Reserving bigger clothes?

My logic leads me to purge all of my "larger" clothes as soon as they are too big for me so that there is no going back. Prior to WLS I was able to limit regain from diets by refusing to buy clothes in larger sizes which OK didn't totally work but seriously made me aware of every pound I gained and I have been lucky since I started doing that to never gain back all or even most of what I'd lost.

As I near my goal (still a good 25 lbs away) I have had friends and family question my closet purges*. They aren't being cruel or negative, but they're seeing me in smaller sizes than I wore before I gained weight in my 30s and they just KNOW it's not "realistic" for me to live as a size 4 or 6 (currently a six). My very thin and supportive little sister keeps saying that I should hold onto my size ten outfits, that if I gain back some and they fit again it's still a success - that I'm a healthy size ten.

I'm OK with holding onto one size up from where I am because I understand that after I reach goal my weight my redistribute some, but otherwise it seems like I'm inviting regain to keep anything greater than a single size up in my closet.

Thoughts?

*I work in an office that is business attire (pant suits or skirts w/ jackets) and the senior management all dress to the nines, so I've been purchasing "new to me" suits from eBay and thrift stores, replacing my wardrobe as I've lost weight over the past year. I try to keep at lest one pair of jeans that fit and wear old, oversized tees and sweaters on my days off, but my work clothes are all my current size.

My goal size was a 12. Through my entire weight loss process I kept a size up, since I could usually fit both sizes. So while a majority of what I own is a 12/L, I have a few 14's I wear because there is no good reason not to.

Clothes have no power to will gains or losses into your life. If that were the case I'd have lost weight long ago without surgery.

The moment a piece of clothing stops fitting, I put it into the donation bin. The only thing I've kept is a pair of my original jeans so I can do the "two legs in one leg" pictures or "two people in one pair" pictures.

I've found that, as I've lost weight, I am MUCH pickier about how clothes fit. Probably because I can be. When I was SMO, I didn't have the luxury of well fitting clothing (and nor did I want it, to be honest).

Do I worry that I might regret getting rid of that "money?" Only once in a blue moon.

I hadn't done this and my co worker said you NEED to get those capri's out you wear on your day's off. So I did rescue those, but the rest are in bags. I was trying to find someone to give them to but my friend told me the local women's shelter is in need. So I'm going to take them there.

That's a great idea - to donate to the local women's shelter.

I basically keep a plastic bin in a room in my house and, once things don't fit, I stick them in the bin. When the bin gets full, I'll transfer the clothes to a plastic bag, stick it in my trunk, and then pop it in the first donation bin I come to :)

I've been giving away my clothes as they become too big and I replace them with a size that fits. I gained about 4 pounds back this last month, and my work slacks got a little tight until I got it back off. For me, it's another reminder that I have to tighten up my diet and get the few pounds off. I'm upgrading my wardrobe because I'll be moving into management now that I'm done with my master's program. So it's a big motivator for me to not have to replace everything yet again.

If I manage to get the last 10-20# off this spring, I'll likely have to buy the next size down for a lot of my clothes. I might keep the current clothes around if that happens just in case, at least until I see how difficult maintaining at that lower weight is going to be. But I'm not keeping anything larger than where I'm at right now.

It doesn't hurt to keep your best clothes in one size up for a little while until you figure out what maintenance looks like. I wouldn't keep more than one size up though. I love consigning my too big clothes and getting store credit for smaller clothes. You could consider selling your business attire on Poshmark or similar.

I gave away all my plus size large clothing away 8.5-years ago) and stayed the same first 7 years.... jeans and and pants size 2 to 4. Tops were small and mediums or a 6 or 8.

with a 40 lb regain was wearing 8 to 10 jeans and L to XL tops. now getting back into size 6 jeans. Medium and large tops. I love WHBM and most of my jeans are that brand so relatively consistent sizing. I get them on sale and use retailmenot for extra coupons.

I love my wardrobe, even my biggest clothes I have 40 lbs up from goal. I am keeping them for now anyway! The collection I have is too nice to discard. Hopefully I don't need them all again but God forbid I do I have a badass collection! Lol!

I keep a size up because even a 5 pound gain makes my clothing too tight. It does make me determined to lose the weight to get back down to my regular size (which I have had to do several times), but the struggle at 9 years out is real.

Yes it is!!!