NSV-clothes

Well, it's official. I'm a size 16. It's kind of surreal. Although sizes have changed over the years, high school was the last time that I was a size 16.  I was hoping to be a 16 by the end of May.  I'm firmly in the teens, and the 20s are further away.  At time of surgery, I was a 26- recently down from 28. My highest pants size was a 30- wasn't there long but was devastated when I had to purchase them for a conference.

My extra large top and 16 dress pants that I ordered from Kohl's fit great. Unfortunately, they cancelled the 3 other shirts that I ordered. So I guess I am destined to go shopping after all. I saw a lot of jeans options and 3/4 sleeves on the Old Navy website. So I will probably hit them up on Friday or Saturday. 

Still hate shopping- but appreciate the change.

 I love this!! I love my size 16s :). I absolutely love love love shopping. 

Congrats,  wow a 16.  Thought I would just love to get to an 18 from a 32.  I'm at an 18 looking forward to the next step not done yet !! Embrace the shopping,  I'm addicted to clearance racks at Kohls.  :0)

Yeah, I need to try to embrace shopping. I'm going to have to keep going.  I used to only shop twice per year. Seriously. 

I hated shopping when I was 8, 18, 28, etc. My mother said it was a blessing to have a teenage girl that hated shopping.

The fact that I'm claustrophobic and usually break into a serious sweat and have a hard time breathing while I'm in a fitting room doesn't help. Sometimes I get shaky and feel faint. I used to just pick stuff and take it home and see what happens.

Then there is the general lack of patience for looking around. I hate the "hunt".  I get overwhelmed and often get a headache. Each passing minute starts to **** me off. I would rather just place an order and have someone bring it to me.  In fact, I used to shop that way when my size was stable. I would call ahead and have it put on hold- in and out in 5 minutes.

Finally, there is my distaste for crowds. People annoy me- it's that simple.  So I address that by picking odd times to go, like right at opening.  If it isn't a holiday or post-holiday sales day, then it is usually empty at first opening. I even grocery shop at Wal-mart or Krogers between 7-9am.

When the women's group at my church went on an outlet mall trip out of state, I went along and just called my aunt who lived nearby to pick me up. For me, it was a cheap trip to visit a relative without me having to do the driving. Everyone in my family knows that a surprise antique shopping trip while out (or as I call it, junk shopping) is a good way to really **** me off.

I've been known to get pretty hostile while shopping. Yeah, I got issues.

Ive always hated shopping until recently, but now I could spend hours trying on ridiculous clothes that I know I will never wear in public :)

 l hear ya! I dislike shopping very very much. DH does most of the grocery shopping cuz I hate it! Only thing I dislike more than clothes shopping is shoe shopping for my huge duck feet.

my biggest concern with weight loss is buying new clothes once I'm able to leave the plus stores. When you're a 28/30 your choices are limited - here I have one store to shop at, across the border I have two.  Where the hell am I going to shop when I can go anywhere? Ugh. I have a friend who is probably a size 0-2, she hates shopping too - too many stores!

 OMG women who don't like shopping. Say it ain't so!!!!

Mimi congrats on the size 16's. I am so living for the moment my big a** fits into a size 16 anything.

Congrats on the 16s! That's amazing.

I think you should embrace shopping because now you can go ANYWHERE! Way to go.

Brenda

A friend of mine that went from a size 20 to a size 2 said that I would love clothes shopping now. At my heaviest I wore a 38 and now I'm a 16...and I still don't like clothes shopping. I have been doing some self evaluating to figure out why. First it was because of size but that wasn't all, my size was EXPENSIVE! I'm a mom, and it means that if there is 100 bucks to be spent on clothes I am an expert at justifying why it should be for the kids and not me. That is why I wore, repaired and re-wore the same 10 things for over 10 years, and yes, that include underwear and bra repairs too. Now my problem is I don't want to spend 100 bucks on something that will only fit me for 2 months, I am catching myself wearing the same pants that are WAY too big and look like crap because I have to make them last as long as possible. Goodwill is my friend but I have to try on 10 pair to find 1 that might fit, it is frustrating me. I also have so much energy that it just feels like I'm wasting time at the store trying on clothes, I have too much to do and not enough time to do it in. I don't have 2-3 hours constantly trying on clothes, that is why alot of the time I just get something and take it home and if it doesn't fit when I shop again take it back but this also can eat up time I don't have standing in lines at the local walmart returns and such, and you cant return underclothing so back to the trying crap on part.

Now another friend of mine really helped with the bra issue, when I get sized for the perfect fit I then purchase one band size down and use bra extenders till I am that size. OMG that was the best advice EVER! I still go to the outlets and sales but instead of going through bra sizes every 2-3 months I can make them last maybe six now.

If the local support group doesn't do it, ask them for a clothing exchange. We do one every other month and you don't have to bring clothes to take clothes. That has helped alot of us pass around our clothes we are shrinking out of and getting something new in the process. What is left over that no one takes we give to the hospital and it goes to the local shelters. Getting something new AND giving something back all at the same time.

Congrats on the 16's!!!

I'm with you on the shopping, ick- I hate it. I never liked it and I still don't- I find it tedious and boring. Now grocery shopping- that's another matter!! I could spend hours there, reading labels and deciding on the perfect meal, but picking out clothes for myself...rather not. I still only go once or maybe twice a year.

Hope that changes for you tho!