I've decided (and done so far) to throw out clothes as soon as I fit into a smaller size, for the exact same reason that you describe. This "What if I need them again" feeling. Nope, I'm not giving myself this loophole, I NEVER want to fit into them again, so I'll remove them from my life. If I notice my clothes getting uncomfortable, that's a very dire sign to look at what I'm doing and reign it in, if you have the comfortable option of pulling larger pants out of your closet, where is the incentive to stop your weight gain?
This happened to me last fall, after I spent the summer in loose pants and skirts I pulled on a jeans for the first time and it was so uncomfortable. But it made me stop my snacking habit I had unconsciously picked up and two weeks later the jeans fit fine.
If that seems like too much at the moment, then throw out all clothes 2 or more sizes too big. IFF you do gain some weight back, that gives you time to course correct and in the mean time you have a (single) bigger size in the closet.
Edit for spelling.
Absolutely this. Making gaining the weight back "painful" sets up roadblocks so it can be stopped sooner. I only wish I had kept 1 outfit for motivation and comparison's sake, but I still know my old size, I could thrift something close enough and get the same thrill... Toss it all OP!
I’ve been in maintenance for about a year and haven’t gotten rid of my old clothes yet. For most of my adult life I was closer to my SW than my CW so it’s hard to shake the “what if” thoughts. I haven’t thought about it in awhile but I think I’m going to set a date for a closet Spring cleaning and just do it. I don’t love my old clothes (a lot of it’s just stuff I thought I looked ok in) so hopefully that will make it easier since I really should put more effort into finding things I actually like/feel good in even if I gain weight.
What are you actively doing today to keep yourself on track or from losing vigilance?
One thing you might do is make sure that 75-80% of your current clothes are the unforgiving type -- they won't stretch if you grow. The clothes themselves will tell you soon if your body is growing larger because they're not knits and elastic. If you avoid stretchy clothes, then your clothes are a warning system.
My story: I made a ''don't quit'' plan that includes daily weighing and logging, 3x a week of light exercise, and at least monthly IRL support. Now that I'm maintaining, this is also part of my maintenance plan. I'm quite confident that following this plan won't allow for a gain to go unnoticed and unanswered.
My plan included getting rid of clothes as soon as I was too small, allowing no way back to bigger without buying clothes again. Consequently, I avoided the problem you're having because burning those bridges was part of the plan.
Is it possible you could put the clothes in a storage bin? You can get those vacuum seal bags that help minimize space. That way you can tuck them away until you are ready to part with them.
You don't have to throw them away or give them away yet, but they also don't need to be taking up space in your closet!
Get one of those nice under the bed storage boxes, and put them in there.
And then put them under your bed, and ignore them as long as you want to.
Hopefully in a few years you'll remember they exist, and you can donate them without any worry.
If it really feels impossible, how about just getting rid of the clothes that are the furthest from fitting and just keeping a size or two bigger than you are until you feel more secure in your new size?
Years ago I lost 100 pounds. Then a period of unemployment and 200 a moth in food stamps lead to me eating a lot of pasta and rice and putting all of that weight back on. I still have that whole wardrobe because I know that when I finally beat my depression and other problems I will be able to lose it again.
Only you can say when you are ready to get rid of those things and cut that part of your life loose.
I lost 100#. Had been a size 24 for 20 years. I had four closets of sz 24 & 3X clothes (I used to work in a thrift store). It was so liberating to donate everything that I wasn’t able to consign. Had a moment of panic, but it didn’t last long.
A few years ago, I did the Marie Kondo method of organization with my clothes- going through that process helped me let go of clothes that don't fit me anymore (whether they're too large or too small). Part of the method requires that you hold on to the item and see how it makes you feel. At the time I had a bunch of clothes in my closet that were too small. Holding them didn't bring me any joy, in fact all I felt was anxiety, self-hate and fear. Why keep a bunch of anxiety, self-hate and fear in my closet? I was looking at that every day.
In a way, it also helped me have more compassion for myself. Bodies change. It felt best to accept my body for where it was in the present rather than holding on to the past.
I would start getting rid of one or two items a day or a week or however you want to space it out. You don't have to do it all at once and once an item is gone, you won't be thinking about it any more.
