How to Lose 10 Pounds by Changing Your Clothes

I was feeling a little frustrated because very few people were making comments on my weight loss. Now before you go thinking I'm shallow, let me explain.

Usually when we see someone we haven't seen in a while, they would immediately start talking about how great Gary looks and how different he looks, etc. And then as an after thought, they would say, "And you look great too". I was starting to feel like chopped liver for crying out loud. But then it hit me. Gary has just about completely changed his wardrobe, but I had only really bought a few new shirts and some new jeans and shorts, which I haven't worn much yet. For the most part, I was trying to get away with my old clothes just a little while longer, but after losing 60+ pounds, its been hard to keep most of them. So this week, I got rid of the remainder of my big shirts and purchased some new smaller ones. And boy, what a difference that made.

The very next day, I wore one of my new smaller shirts and three people made a comment at work about how great I was looking. In fact, my boss mentioned that it seemed like I lose 10 pounds every time she sees me. Well, in a weird way, I had, by shedding my big baggy clothes which were hiding my true weight loss.

I know it may be difficult to completely replace your wardrobe, but you have to do it, for your self esteem if nothing else. And it doesn't have to cost a lot. We've been buying most of our clothes at the thrift store, many times going on a day when they are having a 50% off sale. Now is a great time to sell your own at a yard sale, or donate them, like we do, at the same time you go and buy new.

Now, you don't need to replace every single piece of clothing that you own. Chances are, you had more clothes than you actually wore anyway. Just replace the essentials, and if you are still in a losing pattern, note that these clothes will hopefully need to be replaced in a few months anyway, so no need to spend a lot or go overboard buying a lot of items.

I can't wait to take a new progress picture wearing my new smaller size. I think it will really show a more dramatic difference in what we look like today than what we looked like last year. That last progress picture I posted in April, just didn't show my true weight loss at all.

You are probably wondering what size I bought. Most everything was an 18/20, which is down from a 26/28. I am very happy about that. I would be happy to be a size 16, but if I actually reach my goal of losing another 60 pounds, I imagine I will be even smaller than that, so we shall see. I am also probably a smaller size then when we got married. I guess the only way to know for sure is to try on my wedding dress. We got married in June of 2001, so that wasn't really all that long ago, but I am sure I had gained a good 30-40 pounds during our marriage so far.

Some of the new clothes I bought two months ago are actually too big already. I think I was buying them bigger than I needed them to be out of habit. I was also even afraid to even try on a smaller size for fear that it would not fit. So when I went shopping this time, I tried on clothes that seemed too small, and you know what I found out. They weren't too small. They actually fit the curves of my body and looked good on me. Imagine that. One of the blouses I bought is even a 16/18. Hard for me to grasp...LOL. I even bought a pair of jeans that fit me like a glove. They are skin tight without being uncomfortable. I don't even think that has ever happened before in my life unless I was buying leggings.

I don't want you to think that I am now fixated on the size of clothes I am wearing. But it's an awesome feeling and is helping me to keep motivated to stay on my eating plan and to continue with our healthier lifestyle. Anything that can help me do that is OK in my book. If you feel you need a boost in self esteem or a boost in motivation, try buying yourself a new smaller outfit to wear. You'll be glad you did.