was.* I much preferred to be reminded of what I had achieved, and what I planned to achieve, by seeing all those new, smaller clothes on the hangers. At that point, I made a promise to myself that I was NOT going to buy clothes ever again in the next size up, and that I was never going back to the way I had been. I donated *everything* that was too big to a local thrift shop and I never looked back.
Now, it's almost like a little victory for me every time I walk into that thrift shop with another bag of clothes that got too big. It's also motivation - I have to keep losing, or at least maintain weight, because otherwise I'll break that promise I made to myself about never buying the next size up again.
So I say, as soon as you can, go shopping and see how you're doing as far as clothing sizes. If you find that you are fitting comfortably into smaller sizes than what you currently wear, then those "fat clothes?" Ditch 'em! You don't need them anymore! :)
I lost about 75 lbs in a little less than a year. I was very afraid of gaining the weight back, so I kept wearing clothes that were way too big.
Then people started telling me I needed new clothes because the ones I had were way too big, so I bought new clothes. Two months later, those clothes are now too big.
When I moved a few weeks ago, my parents rounded up all my old clothes and donated them to charity. As my dad put it "Now you know you can't gain all the weight back again."
My real problem is I can't really afford to buy enough new clothes that actually fit. Winter is fast approaching and I have no winter clothes.
And yes, I'm still sort of afraid of gaining the weight back, although I'm determined to do everything possible to make sure that doesn't happen.
I totally understand about not being able to see the skinny you in the mirror, the large sized clothes shopping and the need for a new wardrobe. How I delt with these things is like this"
I looked in my mirror alot. I looked at my reflection through another mirror, this was the only way initially I could see the changes. Touch your body, feel the new you emerging, enjoy it and LOVE YOURSELF! Sounds crazy I know, but it helps.
Take a skinny friend clothes shopping with youl. Let them pick out some clothes for you, don't argue, don't fight them, just try it all on , THEN decide. Biggest problem for me was learning how to dress like a thin perrson. I too have been fat since childhood, and the clothes I picked after loosing weight, were still fat clothes.
Lastly, the wardrobe problem, THRIFT STORES! major cheap, designer lables, range of sizes, and MAJOR CHEAP.... I already said that I know, but I've changed my entire wardrobe 4 times, and the last time... I went thrift store. I don't stay in my clothes long enough to justify the expense, once I'm down to goal weight, 20 more lbs, I'll do some retail shopping, but I really love thrift stores. I've lost a total of 70 lbs so far. It's very cool for me to be able to fit into "rack" clothes.
Congrads on your weight loss, get rid of the "fat" clothes, and let the skinny you play!
I think I'll forever feel fat. Going to China once every year or so always puts me into perspective. 
Speaking of clothes though, just last night my mom gave me this adorable little nightie she had bought for me 2 years ago but then decided not to give me since she figured I'd be too fat (probably right...). I try it on and it turns out to be TOO BIG.
Disappointing yet invigorating. Wish she'd given it to me a few months ago when it probably would've fit though. ): It was really cute and I wouldn't mind wearing it a few months. XD
I no longer feel fat, but I'd swear some days I feel like I've just changed proportions and not size. Even though I'm a size 4 and I know I'm not big, because I've done lots of muscle building and also because my hips are quite lean, my shoulders feel absolutely huge. I think it's great that I feel this way as it makes me feel strong, and not insignificant.
All of the time I was losing weight I'd give to thrift shops and buy from thrift shops. I got some great clothes that I was sad to grow out of too. I still buy there sometimes for me, and also for my family, particular hubby who has lost 70 pounds.
I do wonder how people smaller than me buy clothes from regular stores. Here in Australia my size is the smallest in Target, Kmart etc and sometimes I can't find anything small enough and have to shop in the children's department. Not all small people want to shop in the designer expensive stores and we don't have TJMaxx or Marshalls over here.
These days however, I feel extremely fortunate that all of the anxiety is behind me, and I have complete confidence that I will never again re-gain the weight I have lost. I found a diet-style which has completely changed my relationship to food. Specifically, I have been following the dietary recommendations of Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who wrote the book 'Eat to Live'. As a result, I've gotten to a point where I totally enjoy all the healthy natural foods that I eat, and feel very satisfied on far fewer calories than I used to eat. I also find that I'm able to go for much longer periods of time without experiencing hunger, because the diet is just so darn perfect! This is kind of hard to explain, but when you are absolutely flooding your body with tons of nutrient-rich food, you just don't experience hunger as often as when you eat a more nutrient-poor diet.
Anyway, I feel very blessed to have found this diet. It has been transformational for me, and is light-years different than anything else I've experienced. It feels fantastic to be so confident that I will always be slim, and never gain the weight back. I always used to assume that weighing what I did when I was much younger would just be too much to expect at my age (I'm 49). Imagine my surprise at suddenly finding myself at a weight lower than what I weighed in high school! And the really amazing thing is that I'm having no trouble at all maintaining this!
When I manage to push that out of my head and eat mostly healthy, get food when hungry, stop when satiated and pay attention to other interests that have nothing whatsoever to do with weight or looks or food? I feel thin.
I still not only don't feel thin, I don't see myself as thin when I look in the mirror, although I am 5'7", 120 pounds, and a size 4 (down from a size 16). I have been this size a little less than a year, so I think it just takes time. I have found that looking at before and after pictures of myself has helped. Also, I have some friends that I think look perfect and I asked them to stand next to me in the mirror so I could see that I don't look any bigger than they do. Also, I have my weight, fat percentage, and body measurements tracked by a trainer so that I have objective information to look at instead of my own screwed up, insecure, food-addicted brain.
Congratulations and good luck!!