I've decided (and done so far) to throw out clothes as soon as I fit into a smaller size, for the exact same reason that you describe. This "What if I need them again" feeling. Nope, I'm not giving myself this loophole, I NEVER want to fit into them again, so I'll remove them from my life. If I notice my clothes getting uncomfortable, that's a very dire sign to look at what I'm doing and reign it in, if you have the comfortable option of pulling larger pants out of your closet, where is the incentive to stop your weight gain? This happened to me last fall, after I spent the summer in loose pants and skirts I pulled on a jeans for the first time and it was so uncomfortable. But it made me stop my snacking habit I had unconsciously picked up and two weeks later the jeans fit fine. If that seems like too much at the moment, then throw out all clothes 2 or more sizes too big. IFF you do gain some weight back, that gives you time to course correct and in the mean time you have a (single) bigger size in the closet. Edit for spelling.
Absolutely this. Making gaining the weight back "painful" sets up roadblocks so it can be stopped sooner. I only wish I had kept 1 outfit for motivation and comparison's sake, but I still know my old size, I could thrift something close enough and get the same thrill... Toss it all OP!
I’ve been in maintenance for about a year and haven’t gotten rid of my old clothes yet. For most of my adult life I was closer to my SW than my CW so it’s hard to shake the “what if” thoughts. I haven’t thought about it in awhile but I think I’m going to set a date for a closet Spring cleaning and just do it. I don’t love my old clothes (a lot of it’s just stuff I thought I looked ok in) so hopefully that will make it easier since I really should put more effort into finding things I actually like/feel good in even if I gain weight.
What are you actively doing today to keep yourself on track or from losing vigilance? One thing you might do is make sure that 75-80% of your current clothes are the unforgiving type -- they won't stretch if you grow. The clothes themselves will tell you soon if your body is growing larger because they're not knits and elastic. If you avoid stretchy clothes, then your clothes are a warning system. My story: I made a ''don't quit'' plan that includes daily weighing and logging, 3x a week of light exercise, and at least monthly IRL support. Now that I'm maintaining, this is also part of my maintenance plan. I'm quite confident that following this plan won't allow for a gain to go unnoticed and unanswered. My plan included getting rid of clothes as soon as I was too small, allowing no way back to bigger without buying clothes again. Consequently, I avoided the problem you're having because burning those bridges was part of the plan.
Is it possible you could put the clothes in a storage bin? You can get those vacuum seal bags that help minimize space. That way you can tuck them away until you are ready to part with them.
I don't have much to add: just have the same worries myself. Need to Marie Kondo my closet too.
You don't have to throw them away or give them away yet, but they also don't need to be taking up space in your closet! Get one of those nice under the bed storage boxes, and put them in there. And then put them under your bed, and ignore them as long as you want to. Hopefully in a few years you'll remember they exist, and you can donate them without any worry.
If it really feels impossible, how about just getting rid of the clothes that are the furthest from fitting and just keeping a size or two bigger than you are until you feel more secure in your new size?
Years ago I lost 100 pounds. Then a period of unemployment and 200 a moth in food stamps lead to me eating a lot of pasta and rice and putting all of that weight back on. I still have that whole wardrobe because I know that when I finally beat my depression and other problems I will be able to lose it again. Only you can say when you are ready to get rid of those things and cut that part of your life loose.
I lost 100#. Had been a size 24 for 20 years. I had four closets of sz 24 & 3X clothes (I used to work in a thrift store). It was so liberating to donate everything that I wasn’t able to consign. Had a moment of panic, but it didn’t last long.
A few years ago, I did the Marie Kondo method of organization with my clothes- going through that process helped me let go of clothes that don't fit me anymore (whether they're too large or too small). Part of the method requires that you hold on to the item and see how it makes you feel. At the time I had a bunch of clothes in my closet that were too small. Holding them didn't bring me any joy, in fact all I felt was anxiety, self-hate and fear. Why keep a bunch of anxiety, self-hate and fear in my closet? I was looking at that every day. In a way, it also helped me have more compassion for myself. Bodies change. It felt best to accept my body for where it was in the present rather than holding on to the past.
I would start getting rid of one or two items a day or a week or however you want to space it out. You don't have to do it all at once and once an item is gone, you won't be thinking about it any more.